7th Massachusetts Infantry

Item LTR-7112

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages written in period ink.


Washington
Headquarters 7th Regiment
Camp Brightwood, Company E

August 17th 1861

Mr. Stetson

Sir,

Yours of the 10th is just received and in reply, I have the pleasure to inform you that myself and all the Marshfield boys are all well at present but it seems scarcely possible that they can remain as a great while longer under our present treatment.

We have removed our encampment some four miles north of Washington, on the Baltimore Turnpike. We are encamped in a clover field, in with the 2nd crop, which is now ready to cut. We have to lie upon the bare ground, without as much as even straw which is allowed by government; to be upon we have had a long spell of wet weather, which keeps the place, or rather what ought to be the floor of our tent, constantly wet and damp. This fault is owing to the quartermaster not knowing his duty, or knowing it has not the disposition to do it. While our regiment is thus used, the New York 36th regiment, which is your nearest neighbor, have good board floors for their tents. The also have bed sacks filled with straw. I fear our regiment is destined to suffer severely for the want of competent officers. Our doctor is as big an ignoramus as ever administered a dose of salts. When I said our Marshfield boys were all well, I meant in a military sense of the word. That is, there is no one on the sick report. But I believe that there is not one who is free from a bad cold. You said you would like for me to give you a description of a soldier’s life. This I could do, but to give you a description of our live here, would be anything but a soldier’s life. If there is any one, which you know of in Marshfield, who thinks of enlisting, tell them by all means to join the regular army. For there they will be cared for and if they are sick or wounded, they will have some competent person to take care of them.

We are called out in the morning at half past five, in 15 minutes after we have a drill, which last one hour. We have breakfast at 7 o’clock, which consist of coffee and bread. At 9, the guards mount, that is the new guard relieves the old for 24 hours. We have also in addition to the camp guard, one company on picket guard, which is also relieved every day at 9 o’clock. This picket guard is extended along the road leading to Harpers Ferry, in squads of three or four men. About three hundred yards apart. At 12 o’clock the mail arrives, which is by far the most interesting and pleasant hour in the day. Our Chaplain acts as post master for the regiment and he is a real gentleman. The only officer in the regiment who knows and does his duty. After he has sorted the letters and papers, he delivers them to the first sergeant of the different companies, who distributes them among the men for whom they are intended. At one o’clock we have dinner which consists of either salt or fresh beef, with bread and sometimes a little rice soup.

At 2 o’clock, until within the last few days, we have had company drill. But now instead of this drill, we have to work in the entrenchments. It seems the government is under apprehension that the Marylanders, in concert with Beauregard, are about to rise and attack Washington upon the north side, where as yet there are no defensive works. Consequently, one brigade has been ordered to erect five batteries. The one upon which our regiment is to work is located upon the fork of the road leading from Baltimore and Harpers Ferry. When completed it will mount 24 guns. It will take us some three weeks to complete it at the rate we are going on. We are making saw havocs with the trees and buildings in the vicinity of the work. But I must leave this subject in order to complete the description of our life here. We have supper at six o’clock which is composed of bread and coffee. At one half past six, we have dress parade and this closes the military exercises of the day. We have nothing to do from this until 9 o’clock, at which time we retire to our neat and dirty beds. Which I presume your pigs would not envy us. I do not know how much longer this state of things will last. I think not long. However, if it does you will have trouble in the 7th Regiment. One thing I must not forget to mention, that is that the warm weather and the close contact with the slave, together and bad usage have effected a mighty change in the abolition sentiments of the members of our regiment. I have heard officers and privates declare that they would never vote the abolition ticket again. I have much more which I shall write but I must close for the want of peace. I should like very much for some of our abolition ladies in Marshfield to see what I saw the other day in Georgetown. It was this. I saw a very beautiful and respectable and well dressed white young ladies walking arm in arm with an equally well dressed colored lady. And the latter reading out of a book to the former. I thought to myself where in the free states would this be tolerated.

Please answer as soon as convenient

Yours respectfully,

Henry Tolman

Direct as before.