12th New Hampshire Infantry - Missing in Action at Gettysburg

Item LTR-7521

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Headquarters 3rd Division, 3rd Corps
May 18th [1863]

Dear folks at Home,

I got a letter from you all last night and was very glad to get it for I had been looking for it for 2 or 3 days. I have changed my quarters since I wrote last. I am detached from the regiment at present for guard at Headquarters. How long I shall stay I don’t know, but while I stay, I shan’t have any more fighting to do. When there is a battle, it will be our duty to pick up all stragglers and take them back to their regiments. Where we are now is about as far from the regiment as from our house to Warrens.

Colonel Potter is all right. He came over the river last Friday. His wound is not very bad. It will be all well in a month. The Rebels have sent our wounded over to us. They had a pretty hard time over there. The Rebels treated them as well as they could but they did not have anything for them to eat and so they sent over for our folks to send them something. One of the boys in our company has got some things that belonged to Charles Clough that he will send to Mr. Clough folks. He was laying wounded a little ways from Charles and a Rebel came along and took the things out of Charles’ pocket and gave to him and told him he had better send them home to his folks. I have a good deal better opinion of the Rebels now than I had before the battle because they treated our wounded so well. Company H numbers now for duty in camp: 10 privates, 2 corporals and 2 sergeants. General Graham is in command of our division now.

Tell Carrie that I will write to her next. I can’t stop to write any more now.

Freedom Sanborn

Direct your letters the same as ever.


Thomas J. Sanborn
Laconia, N.H.