115th New York Infantry - Captured at Harper's Ferry

Item LTR-7768

Description

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


Camp of the Detached of the 115th Regiment, New York State Volunteers at
Laurel Hill, Virginia

January the 9th 1865

My Dear Brother,

I now take my pen to answer your kind and welcome letter which I received yesterday morning. And happy was I to hear from you and hear that you was well. I am well as usual and I hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing. We are having a very good time here now and not much to do. I have heard here that a part of your Corps had gone to Wilmington, NC. If they have, they will see some hard times. We got a dispatch here a day or two ago. It was the 16 that Fort Fisher was taken with 1,000 prisoners. We heard here the next day that my regiment was sunk. And yesterday there was a come from Beaufort, NC and he said the boat that they was on could not be found. If this is so, it is a hard thing. I am glad that I was not with them. Although we write within a few days and of our times bearing out and then be honored the missing. But I hope we may all live to get out of it.

Alright dear brother, I wish that I was able and could see you, Theodore and Eric when he is there at Petersburg. Where we or I instead to be. And Fredericksburg is about 10 miles from here. But I can’t get a pass to go and see him and I do not go without one. For if a man is gone 24 hours from camp without a pass, they will shoot him. They shot one here the other day for going to see his brother without a pass. And that is pretty ruthless. There has been 10 shot here this winter. But dear brother, the time will soon come when we can go and see each other without a pass. If we live, it will be a happy day to us. But as you say, I should like to see the damn gray backs whipped and I can help do it. But I don’t like it if I can get rid of it for I have been in some tough places this summer. Where they, the Johnnies, have made me run like hell and then on the other hand we have done the same. Well dear brother, I have only seven months more to serve Uncle Sam and then goodbye. If I should be lucky enough to see it. I am glad that you are acting orderly and I wish you was one. They are going to give me a sergeant. But I don’t want it for what little time I have to serve. For I should have to be with the company all the time. Then I could not lay back as I do now. You would not take it would you? For all that I am looking for is to get home all safe. Write what you would do about it. But I don’t think that I will take it anyway.

I received a letter from my wife yesterday. She is well. Well Seth, they had quite a dance at Mitchells. Seventy members, I should like to know where they all came from. I have nto heard from Mother in a long time. I guess I will write to her today. Dear brother, I will now close. Oh Seth, Lewis Bailey is with the regiment no more.

This time write often. This is from your dear brother.

Good bye brother,

John Hill

To his dear brother Seth Hill. Direction on the side.

Company G
115th Regiment, New York State Volunteers
Fortress Monroe, Virginia

2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 24th Army Corps