58th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-7820

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 2 pages, written in period ink.


Camp near Portsmouth, Virginia
August 10, 1862

Dear Sister,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and hope that these few lines will find you the same in good health. We are still here yet. We don’t know how long we are going to stay here. We may leave here today and may not for a month yet. We are in a tight place here. We were ordered to go out in line of battle last Tuesday night at twelve o’clock and remained there for an hour and then went back to our quarters and laid on our arms all that night. But that was no rebels to see that night we went out. We did not know if we would come back to that camp. But we did not go out last night. We were ordered out again at one o’clock. I tell you that we heard some cursing. Then the sergeant said the rebels were coming at Suffolk and they would be there at morning. I wish that they would let us fight or go home. I guess the boys up there. It is just good for them that they won’t enlist. That’s trouble, then they would get out of it. But they must. It is glory in it if Starr’s boys had to. I wrote to Charles Starr. I directed it to him.

I don’t know when we will get paid now. I thought that we would get it last week but we did not.

Tell the boys that now is their time to enlist.

I now bring my letter to a close. Good bye.

John McCloskey

Let them know we are not as safe as a bird on a tree. Here we do not know when we must take our musket and fight. That is something we don’t know when that will be, but let all know I will shed the last drop of blood.

Write soon. John McCloskey, Co A, 58th Regiment.

I want you to put this picture in the album, Mr. Johnson got it.