151st New York Infantry

Item LTR-7843

Description

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


Near Reams Station
January 22, 1865


To my dear Wife Amanda,

As it is Sunday morning and a very lonesome morning. I will try and answer your welcome letter dated on the 10th and mailed on the 13th. I was so glad to get it. To know you was not sick abed. For I dreamed you was very sick. It found me well all but my water works. I wrote you about it in my last letter. I thought it was better then but I don’t see as it is any better yet the Doctor tells me I might be careful and not lift much and I will get over it soon. He has given me Turpentine and Flax seed water but that did not help me. I have to make water about fifty times in the 24 hours and it pains me every time so it almost kills me. I went over to see the Doctor last night. Told him how I was. He said I must eat raison but that is very expensive. They cost one dollar a pound. I got a pound. I will try them. I have got to eat them in four days. If I was a boy it would be good medicine to take but I don’t like them much now. I feel first rate every other way and got a good appetite all the time and fat as a boy. I weigh 168 pounds. Good weight to now. Don’t worry for I shall be all right soon. I think as soon as I got fairly over my cold it will get all right again. I don’t know but I was foolish to say anything about it for I know you will worry all the time and folks will laugh thinking I would write to a woman about such a thing but you can read it to yourself. The boys all are having lots of fun with me because I went to the Doctor so soon after we was in Washington but let them laugh. I am innocent of anything of what they say ails me. I think if I was only a little sick with it, I might get a sick furlough and come home to my Darling Wife and get well. But when I think of leaving you again, I can’t do it I know. The 24th of August will soon come along soon and we shall all go out of the service from the day of our enlightenment so the Colonel told me and if that is so it will not be long but seems a great while to wait yet. And if I could get a furlough I should have to come without any money for we have not got our pay yet nor no signs of it either. But the War will end soon I hope. You see we have got Fort Fisher and no more. Butler now he may be a good General but I can’t nor never could see where it lay in him. I don’t know but I believe if he had done his duty when he first came here to City Point, we should not have to lay here all winter but I may be wrong. They must have had very hard fighting down there but thank God they have got it and we are bound to have Richmond before we leave it. But they are very close here on our front yet but they have not made a charge now in most a week but there is a few comes across to our lines every day. I can see some every day fetched up to Headquarters (shall this) from four up to thirty but I am afraid our Division won’t do as good fighting this summer as they did last summer. For they don’t seem to like Seymour for their Commander as well as they did General Rickets. He got wounded at that fight when we got drove back from Cedar Creek and has not got back yet but they say he is coming along.

I hope so for they or most all seem to be down on Seymour for something. There is a great many changes here in the Army. We have got another Commander now in our Train or rather our Train is all transferred into the Headquarters Train and they have sent most of all the teams to work on Forts and drawing wood and timber to build houses for the Officers. The report is we shall all be sent back to our Regiment again but I don’t know nor don’t care much for I am all right with the Colonel Bogardes. I told him last night that was the report. He said he was glad of it for he had got a better place than I ever had before he did not tell me what it was. It may not be so but this military is a great thing for changes. Now Amanda don’t worry about me for I shall be all right. I don’t fret a bit. I think it will turn out for the best if it is so. There is one good thing if I do go back. It is not for any bad behavior nor for the lack of skill as a Blacksmith. For all the officers want me to shoe their horses. And that currier of yours is some if we do all leave they will have some trouble to get another as good a detail as they have got now, if I do say it myself. That Warden I wrote about that sold his horse in Washington and put in the guard house has had his trial and has got to pay 160 dollars and go to his Regiment and not get a chance of another detail while in the service. He belongs to our Regiment. He went home last winter on a furlough and some how or other his wife has got a baby this winter. He got a letter from her the other day telling him how matters stood with her (I read it). She says she is well but very hard up for money. He did not send her any of the money he got for the horse. He spent it all in Washington but the women got it all so I suppose he thinks it just as well but I don’t. I pity her for she writes him a very loving letter but needs money very bad, poor thing. Little does some women know what their husbands do here. It is awful to think how some of them can put a face on to write and call them wives after what they have done. But they think they will not know it but I want to come home with a clear conscience and hope I shall and hope to meet a face as good and I have no fears as yet. Captain Wiles goes home tomorrow. He has got his discharge. He was the only one left of our old Captains that came out with us. They have left us to take of our selves the poor 151st. What did they say to us when we enlisted. We will stand by you but I did not believe it all but some will do more good at home than here. But Wiles is a very good man. I am glad he is out and wish I was. Don’t you? I saw Benson yesterday. He is just as full of lies as ever. He looks hard as well as all the regiment of us. A soldier’s life is hard. The best you can do or make of it. We have a very hard rain storm since last night. It has rained very hard all the time and froze as fast as it came. The ice is an inch thick now on the ground here and very cold. Yet it is curious weather here, some day hot and the next very cold, but not much snow. I am glad this is the last winter for me. Sid McWethey is just come here. He is well and sends his love to you. His wife has been sick but is well now. I could spin a yarn to his wife if I had a mind to but would not for the world. If the women act half as bad at home them that are married as thou married me do away from them. I don’t wish to see them. Now Amanda I must kiss you and bid you good bye for now and go to supper for I am tired or my thumb is. This is a very poor letter but I hope it will please you more than it does me and now may God guard over us both and keep us true and spare us to meet again and live happy for many years to come, is the wish and prayer of your ever loving Husband. So many kisses from Amos Currier.

Mary Kinney is at home very sick, is not expected to live. They say she is bad with the T______. I will tell you when I come home. Billy Allen is home. He was exchanged but Milo King is in prison yet. Hope he will get exchanged soon. Little Bishop is with him.

You have not told me whether that ring got there yet I sent to Johnnie. I have got one for you but I dare not send it until I know whether that got home now be sure. And do not worry about me for I shall come out all right in the end. I wish you was half as well as I am. Write as often as you can and I will do the same. Kiss all the children form me and tell Johnnie he must be a good boy and not to enlist if he knows when he is well off and he must try and earn something or go to school. Kiss him for me lots of times. Tell the girls I am here yet and would like to hear form them. You can tell them where to direct them too. Goodbye. ABC