211th Pennsylvania Infantry - Soldier's Hanging

Item LTR-8286

Description

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


Camp
December 14, 1864

Dear Wife,

Your kind and welcome letter of the 4th is at hand. I was glad to hear from you that you and the rest are well. I will inform you that I am well.

I will give you a little history of our raid. On the evening of the 9th at dark, we got orders to pack up and be ready to march in five minutes. We marched about 3 miles and halted and encamped for the night and next day till towards evening and then we started for our old camp again but only about a mile till [we] halted, turned [and] marched back to the same place where we was. The place where we was encamped is a little to the left of Hancock Station. We remained there till near dark. Then we marched to the extreme left about 25 miles. It was about 5 o’clock in the morning when we halted and encamped in a corn field. There we remained till in the afternoon. Then returned to our old camp. When we reached it, it was taken up by other troops. Then we was marched out in the woods and encamped there till yesterday evening, the 13th, we marched back to our old quarters.

The weather was very bad – raining and snowing and cold. On our advance we had to wade through mud but coming back it got very cold and froze so we got along a good deal better. Coming back, the cavalry burnt every house – some of the nicest, largest frame houses that any person would want to lay their eyes on. It was a fearful-looking sight. They were so close to the road that we had to double-quick it past to keep from burning.

On Saturday [10 December 1864] there was two soldiers hung for deserting. I saw them stretch the hemp. There was a great number of troops present to see them hung.

I got the box in very good time. I finished it the evening we were ordered to march. I think we will go into winter quarters where we are and then you can send me another box as soon as you can. Tell Granny that I am ten thousand times thankful for them mittens she knit me. I would have suffered on that raid if I would not have had them. Tell Lovina that it was with pleasure that I read her welcome letter. I will write her a letter when I get time. We have so much duty to perform that we have hardly that much time to write. What time we get now for a few weeks we must get our quarters fixed as they are very open and cold. Our chimney smokes considerable today.

I close by sending my best respects to all the friends.

Yours truly,
Nelson Statler