2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery - Wounded at Petersburg

Item LTR-8680

Description

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


Headquarters Connecticut Veteran A.
Near Fort Ellsworth, Virginia
February 23, 1864

Dear Father,

Today’s mail brought me two very interesting communications. One was your letter of the 19th containing a well grounded complaint about my not writing (for the fact is, I have hardly written a letter since Charles & Em were here) and the other was a curious epistle from one William. A. Buckingham that read something like this - “His excellency William A. Buckingham, Commander in Chief of the Militia of the State of Connecticut to Theodore F. Vail, Gent., Greeting. – Reposing the highest confidence in your fidelity, ability, patriotism, etc., etc., I do hereby etc., etc., First Lieutenant, etc., etc., and I do charge you etc., etc., - Given under my hand, etc., etc.”

I have seen several Connecticut papers with my name in, and I knew that these commissions were ordered to be made out by the Governor as long ago as February 6th, but they did not come until today, and it may be that their not coming before had something to do with my neglect of letter writing - for I thought it would be easier to write if I had something to write about. The aforesaid document is very pretty one, and is ornamented with an oval embellishment something like this.

I do not rank nor receive pay as 1st lieutenant until I am mustered into the U.S. Service as such, which will not be under several days. As for a sword & fixings, I think I can do better by fitting out down here than by sending for the sword that Joe found. And as for a horse, I shall have no occasion for one unless I am detailed as adjutant (which some folks think probable) and even then, I shall not own my horse but use a government beast (an adjutant is an extra lieutenant, and belongs to the staff only, & never to a company – but in artillery, the adjutant is a company officer, and is detailed as adjutant by the commanding officer, & can be sent back to his company at the pleasure of the commanding officer).

I am assigned to Company K, but if I am detailed as adjutant, I shall of course not serve with my company.

But I am busy and must close. I will write again in two or three days. Received letter lately from Abbie, Joe, Julia, Charles, & Mary & I owe them all. Love to Ma.

Your affectionate son

T. F. Vail