107th New York Infantry

Item LTR-8700

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Shelbyville, Tennessee

February 17th 1864

Dear Dwight,

Your welcome letter of January 22nd reached me a few days ago and would have been answered soon had I not been so very busy. Since I wrote you before, I have moved again. I am now with three other companies of our Regiment. Doing provost duty in Shelbyville, Tennessee. A beautiful place nearly as large as Elmira and just as handsome. We are quartered in a nice large brick building. Have a good place to board and have gay times generally. I had about as soon be here as in Elmira. There are a great many pretty girls, plenty to drink, very light duty and everything to make time pass pleasantly. I was out with a train of 50 wagons and 100 men foraging a few days ago. We went out forty miles from our lines into the country. We had a skirmish with guerillas the second day out. Wounded one and took one prisoner. We were gone five days and came in with our wagons loaded. I will probably go out once every three weeks. Just enough to keep up the circulation you know. Yes, the star corps has a soft thing for the first time. I hope it will last all summer but am fearful when spring comes, we will be off for Georgia. But Dwight next summer will end this cruel war. Providing you of the Army of the Potomac do anything. We will do our share you may rest assured. Dwight if we ever get home, we will have one old siege. Wouldn’t it be gay if we could meet Colonel Higgins, Curran, Comstock, Leavitt, Williams, Young and a dozen more of our Elmira friends at that time and in that place. We wouldn’t drink anything. Oh, no!. I received a letter from Sam Leavitt yesterday. He is still in Elmira. His regiment is there you know. Reenlisted. Sam is in for three years more. How are your three years? He says he is having gay times yet. He nearly made me homesick with his damned nonsense about Elmira and its pleasures. We have also sent two more officers to Elmira. Colonel Crane and Captain Brigham after recruits. We received the first installment yesterday, 31 in number. Captain Sweet of the 137th brought them down. You probably remember him. He was there when we were. He returns there again. Lieutenant Russell M. Tuttle is in our regiment. He is now Acting A.D.C. on General Rogers’ staff. He is a splendid fellow.

Hoping to hear from you very soon.

I am Sincerely Yours.

J. R. Lindsay