Philadelphia Home Guard - "Gray Reserves" & 119th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-8907

Description

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


Philadelphia
September 9, 1861

Dear Sis,

I have to enclose you a letter from Sophy, so I drop you a few lines, being somewhat hurried today. It is a letter from our friend I. M. Abbott, he is improving and promises to pay us a visit so as to get the country air. Our family are all well. I keep my time well filled up as usual. What with the factory, the railroad, the soldier company take etc, etc, etc. I manage keep being killed by Enneri.

We have regular regimental drills and firings and feel like old veterans, only that we have not yet been under fire. (But that is not our fault you must remember). Last Thursday our brigade (consisting of 4 regiments of infantry) elected Frank Patterson our Brigadier General. He
Was 3 months in the present war as colonel of the Pennsylvania 17th Regiment, was in the army during the Mexican War, and is a West Pointer. So we have a prospect of brigade drills – which will be something worthwhile.

The capture of Hatteras has given a cheerful aspect to matters.

I will write you some again when I have more leisure.

Yours truly
J. Sparks