10th Connecticut Infantry

Item LTR-8995

Description

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


Deep Bottom, Va.
July 21, 1864

Dear Sister,

I received a letter from Julia last night dated the 18th. The last one I wrote was to Ma dated the 17th. We moved our camp yesterday on the other side of the gully. I hear there are more troops coming here so our Brigade was all put together. The mail gets here now about 10 o’clock at night. We are generally asleep when it comes and they carry it around to the tents and we light a candle and read them.

We have got New York newspapers of the 19th. I see the President has called for 500,000 more men. That will make a heavy draft. It will bring out a good many that have got/[thought] not of going before by paying them 300 dollars. All the money that the town of Greenwich paid out for that purpose they have paid for nothing. For if those men had went then, there would have been so many less called from the town now. They had better pay men 300 dollars a piece for going than to pay them it for staying to home. They don’t want to pay a man anything for going. It will be hard work for them to get substitutes now and there will not be any reenlisted men to count on their quota now. These sick men sons are now better to come than anyone else and I will be glad to see some of them brought out. How does little Dan like it? I should not like to see him drafted. He has got his mother to take care of. These men who are able to come may as well volunteer and come first as last.

We was on picket day before yesterday. It rained hard all day. As hard as the ground is here, one day of hard rain will make mud ankle deep. We will be on picket again tonight.

If Elisabeth Holley wants to know why I don’t write, tell her some time as other when I get time, I may answer it. Amelia owes me a letter. If it takes them 6 months to answer my letter, they must give me the same time. Georgeanna Smith owes me a letter. I don’t expect to write any more to Cristy, he is too busy to read or answer them. I have not had any letter from you in a long while.

It has been very hot here for a day or two past. There was a slight shower last night. I suppose you go over in the city to school now. Do the poor house children go over there too? I got a letter the other day from Elias Read. I expect one every day from Willi Peck.

You must take good care of my dog Frank. If I should get home this fall, I want to hunt with him. I’ll bet he would know me now. How is little mop getting along? Does she trouble the way on going along the road? If she does, you must chain her up. [drawing of two animals]

Nate, Paul, Willice and the rest of the boys are well and so am I.

There ain’t much to write about here now. You must write when you get this. Nate got a letter last night too.

From: Elias S. Peck
Co. I, 10th Regt. C. V.
3d Brigade, 1st Division
11th Army Corps