7th Rhode Island Infantry - Letter Group with Soldier's Art

Item LTR-9179

Description

Original Civil War letter grouping - 9 items consisting of 4 pages with 7 drawings. All letters are written in period ink by Private George Adelbert Spencer of the 7th Rhode Island Infantry.

Letter 1.
Camp Near Petersburg, Virginia
7th Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers

August 8th 1864

Dear Parents,

I received the bunch of envelopes and 3 papers this morning. And am very glad to get them. I have written a letter most every day last week and have got one too. So, I don’t know of much to write. We ain’t got no sugar yet. Nor no meat and have had no beans nor rice for a long time. Everybody is growling and so I growl too. It’s enough to make anybody growl. I’ll bet if some of the men at home had to go hungry two or three days as we do, they would growl more than we do. I would not growl now if one was not so near the bases of supplies and could get it well enough. If they was only so disposed. But they have got a lot of swindlers and thieves in the commissary department. Not in the commissary department only, but in every department all through the army. And the Generals winks at it. Everybody is getting demoralized and don’t care who knows. They say that charging is played out and I guess it is the way they charged the other day. But I only tell what I hear right round here in our division. You must not think it is so all through the army.

We have got a pup to command our regiment. His name is Daniels and he tries to get our regiment into all the fights he can. The time the fight was going on here he kept running to General Potter to see if he could not put our regiment in on the charge. And at last Potter told him to take the regiment to the devil if he wanted to and I guess he would if the fight was not all over when he got back.

You must not think I am getting down hearted because I ain’t. I am little hungry, that’s all. And I can go 3 weeks without anything to eat. I don’t know of anything more to write at present. Give my love to Henry and Emma and take a share for yourselves.

Write as soon as you get this letter and tell Ed Doty to write.

From you son,

George A. Spencer

George A. Spencer
Company I
7th Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers
1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Corps
Washington, DC


Letter 2.
Camp Near Petersburg, Virginia
7th Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers

August 21, 1864

Dear Parents,

I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I wrote to you yesterday and having nothing to occupy my time at present, I thought I would write again although I have no stamp.
They have been fighting all the morning, a little ways to our left where the 5th Corps is. The Rebs was the attacking party and have been repulsed 3 times this morning. They are going to fight hard for this railroad here. We have got our lines across it.
We have not been called for to go in yet. And I guess we won’t unless the Rebs break our lines. I don’t know of any more to write at present, so goodbye.
From your son,
George A. Spencer


Letter 3.
Camp in the Woods near
Petersburg, Virginia

September 26, 1864

Dear Parents,

I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. We had marching orders yesterday afternoon and in 20 minutes the 9th Corps was once more on the tramp. We marched about 3 miles to the right and here we are with the arms stacked and all packed and ready to move at a moment’s notice and have been so all day. It is now half past 12. We don’t know where we are going. There is lots of rumors as to where we are going. Some say we are going to reinforce Butler; some say we are going to North Carolina, and 40 more places. I don’t trouble myself where we are going at all.

Joe Morris come to the regiment day before yesterday. All the Bristol Boys are well. Give my love to Emma & Mary and William and Aunt Hannah. I don’t know of any more to write at present, so I will close.

Write soon as you get this letter.

From your son,
George A. Spencer


Letter 4.
Camp of the 7th Rhode Island Volunteers
Poplar Grove Church, Virginia

October 26th 1864

Dear Parents,

I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I received your letter of 21st this morning and am very glad to hear from you and learn you are well. I am well also. Got all over the toothache. We are ready to move but ain’t gone yet. Everything is quiet here now. All the sutlers have been ordered to the rear. I can’t write much now so I will close by saying goodbye and telling you what a vedette is. Write soon as you get this letter.

From your son,

George A. Spencer

Company I, 7th Rhode Island Volunteers
1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps
A vedette is a man and is placed about one hundred yards in front of the pickets and has orders to fire and run in if he sees the Rebs advancing. The picket line is calculated to hold a line of battle in check until they have support. As they have all the advantage of ground and can’t help missing a man.


Letter 5.
7th Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers
Fort Sedgwick on the Jerusalem Plank Road
Near Petersburg, Virginia

December 10th 1864

Dear Parents,

As I have a few moments, I thought I would write you a few lines and let you know I am well. We have had orders to be ready to move at a minute’s notice for the last two days and are all packed up now. I think we shall move tonight, though we may not.

It commenced to snow and hail and rain last night and has been storming ever since. There is a movement afoot “somewhere.” We could have stayed in this fort if it was not for Colonel Daniels. He begged the General to let him go. He has been Brevetted Colonel. We think he has got the Brevet on the Brain.

The Rebs shelled us yesterday with their mortars but did not do any damage. We are going to have cod fish and potatoes for dinner. I don’t know of any more to write at present, so goodbye.

Write soon as you get this letter.

From your son,

George A. Spencer
Company I, 7th Rhode Island Volunteers
Washington, DC


Letter 6.
Camp of 7th Rhode Island Volunteers
Fort Sedgewick before Petersburg, Virginia

February 21, 1865

Dear Parents,

I thought I would write you a few lines and let you know how I am getting along. I am well as usual.

We had quite an artillery duel here last night and yesterday afternoon. There was about 20 of us on top of one of our bomb-proofs and the Rebs sighted one of their guns at us and let it go. It was a solid shot and it went about 20 feet over our head. If he had been any kind of a shot at all, they could have swept the whole of us. We did not give them the chance again.

We had good news here this morning. The capture of Columbia and evacuation of Charleston. There was a salute of a hundred guns fired all along the lines this morning. I guess the Rebs are mad about it. They fire a shell at everything they see. If they see ten men together, they let a shell slip.




Fort Sedgwick before Petersburg, Virginia

February 22, 1865

Your letter of the 18th came to hand this morning with the 2 cents. I am going to keep it until I come home.

Our line is 24 miles long, if not more. I am going to take a walk by and by. I went to the Appomattox just to look round.

I went down to the place where the fort was blown up yesterday. They have got a fort there they call the Petersburg Express down there. There is four 32-pound guns in it and they fire in the city every afternoon. If you want to know how a 32-pound shell sounds going through the air, just take a stick and put it on one of them wheels in the mill (I mean on the spokes) when it is in motion and you will know. And when it bursts, it sounds like the repose of one of those field pieces in the Bristol Armory. I can’t tell you how the pieces sound but they make you duck your head, I know.

They can throw all the 32-pound shells they have a mind to if they will only keep their mortar shells to home. We don’t like this throwing shells upstairs and letting them fall down.

I don’t know of anything more to write so I will have to close. Give my love to all the folks and write soon.

From your son,

George A. Spencer
Write soon.


Letter 7.

7th Rhode Island Volunteers
Fort Sedgewick, Virginia

March 12, 1865

Dear Parents,
Your letter of the 5 and 6 came to hand this morning finding me in good health. We have just had an inspection of knapsacks and arms by General Curtin. The Harper’s Weekly did not come with the letter.
It is pleasant and warm here today. The mud is all dried up. Is Phelps in Bristol yet? Peleg Jones has got a mortar. I am going to engrave it for him. I engraved one for Major General Potter day before yesterday. Colonel Daniels gave it to him.
Is that kitten you have got the same one we had when I was at home? They say that our time is out the 16th of August, the date of Colonel Bliss’s commission. I don’t know of any more to write at present so I will have to close. Write soon as you get this letter. Give my love to all the folks.
From your son,
George A. Spencer


Letter 8.
Camp of 7th Rhode Island Volunteers
Alexandria, Virginia

May 21, 1865

Dear Parents,

I thought I would write you a few lines. The first step has been taken towards our getting home. They have commenced to make out the papers. We have got to pay for the first suit of clothes we had how when we enlisted. They said they give us the first suit but now we have got to pay for it. It will be $27.00.

Tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock we start for Washington so as to be ready for the severance. We are going to leave our things here so it will be an easy march. It has been thundering this afternoon and raining.

Have I got any pants to home that will fit me? I suppose I shall have to buy a suit way through. I think I shall anyway. Does my watch run good now? Has Billy Manchester got one? I don’t know of any more to write so I will have to close.

Write soon.

From your son,

George Adelbert Spencer

P. S. This letter will not go until after the review.
Write soon.


Letter 9.
Spencer wrote out the Battle Hymn of the Republic and mailed it home to his Father.