5th Maine Infantry - Colonel & Brevet General

Item LTR-9642

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 6 pages, written in period ink.


Friday Evening
August 30th 1861

Camp Vernon near Alexandria

Dear Wife

I thought I would commence a letter to you tonight. I went to Washington this forenoon with Lieutenant Walker and got back at four o’clock this afternoon. Lieutenant Walker is better today. I got him in a good place in Washington. He will go home as soon as he gets his furlough granted from headquarters. I got his paper through our regiment and through the brigade and then the department at Alexandria, and then it has to pass through the department at Washington and he has been expecting it for some days. Colonel Danner went home this afternoon. He left Washington for home when I was there. I was in hopes John would have went with him. Captain Toby is in the same fix that John is. I think they will go the first of next week. Monroe is better, I think a little. He is still in the hospital. Tell his wife he is doing well. Jimmy is now making up the bed. He says he is a going to Bethel with me when I go. Mr. Tibbett has not got along yet. The Maine 7th Regiment is stopping at Baltimore. None of the boys have gotten back from Richmond. I have not heard from them since I got the letter from N. B. Robertson.

Saturday morning, August 31st. I find myself well this morning after a good night’s sleep. The sun is up and it is a beautiful morning. It is the last day of summer. I think one year ago today I finished up haying on the meadow. But today I am in a very different business. And I hope in one year more if we should all live, we should be in very different from what we now are. I think if the war should close this winter, I should think it best to settle or go from here and into whatever business. As I think it will be hard getting along in Maine for some years to come. I hope you have got that money from Augustine, as I know you need it. Keep Bill Bennett paid up and not get a large bill behind. I am officer of the day today and shall have to be up about all night. But I do not see that my work is any more now than it was before the boys were taken sick. As they have not done much of late. As John has been not fit for duty since Bull Run’s fight.

It is now two o’clock and as that is the time, I have just been to an election of field officers. Lieutenant Colonel E. Libbey is colonel. Major Hamilton is lieutenant colonel and the drunken Captain Thompson is major. I am very sorry that the election came out as it did. The field officers are a drunken sott and I think it doubtful if I remain in this regiment. And I think I am not alone in the matter. I have not seen Monroe today. But learn he is about the same. Tell his wife if he was worse she shall hear of it immediately. But I hope he will be well soon.


Sunday morning, September 1st 1861

I received a line from you last night and was very glad to hear from you all. In regard to the stories of Mrs. H. and Mrs. W., I would keep out of there. Mon and Joe had a joust the day about the stories teller at Bethel. You wrote me the report is that Sawyer is hurt in the leg. I do not know that he has been hurt in any way whatsoever. In regard to me writing in low spirits, I did not know that I did. As I never was in better spirits in my life. You write me my life is worth more than thirty five dollars. I am sure I do not know what you mean by that. You write me the money has been collected at Augustine but do not mention by whom. I do not understand you as I sent an order to have it paid to you and not sent home to me. As I do not need it here and shall send home some to you as soon as they pay off. I wish you would write me about the money at Augustine or if anyone has got it but you. As it is too much to lose. Explain it more fully in your next letter. In regard to clothes. I ordered a suit from Portland as I expected to go home there, but since the Lieutenant has been taken sick, it looks so I should not get home at present. You say Benj is off all the time recruiting. Is he expecting to come with the eighth regiment? Who is there in Bethel coming in that regiment? Write me how you get along without money. These hard times. I should like to have you come here to see me if you think it best. But as I wrote you before, I think it not a place for a woman. I think the one here from Lewiston will prove herself about like the rest that come from Laco. I wrote Mrs. Normwell not to come and it would be a foolish thing for her to come here at this time. Perhaps if you should start to come here we might be down in some other part of Virginia. You know I want to see you all but shall not make a great fuss about it at present. You must know that I think enough of home. I have come into camp some nights when I have been out three or four miles, after letters when on a picket guard and sit up every night to ten or eleven o’clock to get letter from home. Tell Frank to look out for the bears as I had an awful time with one when a little boy. He knows the story. He heard me tell Uncle Thompson of it the time he killed his bear. You write me that Eunice is at Patty’s. What is she doing there? How do you and Agnes get along now? I hope you will not get into a fight with her as you and Agnes get along so well. John Hornwell is in our company. He came into it some four weeks ago. Jimmy has gone out to see Monroe and has not gotten back yet. I shall not finish this till he comes back. I think I may go to Washington in the morning to see John. Tell his folks that he will be on route for home as soon as he gets his papers. Tell Kate too that Charles Durham is here in the camp. He is well. All the boys are as well as usual.

Sunday evening. John Saffers has just come to hand. I am glad. I think he may leave tomorrow for home. But if I find out they are to pay off, I think he may stay till Wednesday. Jimmy has come in from Alexandria. He tells me he is no better, does not sit up any but I am in hopes he will be well soon. But still it looks a little hard for him. We got news of Ben Butler’s victory in North Carolina. The boys begin to feel well. They shouted well into the night upon the news was blanked at Deep Bottom. They think that will wipe out the Bull Run affair. If John comes back in thirty days and I do not leave the regiment, I think I may go home then or the last of October and stay to Thanksgiving. If I cannot go, and get along well and should go into winter quarters here or Alexandria, I would have you come on here and get a house and keep house here this winter. And not freeze in Maine. What would you think of that? There are plenty of houses in Alexandria that are well furnished with furniture and I would take possession of one of them. I think you would like this country. It is just warm enough they can raise all kinds of fruit and the country this side of the Blue Ridge on to the Alleghany Mountains is about as broken as it is in the Lowell part of Cumberland County and some of the most splendid views I ever saw. There is a view of the country near our camp up by Fort Ellsworth or little back of it. By the marine forts you can see Washington across the Potomac up the River about eight miles and Alexandria about one mile to the east and at sunset it would do you good to be there to feed your eyes on the sight. I am sorry I cannot go home this month. It will be impossible. You need not feel worried about me. I am well and doing well. If I get paid all up, I shall send home some one hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars. And if I get paid off before John leaves, I shall send it by him too you. Tell your Father I want him to put hay enough in the barn for the cows and Dolly. I will write you about getting home as soon as I find out what I shall do. If I send home any money by John you keep it to yourself. There is no need of everyone knowing it so to get it all away from you. As we may need it all to live on before this war is over. My health is as good as it ever was. Only that hateful cough. The same as I have had for the last few years. But I am very fleshy. I weigh one hundred and forty eight and that’s twelve pounds more than I weighed last year at this time. I think this country is just the place for me. The climate is just right. I am in hopes of seeing some of the western country before I go to Maine to live again. And I think if I stay here through the winter, I shall have you come here to see how you like it. I think you would like it well. As everything is so beautiful but the humans. I have not seen a decent looking human since I came through Philadelphia. I saw some very pretty ladies there but they do look like the pay end of creation here in Virginia. But I expect the best looking ones have gone further south. John will tell you all about the country and the condition of the regiment when he comes back. Send me some butter and anything else you may think of. He will tell you what I need. I sometimes think that Monroe will have to go home if his shakes continue. He has been growing worse ever since he was first taken. But do not scare his wife about him as it will do no good. I must now close as I have written all I can think to write at this time. Tell Frank to write me about the bear. Tell Nelly to write if she has learned to knit yet. Tell her she must learn to spin. Tell Kate to go to school to learn as well as she can. I shall expect she will keep school best next year if we go there. Tell Molly and Mary to be good. Tell them father thinks of them every time he sees any little boys and girls. A kiss to you all.

C. S. Edwards