152nd New York Infantry Wounded at Cold Harbor & Killed at Boydton Plank Road

Item LTR-9707

Description

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


Nineveh, Broome County (NY)
October 16th 1861

Friend Mary

It is with pleasure that I sit down this beautiful morning to write to you. I am enjoying good health and am in fine spirits. I never had a better appetite and never felt better for a week than I have since I started from Old Butternuts, which by the way was just one week ago this hour. And just about such a morning as this, I made up my mind that I was going to enjoy myself before I started from home. I made up my mind I would not get homesick nor lonesome but I did not think I should forget old friends. Nor shall I ever. They stand before me as plain in my imagination as they possibly could if I could see them in reality. I think of home and its associations often at morning, noon and night, on the Sabbath and in all places. But still I don’t allow myself to get homesick. I think a person can think of past associations and friends without having the blues as some people term it. I don’t experience any such feeling and what is more, I never expect to. It is always my aim in life to look at the brighter side. Brown and I walk out together very often as was the case last eve. It was a splendid evening and we both wished we could be sitting down in the streets of old B. For then we should know what to do. The first things would be to engage a horse and then to have a pleasant ride with someone where our company would be agreeable. It seems rather strange to me to see so many men staying around here without any apparent business. The company numbers about 120 men. We drill about two hours a day with the company. The rest of the time we practice or do what we are a mind to. We have a great many privileges which the common soldier does not have. We are invited into the parlor almost every evening to sing for the ladies and officers. They seem to like our company very much. We have had prayer meetings every evening since. I came here last Sunday. The Band played going to church. Aunt Rhoda, which I’m sure you have heard of, would not think, I presume, think not seem much like going to church playing with our horns but we had a first rate meeting in the afternoon. The articles of war were read. I even attended solemn meetings that we have here. There are quite a number of professors of religion here in this company

Please excuse all mistakes for there is much noise that it is almost impossible to write.
This from your friend,
Will Musson

As soon as I get settled I shall want you to write to me. We start for New York tomorrow morning.

P. S. Give my respects to your Father and Mother. Also Sarah and the rest of your sisters, and all the rest of the girls who inquire. Tell Sarah Hurd we came very near having a full dress party last night. If we had it, probably should have come often here. How is the poor child getting along with that cold she took at Uncle Ephraim’s? I hope she is getting better of it.