10th Connecticut Infantry - Wounded at Deep Bottom Run

Item LTR-9995

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


New Bern, North Carolina
Saturday Eve, April 12, 1862

My dear Parents,

I start another letter home this evening principally on W. N. Salter’s account. He is quite unwell the last week past and wanted me to write a few lines to his wife and let her know the state of his health. He has been in the tent where we had to take care of him. I don’t wish anyone to suppose we had any objections to taking care of them, but we neither had the means nor the opportunity to take any kind of care such as sick persons want. Then again you know the size of our tents and ten of us to live in there and do everything made a great deal of noise. And they instead of growing better were each day growing worse in spite of the best care we could give them. I am not able to say what is the matter with them.

Yesterday room was made for them in the hospital and we removed them thither. They have every care there I think that it is possible for them to have under these circumstances. They have some first rate nurses there the Doctor says. Besides the beds. I think it will be a great deal better for those of us left in the tent for the air was very impure from so close and small a room.

The rest of us seem to be in good health and spirits. We have had no news since the first of the week. I hear today that the Rebels had evacuated Kingston a city about 70 miles above here on the Neuse River. They heard that general Burnside was advancing on them. They were seized with panic and evacuated. Well General Burnside has advanced as far as Bachelor’s Creek, (where the Rebels burned a bridge in their retreat from this place) whit a regiment of men, a lot of carpenters and some artillery to rebuild the bridge.

Then there is an engine on the way which will be placed upon the track and do some of the carting. The story about the evacuation of Kingston, I won’t for its truth. Here is another similar, which I hope is not true. When our forces went up to Washington, soon after we arrived here, they were met by the inhabitants in a very friendly manner. The mayor of the city a good Union man afterwards came down to see the general. Since that time Jeff Davis has sent down there and had the mayor and citizens arrested and carried away. I don’t know where.

I think I shall have to close this now as is near time to go out to roll call. Here is now good night.

William

P.S. Sunday Morn
They don’t allow anyone to go into the hospital but I am informed that the boys are much the same this morning.

Please send me a dollar’s worth of stamps. It’s very difficult getting any here.
W.L. Savage