Scanned letters 1 & 2
belong together and are combined into one pdf.
Letter 1 was enclosed in envelope postmarked Washington DC,
May 24, & appears 1862, but could easily be 1865.
Envelope is addressed to Miss Angeline Decker, South Berne, Albany.
Letter 1 is dated March th 17, and starts with “my dear
sister” and also states “I have been a soldier for 17 days”, and Wm H.
Decker enlisted on March 1, 1865.
Letter 2 is dated March th 18, and starts with “I will try to
finish my letter” and appears signed by W.H.Decker.
Letter 2 also references “let Anngeline see this” so, not sure which sister
was intended recipient.
LETTER 1
PRINTED LETTERHEAD:
U.S. Christian Commission
This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners; of whom I am chief
(below was handwritten)
Dismounted Camp March th 17
?Muy
Dear Sister I now
steel the opertunity to rite a
few lines to you to let you
know
How I get along I
am well at present
and hoping these few lines
will find
you the Same Soldiers
life
agrees with me first rate
I have ben a soldier 17 days
I started from Lockpoart the 3
of this month and Enlisted The
1
so
I had about ? 1-1/2 furlo and came
to Elmira and stayed There
over
one week and then started
for the front we
got on the
?cars at 4 oclock In the
afternoon
and got to Baltimore the next
day
about noon and Then went
to the Bull
?pen and stayed till
about 4 oclock In the
afternoon
and Then went to the Boat
we
wasent alowed to go a step
with
out a gard tide to us
we rode
on the Boat all that night and
all the next day and all of
the
next night – till the next day
at noon and then we reached
City Point but the worst of
all we had to take Deck pasage
and had to sleep ?out on
Deck one
night It rained all
?Sorts and The most of the
Poor Buggers had to lay out
In It but I sliped (slipped)
clear of that
I went and crawled under
some ?plank and kept dry
I tell you It Is a site to
See the ?monakers
and gun
Boats on The river and the
foarts along The way
we came
by ?farxns
?xanro and the boat
Stoped there about two hours
but we wasent alowed to get
off of the
Boat we
brought 20 Diserters down
with us and two of them was
sentenced to be Shot to day
last night when The Soldiers
came
to
this camp from city Point
we came along the lake Shore
and there ?Layed dead Horses
and in one hollow There was
too dead men of all Smells I
ever saw that
coped all I tell
you It made a feller think
of Home. I
have to go And Drill
I have got through Drilling
and I will try and finish my
?Epistle to you this
is the first
day I have ben on Drill and
I can Drill as well as the
best
of them we
?havnt got mounted
yet so we have to Drill
on Foot yesterday
when we
Were to City point there were
about 100 ?xxx came and
give them Selves up
I tell you
these are a ruff looking Set
they raged (ragged?) and Dirty
as the
ground I
will tell you
what rations I draw here
last night I
drawed ?hardtack Pork and
coffee
Sugar and I have jest ?bers
and
Drawed a ration of Soft Bread
we
Have plenty Such as It Is
I don’t
grumble at It any way
I Expect
we will draw our arms to
morrow
and I will have Some
photographs
taken and will Send you one
I went to the Commisioners
(commissary?) for
this paper
It don’t cost me
any thing and that is cheap.
********************************************************
LETTER 2
PRINTED LETTERHEAD:
U.S. Christian Commission
This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners; of whom I am chief
(below was handwritten)
March th
18
I will try to finish my letter
I have jest been a walking
I got
through ?the ?good Season for
?It xx
?11 oclock yet
?I don’t think you could
bear
that If you tride to get up
and get your breakfast and get
through walking by that time.
I
Have to cook my own grub.
I tell you how we cook our
grub
we have to go down on the
The Bank
and build a fire beside a
?Stump
and boil our coffee In a cup
and our
?meat we roste on a Stick
to day
We ?draw ?Potatoes and Beans
and
Unions I
am going to draw my
arms In a few ?minutes
day before
yesterday There
was a man Sent on
gard and he went and got ?an
ax and cut His arm half off
He thought he would get his
Discharge but he will get
fooled
and then he ?jumped in the
?backhouse
?and then he went to the river
and ?tolerated he was going to
hang
Him Self
There was ?3 men Standing
rite by him but However he
give
that up and then he was going
to
Dround himself so He jumped
In and went to the bottom and
?Struck his arm In the ?mud
and
he would ?stuck there till
this
time if they hadent Pulled him
out he Is
to the Hospitle now
there was a little ?fireing up
the river Last night.
I can’t
think of any thing more at
present
?Let Anngeline see this
tell her
to rite to me
Direct W.
H. Decker
Dismounted Camp near city
Point xx
xx New York
|