CIVIL WAR LETTER - 151st New York Infantry - "Slaughter at Fredericksburg" Etc..

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Co. A (“the Independent Rifles”), 151st New York Infantry.
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Reuben W. Pierce (1827-1863) of Carlton, New York, who enlisted at the age of 35 on 11 August 1862 to serve three years in
Co. A (“the Independent Rifles”), 151st New York Infantry.
He mustered in as a corporal.
According to the regimental history, while the 151st was on the march on 1 August 1863, Reuben Plummer and Reuben Pierce “fell out of the ranks near Manassas Gap and were taken prisoners by Confederate cavalrymen, their guns taken from them, and then they were paroled. They afterward paid to be taken to Harpers Ferry where Pierce died” in a hospital on 10 August 1863. A letter from Capt. Hezekiah Bowen of Co. A to Mrs. Pierce (see Letter 19) conveys the news of Reuben’s death to his wife.
Reuben was the son of Earl and Irene (Wood) Pierce of Barre, New York. He was married about 1850 to Mary Ann Pettit (1833-1913) and had at least two sons. This letter suggests the couple may have had a young girl named Louisa born between 1860 and 1863. According to his enlistment record, Reuben stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, had grey eyes, dark hair, a dark complexion, and worked as a mechanic prior to his enlistment.
TRANSCRIPTION
Lafayette Barracks
Baltimore, Maryland
December 21, 1862
Dear Mary Ann,
I received a letter from [you] last Friday night and one again today and [was] glad to hear that you were all well at home yet and I would to God that [I] were there to enjoy that home with you. I think I could enjoy home now if I ever [paper creased and smudged] there but such is rules of war that a man is not a man when he is a soldier. Tell the children that I shall come home as soon as the government will permit.
We are in the barracks yet but do not know how long we shall stay. It is reported here tonight that forty of our men will have to go downtown tomorrow and relieve some of our regiment that are guarding a hospital.
We have had some excitement the last three nights. Thursday night there was somebody took to stand the guard outside of our camp. They throwed about a dozen stones. They they run and a squad of our men [went] after them but they did not catch anybody. Then the next ight they stoned the guard again on the opposite side from what they were the night before. The guard they throwed the stones at shot his gun at them but did not hit anybody. Then they sent out a squad of men after them but did not see anybody. Then the Officer of the Day and Allmond Cady went out where the stones come from. There is a few scattering trees where the stones came from so the two that went out together saw a man among the trees and chased him and shot at him. He run and jumped into a yard or lot of brush when jumped there was there more started off from the other side of the fence and run off with him. They did not hit him. The same night down at a place called Locust Point where there is a squad of men of our regiment are guarding a railroad bridge, somebody shot at one of the guards. The ball passed through his cartridge box about an inch from his body and a few nights before that there was somebody shot at him on the same railroad bridge. So you see we have a little excitement to pass away the time.
The news from the seat of war is not very encouraging. The slaughter there at Fredericksburg was awful. It’s probable that Burnside lost about twelve thousand men in that battle while the rebels lost only 2500. It was the hardest battle that has been fought since the war commenced.
I got a letter from George. He said he has left that money with Nathaniel and that after that Mr. Reed paid thirty-five dollars on that mortgage and thought he would pay the rest of it in the spring. Has Arnold gone to Canada? Littlefield wrote that he had gone to Canada. Where is Francis Brown? I saw one of the men that belongs in the same company that he belongs to and that was a month ago and he said he had got discharged and gone home and I supposed he was at home till the other day Susan Wilson wrote that he was not at home and that they did not know where he was.
The Old 28th Regiment is near Fredericksburg. General Wool has been superseded and General Schenck has taken his place in Baltimore.
Newton University Hospital, Dec. 23rd. We had marching orders yesterday in the forenoon to relieve one of the companies that were guarding this hospital and fifty of our company were sent to guard two hospitals—one is the Continental Hospital, the other the Newton University. There is eight men and two corporals at the Continental and the rest of them are here where I am. There is a Lieutenant, one sergeant, and four corporals. 36 men. The place that we have to guard was a large hotel once and the Continental hospital was a large hotel. We are right in the heart of the city about half a mile from Federal Hill and about eighty rods from the dock where the shipping comes into the harbor. It is the most business part of the city where we are . It is the headquarters of General Schenck and the headquarters of the City Police, the Mayor’s Office, and close to Barnum’s Hotel—the largest and the best in the city. It is the secesh part of the city. There is a street railroad runs by the south side of the hospital. There are some in the hospital that was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg. They say it was a hard battle and that they suffered severely.
That is all I have to write this time except the time that I worked for Thomas Eckley and that time was 12 and a half days according to my book. Direct as you have done before.
— Reuben W. Pierce
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