CIVIL WAR LETTER - 58th Pennsylvania Infantry - Anxious About Rebel Victories

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Co. G, 58th Pennsylvania Infantry.
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Adam Richter (1842-1927), the son of George Richter (1822-1908) and Jane Shearer (1822-1908) of Blossburg, Tioga county, Pennsylvania.
Both Adam and his father served in Co. G, 58th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Adam’s father was discharged for disability on 1 June 1863 after one and a half year’s service but later reenlisted on 3 September 1864 as a sergeant in Co. F, 203rd Pennsylvania Infantry.
Adam did not join the 58th Pennsylvania until 22 January 1862—a few weeks later than his father—but he remained in the company until they were mustered out in late January 1865.
A 1927 Photograph of Adam Richter, Veteran of the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry.
In early March 1862, the 58th Pennsylvania was sent to Fort Monroe. On May 10, it was attached to a force sent to capture Norfolk, Virginia. Until September, the regiment was assigned to garrison duty around Hampton Roads, and was then transferred to South Carolina. During this time, it fought only in small skirmishes and raids, losing few men.
This letter was penned from Norfolk just before the march to Black Water and only a few weeks before the Battle of Antietam, at a time when morale in the Union army was at an all-time low.
Envelope used by Richter; addressed to Mrs. Jane Richter. Blossburg, Tioga county, PA
Transcription
Norfolk, Virginia
August 5, [1862]
Good morning—it is good evening instead of morning. I thought I would have to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well and hope you are well and all the rest of you. I would like to see you all but the way the war is going, I don’t think I will get home very soon. Our regiment is losing a great many men. It is enough to wake the heart of stone to see how many men there has been killed. It is true our men is losing a great many places for the last month. If the rebels whips us at a great many places and if they go on they way they have done, we will have a hard time to whip them.
We all stand in hard place. We are worse off than we was a year ago. We talk of leaving this place. The news just come in that one of our generals turned a traitor to us at or near Washington. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know and the rebels is within six miles of Washington. I am afraid if we don’t do better than we have been for the last while, that we will have to go back to Pennsylvania. Our army is pretty well used up. If we ever expect to whip the South, we will have to do better than we have been for the last two months.
Mother, if you can find out where Jack Clark is, I wish you would write to me and let let me know where he is and tell me if George Vance is on [ ].
Mother, I hain’t much to write this time. When you write tell about the folks there. If Sam Kendrick is there yet, tell him that I want him to write to me and I will write to him. I would like to hear from some of the boys there. I guess there is not many boys left there now. Mother, you must not think hard of me for not writing oftener because I can’t write as often as father can because he has no drilling to [do] nor guard to do like I have because he cooks. No more. From — A. Richter
to J. Richter
TERMS
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