Civil War Letter: Postmaster Details Local Dead, Glorious Gettysburg, Vicksburg

Description

4 pp, 4 ½ x 7, New Boston [NH], July 7, 1863, Solomon D. Atwood, Postmaster and prominent Republican writes an interesting letter about the deaths of local soldiers, struggling, in part, to find out about one who may have been a relative and concluding with the success at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, which, “makes things look glorious for the country.”
In part, “…Prompted as Perley was to enlist only by the patriotic impulses of his noble nature rather than the mercenary motives of many others…I could not help mourn that his life should be cut short in he should see the object and desires of that noble patriotism…The news of his death seemed like a pall of darkness on my enjoyment...
“I really do feel much encouraged that Perley may yet be in the ‘land of the living’ though no direct news has come from him. Last night there was letters…from George Andrews, Horace Langdell, Fred Samson and Abner Smith. George wrote about Abner Smith’s death and said that Horace Peabody and Mr. Kelso was dead, making [it] five from this time. He was…at New Orleans and his letter was dated the 22
nd
. He did not even mention Perley’s name and if Perley had been dead, it is very strange that he did not mention it.  Fred Samson spoke of Kilso & Peabody but not a word of Perley. Horace Langdell is at Port Hudson. He wrote that he had heard that Perley was very sick but had not heard of his death. Abr. Smith…wrote that Perley was sick in the hospital but was better…George Marden is the only one of our boys that has written yet that he was dead and he wrote that he had heard he was dead…I have thought very much about you in this trial…The good news from Penn[sylvania] and Vicksburg tonight makes things look glorious for this country and government that Perley went to defend…”
Folds, toning. Very readable. Very fine letter.
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