1st New York Mounted Rifles CIVIL WAR LETTER Colored Soldiers, Battle Winchester

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1st New York Mounted Rifles CIVIL WAR LETTER Colored Soldiers, Battle Winchester:
$57.00

CIVIL WAR LETTER

This Civil War soldier was written byHenry Chandler Smith(1838-1882), the son ofChandler Smith(1811-1861) andElecta Marie Wilcox(1816-1896) of Canaan, Columbia County, New York. In the next to last paragraph, Henry mentions several of his siblings:Edwin Sebastion Smith(1844-1926),Isadore Smith(1845-1907), andMary Branch (“Branchie”) Smith(1846-1918).

When 23 years old, Henry enlisted at Canaan inCompany I,First New York Mounted Rifleson 18 August 1862 for three years. He was mustered out on 12 June 1865.

Henry wrote toCatharine (“Kate”) Gertrude Cook(1832-18xx), daughter ofNathaniel Cook(1792-Aft1850) andPrudence H.____ (1798-Aft1850) of Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Henry married Kateon 13 September 1865 and farmed on a property two miles northwest of East Chatham, New York.

The Special Collections Research Center at Swem Library, College of William and Mary, has another letter in their collection from Henry to his sweetheart, Catherine G. Cooke of Richmond, Massachusetts dated 11 January 1864.

TRANSCRIPTION

Williamsburg, Va.
October 25th 1863

Dear Sister,

I did not get your letter until yesterday when I came from picket and did not have time to write yesterday so I am going to write a few lines to you.

It commenced raining yesterday and has not cleared off yet. There is still a great deal of fever and ague here. There are from twenty to thirty on the “sick” list from each company. I never felt better in my life than I do now. There is nothing new or exciting going on here at present but last Friday we got quite excited over a dispatch that came from headquarters for us to pack our things and be ready to march in an hours time. When we had got about half ready, another order came for us to unpack so we are still here and very likely to stay till spring if not longer. We were to have been relieved by the Twentieth Cavalry and sent to Alexandria.

There was a scouting party went out last Friday and in the night when they came back within sight of where I was on post a party of guerrillas fired on them and then ran for the woods. The same night three colored soldiers came in who were taken prisoners at the Battle of Winchester.

The Memorial that I spoke to you about is already sold to one of the boys. Perhaps we may get some that are more perfect before I leave the army and if you do, I will send you one certainly.I will send you a photograph too sometime if you will be a good girl.

I will not tell you who informed me about your ride in the “hind end” of the carriage for anything and I don’t think you could ever guess.

The leaves are nearly off from some of the trees but very many of them look as bright as ever. We have had only two or three frosts and they were more than three weeks ago. If you go down to Uncle Merrill’s, you must give him my best respects. I shall expect my box next Saturday and hope to enjoy it very much. Tell Bastion that he must write to me right away if he can or I will write to Lydia about him.

Sunday evening—I have just received a letter from Mr. Pennell and he says that his wife is at Southport on a visit and that Mrs. Frost is dead and that she died just before or directly after they got to Minnesota.He says they are having prayer meetings every evening and that they are going to have the Conference there that you spoke of. You must go if you can.

I am going to the prayer meeting in a few minutes. I wish that little Arthur would send me a photograph when Mother takes him where they take them and I will pay for it. I want to see him so much. Be a good girl and write often.

Your loving brother, — H. C. S.

TERMS

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