85th New York Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER - Great Content Camp near Washington DC

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

85th New York Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER - Great Content Camp near Washington DC:
$46.01

CIVIL WAR LETTER

This Civil War soldier letter was written by Albert Henry Bancroft (1840-1864) who served as a private and later as a corporal in Co. B,85th New York State Volunteersduring the American Civil War. Albert enlisted at Bristol on 26 September 1861 and served with his regiment throughout the war until he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina, on 20 April 1864, and imprisoned at Andersonville (Georgia) where he died on 11 August 1864. In addition to the letters (see list below), Albert kept a diary during the war; see “Diary of Corporal of Co. B., Eighty-fifth regiment, N. Y. S. V.” published in the Fifth annual report of the New York state Bureau of military statistics, 1868, p. 575-612.]

TRANSCRIPTION

Washington [D. C.]
December 20, 1861

Dear Sister Myra,

Yours of the 18th has been received and read with much pleasure. It was the first time I had heard from York State. We have moved 6 miles since I got yours. We are not a great ways from the Potomac [river] and on the ground where the rebels lived in peace and plenty last spring and now it is tore up and cut to pieces. This morning I saw the remains of a nice brick house that was burned last spring and the owner now is in the rebel army. They say we are going into winter quarters and if we do, I shall try and get so I can write easier than I can now. My desk today is the head of an old drum and it goes well considering the place.

Tell Father I was in the shop last night [in my dreams] and he had a nice pair of boots for me. There were made of calf, lined nice, double souls and sewed. But I came away in a hurry and forgot them, But they were not quite done. I did not see any of the folks but Father. Tell the girls to go to school and be good girls and tell Willie he had ought to hurry and get ready to go to school.

But the drum sounds for dress parade and I must away.

Parade is over and now I am writing by candle light and there is such a noise I hardly know what to write. But I must write something and you must excuse me if I make any mistakes. You said if you could you would send me some ink. I have ink and the reason that my other was not wrote with ink was I could not — or dared not — sit down my ink for fear it would get turned over. But I can hardly get any stamps. If you could send me $1 worth or so, you might look for letters [from me]. There is a poor chance to get any such things.

We have plenty to eat and are quite comfortable but the weather is rather queer weather. The days are warm and pleasant and the nights are foggy and it makes the tents so wet that you can see the steam from when the sun comes up. We could stand it better if it was dry and cold. We are not a great ways from where the boys from Manchester are encamped and have seen some of them. They are all well and fat as hogs and so are we. I am as stout as a new cart and twice as swift.

Has Willie told Nate Mason and Bill A. where to write? If he has not, tell him to be about it or I will be after him with my old rifle. I have not shot it yet and want the chance of shooting at some rebel but I hardly think I shall have the chance. I think we shall be home for good in 6 months but I do not know what makes me think so. Have you done anything about tombstones? If you have not, I think you had better.

But this sheet is most full and I must close. Write as soon as received and remember the contents and tell Father to remember my dream. The directions are as before:

A. H. B., Co. B, 85th N. Y. S. V., Washington D. C., care of Col. Davis

TERMS

$2.00 postage in the United States and $3.00 elsewhere. We accept paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases.

We\'re members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.

We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for futuregenealogists and history buffson the Spared & Shared blog.

We\'ve been selling on since 2001. offer WITH CONFIDENCE.