Museum Quality Americana
· “I lost my blankets and tent in the battle of Fredericksburg, but the lord spared my life while a great man fell in the field. I know what war is now and what it is to lay out in the snow and rain without shelter.”
· “Out on picket the rebs is not so sociable as they was in Fredericksburg. We didn’t shoot at each other on picket there, but we do here. I have talked with the enemy and divided my bread with them… I feel sorry for the women and children that leave their homes and run and cry what shall I do, or where shall I go. In Fredericksburg, I went into folks houses and there was everything in the house and the bed not made. They left and run into the rebs lines. The boys went in and made their selves at home. I had a nap on the sofa myself, but I didn’t destroy anything, but I got all the tobacco I wanted.”
· “There is some of them whose bad. They stripped our dead stark naked in the field when we fell back from the field”
· “We had one thousand men when we came out, but now there ain’t 7 hundred.”
· “Let us strive to meet in heaven if not on earth”
The letter is written in nice dark ink and is easily read. Horton’s spelling leaves something to be desired, but you get his point! The document has come apart at the folds and acid free document tape has been used. This has not detracted from the appearance of this piece as it has read “character.” A super content Fredericksburg Battle letter!
#L10
Transcript:
Fort Jericho Camp Misery Virginia
Dear brother. I embrace this opportunity of writing to inform you that I am well only being wounded in the thigh
with a knife, which I done myself, but not seriously I don't think. I hope this letter will find you and your family
well. I have not had a chance to write as soon as I had ought to for I have had a very hard winter of it. I lost my
blankets and tent in the battle of Fredericksburg, but the lord spared my life while a great many fell in the field.
I know what war is now and what it is to lay out in the snow and rain without any shelter, but I have stood it very
well. I often dream of being in our old playground. Hiram Loder is in our regiment. He is well. We are laying in
camp near Suffolk Va. It is very well fortified here. I hope we shant have to go into no more battle for our time is
so near out. We have 7 weeks to stay yet and then our time is out, but that is time enough to kill a great many of
us. The enemy is 20 miles from us now but we have skirmishes with the guerillas every few days. Out on picket
the rebs is not so sociable as they was in Fredericksburg. We didn't shoot at each other on picket there, but we do
here. I have talked with the enemy and divided my bread with them. They say they are as tired of fighting as we
are. I feel sorry for the women and children that leave their homes and run and cry what shall I do, or where shall
I go. In FredericksburgI went into folks houses and there was everything in the house and the bed not made.
They left and run into the rebs lines. The boys went in and made their selves at home. I had a nap on a sofa myself,
but I didn't destroy anything, but I got all the tobacco I wanted. There was plenty to eat there. If they do say the
rebs is starving to death it ain't so, I don't think. There is some of them whose bad. They stripped our dead stark
naked in the field when we fell back from the field. The rebs wanted to know what kind of men we was in the 25
regiment for we went right up to the fort and they fired a volley of balls into us and then they fell back. The rebel
officer says if he had such a regiment or two he could whip all the Yankees. The 25 is the first in our brigade. It
has a good name. It has too good a name for me. We move too often. We have had 7 differnt camps since we have
been out and I don't know how many more we shall have. We had one thousand men when we came out, but not
there ain't 7 hundred. All of the members of the church is here. God has spared all of us so far and I have a hope
that he will. I have seen some very happy times in camp. Although we fare hard, I don't murmer about it and put
my trust in god. So Ephram, let us strive to meet in heaven if not on earth. So I will close and if we meet on earth
I will tell you all about war. Please answer this letter. Direct your letter Humphrey Horton, Company I, 25
Regiment, NJV 3 Brigade, 32 Division, 9 Army Corps, Washington, D.C. and it will come to me anywhere we go.
From your old friend Humphrey Horton. Give my love to all my inquiring friends.
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