This well written letter from a surgeon in the Vermont Brigade, was written from Camp Vermont on December 6, 1862.  The letter is in ink, 4 pages long and provides an excellent description of the part of Virginia that they were in (Wolf Run Ford on the Occoquan Creek).  There are a couple great lines in the letter when Acting Surgeon L. D. Ross describes the southern people…

·         “The people are a sort of white negroes all talk, act & cachinnate like niggers.  They are destitute of everything.” 

·         “The richest have to live now on hoecake, some potatoes, the whitest kind of butter, no sugar but lots of cabbage.  The soldiers live high on pork, hard crackers, coffee, & what fresh meat we could manage to confiscate.”

·         “One man cut off one finger & two others nearly the other day getting roots to make pipes.  Off “dear pipes” for six weeks at least.  I like the business very well.  Have enough to do to keep me busy all the time.”

A nice “newsy” letter written in dark ink, easily read and with some “very interesting” lines!

#L66 - Price $195

                    Transcription:
                                                                                                                    Camp Vermont Dec. 6, 1862
                                                                                                                                        14^th Regt. Vt. Vol.

Cousin Charlie

            I promised to write you I believe.  Well I will.  I should have done so
long ere this but I have been very busy.  Am so still, and expect to be more
so since our chief surgeon has been dismissed from the service.  So that I
am surgeon in chief & alone there being no other assistant surgeon.  The
old surgeon in an old fogy, a perfect old fuss and feathers I am glad he is
gone.  We have moved eight times since we left Brattleboro, VT. - and
nearly every time it has stormed hard during our moving time.  We have
just returned from doing picket-duty at the point on the Occoquan Creek
at Wolf Run Ford & so along up to Bull Run.  We were 5 or 6 miles from
Bull Run battlefield.  We caught one or two Rebels and lots of cattle, pigs,
Poultney & sheep to eat.

            We had a gay time, weather very pleasant all the time.  You can
trace our journey on the map.  We are now encamped about 3 miles S.W.
of Alexandria area so we marched by night in the rain first to Alexandria. 
Thence to Fairfax, C.H. thence to Fairfax Station and thence to Wolf Run
Ford on the Occoquan Creek.  The country is rolling hills & very thinly
settled.  We pitched on a hill where we could see the country for miles
around and could see only here & there a log farmhouse, no “villages”
such as you see in our state.  The view from that hill made me think of the
view from Howe’s hill in E. Poultney only more extensive & less towns. 
The people are a sort of white negroes all talk, act & cachinnate like
niggers.  They are destitute of everything.  The richest have to live now on
hoecake, some potatoes, the whitest kind of butter, no sugar but lots of
cabbage.  The soldiers live high on pork, hard crackers, coffee, & what
fresh meat we could manage to confiscate.  This morn. as I went in to my
breakfast the first man I met was one Clark Lamb alias Joseph Wade.  I’d
no idea of seeing him, gave him some breakfast - & sent him to his Captain. 
Ben Rice was our to the front to see us the other day.  He is well. He is
doing patrol duty at Fairfax Seminary.  Not much duty only to take up
stragglers from different Regiments and set them all right.  All the rest of
the Poultney boys are well & doing their duty.

            What do you hear from or of Charlie Clark?  I see by the papers
some are dicing out of his Regiment.  Has Ed Richardson reached home
yet?  I’ve had another case of gunshot wounds to dress.  One fellow shot
by his companion through the breast & cutting off a piece of his shoulder
blade.  He is alive plucky & funny & doing well.  I think he will recover. 
We have lost but two out of our Regiment since we left VT. by death. 
Some have skedaddled.  One man cut off one finger & two others nearly
the other day getting roots to make pipes.  Off “dear pipes” for six weeks
at least.  I like the business very well.  Have enough to do to keep me
busy all the time.  We have 18 in the hospital & lots sick in their tents. 
Henry Pease is here in Co. G from Bristol.  Yesterday we came back here
in the worst storm of snow we have had since I’ve been in Va.   Where
did you go for Thanksgiving?  How is Harry Howe?  I heard he was very
sick & not expected to live.  Will you please write what the good people of
Poultney are about generally?  How’s business?  Are you yet at Jeb’s
store?  What do you hear from Dave?  How are all our 17 yr. old cousins? 
Do you think they will recognize anybody now a days?  Come down here
& get some oysters as is oysters right from Chesapeake Bay.  I’ve just been
to a stew in our cook tent.  Also sweet potatoes, cheese & apples.  I reckon
we are on the living side of that quiet Potomac.  Although “cut glass does
come high” I am in good condition for fighting & we expect to do some in
the spring.  We are now in winter quarters.  How is Grandmother these
days?  Tell her I hope she’ll live to see an end of this war.  Give my regards
to your mother, Paulina,  Grandmother & all who enquire for one. 
Enclosed 2 pictures of the acting surg. of the 14^th Regt. Vt. Vols. One for
Grandmother & one for you.  Write soon, come down to Washington D.C.
next week and I’ll meet you there.

 

                                                            Yours Truly

                                                                        L. D. Ross

Direct to L. D. Ross                                             Acting Surgeon

                                    14^th Regt. Vt. Vol.

                                                Washington D.C.