11th Massachusetts Infantry - Died of Wounds from Wilderness

Item LTR-11558

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 page, written in period ink.


Camp Near James River, Harrison Landing
 
August 11^th 1862
 
Dear Brother Horace,
 
Your favor of the 4^th is just received.  I was very much pleased to hear from you again.  I wrote Ella yesterday and today and sent her a paper with two pictures that were taken for James and Georgia last winter.  They are both spoiled by casing them.  They did look not ruined until we commenced skedaddling.  The glass of one broke and the other spoiled by sweat.  
 
I have nothing new to write more than I wrote Ella.  The order we had to be in readiness to march today at 3 was countermanded.  Our knapsacks and heavy baggage is all gone to the river and we may have marching orders before morning.  Destination as yet unknown.
 
It is thought by some that we are going to Aquia Creek, opposite of our encampment last winter, to prevent Jackson from crossing the Potomac and marching on to Baltimore or Washington.  Others think our position is very precarious.  That we are liable to be starved out.  That the rebels intend to blockade the river below.  That we will all move in night by a division at a time until this peninsular is vacated by the Grand Army of the Potomac.  The last can hardly be so as Hooker’s division is always on the right when we advance and at the rear when we skedaddle and we are the first division in this to move.  
 
We are getting no new recruits.  The papers say there is any amount now being sent forward.  I presume they go to Washington to guard the city or they are sent to Pope’s Army.  When we left Budds Ferry, 5^th of April, Hooker had his Division, 13 full Regiments of Infantry and 4 Batteries of Artillery and reinforced with 2 full regiments at Fair Oaks.  Full 15,000 troops in all told and tonight we could not call out 6,000 men fit for duty.  And out of nearly 20,000 union troops that has landed on this peninsular, 6,000 could not be called out for duty and Richmond is no nearer being taken by General McClellan than it was before we came here.  
 
We have done a vast deal of work here.  General McClellan is a great mechanic or has some splendid engineers.  The fortifications below Yorktown before Richmond and Harrisons Landing, I think cannot be beat in any country.  They will be looked at with admiration by generations yet unborn.  The pontoon bridges that were thrown across the creek below Yorktown and carted 50 miles and thrown across the Chickahominy at 14 deviant places, I think were blown up.  If not, the Rebels have the benefit of them.  I have heard nothing from them this way.  Perhaps they share the same fate of the new uniforms that were ordered for the whole Army to celebrate the 4^th of July in Richmond.  What was not burned, the Rebels are now wearing.  I think now as I have always, that the rebels have had the best of us since we came from the 1^stof April to August 11^th.  But every move we make is reported and published as a complete success.  Come to fine the thing down to a point.  
 
Hooker’s Division lost as many men in killed and wounded at Malvern Hill last Tuesday as we took prisoner and skedaddled back at that.  Some of the reporters give us 200 Rebel prisoners and one battery with a loss of only two killed and 7 wounded and another 100 prisoners with a loss of 20 killed and wounded.  The fact is that people know but little of the truth of what is going on here by reading the army correspondence in the newspapers.  Time will tell.  
 
I hope and pray that something might turn up that this war might be brought to close.  There has already been misery and bloodshed enough for one ought to suffer.  Captain Barker has not returned.  Is at home sick yet.  The 2^nd New Hampshire (regiment) had a Colonel and adjutant for field and staff, one Captain and 3 Lieutenants for line officers.  The Regiment is nearly and quite played out. 
 
Tim has gone north and will resume his old position on the rail road.  He had seen enough of the war.  The Quartermaster of the 5^th New Hampshire told me that he only drew 449 rations for the regiment and over 100 of them was for the sick and not fit for duty.  There are over 1,000 men when we landed here last Spring.  Most of the regiments are worse off than the 5^th New Hampshire.  
 
Write me when convenient.  Give my love to Mary Ann and children.
 
Very Respectfully,
 
Abel Starkey