Charles Wilkinson - Civil War Soldier, 90th NYS Regiment

 

        Charles Wilkinson was born 3 Mar. 1840[1] the son of Thomas and Sally (Crandall) Wilkinson.  On 12 Oct. 1861, at the age of 21 years, he enlisted in the armed services at Nineveh, NY, for a term of three years, as a private in Company E of the 90th NYS Regiment.  The 90th regiment was organized at New York city on 20 Nov. 1861, consisting of a consolidation of the McClellan Rifles and McClellan Chasseurs.  Company E of which Charles was a member was recruited principally in Unadilla, Nineveh and Otego, NY.  A little over a year after enlisting, Charles died of yellow fever 9 Nov. 1862 at Key West, Florida where he is stationed.[2],[3]  The family erected a monument to his memory at North Afton [Chenango Co., NY].

     While in the service, Charles Wilkinson regularly wrote home and eagerly looked forward to   

       Some of his letters written home have survived.  They show an intelligent, educated young man from a close family.  Although he denies it, he is clearly homesick and consequently eager for the war to end so that he can come home.  His letters all begin assuring them of his "very good health" and hoping they are all enjoying the same "blessing."  They all end with his sending "My love to you all," frequently asking them to forgive his writing mistakes and entreating them to write to him often ("as soon as you receive this").  Some extracts from Charles' letters are provided in the following.[4]  He mentions his mother, sister (Hannah), brothers (John, Ed) and various neighbors.

                                                                                    Camp Morgan Dec. 6th 1861

                 Dear Brother

                ....Perhaps when I was at home I made so much noise that it made Mother worse, but I am glad that she is so much better.  But I am in hopes that I shall be at [home] in the Spring or some other time.  We have had some few days of very cold weather, but no snow to amount to anything.  I was surprised to hear that George McDonald had enlisted.  If I could enlist over again I should enlist in the regular army for then a Soldier knows who is to be his officers.  In the Volunteers you will have an officer one day and not any the next.  We have by this consolidation lost our Captain.  Our present captain is a man by the name of Paturelle, a Frenchman [Honoré DeLaPaturelle].  He appears to be a very nice man, but I have rather have Locke [John Locke].  Locke is to be our first lieutenant and William H. Ireland our Second Lieutenant.  I went to the Union Race course Wednesday to trotting match....The quickest time was 2.35.  $251 on a side....You must all be clever to Mother and do ever thing to cheer and comfort her.  Tell her when I get my pay I will send her some money to get some tobacco and pipes etc.  Hannah you must do all that you can to help mother and keep the house neat and tidy....

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                                                                                    Camp Morgan Dec. 18th 1861

                ....We have not got our pay yet but expect it next friday.  I doubt whether we get it then for it has been a coming in that kind of way for the past four weeks.  We have a tip top place to sleep, not as good as I would at home, but for a Soldier I call it first rate.  We have a good coal stove in the room where we sleep and keep a good fire all night.  There has been no sickness in our company to amount to anything.  There is two fellows in another company that has got the measles.  There is some of our boys home on furlough.  Perhaps you may see some of them and they will tell you all the news better than I can write it.  James Merritt will be up through that neighborhood and I told him to call and see how you all got along.  The weather here continues to be warm and pleasant.  It is foggy today.  So thick that you can't see more than three or four rods.  I presume you are now attending to your stock and overseeing such other business as comes under your attention.  I suppose that you have got your beef critter about fatted and good hogs well under way.....

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                                                                                                Key West Feb. 2nd 1862

                ....The only kind of stock that I have seen is a few goats and mules.  The people here get [their food] principly by fishing.  There is about 3000 inhabitants on the Island now, but before the war broke out they say that there was about 7000.  Lemons, Oranges and Cocoanuts grow here quite plenty.  The Island contains about Seven Square miles.  It is rather a rough looking place.  Houses are built right in the woods, the brush allowed [to grow] round it....The whites are mostly [Southern] at heart, but they dare not say [so].  They appear to be kind and pleasant to our faces, but as our [back] is turned they damn [us high] and dry.  This is what --?-- says which I do  not doubt.  It is little more work to be a Soldier down here than it was [up] north.  We have to drill more and standing on guard a fellow has to keep his eyes open and keep walking his post.  Before we could set down and nothing said.  This is the most ignorant place [that I ever] was in as regards [getting the] news of the day....What news we do get [is] rumors, nothing definite.  You at home probably [know] more about the Regiments of this or any other Regiment better than we do ourselves.  I want you, if you will, to send me a paper....Here is such news...I hope it is true.  It is as follows.  That the Union forces in Kentucky had battle at Bowling Green or some such place and took 7000 prisoners.  Another that the Federal troops had taken the city of Charleston, South Carolina and had taken some other place in North Carolina....

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                                                                                    Key West, March 22nd, 1862

                ....I received a letter from John about two week since, stating that he was enjoying tolerable good health for him.  but I should judge from the length of the letter that he was in a very feble state of health.[5]  It was about such a letter as he used to write home from Potter.  Nevertheless I was glad to hear from him....I should like to be at home and see you and Ed bob round.  I think it would pay tip top.  I should think it was about time for sugar weather.  Perhaps it is by this time.  I should like to be there through Sugaring first rate.  Well you must make all you can so when I come home that I can have a good eat.  I believe if I had some tonight I could devour 2 or 3 pounds.  The news in this place is of all sorts and sizes.  Yesterday we got news that Manassas Junction was taken and the Union forces were moving rapidly on to Richmond.  If this it true it is truly glorious news.  Let this news be as it may.  Guns were fired from the fort and caused great rejoicing among the Soldiers.  I expect to hear great news from General Rutters expedition.  He passed by here about a week ago on his way to join the fleet in the gulf.  He also had quite a fleet with him.  Our gun boats are bringing prizes in port about every day.  There is lots of prisoners here on the island or at least there has been.  Good many have been sent north.  There has been 8 men discharged out of our company.  They will start for their northern home tomorrow if nothing happens.  I mean to send this letter by one of them.  The most of them will go through Afton.  They live in Unadilla.  I was glad to hear the result of the town meeting in Afton.  I hope by the time another year rolls around we may elect the whole ticket....I was glad to get that paper you sent me.  Papers are quite Strangers in camp....

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                [Undated, from Key West]

                Mail has not come into camp yet.  I am anxious [to] get it to see what the news is.

                Well, it is very dull time in camp now.  Days we have target practice and dress parade and sometimes battalion drill.  Target practice takes place early in the morning and Dress parade or battalion drill just at night which all comes in the cool of the day.  Of course we have to stand on guard.  Our turn comes round about once a week.  There is 8 or ten of our company in the hospital, all of which have had the typhoid fever, but are getting smart again.  Three men of our company have died since we have been on this island. 

                I wish I could have been at home through Sugaring.  I think could have enjoyed myself hugely.  Well I can hope that I shall be at home to help you in haying and I think I shall if all the reports are true.  I don't see how they can hold out much longer.  There was a small prize brought into port yesterday with about 200 bales of cotton.  I have just received those papers you sent me just now and have not got time to read them as the mail leaves in about an hour.  I presume you and Ed have commenced the Spring work, and have got some oats sowed and have got the manure about all out.  Probably you are now fixing fence at odd spells.

                I was sorry to hear that you had to buy hay, but I think it is better to buy than to scrimp your cattle.  If I was in your place I would buy enough to keep the cows until the grass got up a good bite.  We were mustered for pay last Wednesday and I expect we will get a month's pay about the 10th or 15th of this month.  I will send home $35.00 or $40.00  so you can pay for the hay you have to buy.  Be sure and raise all you can this year for I [expect] it will be hard times.  I think now that I shall be at home to help you in haying....

                ....Tell Hannah she must keep the house neat and tidy and let Mother Smoke and do all the scolding if there is any need of it.  I am glad that Ed is going to work at home this summer.  Tell him that [he] must not chew too much tobaco and drink more ginger tea or peppermint.  Well I must bring this letter to a close.  I am fearful that so much twaddle may weary thee....

                P.S.  That letter that was left at the Post Office at Afton.  I sent by a fellow that lives at Unadilla by the name of George Ames.  He and seven others that belonged to our Company were discharged and I sent it by him to be left at Afton.  I don't know how it got unsealed probably by carrying it in his pocket.  I think Hiram Derby could make it pay better by Soldering then working for ten dollars per month and not have to work half as hard....

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                                                                        Key West Florida March 31st 1862

                ....Well, Bill I am well and enjoying myself as well as the circumstance will admit of and hope that these lines will find you all well, and enjoying yourselves generally.  I presume that by this time your school is out and that you are free once more.  Probably you will now turn your attention to getting up wood for the next year.  Perhaps it is good Sugar weather and you are boiling sap and getting out manure or something of that sort.  I wish could be at home now to make a short visit.  Not that because I am home sick.  I like the business first rate and don't want any better.

                .....One of our gunboats brought in prize last Wednesday morning.  She was laden with cotton.  It was the first time that I had seen the Rebel Flag.  The Stars and Stripes was at the mast head and the Rebel Flag was at half mast.  We hear good news from the Seat of war.  Probably no news for you.  A few more Such Victories will cripple the Rebels so they will be glad to give up.  I am very much obliged to you for sending me that paper and hope you will send me one every week if it is not to expensive.  I saw it stated in the paper that the government was agoing [to] establish a weekly mail from N.Y. to Havanah by the way of Key West.  I hope they will.  I was surprised to hear that Peter Nichols was in Ayshire.  Perhaps he came out there make Gard[6] and his spouse a visit and perhaps to work for him next summer picking up stones [of] which he (Peter) is very fond.  Tell Pete that I will write to him in a few days.  I set here in my tent writing today and it is so warm that the sweat runs off of my face as bad as it does when I work in haying.  We have to drill about 4-1/2 hours day which is enough for a climate like this ....

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                                                            Fort Taylor, Key West, June 20, 1862

                ....Well we have got our pay at last or part of it.  For 4 months pay we only recd $48.79.  Uncle Sam thought that he would be sure to get his pay for the clothes that we have had.  He took out about one sixth of month's pay.  If we do not draw any more clothes until the year is up we will get back what we payed.  I will try and send home $25 to $30 in all.  I owed some 5 dollars and shall keep 8 or 10 dollars for myself.  A fellow has to buy oil and sand paper and such things and they charge like the Devil for them nearly 3 times as much as they do up North.  And all other nick nax in proportion.  I will send you ten dollars in this letter and I will send more by the next mail.  When you get this money I wish you to get Mother some tobacco and such other things as she wants.  I write this in great haste....

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                                                            Fort Taylor, Key West, June 27, 1862

                I Recd. your kind letter of the 4th inst. a few days ago.  I was very glad to hear from home and to hear that you all were enjoying yourselves first rate.  I was also glad to hear that John had got home and was gaining fairly.  He will now get the best of care and will soon gaine his health.  The little note he put into your letter did not state whether he had attained his discharge or not.  I am in hopes that he did get his discharge for I do not think that he is able [to] stand what a Soldier has to endure.  My health is first rate.  Better than expected it would be and I hope that these lines will find you all in the enjoyment good health.  Well as regards news there is none of any account.  A gun boat came in yesterday with the news that our fleet had commenced to bombard Fort Sumpter.  Whether this is true or not I can not say.  Perhaps you have heard all about before this tome.  I am in hopes before this reaches you that Richmond will [be] taken and Old Jeff Davis taken prisoner.

                We have got into pretty good quarters now here in the fort.  This Fort is on the extreme west of the island.  (I say on the island)  It is about 100 rods from the island built on a rock, and is connected to the land by a bridge.  The Fort mounts about 75 cannons besides quite a number [of] mortars.  The guns are not all mounted yet but will be soon.  Today I helped mount 2 eight inch rifle cannon.  This fort commands the only channel that leads into the harbor and I think that if a fleet should attempt to enter would get Hail Columbia.  They have built another fortification on the South of the Island which mounts fifty guns.  We live tolerable well.  It is good enough for Soldiers.  We have in the morning Coffee, Bread, Beacon, Potatoes when we can get them.  For dinner we have --?--, Pea or Bean soup, bread.  For supper coffee and tea, generally with a mixture of the breakfast and dinner.  Fresh meat twice a week. 

                We have taken the Enfield rifles.  They are a nice piece I can tell you.  They weigh only 11 pounds with the bayonet on and will shoot 900 yards.  They have a raised light so it can be gauged from 100 up to 900 yards.  The balls I should think would weigh 1/2 ounce or more.  They are peakular balls.  We have to have our guns loaded every night on guard.

                It is with regret that I have to announce to you the death of Sergeant Henry H. Rhodes.  He died last night after an illness of 2 month or more.  He has been with the company from the time we started from Nineveh up to the present time.  He was a Gentleman and a Soldier and died regreted by all who knew.  Perhaps you were acqauainted with him, if so you can judge for yourself.  The funeral will take place this afternoon at 3-1/2 O'clock.  I must bring this letter to close for I must get ready for the funeral.  I wish you would send me a monitor for I have not got any.  I will try and send my likeness the next time I write....P.S.  Enclosed you will find $15.00

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[1]Wilkinson Family File, family Bible record, Chenango County Museum, Norwich, NY.

[2]Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year 1901, Serial No. 31 (J.B. Lyon Co., Albany, NY, 1902) p. 546.

[3]Roll of Honor, Names of Soldiers who Died in Defence of the American Union, V. 9 (Govt. Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1866) p. 156.

[4]Wilkinson Family File, Chenango County Museum, Norwich, NY.  Copies of letters were donated to the museum by Clarinda Pearce [#384].

[5]Charles is apparently complaining that the letter his brother John sent him was too short to satisfy him. 

[6]Probably Samuel Gardiner Nichols.