Soldier's Letter, Civil War, 44th NY Regiment

 Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, August 19, 1863

Letter From the 44th NY Regiment

Camp Near Warrenton, VA., Tuesday, July 28, 1863

When the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps crossed the Pennsylvania line the troops were halted and eloquently addressed by some patriotic speaker, and that night I passed them on the road to Hanover and they were all singing or whistling.  At Gettysburg many of the Pennsylvania troops fought on their own farms--in sight of their father's houses, some fell there--their blood mingling with soil which they had tilled in their youth.  One boy fifteen years old, from near Gettysburg, went into the fight with his target rifle and fought until he was killed.  Such heroism put to shame the cowardly conduct of men, who at home are evading or resisting the draft.

Now, when our successes foreshadow immediate peace honorably made, every man should stand firm by the Government and, if needs be, come down and share with our country's defenders their perils and privations and their immortal honor.  The riots in New York City and State, are a disgrace which yet will be remembered with burning shame.  Blank cartridges should have [been] used after bullets, grape and canister had done their work and taught the rioters their just punishment and shown the danger of resisting the law.  I hope that hence forth the draft will meet with no opposition, but if it does, I wish that the 44th might be summoned to enforce it.  I know how well 'twould do its duty.  It would use no blank cartridges.  Every regiment in the army is anxious to see some of the illustrious homeguards in the field, and every one of them would rejoice at the chance of quelling the riots at home and enforcing the conscription law at the point of the bayonet.

I believe, however, that after a few timely lessons to the conscript opposers there will be no difficulty, and that soon our decimated regiments may be filled to their maximum number and our foreshadowed victories hastened, so the "olive branch" will suppress the sword, and the glorious "Stars and Stripes" brighter, purer and prouder than ever continue to float. "O'er the land of the free / And the Home of the brave".  God is on our side and sooner or later we shall triumph.

I learned with pain of the death of Col E.B. Smith.  Our County  [Chenango Co., NY] begins to feel itself in its heroes who have honorably fallen.  May their memory and good deeds be so cherished by the people of Chenango that the prestige she has already won shall not be lost by any disgraceful resistance of the draft or any reservation of her laudable support of soldiers now representing her in the field.

There are but few Norwich boys left in the 44th.  Billy Lamb is in Fairfax Seminary Hospital at Alexandrea.  Henry Dickson is in the Invalid Corps.  Bill Lane is at Annapolis in the Dispensary.  Henry Todd was wounded at Gettysburg, not dangerously, and is in some hospital, I know not what one.  Gideon Evans, P.S. Frink, Jeff Carr, George, James and myself still flourish. Everything looks most encouraging than ever before since the commencement of the war.  Already the curtain of peace has commenced dropping on this scene of carnage and its golden fingers shine brighter than ever.  In the army we feel -?- and sanguine of the speedy termination of the war, for we see ultimate victory close at hand. The rebellion is in its death throes and soon its epitaph will be written in letters of blood amongst the records of nations crimes and follies.

I should be glad to hear from you often, though I know my letters hardly interest you or recompense you for your time and trouble.  G.H.S.

P.S.  I saw Van Crain, James Emmonds, James Sheran, John Hopkins, and several other Chenango boys in the 8th N.Y. Cavalry a few days ago.  They were well.

The 44th lost 111 killed and wounded at Gettysburg.  [..unreadable..] Capt. ...bec of Company B and Lieut. Dunham of Company D, were killed on the field.  Lieut. Thomas of Company K and several men of the regiment have since died of their wounds.  Our Company also lost one sergeant and one private.  John Doing, of Plymouth, member of Company B, was killed; Todd, of Norwich, Barnaby and White, of Guilford, and William Beech, of Earlville, were slightly wounded.  G.H.S.