GOODELL FAMILY LETTERS- #13
 

Anson to his Parents

Provost Guard
Newbern, N. Carolina
Wednesday, April 16 [1862]

Dear Father & Mother 

            Your kind favor No. 2 of April 2nd came to hand Monday and was heartily welcomed by both Edwin and myself.

            Edwin has used the sheet of paper you sent so I shall not have the priviledge [sp.] of returning it to you but I suppose he has made good use of it. I tried to get him to answer your letter but he said no, I must answer this.

            Your letters containing stamps have all been received. The mail now runs regularly so that you need have no fears that letters will be lost.

            We are also in receipt of the Journal for which you have our thanks. Soon as I get a copy of the “Newbern Progress” I’ll send it to you.

            Tell Charlie we would like very much to help him cut the chestnut wood – by the way how does Charlie look? Does he grow any?

            Where is Bonnie? Is he poor this winter or fat? Wish I could jump in the saddle and ride him this lovely moonlight eve. I see a great deal of riding horse-back which gives me the horse-back fever occasionally but it does me no good, the privates will have to go on foot for the present, I guess, if not for the whole three years, our term of enlistments.

            The boys are greatly encouraged by the repeated Union victories though I hear many a sigh escape as the list of killed & wounded are read. O, how many, many hearts will be rent with anguish as they hear of loved ones falling on the field of strife. As the news of battles increases and their severity increases I think that the troops become more determined to put down the rebellion at any cost – instead of being disheartened by loss they are nerved to greater effort. Our division are determined to conquer wherever they go. Hitherto they have marched on the enemy’s breastworks and intrenchments [sp.] coolly as at division or brigade drill. Why they expect to dislodge them much as though their batteries were mounted, with Quaker[1] guns on mock breastworks.

            Probably you will soon hear stirring news from Fort Macon near Beaufort – The third brigade are there making preparations for its reduction. The Fort is well garrisoned with a few determined men, that is, appear so and provisioned sufficiently to stand a six months siege – they are also well supplied with ammunition. There is also a moving among the troops this afternoon but in what direction we cannot tell. I am afraid our Battalion may not be in the next battle. Of course if that is the order we willingly stay yet I shall feel disappointed if other regiments go away leaving us here to burrow up while they make fresh conquests and add new victories to the “Stars and Stripes.”

            We have no very particular news to write, are at the City yet, living first rate. The weather is getting quite warm but the nights require an overcoat. Our bakeries are in operation so that we are not obliged to gnaw our cast iron crackers all the time but about twice a week we have a day’s ration of nice fresh soft bread, not such as you bake Mother but we call it first rate when compared to sour hard crackers that have constituted most of our living since leaving Annapolis.

            We also draw a day’s ration of fresh beef occasionally that is quite acceptable in place of salt-horse and raw salt pork or boiled salt pork so nearly raw one cannot tell the difference.

            We drew a ration of flour once in a while that our accommodating cook, Osmer, bakes our rooms company a mess of biscuits from – these with occasional meal of doughnuts & coffee with milk give us first best fare. Not having been in camp at all since leaving Annapolis our little Army class has not had the privilege of being together but have been divided into squads of two or three in a place. At Roanoke, Hezzie, Morton, and I were together, Bassett[2] & Edwin while Wesley was in the hospital.

            Here Edwin, Bassett, Morton and I are in one room fronting to the street on the second story. Wesley is in one of the third story back rooms while Hezzie is nurse in one of the hospitals – this with being guard every other day breaks us up so completely that it is not possible to hold meetings – however the boys are doing well under the circumstances, I think.

            One poor fellow of our regiment was “drummed out of camp” last Monday morn for cowardice and a number of other charges combined. For a number of days he has been paraded through the streets with a large placard on his back on which was written “Coward.” Finally his head was shaved, the buttons cut from his coat and dismissed from the regiment.

            I sent you a check for ninety dollars by our Chaplain which I suppose ere this has reached you safely.

            We are well and in good spirits – with much love your Sons

                                                                                                Anson and Edwin

[Written around perimeter of letter]

I wish you to keep an account of whatever you spend for postage stamps etc. we cannot get them here nor do we wish you to pay our postage bills from your purse. Take one dollar of my stocks and buy us some stamps sending them along a few at a time.

Enclosed I send you a drawing of Roanoke which perhaps you have seen – it is very accurate giving the different positions of the rebels and their batteries as well as the dispositions of union forces during the fight, with perfection. The front or east side that I have checked is the seat of a strong fort building by our forces this is all the alterations made in the fortifications I believe.

[1] Dummy cannons constructed from a length of log and painted black. Designed to deceive an enemy force from a great distance.
[2] John E. Bassett, a 23 year-old weaver from Southbridge, enlisted on October 10, 1861 as a private into Company “D of the 25th Mass. Infantry. He mustered out on October 20, 1864. He was listed as wounded on June 3, 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
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