griffing@fnal.gov
The
Civil War Letters of William Beynon Phillips
[click on each image to enlarge]
May 20, 1863
My Dear Annie,
I
received your very welcomed letter of the 11th with much joy & hasten to
reply. I feel happy to find that you
continue to enjoy yourself, though it is but Carbondale
[PA] scenery for the subject. Yet it is your home & there is something
noble & beautiful in the scenery around our dear homes, wherever they are.
Home – how much lays in that word. And to a soldier it is but one of
the greatest hopes to see it again. I had a letter from [my former] home [in Wales] yesterday. I hear from them every 3 weeks. They want me to accept money from
home to buy myself free & a passage home,
but I will and cannot accept it for this country henceforward is my home &
here I shall settle myself. Though my home
in
I felt sorry to find that the ringing of belle & firing of cannon over the victory of Fredericksburg was rather too early. Yet by all [accounts] I hear from the boys returning, we had the best of the Rebels. After all the fuss, we were left here. It is very probable though that we will be participants in the next struggle.
There is nothing new in Fort Lincoln to interest you. We are just now busily strengthening the fortifications of the city. We witness every night the returning regiments going home. We would very much like to be with them going home, but there is 18 months yet for our Regiment. But doubtless before that, the war will be over. We are getting splendid successes in the West & everything in general looks very cheering.
The weather is delightful here & I wish you were down here to have a splendid view of the country from this hill. Far off in the distance you can behold the noble Potomac wending itself lazily amongst the valleys formed by the golden hills of Virginia. Then, to give a greater effect to the landscape, you witness the Capitol of our country with many other public buildings of Washington bathed in sunlight & glory. Everything is in full bloom & green & gold color is very prominent. Then far as the eye can scan you behold the many forts with the glorious “Star Spangled Banner” flung to the breeze. I wish you could see it. You would be delighted I can assure you.
I must say that it was too bad for [your sister] Susan to be pleased at hearing of folks down South starving but circumstances alters cases & as she was so because of the South, so every loyal woman ought to be. For if we can starve them out, it is very little blood that will be shed in this war. I am very thankful to you for your promise & I must only say that sooner the vacation comes the better---.
We
have just got up a party to go down the
Write soon
Footnotes
Soldiers
who enlisted in the service, or those who were drafted, could pay a conscript to
take their place and thus "buy their freedom."
It was considered preferable to draft dodging or going AWOL, though not exactly
honorable.
Though William mentions the Battle of Fredericksburg, he probably meant to refer
to the Battle of Chancellorsville
which occurred on May 1-3, 1863. The first day or two of the battle was so
successful for General Hooker and his army that their ultimate defeat and
retreat came as quite a shock to the folks back home.
By 1863, finding food in Virginia to feed
the standing Union and Confederate armies in the field was proving to be
problematic. Quartermasters worked constantly to keep the armies supplied with
fresh meat and staples. The abundance of food reported to be available for
foraging north of the Mason-Dixon line is what finally motivated General Lee to
take the offensive and carry the war into Maryland and Pennsylvania.
griffing@fnal.gov