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The
Civil War Letters of Lyman Powell
This letter was written following the Battle of Big Bethel in 1861. Many of the soldiers in Company H, 3rd New York Volunteer Infantry became ill following their first field encampment.
Fort McHenry,
[Baltimore, Maryland]
October 20, 1861
Respected friends,
It is with much pleasure that I once more pen you a few lines to inform you that I am a little better. I have been sick about a month.
It is the most strange thing that I ever saw. I have never heard a word from any of you since I left Owego. I have written to you several times and now I will try and write again and see if I can get an answer. If I do it will give me great pleasure to hear from those that I hold in such high esteem. You do not know what a consolation it is to get news from home. I have not written to you but once since I have been here for I have been sick a most of the time. I have had no trouble in sending letters to Vermont. Several of the boys say that their friends do not get their letters.
It is a very pleasant place here, but awful sickly at this time of the year. The fever has taken several of the poor boys to their last home. I wish we was back in Virginia. It is so much healthyer than here. I hope we will go to New Orleans this winter and then there will be some chance of some fighting. We have been idle so long we are getting rusty. How I would liked to have had you seen us pop the rebels there in Bethel. They shot so careless at us they did not seem to care whether they ht us or not but I thought it was close brushing for a while. But it all come out as we expected – repulsed on account of [in]competent officers to lead the command. Captain [Isaac] Catlin is at home now and when he comes back you can send your letters by him if you choose. I should be so happy to hear from you all. A soldier gets lonely if he does not have some thing to cheer him up.
I suppose you have got your
fall’s work about done by this time. How is your crops this season? Write me
all the news when you write. Give my best respects to all friends if I have any
in Owego. Write soon as you can make convenient. Direct to Lyman Powell,
No more this time,
Ever your friend until death,
Lyman