CIVIL WAR LETTER - 140th New York Infantry - Too Muddy to Move Artillery Guns !

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Co. D, 140th New York Infantry, nicknamed the Rochester Racehorses.
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Charles Clarence Miller (1843-1912), the son of Ransom Randolph Miller (1819-1903) and Frances (“Fanny”) Maria Warner (1818-1904) of Gates, Monroe county, New York. In the 1860 US Census, 16 year-old Charles was enumerated in his parent’s household in Gates where he attended school and worked as a farm laborer.
In August 1862—when he was not yet 19 but claimed he was 20—Charles enlisted in
Co. D, 140th New York Infantry, nicknamed the Rochester Racehorses.
At the time of his enlistment he was described as as brown-eyed, sandy-haired farmer who stood 5 feet 5 inches tall. Charles was with his regiment at Fredericksburg but during the Mud March in January 1863, he straggled behind his regiment with a couple of others and returned to camp only to discover that he was to stand trial for court martial due to straggling and cowardice. While the latter charge was thrown out, it appears that Charles was found guilty of straggling though his actions seem no more egregious than thousands of others whom I have read about during the Civil War. As punishment, Charles was separated from the ranks and detailed to work at various tasks for over a year. These included working in the supply depot at Aquia Landing and at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington D. C.
Finally Charles was able to convince the Colonel of the regiment that he should be reinstated to the ranks even though he knew it would result in greater exposure of injury or death. But the idea of returning home after the war with dishonorable service was a greater burden to bear. Charles rejoined his comrades in the midst of the Overland Campaign in 1864 and was with them through most of the siege of Petersburg, including the fights at Peebles’ Farm and Hatcher’s Run. He mustered out of the regiment on 3 June 1865 at Alexandria, Virginia.
TRANSCRIPTION
Camp of the 140th Regt. N. Y. V.
Near Petersburg, Va.
November 22, 1864
Sister Alice,
Having a few leisure moments this afternoon, I have seated myself once more to pen you a few lines hoping they may find you enjoying the great blessing “health.” I have long been waiting to receive a letter from you but none has arrived up to this date though I am in hopes tonight’s mail will bring me some glad tidings from any of your pens.
This leaves me in my usual health & spirits—also the most of the boys in the regiment. I should of write you ere this had it not been so inconvenient & besides, I have not been in writing humor. I have a number of letters on hand which I should reply to but the very thing that detains me is negligence. I have an idea you girls think a soldier has plenty of time to write. If he should neglect replying to everyone, you blame him shamefully just on that account. I tell you a soldier has hardly enough tome to gather the fuel which he burns.
The weather here has been very disagreeable for the past 94 hours having continually [rained] nearly all the time. It is so muddy that it is almost impossible for one to go to & from the woods to get wood to burn. Mud is nearly 14 inches deep & in most places a great deal more. The boys in our tent has been out once or twice after fuel but did not get much. However, we have enough to last until tomorrow noon. We anticipated to move before the rain set in but now it is an improbability to move artillery or even empty wagons. A train of cars has just past by our camp up the line to the left.
I suppose you will be looking for me home on a furlough this winter. It may be that I will put in for one & it is all owing to whether
Col. [Elwell Stephen] Otis
arrives here in time. I would like very much to see you at the same time I am not going to much trouble “I’ll bet.” If Col. Otis is at home, tell Father to speak to him for me & when Col. Otis arrives, I will speak to him. I have an idea I will take a trip to City Point some time this week to get some photographs taken. Probably some of you would like one. But remember you never mentioned anything to me about having one taken from the one I sent you while in Washington. Please send me a diary for 1865 next month. I want one with a whole day’s account on one page. Send a good one.
Accept from your loving brother, — C. C. Miller
TERMS
.00 postage in the United States.  We accept Paypal.
Postage combined for multiple purchases.  Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise you will pay a higher rate.
For International buyers, we utilize eBay’s Global Shipping Program.  We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing.  So we believe this program will be safer for us and for you.
We are members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.
We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions).  Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog.
We have been selling on eBay since 1998.   BID WITH CONFIDENCE !