CIVIL WAR LETTER - 151st New York Infantry - McKim's Hospital in Baltimore !

Description

Civil War Letter
Civil War Letter - Written by Soldier in 151st New York Infantry - the "Independent Rifles".
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Reuben W. Pierce (1827-1863) of Carlton, New York, who enlisted at the age of 35 on 11 August 1862 to serve three years in
Co. A (“the Independent Rifles”), 151st New York Infantry.
He mustered in as a corporal.
According to the regimental history, while the 151st was on the march on 1 August 1863, Reuben Plummer and Reuben Pierce “fell out of the ranks near Manassas Gap and were taken prisoners by Confederate cavalrymen, their guns taken from them, and then they were paroled. They afterward paid to be taken to Harpers Ferry where Pierce died” in a hospital on 10 August 1863. A letter from Capt. Hezekiah Bowen of Co. A to Mrs. Pierce (see Letter 19) conveys the news of Reuben’s death to his wife.
Reuben was the son of Earl and Irene (Wood) Pierce of Barre, New York. He was married about 1850 to Mary Ann Pettit (1833-1913) and had at least two sons. This letter suggests the couple may have had a young girl named Louisa born between 1860 and 1863. According to his enlistment record, Reuben stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, had grey eyes, dark hair, a dark complexion, and worked as a mechanic prior to his enlistment.
Reuben W. Pierce, Co. A, 151st New York Infantry, wearing his 9-button blue frock coat with sky blue trousers that are striped down the sides.
TRANSCRIPTION
McKim’s Hospital
[Baltimore, Maryland]
March 4th 1863
Dear Wife,
I received a letter from you today and was glad to hear that you were well yet. It has been a long time since I got a letter from you. Before the last one that I got from you was dated the 15th of February and you were at Wilson. Then I wrote a letter to you a week ago but it seems that you had not got it when you wrote, but probably have got it before this time. I have not written as often as I should for the reason that I did not hear from you. The letter that you wrote the 15th I did not get until the 25th of the same month. The last one before that you said you thought you should go home in a week or two and so I did not know where to write.
I am sorry that there is a report there that those two men you spoke of had left the army. There has two men of our company that have left on a French Pass but I think those two you spoke of or had reference to are in the army yet and probably will stay there their term of service if necessary that they should.
Those guns that the Colonel wanted we should take have not been offered us yet nor have we got our cartridge boxes or bayonets yet. Our chaplain is under arrest yet and I think that they will cashier him yet and send him home. They have taken our first lieutenant and promoted him to captain of another company and taken a second lieutenant from another company and promoted him to a first lieutenant in our company. So you see that the colonel is doing his best to fetch our company in as a line company in the regiment. He has also taken the first sergeant of our company and promoted him to the office of sergeant major. The next thing he does will be to arrest the second lieutenant of our company and cashier him. Then he will have the company right where he wants. It makes us take the musket and that will be the end on the Independent Rifles and [we will] be a Company A line company in the regiment. So you see what must be the feelings of the company under the circumstances. That is all I have to say about these two men that you heard had left the service.
Our company have been detailed to do guard duty again at Mc[Kim’s] Hospital, about one and a half miles from camp. We have to camp in tents again. We had a cold night of it last night without any fire so this morning we went to work and made us a fireplace and chimney and now we have it quite comfortable now.
I had a letter from George Gould and Delos Howe the other day. They are about seven miles from Washington and they were well. I also saw the captain of the company that Francis Brown belongs to and he told me that Francis Brown was in the hospital at Washington but did not say what was the matter with him. Earl has been and is a little under the weather with a gathering in his head but I think nothing serious. Wilson and Littlefield are well.
Your letters are short and sweet and cannot be beat. You do not say anything about the children nor do you write anything about the neighbors—what you are doing or what the neighbors are doing, whether you have enough to eat or whether you have to much.
We were mustered again the other day for pay but have not got any pay yet. The government owes us four months pay, fifty-two dollars, but when we shall get it paid off, I cannot tell. We were also inspected by the Brigadier General Briggs, commanding the brigade that we belong to. That is all I think of this time. Tell Prat to let this letter answer for you and him both. I will try to write oftener again now you have got home again.
As ever I remain your husband, — Reuben W. Pierce
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