CIVIL WAR LETTER - 32nd New York Infantry - Great Letter "Going to Have a Fight"

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Co. I, 32nd New York Volunteers also known as the "1st California Regiment."
Charles Ellery Bradley (1842-1915) was born 13 November 1842 in Danby, New York. He was the son of Lyman Bradley (1808-1884) and his wife Mary Ann Hill (1808 -). Lyman Bradley was a native of Tompkins County, New York. He was listed as a laborer in early records, then later as a merchant (1850 and 1855) in Spencer, Tioga county, New York. In 1860 he was listed with a personal estate of 00 and real estate of 00. In 1870 he was listed as a dry goods merchant and by 1875 he was listed as retired and living in Spencer, Tioga County, New York, where he had been living for some time. Lyman Bradley died on 26 November 1884.
Lyman Bradley married Mary Ann Hill (1807-1882). Together Lyman and his wife had at least two children, Charles E. Bradley (1842-1915), and his sister Mary Ann Bradley (1846 -).
Charles E. Bradley served with
Co. I, 32nd New York Volunteers
.
He enlisted 7 May 1861 at Ithaca serving two years. He mustered in as private on 31 May 1861, was promoted to Corporal 17 March 1862, and then promoted again to Sergeant on 7 October 1862. He mustered out on 9 June 1863 as a Sergeant with his company in New York City. He was commissioned a second lieutenant 9 May 1863, but was not mustered with rank from January 6, 1863.
The 32nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as the “1st California Regiment,” was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Col. Roderick Matheson, was accepted by the State 22 May 1861. He organized the regiment at New York City, and it was mustered in the service of the United States for two years on 31 May 1861, at New Dorp, Staten Island. The Empire City Regiment and the Cerro Gordo Legion, incomplete organizations, were merged into it. On 25 May 1863, the three years’ men of the regiment were transferred to the 121st Infantry.
The companies were recruited principally from these cities, as follows: Co.’s A and I— Ithaca Volunteers — at Ithaca; Co.’s B and D at Amsterdam; Co. C at Johnstown; Co. E at New York city and in Tompkins county; Co.’s F and G in New York city; Co. H in Tarrytown, and Co. K — Capt. W. H. Robinson’s Company of the Empire City Regiment or Guard— at New York City.
The 32nd Regiment left New York for Washington, D.C. on June 29 1861; was quartered there for a week and then encamped near Alexandria, where it was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 5th division, Army of Northeastern Virginia. The regiment was engaged at Fairfax Court House, Bull Run, and at Munson’s hill, and spent the winter at Fort Ward, in Newton’s brigade of Franklin’s division. In March, 1862, with the 3d brigade, 1st division, 1st corps, Army of the Potomac, the regiment moved to Manassas; then returned to Alexandria and embarked for the Peninsula where it was engaged at West Point (Battle of Eltham’s Landing), with a loss of 67 killed, wounded or missing, and soon after was assigned to the 3d brigade, 1st division, 6th corps, with which it engaged in the Seven Days’ battles; then went into camp at Harrison’s landing until 16 Aug., when it returned to Alexandria. The regiment participated in the battles of Crampton’s Gap, Antietam and Fredericksburg. It went into winter quarters at Belle Plain; participated in the “Mud March,” and on 28 April 1863, broke camp and joined the light brigade of the 6th corps for the Chancellorsville campaign, in which the 32nd lost 43 members killed, wounded or missing. It returned on May 8 to the camp at Belle Plain and on the 25th the three years’ men were transferred to the 121st N. Y. Infantry. The two years men were mustered out at New York City on 9 June 1863.
After the Civil War, Charles E. Bradley was found enumerated in Spencer, New York. He went into business with his father and took it over after his father retired. He is listed a dry goods merchant in the 1875 New York State Census, and as a merchant in the U.S. 1880 Census, in Spencer. Charles died on 24 December 1915 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Spencer, Tioga Co., New York.
Bradley was married in 1863 to Margaret E. Bush (1842-1904). She was born 10 June 1842; and died 17 September 1904, and was buried in the same plot with her husband. She was the daughter of Richard Platt Bush (1813-1853) and Jerusha Beers. Together Charles E. Bradley and his wife Margaret (Maggie) had at least three children; Kate M. Bradley (1868-1935); Lyman R. Bradley; born 1871; and Madge Bradley, born 1876.
Transcription
White Oak Church [Virginia]
December 8th 1863
Dear Father,
I received your letter of the 3rd today. I was glad to hear that my money had got home all safe. I have sent since & will enclose the same in this letter or the next. It seems as though there was more due me than I had an account of but as I have burned up all your old letters that that I have not those to refer to. Have you paid Edwin? It seems good to know that there are some besides relatives who enquire after a soldier. An old soldier knows by sad experience what it is to have a friend. If you have sent me the receipt for the Express box, I have not received it. Money must be plenty with you for you seem to be loaning a good deal. I should be happy to meet Barber on my return but there are several long months to pass before we shall meet without I get a furlough which I do not think I shall, being very hard to get. Why does not Mr. Barber write to me?
Some of our boys have been down to the 137th [New York] Regiment but I cannot afford to walk ten or fifteen miles to see anyone there. The Orderly was not sick long. We were going to have a fight you remember. I have a little private business that I will write to you but hope that you will keep it still. While in camp, there are some rations which we do not eat but could not do very well without when on the march. This sometimes amounts to a nice little sum which the Regulations say must be placed in the Captain’s hands or someone that he may appoint. We are now considered as in camp (winter quarters). Yesterday, Captain sent word to me by the First Sergeant that he wished me to keep an account of the rations not drawn & also to keep the money. This I did not like to do as there are so many to please where you have company money that I did not want to be bothered with it. The orderly said, “Well, Cap says you are the most honest man in the company &c., that you are honestier than he is & that he wants you to take it—that the boys will be better satisfied with you than any other man, &c. &c.” But I thought that I would go and see the captain myself. So I did. I told him what the orderly had said & told him that I would rather he would get someone else—that perhaps I could not do it satisfactorily. He said he would risk it so I told him that I would try it & told him my plans—what I thought, &c. We talked & laughed some when he said, “Charlie, I spoke to the Col. the other day about sending in for a commission for you if there are any vacancies, but he said he had not made out of the Company all of which were elected to a non-com. office before we left Ithaca. I thanked him & told him that nothing would suit me better if he thought me worthy & competent. Of the former, he said there was no one moreso & the latter he would risk. I told him that if I had been home last fall, I could have got one but that I preferred to get one in my old regiment if anywhere—that there were not many of us old soldiers that would reenlist. He thought the same. I told him that I had rather be at home going to school.
We then get to talking about his not getting Majorship. I told him I was sorry that he did not get it but that I would not like to have him leave the company. He said he had sent in his resignation but that it was disapproved all the way through but he had sent it again & had got the Col. to sign it. He said he would not serve under him (the Major) if it were but two days. I told him I was sorry that he had but a few months more to stay and that we had been together over 20 months through rough times &c.  That is about all the conversation. After we lost our Major, the officers got together & nominated Cap. for to fill the vacancy as it belonged to him. He was the oldest commissioned but one of the other captains got his commission first through friends in New York. I do not blame the Cap for resigning. I think Cap Whitlock has more influence with the Col. than any other captain in the regiment.
You ask me if I expect promotion. Yes, if I can get it honorably but probably Geo. Semmens will send some deft-fingered Lieut. to fill up vacancies. Out time is most out. Do not let this get out.
Respectfully, — Chas. E. Bradley
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