This letter was written by John E. Freeman (1842-1864), the son of Peter E. Freeman (1803-1890) and Anna Freeman (1807-1883) of Mayfield, Chautaugua county, New York.
John enlisted on 21 August 1862 to serve three years in Co. H, 112th New York Volunteers (a. k. a. “The Chautaugua Regiment“). He mustered in as a private but was promoted to corporal on 22 January 1863. John was among the 28 killed in his regiment in the late afternoon assault on the Confederate works at Cold Harbor on 1 June 1864. Aside from those killed, the regiment suffered another 140 wounded and 12 missing.
John mentions his siblings, Melissa Freeman (1830-Aft1863), Laura Jane Freeman (1832-1883), and Eldridge Ancel Freeman (1845-1931) in the letter.
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Peter E. Freeman, Esq., Dewittville, Chautaugua County, New York
Postmarked Old Point Comfort, Virginia
Hampton Hospital, Virginia
Ward 6
September 4th 1863
Dear Father,
I now sit down to inform you how I am & how I get along. I am about the same as I was when I came here. The doctor calls it the [rheumatism?] that ails me. I think it is too. My hips are quite lame some days and some days they are not very lame. I can get around all over where I am allowed to go. I am also taking medicine for it. I have good quarters as anyone asks for.
The weather is very cool here at present. We have no more warm nights this year in Virginia. There is only two months that we have warm nights and those are July and August.
The regiment are on Folly Island at the foot of Morris Island. Some of the boys have written back that they had a good camp and a good place to stay when they wrote. There had been two of Company D wounded since they had been down there. That was all that had happened to them.
I want to know the reason why that some of the family do not write to me to let me know how you get along. I have not received any letters since the eleventh of August. The one that I got then had the money in that was sent to me. That came through straight. Since that, I have written one letter to Laura Jane and one to Melissa and sent a paper to Ancel. I want some of them answered. Tell them I shall direct this letter to Dewittville for I think that there is something that does not go right there. If the girls have not got my letters and they have written to me so that they have had time to get here. Those that I wrote have had time to get there twice, The one that I wrote I think was directed August 13th & the one to Melissa the 25th. I do not know though as the one written to Melissa has had its full time, come to think it all over.
If you see John Miels and it comes handy, tell him I would like to hear from him since he has got to be a soldier. I wrote him last.
Well, Father, what do you think of the war in its present state? If Charleston is taken—which I think it will be—it is agoing to close up shortly after for Bragg’s Army is demoralized and Lee’s is not much better for they have got so that they fight among themselves. But we cannot tell when it will. I think that when the draft is over and they get all of the money that they can in that way to pay expenses, that they will try to close it for I think that the South have got about all that they want. That is my way [of] thinking.
I cannot find any news to write you for there is nothing going on here to write about. We were mustered in the other day but I do not know whether they will pay us this time or not. I guess I will close. I do not know whether you can read this or not for my hand trembles today quite hard. Tell Mother that she must keep up good courage for I am safe yet. Give my love to all and keep a share for yourself, Write when you can.
From your son, — John E. Freeman
Direct to John E. Freeman, U. S. Hospital, Hampton, Va., Ward 6
Spared & Shared 17 -- Saving History One Letter at a Time 