Item Description

Title: Charles Dillingham to William Wirt Henry

Author

  • Dillingham, Charles, b. 1837

Recipient

  • Henry, William Wirt

Source Document

Extent: 3 pages

Date Created: August 07, 1861

Description

August 7, 1861 from Clermont, Virginia. Writes Vermont 3rd located at the Chain Bridge Georgetown Heights, picket duty, illness among the men, sudden death of soldiers from sore throat.

Genre(s): correspondence

Subject/name

Subject/topic

Language(s): English

Note [Digital Version]

2011-02-04, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries

Type of Resource: text

Parent Collections

Access Conditions

Requests to reproduce this item should be sent to Vermont Historical Society Library, vhs-library@state.vt.us. For more information, see http://cdi.uvm.edu/about/rights.
More information.

Permanent Link:

http://cdi.uvm.edu/collections/item/cwvhsDillinghamCharles01

Preferred citation

Charles Dillingham to William Wirt Henry, Vermont Historical Society Library, Barre, Vermont, http://cdi.uvm.edu/collections/item/cwvhsDillinghamCharles01 (accessed June 18, 2013)

Charles Dillingham to William Wirt Henry

Converted to TEI encoding : Megan Resnick


Published by: University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Center for Digital Initiatives on 2011-03-14

Clermont Va

Aug 7 1861

Dear William

Your letters were sent to me from Washington under EP Waltons frank the other day, and where Better is I don’t know. But am going to Washington tomorrow, and if they are there will try and see them. We have been expecting orders to join the Vt 3d every day for a week but dont as yet get them. They are at the Chain bridge Georgetown heights, Some seven or eight miles from Washington. We are awfully sick of these Maine fellows and shall be glad to move anywhere though we dont hardly like to move back to the Washington side of the river. We like this advanced post We have to put one company on picket and one company on guard every day, and have two company drills and on Battalion once daily. That you will see keeps us pretty busy. this idea of having a company is new for us, but is a pretty good one. The Capt is “Officer of the Day, and the lst Lieut. “Officer of Guard". We were on yesterday, it made Gregg sweat. I made him do his share of work and I reckon he will get so he can -------------------------------- Page 2 -------------------------------- go it pretty well. I was on a court of inquiry three or four days last week, and he had to take command then. Our boys are in bad condition, many of them sick but not dangerously. The sick are Warden, Fuller, Brown, Platt, W Gilman & Thurston, with Atkins, Shoneo & Gilman not fit for duty These are “regulars” the “transient” swell the list so that we dont go out with more than half a company, at any time. I wish I could have a dozen discharged and get new recruits in their places.

Coporal Huntly died very suddenly Friday he was around the camp not feeling very well & complaining of sore throat. Sunday he was dead. Monday Dow died, of the same disease “Malignant Sore Throat” he was sick a week or more, and was getting better when Huntley died but he imedeatly got worse and dropped off the next morning. They or their remains are embalmed and I shall try and get them started for home Thursday night or Friday morning I have made Sleeper “Coporal” in place of Huntley, without consulting the Company at all, he has done his duty promptly since we came to Washington and I think deserved the promotion.

The boys all inquire for you -------------------------------- Page 3 -------------------------------- every time the mail comes in and will welcome you back with open arms.

We have news that the Enemy are advancing upon us in three divisions, and we are drummed up nearly every night by false alarms. - to night we expect the real one. Shall have to run.

I have no time to write more to day My respects to your family and friends

Write as often as you can

Yours fraternally,


Chas Dillingham

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