Item Description

Title: Charles Dillingham to William Wirt Henry

Author

  • Dillingham, Charles, b. 1837

Recipient

  • Henry, William Wirt

Source Document

Extent: 2 pages

Date Created: November ?, 1861

Description

Writes of Brigade drill under General Smith, picket duty, prospect of detachment from brigade to go south, much illness among the men including a case of small pox, upcoming promotion of Lt. Crossman, cold weather, upcoming grand review by General McClellan.

Genre(s): correspondence

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/cwvhsDillinghamCharles05

Preferred citation

Charles Dillingham to William Wirt Henry, Vermont Historical Society Library, Barre, Vermont, http://cdi.uvm.edu/collections/item/cwvhsDillinghamCharles05 (accessed May 22, 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

Monday Morng Nov – 1861

Dear William

I inclose you a letter, which I have no doubt contains much love and news.

Ed writes me you all got home safe, but the particulars he leaves for you to tell.

We are having Brigade drill in the forenoon and Division once in the afternoon under Genl Smith who has recovered his health and resumed his command.

Picket duty is now done for the whole division from one brigade each day changing the brigade. The reserve are allowed fires, outposts changed once in four hours.

The prospect is that we shall be detached from the brigade to go South. the other regiments are so sick they are good for nothing. The five regiments have over a thousand on the Sick list, of which only about Sixty are in the 2d – in the 4th and 5th they bury two a day on the average, though a little thing turned up yesterday which may raise the devil with us, viz a case of small pox. they sent the man off in a hurry and dont know how -------------------------------- Page 2 -------------------------------- many if any were exposed.

Col Whiting tells me he has recommended to the Governor to promote Lieut Crossman to be 1st Lieut in Co D., saying that Crossman was the best 2 Lieut in the regiment, and had earned the promotion, by hard work. if Gregg had been well he should have promoted him and given me Ballou, but he says he cant recommend any man for promotion who is Sick or unfit for duty, as we need working men and must have them.

I make officers for present use nowdays. That is, on drill. Canning & Bass for Lieutenants, Smith, Strong, Sleeper, Tilden and Jones for Sergeants.

The weather has been “right” cold for two or three days, the wind blowing a perfect hurricane. We were to have a review Friday but it rained all day and prevented. So we are to go down to Balls cross roads Wednesday to the grand review, at which time Sixty regmnts are to be reviewed by Genl McClellan. I had no intention of writing but a word when I commenced but as you see have done more. Write to me

Yours


C Dillingham

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