Henry Frank Babcock, Company I, of the 122nd New York Infantry, to his parents, written during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Letter reads, On the Field of Battle, Sunday, Dec 14/62 Dear Parents, I take this chance to answer your kind favors of which I received yesterday. Our mail was brought to us on the field as we lay flat on the ground supporting a battery. I received the mittens and paper. I have not space nor time to speak of the Portrait of McClellan contained there in, but I think that if the editor was in my place yesterday he would shut up on war matters. The shells and bullets just flew around our heads. A man in company C next to ours (I) had his knapsack torn from his back by a 32 … Read entire article »

Cockletown July 13th, 1861 My Little Darling, I have just finished reading your dear sweet letter the second time. I received it last night about dusk. You cannot imagine how happy it made me. It came just at the right time. I had just returned to our camp after being absent on another scout ever since the evening before and by far the most interesting one I have ever been in. I will give you the particulars as they occurred: Last Thursday evening while I was seated listening to a very interesting sermon from a Rev. Mr. Poindexter I was told by our orderly sergeant I had been picked out to go with twenty others from each company on a scout. I immediately left to prepare myself for the excursion although I hated very … Read entire article »

From Ebay: A small and interesting group of 20th Maine Civil War letters from Private Henry C Simonds of 20th ME Regt Company C to his wife Lizzie Simonds of North Turner & Wilton, Maine Today it’s highly unusual to uncover anything of substance related to the 20th Maine Volunteers . The 20th Maine is of course well known across the US . With its remarkable defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg, as … Read entire article »