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2nd Vermont Infantry
Correspondence
(2ND VERMONT INFANTRY - LETTER WRITTEN BY THOMAS HENDRY OF BARTON VERMONT TO TIMOTHY HOYT OF CRAFTSBURY VERMONT , T. HOYT MUSTERED OUT APRIL OF 1864. LETTER IS TRANSCRIBED AS WRITTEN AND QUESTION MARKS DENOTE A WORD THAT IS FADED. ORIGINAL LETTER TRANSCRIBED BY DOUG WILLIAMS AND MARY JANE WILLIAMS IN NOVEMBER OF 1999)
COAL HARBOR VIRGINIA
JUNE 8TH 1864FRIEND HOYT
SIR I RECEIVD YOUR LETTER ON THE 7TH WAS GLAD TO HEAR YOU GOT HOME SAFE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A HAT SOMETIMES AND I HEAR FROM YOU I RECEIVD THE PAPERS THE SAME DAY YOU SEE BY THE PAPERS THAT OUR REGIMENT IS CUT ALL TO PIECES KILLED + WOUNDED WE LOST OUR COLONEL STONE LIEUT COROLONEL TYLER + CAPT BIXBY I SAW HIM WHEN HE WAS SHOT ALLEN WAS WOUNDED I SAW (TUPPER? ) WHEN HE WAS WOUNDED ? THE ? ARM + GREAT MANNY OTHERS OF THE BOYS. OUR COMPANY ONLY MUSTERS THIRTY ONE OR TWO GUNS OUR REGIMENT IS CONSOLIDATED INTO FOUR ? COMPANY ? E 8TH TOGETHER AND SORON (?)
( 2ND PAGE OF LETTER - THE LAST SENTENCE ABOVE WAS VERY HARD TO READ)
WE HAVE ONLY TWO CAPTAINS LEFT IN OUR REGT. CAPT. JOHNSON [&] CAPT. CLARK WE HAVE BEEN FITING OR MARCHING EVERY DAY SINCE WE LEFT CAMP WE ARE ALL TIERED OUT AND PLAID OUT I WAS WOUNDED THE FIRST DAY OF JUNE ON MY ARM WITH A PIECE OF A SHELL BETWEEN MY WRIST + ELBOW NO BONE BROOKE I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THAT NIGHT STAID FIVE DAYS + WENT TO MY COMPANY AGAIN MY ARM IS DOING FIRST RATE NOW BYRON HUNT SENDS HIS RESPECTS TO YOU WE GET THE MAIL ABOUT EVERY DAY NOW BUT NO DAILY PAPERS I HAVE NOT SEEN BUT ONE CHRONICLE SINCE WE LEFT CAMP WE ARE WITHIN 8 OR 10 MILES OF RICHMOND CLOSE TO THE ENEMY BREAST WOORKS WE HAVE BREATS WOORKS WITHIN THREE HUNDRED YDS OF THE REBS
(3RD PAGE OF LETTER - TIMOTHYS BROTHER REFERED TO BELOW WAS EITHER JOSEPH OR CHARLIE HOYT - BOTH WERE IN VERMONT CAVALRY )
OUR BRIGADE IS DOING PICKETT DUTY IN BREAST WOORKS WE ARE BUILDING FORTS FOR SEIGE GUNS + MORTARS THEIR IS ONE FINISHED TODAY CLOSE BY US SAY TEN RODS FOR TEN 8 GUNS THEIR IS HEAVEY CANNONADING TO DAY SHELL IS FLYING EVRY WAY THEY ARE BRINGING IN THE WOUNDED FROM THE PICKETT LINE THIS AFTERNOON NOW + THEN ONE I AM SO NERVOUS I CANNOT WRITE TO DAY EVERY CAVALRY MAN I SEE LOOKED FOR YOUR BROTHER OR DEXTER I DID NOT SEE THEM WE HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH CAVALRY ON THIS MARCH I WILL SEND YOU SOME PAPERS WHEN WE GET SOME
FROM YOUR SINCER FRIEND AND WELL WISHER THOMAS HENDRY(LAST PAGE OF LETTER - VERY LIGHT, HARD TO READ )
PLEASE SEND MY HAT AND I WILL SATISFY YOU PAY THE SUM IT IS SO HOT MARCHING IN THE SUN ALL DAY I RECEIVD YOUR ALLOTMENT CHECK FROM NEW YORK + SENT IT TO MAJOR (J. O. ?SON) PAYMASTER (CANNOT READ NEXT LINE) YOUR ADDRESS HE WILL SEND YOU A CHECK.