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2nd Vermont Infantry
Correspondence
(2nd Vermont Infantry, Company E - Letter written by Timothy S. HOYT - age 28 - to his wife Catherine Janes (STEWART) HOYT - age 19 - of North Craftsbury Vermont; T. HOYT musterd out April of 1864. Letter is translated as written and question marks denote a word that is faded. Orignal letter translated by Doug Williams and Mary Jane Williams in November 1999)
CAMP NEAR BRANDY STATION VA
MARCH THE 19TH 1864DEAR CATE AND BABY
I AM WELL AND HOPE THIS FINED YOU AND LITTLE MARY THE SAME. I HAD TO GO OUT ON FIRTIG TO DAY THAIR ? OF OUS AND CORPPORL WE HAD TO CHOAP SIX LOAD OF WOOD FOR THE COOCKS WE HAD BEANS FOR BREXFUS AND POTATORS FOR SUPPER AND THAY WENT VERY WELL I TELL YOU CATE MARCH THE 20TH IT IS VERY PLASANT THIS MORNING BUT I AM FREAD THAT IT WONT LAST LONG CHARLEY AND JOEPH ALIN AND SAM STRATTIN WAR UP TO SEE ME AND WAS GLAD TO SEE THEM. CATE LAST NIGHT WE HAD OUR SUNDAY INSPECKING AND WE WENT OUT AND WE FORM IN LIND AND OUR MINISTER MAD A PRAIR HE PRAID WELL FOR US ALL CATE HE IS A VERY SMART MAN I TELL YOU CATE
(THE CHARLEY AND JOEPH MENTIONED ABOVE WERE GRANDPA TIMS BROTHERS CHARLES (AGE 22) AND JOSEPH (AGE 24) HOYT, ALSO OF CRAFTSBURY VERMONT. THEY WERE BOTH IN THE FIRST CAVALRY CO. I THE NELT MENTIONED BELOW WAS ANOTHER BROTHER NELSON HOYT OF CRAFTSBURY VERMONT . GRANDMA CATE -AGE 19 - DELIVERED MARY IN OCTOBER OF 1863- MARY DIED AT AGE 14)
( 2ND PAGE OF LETTER )
I WANT YOU TO STAY WITH NELT TILL I COME HOME WONT YOU DEAR CATE. HOW AIR THE FOXT OUT AT HOME AIR THAY ALL WELL TELL THEM THAT I WANT TO SEE THEM VERY MUCH HOW AIR YOU ALL AT HOME HOW I WANT TO SEE YOU AND THE BABY AND I PRAY TO GOD THAT I MAY SEE BEFORE LONG BUT I CANT TELL NOTHING ABOUT THE WAR THAY DO JUST AS THAY HAV A MIND TO CATE.
MARCH THE 22 I AM WELL AS I HAV BEEN I RESCIEVE A LETTER FROM NELT AND WAS VERRY SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOKU HAV BEN SO SICK DEAR CATE. I AM GLAD YOU AIR GETING SO MUTCH BETTER I PRAY TO GOD THAT HE WILL RESTOR YOU AND ? TO HELTH. YOU DONT NO HOW I WANT TO COME HOME AND TAKE CAIR OF YOU AND THE BABY AND I HOPE THAY WILL CATE BUT YOU MUST PUT YOU TRUST IN GOD CATE FOR HE DOS ALL THING WELL
(3RD PAGE OF LETTER )
DEAR CATE YOU MUST NOT TRY TO GET UP ROUND THE HOUSE TO QUICK WILL YOU CATE TAKE GOOD CAIR OF SELF AND GET WELL SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THE BABY FOR YOU AND ME WONT YOU CATE I WAS ON BRIGADE GARD I WENT YEASDAY AT NINE A CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND STAID TILL THE NEXT MORNING AT NINE A CLOCK AND WE WAR RELIEVE IT IS 10 MILES TO HEAD QATTERS WHAR I WAS ON GARD WE AIR ON TWO OURS CATE WE HAFT TO GO IN WONSE IN A MONTH SO IT AINT VERY HARD WORK CATE. IT IS VERY COLD HEAR NOW THE WIND BLOWS HARD AND COLD ALL OF THE TIME I GUESS IT WILL SNOW WHEN IT GET WORSE A NUF CATE + CATE HOW I WISH I COOD SEE YOU AND OUR LITTLE MARY I NOW YOU WORRY A BOUT ME BUT I DONT WANT YOU TO IN MOR THAN YOU CAN HELP IT IT MAKE YOU
(PAGE 4)
WORSE TRUST IN GOD FOR HE DOETH ALL THINGS FOR THE BEST I WANT YOU TO STAY WITH NELT TILL I COME HOME WONT YOU CATE TELL NELT NOT TO KILL HIMSELF NOT TO WORK TO HAR DO WHAT HE CAN AND LET THE WREST GO UNDONE I WORRED A GOOD DEAL ABOUT YOU AND THE WREST OF THE FOXT TILL HEARD FROM YOU BY NELT I NEW THAT YOU WAR SICK BECAS I DID NOT HEAR FROM YOU AND I AM GLAD THAT YOU AND ? IS GETTING BETTER DEAR CATE. I AM STEAMING (OR STEWING) SOME OF THE ( N.Y. ? COFFE AN CAKE? - CANT READ THIS SECTION ALSO SAYS AND MY SUPPER ) THAY GO VERRY WELL WITH SOFT BREAD I TELL YOU CATE IT DOS BEGIN TO SEEM VERRY HARD BUT WE CANT TELL HOW LONG IT WILL LAST FOR THE WEATHER CHANGES SO OFTEN THAT I CANT TELL ANY THING ABOUT THE WEATHER CATE. MARCH THE 23 IT SNOD MOST ALL LAST NIGHT AND IT FELL MOST A FOOT OF SNOW IT IS VERY COLD TODAY BUT I GUESS IT WONT LAST LONG CATE CATE I WISH I COOD SEE YOU AND THE BABY THIS MORNING I CAN LOOK AT YOURS PICTURS AND THAT DOS ME A LITTLE GOOD I TELL YOU CATE AND I PRAY TO GOD THAT I MAY COME HOME TO YOU AND THE BABY I ? ? ALL TO HIM DONT YOU CATE. I HOPE THEY WILL GIVE ME MY DISCHARDS BEFORE LONG I DONT WANT TO GO INTO INTILIGENSE IF I HAD I GUESS I COOD HAV GOT IN LAST FALL BUT I WANT THAY SHOOD DISCHARD ME AND LET ME COME HOME BUT THAY HAV GOT TO DO SUMTHING WITH ME ENWAY SO THAIR. I MUST CLOSE SO GOOD BY GIV LUV TO ALL OF THE FOXT AND KEP A GOOD LOT OF IT FOR YOU AND THE BABY AND I WILL LEAVE YOU IN GODS CAIR TIM TO HIS WIF AND HIS BABY
(ON FRONT PAGE MARGINS )
I DO WANT YOU TO TAKE GOOD CAIR OF YOU SELF AND BE CARFFUL WONT YOU AND I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE NEXT LETTER I GET FROM YOU I SHALL HEAR THAT YOU AIR ALL WELL AT HOME SO GOOD BY CATE YOUR TIM
Contributed by Doug Williams