CIVIL WAR LETTER - 9th Rhode Island Infantry - Guarding Ft Wagner Washington DC

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Co. H, 9th Rhode Island Infantry.
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Henry Crocker (1845-1929) of
Co. H, 9th Rhode Island Infantry.
This regiment was organized at Providence on May 26, 1862. They moved to Washington, D. C., by detachments, May 27 and 29. They had duty at Camp Frieze, Tenleytown, till July, then moved to Fairfax Seminary, Virginia on July 1. They had Garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington till September. Company “A” at Fort Greble, “B” at Fort Meigs, “C” at Fort Ricketts, “D” at Fort Snyder, “E” and “K” at Fort Baker, “F” at Fort Carroll, “G” at Fort Dupont, “H” at Fort Wagner, “I” at Fort Stanton and “L” at Fort Davis. They mustered out on September 2, 1862, after barely more than 3 months service.
Henry was the son of Isaac Foster Crocker (1817-1878) and Sally A. Crosby (1820-1891) of Smithfield, Providence county, Rhode Island.
After his time in the service, Henry attended Brown University and graduated with a Master of Arts in 1867. He then attended the Newton Theological Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1870 and his first pastorate was in Damariscotta, Maine from 1870 to 1879. In later years he served the pastorate in Bristol, Rhode Island, and in Fairfax, Vermont.
Transcription
Fort Wagner, D. C.
August 5, 1862
Dear Mother,
I received your letter last Friday together with the papers and envelopes. The envelopes came a little too late as I had just bought a package. I hunted all round for the stamps but could not find them so concluded that you had forgotten to send them. I was real glad to have the papers. I had found out what the Capsicurn [chilli] was for before your letter came. Ed Platt had sent him and the same extract from the paper with it.
Sunday I was on guard again for a change. I had been reckoning so much on having a good time that day and even in the morning had prepared my things for inspection and had sat down to write a letter to Martha. I was intending to go to meeting all day and have such a good time. But after all about 9 o’clock, I was ordered to fall in and go up to Headquarters to do guard duty there. Now wasn’t that most too bad? Our company has to furnish 6 men and a corporal every 10 days for guard at Headquarters but this time they called on us in 9 days so that just brought me in. Guard duty there is the meanest duty we have to perform. I had the 1st post, 3rd relief, and my legs are lame now walking so much. We were not allowed to stop a moment. My beat was about 90 or 100 yards long in front of the field officer’s tents. But it is over with now and I am glad of it.
This will be the 5th letter I have written since last night. I received letters from Sophy, Aunt Melissa, Charles Davis, and Gene Wood. I tell you, I felt pleased enough and sat right down to answer them. They are all answered except Melissa’s and I have written one to Martha besides. Now don’t you think that is doing pretty well? But it is so hot I don’t know but that I shall have to leave this for awhile and go in bathing now.
Wednesday morning. 5 o’clock. I thought I should have finished this before now but it was so hot that I could not. Wasn’t it splendid weather last evening? We had a real good time. We were fooling round the first part of the evening and after that a few of us sat on some logs and had a good chat. Turned in about 10:30 o’clock. We had the news yesterday that the President called on 600,000 more troops. I tell you, that is a large number. It looks to me now as though government was going to do something. Probably most of them will be drafted. I wonder if father is liable. If he is drafted, I shall have to take his place if I get home in time. But I hope he won’t be drafted for if I come out again, I would rather volunteer. It seems to me as if Government was going to crush this rebellion at once if possible and end the war as quickly as possible. I think it is about time a foreign nation would be stepping in pretty soon.
I don’t feel like writing this morning. In fact, there is but very little to write about. Our mess are going to send home some things in a box. It will be directed to Father and he can let it sit in the counting room or up to the house somewhere and to be opened when we come home—not before. We thought it would be much cheaper to send home some of our things than to carry them on our back.
Now I must leave again for squad drill.
I am on police duty this morning so have not time to write more so I will close now. I don’t very often leave a sheet until I have filled it but I think you ought to have a letter as soon as I can send one. Excuse the looks, won’t you? From your son, — Henry
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