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Large archive of Civil War Letters

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Title: Archive of approx. 60 letters from William Hibbard, serving in Co. B, 160th Regt. New York Volunteers, to his wife Delia Hibbard, of Palmyra, New York
Author: Hibbard, William
Description: Most letters with original stamped covers.Large archive of letters from a soldier in the Civil War, beginning with his recruitment, training, postings in the north, and journey to the front, experiences in action, and his death from disease. After the early stages, he eventually finds himself in the western theatre of operations, along the Mississippi, and many of the letters are postmarked New Orleans. On Dec. 21, 1862, “My Dear Wife, as we have landed once more I will right you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present…" We live very poor on the ship"…" I have went to bed a good many nights with a pees of raw port & a cracker if the rebbles live worse than we have since we left New York they will soon die we wont haf to shoot them"…” On Jan. 10, 1863, outside Thibodeaux, Louisiana, the food situation gets better, “this regiment is cald General Banks reserved we haf to ceep back to reinforce if needed…" I hope we will stay our time out for it is a pleasant place & we get good bread & coffee & meet rice & hominy & molasses"…" The rebels left fields of shugar cain that never was harvested the rebels was driven off from their plantation I was talking with a niger he sed his masse told him dat de yanks was cumming to cill all de black folks"…” On Feb. 27th, 1863, “Dear Wife, we are all here yet in this lonsome city but I don’t know how long we shall be hear there is some talk of going up the river to try the rebels…" there is a large force here now & they keep a coming in all the time there is 5,000 infantry here 3 companys of cavalry, 3 batris with 18 large guns 3 gun boats there was 4 gun-boats but one met with an accident & sunk we expect 2 more gun boats & 2 mortar boats & more infantry every day from New Orleans we hear that the rebels are 20,000 strong where we expect to go"…” On May 4th, 1863, “We have stoped 3 or 4 days to rest we shal soon haf to march again we have whipped the rebels 3 times on our march took 2000 prisoners lots of mules & horses 100 bales of cotton 6 cannon lots of small arms the rebels burnt a good deal of cotton on their retreat…" I hope our fiting is about over but it looks rather darck yet I hope all of the armes has done as well as we have on a march but I am afraid that Charleston & Vixburg will be a tuf job hard places to take"…" When we was on our march how the black folks would run out & holler o de lord o de lord I glad I glad de yankes hab come damb black folks I could shoot easy"…if they would low me to I am a democrat & damb the black republicans I hope the slaves will never be free I wish I had of known as much at home as I do now I never wod of been a solger damb the nigars and damb the man what sticks up for them..” Finally, on June 25th, a letter is written to Delia Hibbard by a Charles A. Lord, sent in a black-bordered envelope: “I take this opportunity to inform you of the sad news that…" last night your husband departed from Earth to a better world we trust, he has been sick with the Diarhea for some time and we done all that we could to comfort him"…” There are also some later and earlier letters from other members of the family. A very revealing archive, the Civil War through the eyes of a common soldier, and though spelling and grammar are a challenge, the experience of life, and death, on the front ripples through the letters.
Heading: (Civil War)Place Published: Various places
Publisher:
Date Published: 1860s