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KIA at Aiken’s Creek - Good Content 123rd New York

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Autograph Letter Signed, "William A. Tooley" 123rd New York Infantry, KIA Aiken’s Creek, Virginia, April 10, 1865, 4p. quarto, Fairfax Station, Virginia, January 1, 1863, and reads in part: "...We have just been having a mock dressparade we appointed all new officers and they dressed to suit themselves some had wood for epaulets and some soap & some paper and other things to match them. It passed off very well and made considerable sport for us...I saw Wm Munson Moody & F. Palmer they do not like the business very well. I think if they were at home they would stay there as most every man says & the Union might go to the D---L. We hear that on every side where ever we go. It is enough to discourage anyone to see how this war is managed. When we arrive at a new camping spot, guards are immediately thrown out to protect the houses & property of rebels for such they are and the inhabitants will enquire of the men placed to guard them of the strength of our force & inform rebel spies of the same. Then when we are ordered to move for the purpose of intercepting their army at somepoint or to protect government property which may be at the mercy of the rebs. Those same men that we have been guarding will ride into our camp and ascertain how many men we leave in camp and how strong a force we march with & then it is a very easy matter for them to report to some rebel commander so that he will know exactly how many men it will require to capture the whole camp or to defeat us on the march. That is just the way the whole thing is managed....But enough of this the slave must obey his master..." Some underlining with a grease pen, else VG.

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