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48th New York Volunteers Letter Archive

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A great New York soldier's letter archive of twenty-two letters written by Sgt. John G. Abbott, Co. D, 48th New York Vols, [MWIA at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863], written between July 1861 through August 1863, totaling approximately 60 pages, reads in part: "...[7/27/61]I saw Bill yesterday he is going to Washington in about ten days he is sworn in he gets advance pay before he starts, he is in a Pennsylvania Reg. under Col. Charman, Company A. I saw the New Jersey and a part of the New York the 69 went through last night, they are all going back one of them gave me a secession cartridge...[7/29] I am about to start at 5 oclock this evening I take the cars for Brooklyn to meet Capt. Knowles in the morning there to recruit tomorrow. We have to go south in a few days the Reg. is accepted now...I was offered a position as second sergeant this morning in Col. Gary's Reg., C.W. Hisley Chaplain, but did not accept...[8/25/61] 5 companies was sworn in on Friday and Saturday and 1 more will be sworn in tomorrow making 6. Our Regt. is fast filling up and will soon be full. I have to stop for the inspection of tents which is at 4 oclock...at 5 oclock will be dress parade...it is the impression among the captains that we will go on Wednesday...now the thing is whether we are subject to the call of the Secretary of War or Gov. Morgan, if Morgan we gone on Wednesday next, and if the Secretary of War, on the 14 of next month. We are an independent Regt. that is subject to the Government, the Government furnishes our uniform, arms, rations, and not the state of New York hence I believe we are under the charge of the Secretary of War...[9/4]I have learned some since I have been here in camp, or I could not have, the honor today, of wearing a sword and three stripes on both arms as I do. Jo, I am fifth sergeant under Capt. Knowles...a fifth sergt. in the army of the United States is not so bad for one like me...I have a splendid sword, it comes within 6 inches of the ground as I walk along, Jo, it makes me feel big, although I dare not show it by any means...[9/11] tomorrow night if nothing happens we are going to have a grand military ball, our camp is to be illuminated all night. I expect their will be some great speaking, I have got my tent all arched over with cedars...we are all anxious to get South, our Lieut. Colonel told us today that we would leave next Monday morning...I am afraid if we don't get their pretty soon we won't get to see a single battle...I was at the Fort when the Minnesota came up with those prisoners, but she did not land them at Fort Lafayette, it was full already, so she took them to Bedloe's Island where they are at present..[9/17] we are now on our way to the seat of war, and I expect you think that we are rather sad, but Jo, I never saw such rejoicing in my life among men...our Regt is the 48 New York Regt. so when you see an account of the 48 you may know that John's with them, we expect to leave our mark upon the battlefield...[9/30/61]the Rebels are trying to cross the Potomac and we are ordered to be ready to start inside of one hour the long roll is beating now in five camps...I expect that ours will beat in 5 minutes for to start we take nothing but 3 days rations with us...I expect to see a battle inside of 6 hours and a bloody one too...we hear the cannons roar ...Col. Perry told us when he read our orders to us he said boys I want you to fight like soldiers, and I will lead you through in the name of the God of Battles. Well Jo, I have to stop now the roll is beating for us now. Jo, if I should fall in the battle you may know that I die a fighting...[10/15]I have to keep awake all the time to attend to the Guards...I have been busy today in writing a piece for the Atlantic Journal and mailed it this afternoon Monday, I am sure that Taggart will publish it if he gets it in time, before he sets type...Sammy Baldwin died last Tuesday...I expect to be appointed 4th Sergt. tomorrow or next day, as our 3d leaves tomorrow to write for the Brig. General...[10/19]we are to be paid off...the money is here now for the whole Brigade. I understand that we are to get Treasury notes...we are a going on board of the ship Empire City one of the California line...[12/19] I think that this infernal Rebellion has lasted long enough, we have men enough to flounce them decent now in the field if they would only lead them on to victory, not because I think that they should rush too hastily into their masked batteries, but I do think that they are doing comparatively nothing along the banks of the Potomac placing too much confidence in our expedition with only a few thousand men...we place confidence enough in McClellan to look for a glorious defeat of the Rebels in Va. soon...they are enlisting men here now in the regular service for 3 years; several have enlisted. I most think that I shall...if Congress should colonize the negroes somewhere out of the United States don't forget to sweep out the Atlantic of them. You also spoke abut the Stone Fleet well they have arrived here and all went sea again this morning to blockade Charleston harbor I hope, if so, Sumter will do them no more good for awhile...[1/15/62] you spoke about Clark having a great notion of singing. I am glad to hear that, tell him if he had been at Port Royal Ferry on New Years day and heard the Rifle balls singing Old Hundred over our heads, he would have learned that tune pretty well, for they sang it about 2 hours, with now and then a bomb shell bursting...you spoke about Bill Penn being wounded at the Battle of Port Royal, it may be so, but I should think it rather doubtful, for I thought that I seen all of the wounded at the hospital on the next day, and I should thought that his name would been published with the rest of the wounded, and again I never knew Uncle Sam to discharge a wounded man who had been wounded in such a noble cause...[3/16/62]I am getting fat here on South Carolina Oysters for there is no end to them here, and we get nearly as many rabbits as we can eat, they come all around our tents nights and we can kill them with clubs...Our General has gave the Rebels in Fort Pulaski 10 days to surrender, the time will be up the 22 and then if they don't surrender we will bombard the Fort, which we can soon do now, and as soon as the Fort is ours then we will soon be into the city of Savannah... we are afraid that Gen. Buell with his western Army will get their first if we don't lookout pretty sharp. Yesterday 3 Rebel gun boats tried to get past our batteries down to Pulaski but they can't come it, we disabled their boats so that they had to be towed away with other boats. The flag was half mast with Union down at Pulaski, signifying distress, so they though that they could get past our battery to them, but they did not come it, and before many days we expect to see it not only half mast but clear down and that old stars and stripes waving at full mast head, over its polluted walls...their has several Rebels here who have deserted from Savannah and they say, that 1/4 of the Rebel Army here is good Union men but have been forced into the Rebel Army and will come over to us as soon as they get a chance...[4/8/62]we are under marching orders as well as every other Regt. here, and I shall not have time to write again until Pulaski has fallen, which will be attacked on Friday next, just one year from the day the Rebels opened fire on Sumter. We intend to celebrate Sumter's anniversary day, and before the 14th the starry emblem of our country will float majestically over her walls, the time is set, the day fixed, the day that many will bid farewell to earth and friends and die nobly in their country's defense, is it I? I hope not, yet it may be, but I expect to see the Old Flag when its golden folds, is unfurled to the spicy breezes which has so often fanned its silken folds, over its now polluted walls, and if I shall live my voice shall hail with shouts of victory its glorious ascension its attack is certain on that day. Gen. Hunter has ordered 5 gun boats to be into the Savannah by Friday morning, and all the rest of the Navy here except the Blockades to be on hand at the mouth of the Savannah at that time...I think that we will go to Jones or Birds Island until the Fort falls, then we are sure of going up to the city of Savannah for Hunter has said that he intends to show the secesh what they call (or will call) fighting. He has near 20,000 troops with him here. The 28th Mass. Regt. is just marching past our camp now. They are Zouaves, it is an Irish Regt. and a noble looking one too...[4/23/62] I see by the Atl. Journal that Bets Hugg was indicted before the Grand Jury for keeping a disorderly house...Our Regt is unusually healthy...The fort is now garrisoned by the 7th Ct and 9th Maine Regts and the Prisoners are sent North where I hope they will be taken care of, their has been movements yet towards the taking of Savannah which we was all sure would follow immediately after the fall of Pulaski, but as yet we have been mistaken although everything goes to show us that such a movement must surely come soon...The Unandilla went up the river yesterday to within a short distance of Ft. Jackson, was fired on by the Fort, and 5 Rebel gun boats came down the river but dare not come within range of her...two of the Rebels deserted and came to Birds Island. They will be taken care of , they say that the people are in a great way at Savannah, and they say the city would be surrendered if attacked, notwithstanding they have some 50,000 men in this section of the country, so reported by them...a dispatch has been recd from Hilton Head stating that the Merrimac has been sunk by the Vanderbilt, but we put no confidence in it at all. I am glad to see that McClelland has begun an advance on Yorktown...the Great victories at Island No. 10 and at Pittsburg Landing, the Confederate Army must be entirely demoralized. I think that we will get a smell of powder yet before the war closes...[5/7/62]I saw two large rattle snakes while I was blackberrying...they was about 5 feet long...we have killed several already. I like them much better than Mr. Alligator, he is a bloody rogue and would as leave steal one of Uncle Abe's Union soldiers...that was a great battle at Pittsburgh Landing, and a great victory after being almost another Bull Run, which would have gave the Rebels fresh courage, but so it did not prove to them, but was a great victory for us, and I have heard of the capture of New Orleans, by our troops and I expect to hear of McClellan being in Yorktown by the next mail when that and Richmond falls that rebellion which has cursed our nation will be crushed and the tide of Unionism will have overflowed the whole nation and this Union united firmer than ever before and when other nations will frown at its Union and tremble at the sight of our Navy, which will soon be second to no other. This is what England is sick about more than the cotton crop. The Isabella was captured a few days ago and brought into Hilton Head we got 40,000 stand of arms and 1,000,000 in specie, this will pay off us troops...they also captured 3 others last week trying to run the Charleston Blockade the same night...[5/21/62] you said that Wm spoke of my promotion to 2nd Sergt. it was 3rd and not 2nd I only acted as 2nd while our 2nd was in N. York recruiting, he has got back and forgot all he ever knew which wouldnt drive 2 men crazy and I have to act 2nd now on all duty whatever, but I am really 3d...I see that McClellan has drove them back from Yorktown and Williamsburg and they will soon have to leave Richmond or surrender to him. I see they had quite a battle in which the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th New Jersey Regts suffered severely and I see a list of the killed & wounded in the Herald of the 12th...I know about 50 of the killed & wounded. Bully for the Jersey Boys they fought nobly and have the honor, beside I see that the Monitor and Naughtneck has both gone to Richmond as commissioners to the Rebel Congress, and I expect that they will get into a quarrel with Secesh and woo to Secesh if they do, for they are the Champions of the World, and I see that the Galena has captured the Jamestown & Yorktown, we also have Norfolk, and our Brig Gen. E.L. Veile was in the advance and is now appointed Governor Gen. of Norfolk, so we have to get a new Brig. Gen. in his place...I hear that the Nashville has again run the blockade at Wilmington N.C. I wish they could get hold of her, she is doing big business I think. I don't think this war can last much longer for they are getting in a tight place and can't fight much longer. I wish that it was over now, for I hate the idea of summering over in Dixie's Land...[6/6/62]Gen. Stevens has possession of the Rail Road 14 miles from Charleston and I expect that Charleston has or will be attacked in a day or two, our troops are within 4 miles of Charleston, and expected to attack the city last Wednesday, and perhaps they did, but Savannah is not in as much danger as it was 2 months ago....[7/8/62] I am afraid that we are going to have trouble, as so many of our Officers talk of resigning. Capt. Knowles, has already and leaves for home tomorrow...they don't seem to be satisfied since our Col. died. Capt. Knowles is agoing to Pennington to teach in the Seminary, our Lieut Col. is now at Washington on some business...I see that McClellan has been repulsed and drove back from his former position in front of Richmond...the Rebels appeared to have us hemmed up for sure, and I think that Beauregard with his Western Army is there now, if so we will have to take it foot by foot inch by inch...[7/25/62]I am the only one out of 4 that had the Bloody Dysenteria that has got well the other 3 died right by my side, 2 of them was from our Comp....I see the Jersey boys have been cut all to pieces and taken prisoners. They are doing their duty, nobly like true soldiers, and they have made some noble charges in different places, they have won laurels for themselves and for their state....[9/3/62]our Band is to be mustered out to day but we are to have one to be made up from the Regt. 3 of them is from our company, if I had been a private I should have joined them myself...we have just heard that our Army had captured Stonewall Jackson and his whole army is cut to pieces, but I don't believe it...[10/15/62]yesterday morning at 2 oclock AM the gun boats Planter and Washington with 2 comps E and G on board started on a reconnaissance up above Bluffton on the Bulls River, at day light they began to shell their pickets at Bluffton, they soon put spurs to their horses and was out of our reach. We then proceeded to Dr. Cruels Plantation where we landed the last time we was up there and we then destroyed their Salt Works, they again retreated up the river as before, our boats followed on in their rear, until we was up 3 miles above Cruels. We then landed and destroyed the salt works at that place. We then took all their furniture, poultry, &c, then we discovered their cavalry, we gave them chase and exchanged a few shots but they took no effect. We then returned to the fort..." VG.

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