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42nd Massachusetts Letter Collection

War-date Union soldier's letter archive by Private Benjamin Treadwell, 42nd Massachusetts Infantry, includes sixteen (16) letters and thirteen (13) covers, and reads in part: "...[7/9/1864 unsigned] I have visited a place on a hill near our camp where there is a nice glass house filled with all kinds of rare plants and flowers. The house formerly standing on the farm and belonging to a Union man was burned down last fall near the commencement of the secession trouble probably by a rebel...The place is occupied only by his negroes whose quarters with the barns were left standing...We found an artificial pond...there was a fine spring of water used by one of the Regt. and as usual in all such cases under strict guard this to prevent the poisoning of the water as has sometimes been the case...I have not had the pleasure of seeing Old Abe or Scott as yet when our Regt was reviewed , I was on guard...I have one sad accident to relate. This morning one of the magazines connected with the battery of howitzers in the Mozart Regt. exploded killing one man and seriously wounding 4 others it is though that they will die, this seems worse than to be killed in battle...[7/19/64 Washington] My health is good & my wounds are getting along as well as could be expected. I feel sorry for Mr. Wilkins he is such a good man always read y to help any one in trouble. I hope he will get well...[8/1/64 Alexandria] it is very hot for the climate so that the Washington papers complain about it. About twenty of our boys fell out at dress parade on Sat. evening...I am now in Alexandria about half a mile from camp having been detailed here with fifteen men to guard a government wood yard for 24 hours...[8/4/64 Alexandria]The regiment is doing provost and patrol duty in the city. Every morning a certain number of men are detailed with sergt's & corps to march to the city where they are distributed among the different marshal's offices, bakeries, stables &c all belonging to Government. I am on duty today at the marshal's office with six men...[8/7/64 Camp Burrill]I came in from provost duty this forenoon at 10 o'clk just as a large squad of our regt was going in to town to church so I did not have a chance to go...We have a splendid man for a surgeon his name is Robinson but I do not know where he is from...Some of the Vet's which were here told us that this camp had been condemned twice by the board of surgeons...One of our boys accidentally shot himself in the arm Thursday while on guard and had to have it amputated...[8/14/64 For Marshall Md.] I wrote some of my friends that Fort McHenry was considered the best post in the dept. but it does not being to compare with this...[8/10/64]The 10th Mass has been sent out the other side of Balt for garrison duty. Three Penn Regts have left here today, two of them destined for Illinois, and the third for Cumberland Gap. Only the 5th & 7th Mass and one Penn regt remain here...I am not sorry that the Penn Dutchmen are going to falter off. I do not admire them. Particularly one old fossil who has been acting as Surg in Chief of the Brigade and in so doing put on a great many airs...The Col tells me that considerable effort will be made to order these 100 days regts to remain in the service...[8/18/64 Alexandria] The man who shot himself died of gangrene and was buried Monday....[8/24/64 Camp Burrill] I heard Col. Burrill is coming here to take command of the Regt but I don't know whether it is so or not. Please find out what Co. Geo Blunt is in and write me. His cousin - Adams is in our Regt and has been in to see me...I went out to Fairfax Monday. It is 18 miles from here and where McClellan's army was camped. Part of our army was camped here when Grant moved. All you can see is deserted camps and breastworks. There is some prospect of our going into one of the forts about 1/4 of a mile from our camp. I omitted to say that we went out to Fairfax on duty after logs for block houses and not on pleasure. About 300 went from ours and other regts. You certainly think you had got into Constantinople if you were here, there seems to be more dogs and cats her than people...[9/1/64 Camp Burrill with nice 42nd Mass imprinted cover]Our Capt and 1st Lieut are both permanently detached in the city on a court martial in the day time and our 2nd Lieut is in command of block-house so our bully orderly has command of the company...[9/15/64 Camp Burrill] all has been in a hubbub here today in consequence of inspection. Just received telegraph dispatch and had the good luck to find. Capt. Eddy going into the city to send a dispatch home so I sent one if it had not been for that I should have had to waited until morning...[9/24/64 Camp Burrill] I went to church this morning, to the old Episcopal church where Washington went, the pews have been altered over since that time but his old pew remains as it was. It takes up the room of about three of the others and is square with seats on three sides...They had five singers, two ladies and four gents. An officer played the organ. One or two of the singers were officers...We were all ordered to be out last Wednesday morning to see a deserter shot but he has been reprieved one week. He is going to be shot close to our camp. he was taken last week on Sunday tried Tuesday and sentenced. He deserted to the enemy and then came into our lines as a spy...[9/27/64]marched 27 miles to Great Falls (of the Potomac) ...Our company started with about 47 men and got there with 22 the larges number from any company, your uncle being one of them. Capt and 1 Lieut are detailed on Court Martials and the 2 Lieut in command of a block house. There were only 4 companies which had captains with them also all their detailed men and those on guard were marched upon sunday night, so our company and 4 others (1 of our companies is permanently detailed in the city)....making the 27 miles in 9 1/2 hours resting 1 hour and 10 minutes. Thats what you call marching. Some of the boys had hard looking feet. Ed. C. gave out about 3 miles from home and I found him just as he was about to fling away his overcoat so I took his overcoat and rubber blanket and Taft took his gun and when we got 1 mile from camp I took one side of him and Johnny Stamford the other and helped him in , he could hardly stand up when he got here...[10/9/1864 Camp Burrill]Was out a little beyond Manassas Junction, Thursday, saw some of the 2 Cavalry and inquired for G. Blunt. They said he was in Washington in hospital more of them were from his company but all know him and all told the same story. You can take this for what it is worth..." Most Fine. A nice grouping of this Mass soldier's Civil War correspondence.

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