Details:

George R. Baldwin six-page handwritten Civil War soldier’s letter, written from Fort Ward, Virginia, and dated October 2, 1862, accompanied by its original patriotic illustrated mailing envelope bearing a three-cent George Washington stamp and “Soldier’s Mail” endorsement. Written on attractive patriotic stationery featuring Columbia raising a Union soldier before an American flag and battlefield scene, Baldwin writes candidly to his friend Ellery Pike of Mansfield Centre, Connecticut, discussing the Union Army’s condition following the Second Battle of Bull Run, the defense of Washington, and his opinions of fellow soldiers and officers.

Among the most notable passages, Baldwin laments the Army of the Potomac’s retreat and diminished strength:

“I think our army is falling back to the same position that we took after the battle of Bull Run over a year ago… Six months ago one of the largest and finest armies the world ever witnessed went forth with every prospect of success. Now only a small remnant of them have returned, & those are pretty well disheartened and discouraged.”

He describes serving at the forts protecting the nation’s capital after the Peninsula Campaign, noting that his company had been assigned to Fort Ward under Major Hemmingway with thirty guns defending Washington. Baldwin also reflects on the recent fighting around Manassas, writing that he could hear the cannon daily and believed Union troops had suffered the worst of the engagement. Remarking on Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, he observes:

“Old Stonewall is quite a hero among us. I think he is smarter than all the Union Generals together.”

The letter also contains personal observations about friends back home, enlistments, marriages before entering the service, and camp life, concluding with a plea for news from home and a request that portions of the letter remain private.

Very good condition. Expected mailing folds, light age toning, and scattered handling wear. Accompanied by the original illustrated patriotic cover addressed to Ellery C. Pike of Mansfield Centre, Connecticut, with original postage and Soldier’s Mail endorsement.

George R. Baldwin served in Company C, 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery, one of the Union Army’s principal heavy artillery regiments responsible for the defenses surrounding Washington, D.C. Originally organized as the 4th Connecticut Infantry before being redesignated as heavy artillery, the regiment later endured some of the heaviest casualties of any Union regiment during the Overland Campaign of 1864. This early war letter captures the uncertainty and frustration felt by Union soldiers in the difficult months following the Peninsula Campaign and the Second Battle of Bull Run, while offering an unusually candid assessment of the war’s leadership and morale.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11669 1416944-1