Letter from Corp. Joshua K. Butler dated Jan. 27, 1863 Falmouth, VA to his Sister, right after the Mud March.
1863. Ephemera. Manuscript letter dated Jan. 27, 1863 from Corp. Joshua K. Butler to his Sister. Butler was in Company 6 of 132nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry and gives an interesting view into a soldier's life in the Civil War's Army of the Potomac during some significant campaigns in the South.
"Dear Sister [...] 'If I am spared to return home again I will tell you about the hard ships and easy ships of a soldier's life.' He goes on to describe some of the horrors of war he has seen -- men's limbs being shot off, heads split open by shells; his own illness; and the most recent news…
'We came very near having a heavy Battle last week but it commenced raining while the Army was on the move and rained 3 days and made the roads so bad that the Artillery, Ammunition and supply trains could not move one mile in one day […] and we marched back to our old quarters. […] 'but as soon as the roads get in a good condition again there will be another grand forward move but in what direction I cannot say as Burnsides does not yet inform me of his plan of attack, but I hope it will not be on the Fredericksburg plan for our army was taken in a Slaughter pen as some of our soldiers called it...' [referring to Battle of Fredericksburg Dec. 12-15] .
Butler refers to Union General Ambrose Burnside and the tremendous rain which prevented his midwinter offensive to cross at Bank's Ford on the Rappahannock River, now called the "Mud March." It was Burnside's final attempt to command the Army of the Potomac. [Wikipedia] Lincoln replaced him with Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker on January 26, 1863, the day before Corp. Butler's letter was written.
'I was very nearly a goner at Harper's Ferry, I was sick for one month but I would not go to the hospital. When the regiment moved from there I got the doctors pass and fell to the rear and followed up the crowd I did not see the regiment sometimes for 2 days as I was so weak I could not keep up. When we left the ferry I weighed 120 pounds and now I weigh 150 pounds.' 'I saw Brother William at harpers ferry (sic) he had been sick but had got well again. He is driving an ambulance for carrying the dead and wounded soldiers from the field.' 'Give Johnty my best respects. Tell Josy I will bring him a dead rebel home to play with. I saw some of them laying in the streets of Fredericksburg dead enough.'
The 132nd Regiment was organized at Harrisburg in August 1862 moved to Washington DC, then to Rockville, MD. They were attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps until November 1862, then 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division 2nd Army Corps until May 1863.
The 132nd Regiment participated in the Maryland Campaign (Sep 6-22, 1862), Battle of Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Battle of Fredericksburg Dec 12-15, Duty at Falmouth, VA until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6, and the Battle at Chancellorsville May 1-6, then mustered out May 24, 1863. The Regiment lost during service 3 officers, 70 enlisted men by death and mortal wounds, 40 enlisted men by disease.
Butler's rank in was corporal, his rank out a sergeant. He survived the war and is recorded on the 1890 Veteran's schedule in Delano, Schuylkill County, PA.
4 neatly and intelligently written sheets, folded, 5x8", somewhat browned, period folds, o/w very good condition. Item #23664
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