Archive Record

Images

1 of 1977

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Metadata

Catalog Number

1805.025.08

Collection

Carlton Birch Letters

Object Name

Letter

Title

Letter from Carlton Birch to his Uncle George

Scope & Content

A letter from Carlton Birch to his Uncle George about his life as a Union soldier encamped at Beverley Ford in Virginia on September 13, 1863. Carlton describes how soldiers preoccupied themselves between marches and battles. He explains sack races, exercises, dancing, and singing taking place in camp. He provides descriptions of soldiers he considered his friends and the drawing lessons he gave them. He briefly mentions fighting at Chancellorsville. Carlton does express through his writings a desire for more correspondence from his uncle.

Accompanying this letter are five sketches. The first is of two men playing 7 up. In his letter, Carlton mentioned that poker had been banned from camp, so soldiers had taken to playing 7 up instead. The second is of men exercising by jumping and running, The third is a sketch of four of his friends. The fourth is of a spring near camp that supplied the soldiers with fresh water with a soldier guarding the spring. The fifth is of solders competing in sack races while other soldiers cheer them on.

Date

September 13, 1863

Notes

Carlton uses the abbreviation "Non Com" which is short for Non-Commissioned, referring his status as a non-commissioned officer in the Union Army.

Carlton uses the term "dem foine" to describe his friends features, but it is unknown if the phrase is from the nineteenth century or what it means.

Carlton also uses the verb "Gymnize" as in "to gym" or "to exercise."

The full transcription of the letter is as follows:

Camp at Beverley Ford Va Sept 13th 1863
Dear Uncle George

Your 2nd letter I anticipate receiving this Evening by the regular Mail, but time and oportunity [opportunity] (you know) must not be neglected, So to commence, A Genl. [General] Order has been issued in our Brigade, forbiding [forbidding] a game at cards called poker, ("but tell me what is the difference between betting money on a game of 7 up, and ditto on Poker.") 7 up, a Dollar a game is all the rage here among the Commish [Commissioned] Officers; however neither game ever troubled my mind, As I don't gamble.

Although there is another kind Spelt [spelled] Gambol meaning running, jumping, +c [etc.] Similar to what you See these Chaps at, that I admire most heartily and I can be found indulgeing [indulging] in the healthy and beneficial exercise at Some time in the course of each day when we are in Camp these fellows kept me waiting about half an hour with their sawney attempts they are Subs [Substitutes] or conscripts of the 22nd Massachusetts Regt. [Regiment], And dont [don't] know enough to stay on their own ground yet, but it was quite amuseing [amusing] to Myself and four others of the Non Com [Non-Commissioned] Staff whose portraits I will give you if I am not interupted [interrupted] too often with this letter, in which case as with the last I will drop illustrations, and find Some [page break] other pleasant employment; below I will give you the portraits of four of my Chum Non Coms [Non-Commissioned officers], but you must excuse me if I make a bad picture of them, I will try to give their expression of countenance as much as possible if I can persuade them to ["keep" crossed out] keep a straight face for five minutes, No1 is a Color Corporal, No2 Sergeant of Company "C." No3. Sergeant of Company "E.", No4 is a Corporal of Co. "C." they are a dem foine Set, that-crowd, but they look innocent enough don't they?, The Rascalls! And I have just told them that they never had such a Compliment paid them before in their lives, Nos3 + 4 laughed but my Camera took the laugh before I could prevent it but it dont [don't] alter the resemblance much, they are sadly in want of a Shave just now but Sometimes they do have clean faces outside of the ornamental hair work, Shaped after the latest fashion Plate of Mr. Merrymans Monthly, No1 was wounded in the forehead by a Splinter of tree at Chancellorville [Chancellorsville] which has put a Mark (Similar to the mark on Condemned goods) on his head that affects his Vanity muchly, we tell him he's Condemned, Sometimes which he dont [don't] relish much; they are all lively ducks and dull care has a small chance when they are around, they all Sing, Gymnize, dance and play, and I am tutor for the lot in Drawing + Writing [page break] We have writeing [writing] School in my tent Sometimes and lately they are trying to draw Sketches but of course I am bothered almost to death with their ill shaped and miserable attempts at a thing they have no taste for, but I get all of my paper now from them, although I did buy a package of note and Envelopes a few days ago but I must make them Supply me in the future, Here You have quite a heavy sketch of our Spring; Splendid Water, and the quantity Supplys [Supplies] the whole Brigade, a Guard is posted here to prevent any abuse of the water Such as washing in it; diping [dipping] dirty Cups in; or throwing dirt into it, wasteing [wasting] it, and positively forbiding [forbidding] the Conscripts from bathing in it, which they might do.

Yesterday the Officers of this Division indulged in a horse race, Each Brigade to furnish a running and also a trotting horse, Of course I was there, and in good time, I took considerable notes but a horse race always reads the same excepting the incidents or accidents and with our race only one accident happened An old Plug of a horse fell and almost killed himself, The Black Horse "Punch" owned by the Col [Colonel] of 9th Mass, won the running Race 3rd Brigade, and Sorrel Mare Beauty 5th US Battery [page break] 1st Brigade won the trot, and afterwards outran the Black Horse "Punch", beating him 3 lengths, easily for a purse of $150., a Side, So our Brigade were Victors, and us boys thought we would also have some fun and with the Assistance of our Sutler we got up a Sack race, but, our fun was soon stoped [stopped] by an order to prepare to March, and two Corps, a Battery, and Some Cavalry have started already, but we are only holding ourselves in readiness to (not at Arms length) Support them on a reconoissance [reconnaissance], And all day (to day) we hear heavy Canonadeing [cannonading], So we look for a start before Sundown to night, I will be much pleased if we can only bag Genl. [General] Lee and his Army-but I should hate another Chancellorville [Chancellorsville] affair, and Sincerely hope that we move for some Purpose that can be accomplished this time, I received the Gospel according to Dr. Benjamin And would have understood the language if you had not marked it, as I noticed a portion of it in the Comic Monthly , it is very good and true,

Company "F." sends their pious regards to you, Myself included, give my love to Your family, My Wife, Mother, Pop, and to My numerous Sisters + Brothers also remember me to Aunt Eliza + cousins, And to Wrigley when you write (I hope we will benefit him this Move) Also to Mr Struthers, Mr Germon, and all enquiring [inquiring] friends I wrote to you day before yesterday which I hope you received, I will write to Pop and Rosey to day. This is letter No3 Since I got your last, Write to me soon and often as we may be on the March for some time.

Yours in best of health + spirits,
Carle [sketch of stick figure holding American flag]

Extent of Description

1 leaf, 12" x 15.625"

Relation

Show Related Records...

Condition

Excellent

Condition Notes

Noted as "poor" on 10/05/2005, as the letters were in a scrapbook titled, "Record in War." However, the collection was conserved by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), Philadelphia, PA, in 2010. Each item was removed from the scrapbook and placed in individual folders.

Legal Status

On loan from The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia.