Civil War [2]

March 10, 1863 Newport News, Va Father, I was glad to hear from you. I am well. I hope these few lines will find you the same. I want you to write and let me know when you send me the box. Uncle Sylvester is with [us] now. His health is very good now.
If you are a mind to you may put in two carlow shirts in the box. The lice won't get in them -- they get in these cotton shirts so I can't live. They got in these shirts you sent me the first thing after I put it on. Soldier life is a hard life to enjoy because it is a dirty place and a lousy place, too. We don't have so good a place as the hogs have to sleep. We have to drill 4 times a day. I want you to put in [for] me a pound of sugar in the box. Have you had the colt harnessed yet? I want you to write and let me know how Alma and Jim and Amy and Joe and John and Jose is. Tell Ellen to write. I would write more. Please to write as soon as you get this. So good-bye from your son, Sidney C. Spaulding November 27, 1862 Newport News, Va Father I am well I hope these few lines will find you the same. Do the folks think the war will be settled before July? I hope it will be settled within that time. If I get home I shan't be such a damn fool to enlist again. I have seen all the fighting I want to see. If I hadn't been such a damn fool I should have stayed at home and minded my own business. Next time I shall mind what you tell me. Sidney C. Spaulding December 3, 1862 Father I am well I hope these few lines will find you the same. We have been in another battle. Our loss was 10 thousand, on the rebs' side was 5 thousand. I hope I shan't have to go in another battle. I have seen all the fighting I want to see. We commenced fighting at 7 o'clock in the morning, continued fighting till dark. There was none killed in our company, there was 8 wounded -- not very bad. Sidney C. Spaulding December 7, 1862 Camp near Fredericksburg Old Abe says he is going to settle up the war without any more fighting. The rebels say that they are fighting to serve their country, and we are fighting for the Negro. They are in camp over the other side of the river. We had a snowstorm here today; I suppose you have some snow in New Hampshire. Sidney C. Spaulding March 5, 1863 Newport News, Va Father I am well I hope these few lines will find you the same. The rebs say we have got to go up a long street, over two hills, then over stone walls, then we will be to Richmond. The long street we got to go over is the General Longstreet, the two hills we got to go over is the two generals, the stone wall we got to go over is Stonewall Jackson. I think all we want to do is to go over stone walls. Sidney C. Spaulding May 18, 1863 Camp near Lancaster Father I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well. I hope these few lines will find you the same. I take pains to write and let you know how many battles I have been in. The first one was at South Mountain on the 14th [Sept. 1862] and the other one was at Antietam on the 15th [Sept. 1862) and the other one was at Fredericksburg on Sunday the 12th [Dec. 1862], and when I was going across the flat there was a shell come and busted and took my catbox off and killed lieutenant. I laid in the gulley 2 hours, then I got up and tried to go across the flat, and every time I tried to go across they would fire at me and I got back under the bank. I stayed till dark and then I [headed] for the village, and I went in a house and there was some wood in there. I had not been in there before long before a shell went through the house and then I put out of there and went down further and went in a house; and I had not been in there a great while before a shell went through there. We are in camp in a pleasant place. I want you to write and let me know if you have heard from Asa W. Richmond, Waldo and Wilbur and Tom, and where they was. Alva and Russell Tyler are well and fat. I heard that Watkins had got discharged. I don't think of anything more to write now, so good by. Sidney C. Spaulding Please to write as soon as you get this July 18, 1863 Camp near Jackson (Mississippi) Father I take the opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am well. I hope these few lines will find you the same. We took Jackson last Friday but we had hard work to get in there. But when we got in there we got sugar and molasses, as much as we could lug off. But the city is stove to pieces. It was a splendid place, but when we got in there the boys set fire to the city and destroyed everything. I tell you, there is some pretty places you ever saw out here. If it was not for the war, I should like to live out here. I think the war is most over with. I don't think of anything more to write now, so goodby. Sidney C. Spaulding
Note: letters by Sidney Spaulding, 9th New Hampshire Regiment.