21 March 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Drill, shooting guns, health problems of other men. "The inhabitants are a hard miserable looking set what I have seen of them and the contrabands say that most of them are rebels at heart for all they have taken the oath of allegiance." Rumors of capture of Richmond, Manassas and Norfolk. Accidental shooting of Irishman and accidental bayoneting of another man. Gaining weight from good living. Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.014

22 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Pay day. Describing feelings in battle: "If you want to know just how I felt when I went into battle it would be hard telling exactly but in the first place I felt most d---d tired other ways I felt well enough, wasn't at all afraid [of] the idea that we could be whiped by any number of rebels did not come into my head at all even after the Zouaves were driven back among us and I heard some of them say that they were all cut up and that the day was lost, I couldn't see the point." Almost struck by bullet in head. "I must say that I felt some 'savage'..."

GLC04558.015

28 March 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued on separate sheet. Wish to come home, regular inspections and drills, farm business, late pay, cost of food.

GLC04558.016

9 April 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mails, expedition to Elizabeth City by other troops and desire to fight. New clothing, suggestions for farm management. The letter is continued the next day. Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.017

15 April 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Preparations for march and expedition including cleaning guns, etc. Written on patriotic stationery. Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.018

17 April 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Received portrait of family but glass is cracked. Expedition delayed. Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.019

21 April 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Expedition to and battle at Elizabeth City [Camden, N.C. 4/19] described at length: 12 hour forced march of 35 miles, fatigue, errors in battle formation, thrown back and reformation in woods: "We were rallyed again here under the shelter of the woods and the Zouaves were to be rallyed and support us. We then struck through the corner of the woods comeing out near the rebels left wing and charged bayonets on them with a yell that made everything ring and the [51st] P.A. did the same when the rebels broke and scadaddled...." Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.020

1 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mails, frying (and living-off) doughnuts, payday early because the Colonel has "the best brandy of any regiment." Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.021

3 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Clothing, trimming his hair, shell-collecting, "I hope that McClellan will bag the whole nest of rebels at Yorktown...." Describes how he drills with equipment and mentions a Burnside order "directing us to inscribe on our colors the words Camden April 19th 1862." [See letter #20] Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.022

15 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Soldiers leaving on furlough, one of whom "told us that the Dickinson Guards might kiss his [drawing of donkey]...." Describes men pretending sickness to avoid drill, salute for capture of New Orleans. "You must excuse the looks of this sheet for I have had bad luck and had my ink bottle upset twice fooling with the boys." Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.023

17 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mail call and man's epileptic seizure, rumor of Richmond's capture, news accounts of battle at Camden.

GLC04558.024

30 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Farm work (neighbors helped put-in crops), more rumors of Richmond's capture, drills, call for 100,000 men: "I think that the best way to end the concern [of enough men] would be to enlist and arm the contrabands for all the darkeys I have talked with about it say that they would like to fight for the north." [See #83]

GLC04558.025

2 June 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Home affairs: children, horses, business deals. Food: "We have plenty of salt pork, bacon, and beef there has been a lot of fat cattle brought here which they butcher so as to have fresh beef twice a week.... We get a kind of conglomerated vegitables [sic] composed of all sorts of boiled, mixed up together and dried vegitables for soup. It is considered very healthy and is middling good but since some of the boys found worms in their soup it dont go down so well." Describes bread so heavy that the soldiers fight with it.

GLC04558.026

14 June 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Short letter about going to hospital with diarrhea. Top of the letter is torn.

GLC04558.027

28 June 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Shock at daughter Lucy's death, sick in hospital.

GLC04558.028

2 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Left behind in hospital by regiment which is going to Newburn, unable to get furlough. Written at Camp Dickinson

GLC04558.029

9 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Still in hospital, regiment to go to Richmond, concerned about haying season at the farm, worries over children's severe illness: "Save them if it costs the farm and all the rest.

GLC04558.030

16 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Still in hospital, Regiment at Norfolk. Mail, picking whortle berries, wishing he could help on the farm, different tent styles. "There are about three hundred Contrabands sent from this island the other day to Newburn to go to school."

GLC04558.031

19 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Still in hospital. Family: "...how I do wish Dear Lib that I was at home to share your troubles, anxiety, sorrows, and to relieve you in some of your phisical [sic] labors.... How I tremble to think how near Georgiana also had been to the brink of the grave." Recounting his own problems with typhoid, increasing health, lack of news from regiment. Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.032

24 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Discharged from hospital previous day. Waiting for regiment at Norfolk and their speedy mail service, dreamed of seeing family except Lucy.

GLC04558.033

24 July 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Laying around, regiment ordered from Newport News to Richmond, problems with fleas. Discusses rations from Uncle Sam and NC peddlers: "that come from main land in boats. There is sometimes as many as ten or a dozen here in a day and some of them come forty or fifty miles and get here before noon. They wouldnt trade much though if they traded only for cash but they will trade for old clothes, shoes, grease, packing salt out of the bottoms of meat barrels or any thing to eat or wear. But we have to pay sesession prices for every thing a dollar a bushel for potatoes, a dollar and a half for…

GLC04558.034

7 August 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Voyage to Virginia, joining Pope's division. Written in Aquia Creek, Virginia, located in Stafford County.

GLC04558.035

8 August 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Re-joining regiment, likes camp. "Scouting parties are sent out every day who frequently have scermishes with parties of the enemy and unless the rebels play their scadaddle game their [sic] will soon be bloody work done." Expects to leave, but still not on active duty because of weakness. Letter is continued the next day.

GLC04558.036

11 August 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Addressed "Dear Elizabeth". Still at Fredericksburg but things are packed. Trying to get rid of extra clothing, still feels weak. Nurses and women's work: "Tell Mrs Rosa that if she feels so bad she had better enlist herself, as a nurse. I understand that twenty five or thirt[y] ladies in Binghamton and vicinity have lately enlisted as nurses so Mrs Rosa's change is good and she wont have to beg but get paid for it.... I believe that cooks name that made my pie was Mary but the pie was just as good for all that."

GLC04558.037

19 August 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Second time on picket duty, contacts with rebel troops, relations with rebel farmer whose animals have been stolen, reading of a general order prohibiting theft, desertions listed, men re-enlisting, advice on farm, home and family to wife.

GLC04558.038