24 September 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his wife

Holding themselves in readiness, rumors on Burnside, McClellan. "We have just got news that the president has issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves on the first of January. It may be for the best but stil my hopes (if I had any) of a speedy termination of the war is thereby nocked in head for I know enough of the southern spirit so that I think that they will fight for the institution of slavery even to extermination. I am glad that the enlisting spirit has been felt so generaly through the north for I wish we had army enough to sink the south out of existance in a day. I know that…

GLC04558.044

1 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Ordered to act as Sergeant (from Corp.) and arresting two deserters who returned. Reconnaissance balloons report rebels digging rifle pits 10 miles to the south.

GLC04558.045

6 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Complains of no letters received, diarrhea, reviewed by Pres. Lincoln, officers resigning, wishes for Sibley tents so he can be warmer. Written on patriotic stationery.

GLC04558.046

9 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

five miles from Harpers Ferry. Farm business, complains of food. "I am pretty weak from the diarea I weigh only 136 lbs."

GLC04558.047

14 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Soldiers talking about enlisting in regular service for $50 bounty and 40 day furlough but Tillitson says he will stick to his three-year enlistment. "Dont know but I could afford to loose a leg for the sake of going home but it would be rather a dangerous experiment to try here at least, for almost every one of our regiment who have had a leg amputated have since died. But then what could we reasonably expect of wounds that is left without dressing until maggots crawl out of them." News of other soldiers, mentions farms stripped of food and wood by foragers, command of brigade transferred…

GLC04558.048

17 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

More diarrhea "about all I eat is parched corn or a little grated meal made into pudding...." asks for money, mentions recruiting by other soldiers, reports battle across the river, troops held in readiness. the letter is continued on October 18th.

GLC04558.049

24 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Feeling better, wishing he could help his wife with farm-work, speculating about McClellan's intentions. "...I dont feel as patriotic as I did, Maybe, because I have lost confidence in most of the head officers, for I dont believe they want the war to end, and further, in the way things are going it will never end, by fighting. I am not alone in this opinion, for it is one generally, and openly expressed thoughout the ranks, except, by some of the new troops, who have not forgotten the old home idea, that the South is a going to be scared to death of a presidents proclamation or a call for…

GLC04558.050

30 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Marching towards Leesburgh, describes confiscations despite guards, loss of mattress, "Rebels scadaddleing towards Richmond."

GLC04558.051

1 November 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

On premises of Rebel Gen. Wright who is home as paroled prisoner. Expecting battle, mentioning enlisted soldiers.

GLC04558.052

9 November 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Marching. Near the Rappahannock and approaching Fredericksburg. Mentions artillery fighting, and long discussion of stealing from Confederate civilians: "Notwithstanding all the orders to the contrary, we soldiers dont considder [sic] it much sin to take from these secesh all that we can lay our hands on but if the Provost guards get hold of us we get walked up to 'the captains office to settle' for it. Maybe you will think that I am getting tough but I cant help it[.] Yesterday afternoon I went out with three others of Co H foraging and while we were skining a hog the provost general…

GLC04558.053

19 November 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil while on guard duty. Marching, Burnsides sending flag of truce to civilians telling them to leave, farm business.

GLC04558.054

23 November 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Rainy weather, rebels hold city, rebel pickets taunting about election, Bull Run and Antietam; Colonel courtmartialed twice for drunkenness but cleared, Colonel and regiment's surgeon trying to get regiment out of battle area, soldiers mutilating themselves to get discharged, Italian soldier bayoneting a fellow Italian, with final note dated 11/24 3 AM regarding marching orders. Signature followed by postscript "The orders to march today is countermanded 5 oclock A.M." The letter is continued on October 24th.

GLC04558.055

28 November 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Interrupted by orders and drills. Reports rebels fortifying heights beyond Fredericksburg, believes they are equal or superior in numbers, re-building the same depot as done last year, comment about blacks riding the railroad while soldier walk, camp moved to higher ground, his opinion of Burnside and belief that other Union generals "will probably work against him." The letter is continued on December 1st.

GLC04558.056

5 December 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Raining, rising price of food and living on "Uncle Sam's hard-tack, soldiers deserting and noting the carelessness of guards, asking for express package. Letter is continued on December 6th.

GLC04558.057

8 December 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Money sent to wife, difficulty of collecting debts from other soldiers, mentions pursuit of deserters.

GLC04558.058

20 December 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Damaged at top left. With pencil note in margin p.1 enclosing "secesh" belt buckle for Georgiana. Trying to stay warm, describes previous week eating well in the town: "If you ever see a city rocked to pieces it is Fredericksburgh." Briefly alludes to casualties which were light in his regiment.

GLC04558.059

1 January 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued January 3 ["Dec."]. Written in pencil. Increasing strictness of the colonel for infractions, mentions that soldier mutilating himself (cutting off thumb) was court-martialed and sentenced to hard labor and half-pay for rest of service, marching orders given then countermanded. Regarding the war and Fredericksburg: "No; as I said before I dont believe this war will ever end by fighting. It is not the rebels at the North that troubles us but the rebels here, as the irishman says 'right finenst [sic] us.' You need not blame Burnside for not succeeding for he did as well probably…

GLC04558.060

9 January 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Drilling, describes detail work for loading supplies, size of regiment: 13 discharged, 10 deserted, 2 died,2 killed in battle and 26 absent. Punishments for deserters described, jokes about needing a drum to organize his life when he returns home, questions on family doctor bills, other home news.

GLC04558.061

January 13, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Sending photograph to wife "one of the crossest sourest looking fellows imagineable." Regarding the war effort: "If they make any offensive movement here I dont know what it will be unless 'On to Richmond' and the General that undertakes that will be shure to get redused [sic] because he didnt succede [sic]. If it were possible I really wish Governor Seymour would call us home, and if they want 300 000 more troops I hope he will get his back up about it, and tell them to go to h--l. I see by the papers that 'Our Glorious Victories' in the South West are kinder 'over the left' when you sum…

GLC04558.062

January 19, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mail delays, marching orders given and countermanded, mutiny: "I hear this morning that we have a little bit of mutiny in our brigade. The 103d regt N.Y.V. last night burnt up all their cartridges. They say there a[i]nt an officer in the regiment that has got his commission and they declare they wont lead them into a fight. I wish the whole army of the Potomac would mutiny and leave for home, [I]'d go in a minute." Mentions sending "dogratype" (daguerreotype) in previous message.

GLC04558.063

January 23, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Homesick, marching stopped by heavy rains. Regarding stopped attempt of 9th Corps to cross the Rappahannock: "...I think myself that it would have ended the war and that is the opinion of all the soldiers here, for we should undoubtedly would have got cut into mince meat and then the folks at the North probably wouldnt have stood it any longer." Mentions reorganization of regiment and his own plans.

GLC04558.064

January 27, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Jokes about his wife's hanging his picture and how Burnside's marching orders made him loose weight, wishing he could hire a replacement, remarking that he despises the officer punishing a deserter more than the deserter, telling wife that son Leon should look at his picture "so he will know me."

GLC04558.065

February 5, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued February 6. With small greeting card. Worries about family succumbing to scarlet fever, commenting on his patriotism: "...I am not the only one in these digins whose patriotism has cooled down so that we can look at the matter as it stands, and count the cost also. And as I count it[,] it has cost now in treasure more than I would give for the whole south, to say nothing of the blood and misery. Now in all reason isnt it better to let that go and be lost rather than spend twice or three times as much more and then not be any better off but just the cost out, and be the worse…

GLC04558.066

10 February 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Reports his move via train, making bunks from lumber and the new comfort, finding an old friend at the sutlers, describing the wreck of the Cumberland and iron-clads: "There is several of the iron clad monitors laying out here in the Rhodes [sic]. They are queer looking crafts, look about like a raft with a box on it, for they are mostly under water except the tur[r]et." Responds to friends at home.

GLC04558.067

February 15, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Furloughs, rations (mentions receiving soft bread for the first time in five and a half months), says that they subsist on coffee and crackers while marching, reports a CT soldier discharged for cutting his throat from ear-to-ear because he was detailed too often for guard duty. Hopes for peace convention.

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