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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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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February 24, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Snow and rain. Mentions new orders relating to leaves of absence.

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27 February 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Drill, parade for new general, Gen. Smith, news. "As to my grinding my teeth if I 'could hear those rebel democrats talk' I'll bet anything that I can hear full as plain and treasonable talk from the soldiers every day and that not from one or to only, but from hundreds, and thousands." Conditions in barracks, everyone seems ill.

GLC04558.071

3 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Inspection, cleaning his equipment and scrubbing his buttons; jokes about needing lectures from his wife "Maybe I am a sesech Democrat, but dont know guess [sic] I am straddle of the fence mit [sic] one foot on both sides." Expresses skepticism about the war's early end.

GLC04558.072

7 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Has finally received express box. Hopes for furlough, advises his wife to stay out of debt if she wants to build a new house.

GLC04558.073

10 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Worries at her sickness, hopes for furlough; farm news, business and questions.

GLC04558.074

13 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Has marching orders and expects to sail for Suffolk Va, news that Longstreet is moving towards Gen. Corcoran at Suffolk and there is some prospect of battle.

GLC04558.075

15 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Continued on March 16. Describes his accommodations: "The house consists of four pieces of tents, two of which are buttoned together, for the sides, with little rope loops, at the corners, to pin them down to the ground. ... [describes pole-setting and tent raising] ...there is a little less than four feet high from the ground to the peak, and five feet square, on the ground, and as I sit in the center of it, on my knapsack with my portfolio across my lap for a writing table, and my bayonet stuck point downwards in the ground, for a candlestick, I can just sit up…

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20 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Continued March 21. Has moved to better ground and larger house, which he describes. Now has a stove made from an old camp kettle, so the other boys crowd his house to stay warm. Describes leg swelling and lameness, makes suggestions for house-building to his wife. Written in a camp near Suffolk, Virginia

GLC04558.077

25 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

House building costs and materials. He has fattened-up and now weighs 170 lbs. Other regiments transferred to Tennessee. Written in a camp near Suffolk, Virginia

GLC04558.078

28 March 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Had to re-write letter because of rainstorm, payday, hopes for furlough and being put-off by Capt., encloses letter from Nelson. Written in a camp near Suffolk, Virginia

GLC04558.079

6 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Doctor has diagnosed him as having dropsy, so will apply for discharge. Mentions Capt. Charles Tillotson of the NY 99th. Now weighs 180 lbs; hopes to see home, and mentions other men on furlough. Written in a camp near Suffolk, Virginia

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10 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Trying to get discharge (doctor not sure he can get one), bled by doctor, gory suicide of Irish soldier John Lafabe (who wanted a discharge).

GLC04558.081

14 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Reports extensive skirmishing, his regiment has a "bully position" that is easily held from Rebs who are trying to cross the Nansemond River; describes fight in which Gen Corcoran shot and killed Lt. Krimble of the Hawkins Zouaves. Information from captured rebel sergeant.

GLC04558.082

17 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Skirmishing, Federal expedition to dislodge snipers, being reinforced, expecting an attack. "We have taken some negro rebel prisoners. One was caught in a tree fireing at our scurmishers, there was a white reb also with him but they killed the white one and captured the black and he he [sic] declared if he was back there he would fight us just as hard again and also that there was fifteen thousand more out there like him, who was just as stout as he, and they would fight just as well so you can see how much the niggers want to fight for their own freedom."

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19 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Trying to cheer his wife, orders and countermanded orders to cross the Nansemond, river rumored to be blocked by Rebs, and joking: "About the broomstick question I plead guilty and believe I oughter [sic] to be broomsticked cause I didnt stay at home... but... I hope you will exercize your supreme clemency and commute it to something less humiliating and more pleaseing [sic]." Postscript on p. 1 notes successful capture of rebel fort on the river.

GLC04558.084

23 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Battle letter. Taking the rebel fort (mentioned in #84): "as soon as the boat touched the shore the boys piled off like a flock of sheep and as soon as they got ashore struck a dead run for the fort. Some of the officers asked the officer in command if he wasnt going to form a line and his answer was 'to hell with your line the fort is what we want' and so they strung along every man for himself. They had to run pretty much around the fort on three sides and came in partially in rear on a road.... When the rebels saw them coming they whirled one of the 24 pounder guns around so as to sweep…

GLC04558.085

25 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Reports that a federal raid captured 3,000 rebel prisoners. Also says he does not notice the boom of guns anymore. Concludes with his longing to see his children and wife.

GLC04558.086

27 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Hot weather. Regiment's officers trying to get regiment mustered-out or to get a furlough. Mentions consolidation of corps and fears of officers. Reports rebels doubling pickets. Concludes with a joke that he might "go under" if he comes in-range of his wife's "kissing battery."

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29 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Rebels "appear ready to siege us out" and reports "Old Stonewall Jackson has sent a flag of truce [to the city] warning the citizens to leave if they didnt want to get hurt." Mentions visiting other NY regiments and describes "a queer kind of battery used" by the rebels, a "large rocket containing a bombshell" which makes no sound when launched "but a mighty whizzing as they go through the air." He says they "would be very destructive only for the difficulty of makeing them go where they want them."

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