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.

GLC04558.068

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.

GLC04558.070

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…

GLC04558.076

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