January 27, 1863

Seddon, James A. (James Alexander), 1815-1880

Pamphlet

Title: Communication of the Secretary of War...January 27, 1863. [Transmitted with:] Message of the President...January 27, 1863

GLC06745.258

1863

Seddon, James A. (James Alexander), 1815-1880

Pamphlet

Title: Communication of the Secretary of War...February 3, 1863. [Transmitted with:] Message of the President...February 4, 1863

GLC06745.259

11 September 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Brother

Is healthy and hopes he is too. Camped two miles from the city of Baltimore "on a little hill." There is a large railroad bridge that they have been guarding. Sent some letters and is wondering whether or not he has received them yet. The guards caught a rebel. Asks to be sent 50 cents worth of postage stamps to use. No year listed, based on content and location of regiment.

GLC08914.001

17 October 1862

Brooks, Louis, fl. 1862-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jacob Rifenburgh

Received his letter through Ephraim, "in which I see that you are not dead yet but alive and kicking." Compliments his writing, wishes "they would all write like you do." Will give him a full account of his travels in Pennsylvania in his next letter. Hopes this note will find him in good health. Written in Camp Millington

GLC08914.003

23 October 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Is well at the present; had a bad cold but feels better now. Got a letter from Lewis Brooks. Misses the cider from back home. Does not want to simply sit out the winter. Has started to get pretty cold at the camp. Written in Camp Millington

GLC08914.004

2 November 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to father

Is well at present; hopes this letter finds him in a similar condition. Expects to leave camp "every day." Has received marching orders, but has not left yet. Is not dreading the march, for he likes traveling. Discusses various affairs at home. Written in Camp Millington

GLC08914.005

14 November 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Brother

Very glad to have received postage stamps in his last letter. Also glad to hear that all is well at home. Is well at present, but is getting a cold. Just returned from the meal ship, which has a few dents in its side "where the Merrimack balls struck her." Notices one just above a porthole. Can still see the remnants of the battle of Hampton Roads from months before. The U.S.S. Cumberland still lies on the ocean floor, with "the top part of her mast [sticking] out of the water." The U.S.S. Monitor is stationed there, guarding against another attack by the Confederates. Thinks they will be…

GLC08914.006

22 November 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Brother

"Well at present;" hopes he is too. Got paid $21 last week, bought himself a pair of boots for $6. His other boots were no good. Will not send any money home this time. Has to make sure he "has enough to eat."

GLC08914.007

23 November 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Brother

Letter also includes a small $1 pink ticket for the steamboat A.G. Brown. Left Newport News yesterday for Fort Monroe. Will go to Norfolk to get some coal. Has a "very bad" cold, but is recovering. Written at Fort Monroe.

GLC08914.008

24 November 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister

Received her letter today. Cold is getting better; will be fine in a few days. Many on board the ship are still sick. A man in his company took sick, "got crazy," jumped overboard, and drowned last night. Gun boats have gone ahead, and "we expect to leave in a few days." Thinks they are going to either Charleston or Texas. Is currently sitting on top of the wheel house. Sees the large fort and "five or six" steam ships. After the rebels are done fighting with him, they "will [be] so whipped that they will come up to us and shake hands." Sent $10 of his pay with the letter. She should put some…

GLC08914.009

18 December 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Is well; hopes these lines find him healthy too. Left Fort Monroe on December 1 by ship. "Out on the ocean eight days out [of] sight of land." Sailed to New Orleans. Could not dock because many were sick with the measles. Heard (falsely) that Richmond was taken. There are more oranges in New Orleans "than you can shake a stick at." Crossed the Mississippi the day before to see the orchards; ate 20 oranges. Apologizes for not writing more. No year listed, based on content and location.

GLC08914.010

19 December 1862

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister

Apologizes for having not kept up contact with her, but sits down to write her a few lines. Letter is stamped with a shield covered with the stars and stripes. Is well; hopes she is too. Has "lots of fun" in New Orleans. Caught a young alligator on Monday. Shot a wild goose and lots of ducks yesterday. Got a few oranges too, so "we live high." Asks her to write him. No year listed, based on content and location.

GLC08914.011

2 January 1863

Brooks, Louis, fl. 1862-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nelson Rifenburgh

Stationery includes a stamp of the likeness of General George McClellan. Finally has gotten a little bit of time to write. Is working as a hospital steward. "Could not spend those [leisure] moments in a better way" than writing to him. Supposes he will be there for a "good while." Saw some "niggers" at Newport News about six or eight weeks ago: "I do not believe they were more than half human. They were a cross between a man and a monkey. A kind of orangutan baboon." If these people are what the war is about, "I would never have enlisted." Yesterday, their colonel treated them to a barrel of…

GLC08914.012

January 18, 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister and brother

Received her letter yesterday. Never has written to Horace Rifenburgh. Has had "good living," and "will tend to that son of a bitch if I ever live to get back." Denies Horace's claim that he charged him for the harness; calls him a "damn liar." Will send home $20 at his next payday. Wrote a letter to William a week ago. Sorry to hear that Crawford was collarbone. Does not know how long he will be staying at the camp for. Has heard of fighting nearby; wants to get in a battle.

GLC08914.013

January 23, 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Received a letter from him yesterday. Glad to hear all are well. "They can't kill this Rifenburgh." Tells them not to listen to other people about the money he sent them; there has evidently been some misunderstand about who owes how much money. Does not like New Orleans; "a soldier can't get anything strong to drink."

GLC08914.014

January 31, 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister

Is well at present. Hopes she and the rest of the family are well. Does not know how long he is going to stay here. "Very near all" of the men from Clermont are sick. Brooks is well. John Heinkel and James Healy have enlisted in the artillery in New Orleans. Thinks they are "darn fools for enlisting." Is on picket duty. Received a letter today from William; says his wife is "poorly." Mail has not come in about a week. She must excuse him for not writing more. Sends his "best respects" to everyone. Written at Camp Chlamette.

GLC08914.015

9 February 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: To Brother

Received his letter on the 6th. Glad to hear everyone back home is well. Sorry to hear that William's wife is sick. "Darn mad" that his father settled with Horace Rifenburgh, whom he describes as "such a darn rascal." Left Camp Chalmette last Saturday, and arrived at Camp Parapet, which is six miles north of New Orleans. Has heard conflicting reports of their next destination: "I think that we are going up towards Vicksburg, some say that we are going to Texas." Encourages him to write back. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.016

14 March 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Is well and enjoying good health. Hopes this letter finds him in a similar condition. Has not received a letter from home in four weeks. "What the reason is I do not know." Expects to receive one the next time the mail arrives. Has not been paid since January 1, and could use 50 cents worth of postage stamps. Stamps are "darn scarce." If he were closer to New Orleans, he could get stamps. Wants to know if Eliza received his letter. Does not know how long he will be staying here. There is fighting nearby at Port Hudson. Wishes his regiment were part of the action: "I for one should like to…

GLC08914.017

29 March 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Stationery is stamped with a colored series of stars with a shield bearing the stars and stripes in the middle. Glad to hear he is enjoying good health. Is also well. "Had a battle" on the Yazoo River; "captured 26 rebel vessels" and burnt six more. Does not think he can "get away," but is not worried; does not think the war will last long. "We will be back before next winter." This is the first letter he has received from home in "about three months." Apologizes for not writing more. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.018

15 April 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother and sister

Letter is signed with an elaborate stamp that surrounds the initials P.E.R. It is possible that Rifenburgh created the stamp himself by simply putting dots of ink on the page, as it is not perfectly symmetrical. Received their letter yesterday. Is well, and hopes this letter finds them well. Not much news to report. "They brought a rebel into camp this afternoon." He was ordered to leave by the guard, and, when he did not, was shot. Has not been paid in a while. Asks to be sent some postage stamps. Will "give up writing so many" letters in order to save stamps. "Good news" from Mobile that…

GLC08914.019

17 April 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother and sister

Glad to have received their letter. Is healthy; hopes this letter finds them in a similar condition. Has orders to head up the Mississippi River with 140 rounds worth of cartridges each. Thinks he is heading to battle. Is taking blankets and his knapsack with him. Cooks have received orders to cool extra rations for them to bring on the march. Is not afraid of death, and "if I get shot then I die in a good cause, but I don't think that gun even was made to shoot me." One of the guards shot a Rebel earlier in the week. He approached the camp, was ordered to stop, did not, and was shot. The…

GLC08914.020

24 April 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Just received marching orders; does not know where to yet. Cooks have begun to cook extra rations in preparation for the march. Just got paid two months of wages. Will try and send some home. Will try to send it via express mail and see how long it takes to get there. Hopes the rest of the family is well. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.021

27 April 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Has sent a picture of himself. Marching orders have been countermanded; they will be staying at camp for a bit more. Hopes everyone at home is well. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.022

3 May 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister

Sent with a picture of his likeness, but it is a "damn poor one." Does not have much time to write, but is well. Hopes this letter finds her in good health. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.023

5 May 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Brother

Glad to have received his letter; hopes this letter will find him in good health. Will send a copy of the New Orleans newspaper. Sent his likeness in a photograph and an ambrotype a week ago. Lewis Brooks had gotten a letter from [Mag] saying that he (Rifenburgh's brother) had been complaining about having not received a letter in a while. Now thinks the war will last a long time: "I don't think that this war is going to end in three months or12 months." "Hot as hell" at the camp, but is able to stand the heat. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.024