23 April 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Still in New York, unsure about where the regiment will go next. Weary of traveling. Longs to here from his wife.

GLC04558.131

8 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Describes leaving New York and traveling to Yorktown without his regiment, journeying back to West Point to join them, and then the trip to Virginia. Briefly mentions battle for a railroad and the unit's transferred to the "seige Corps."

GLC04558.132

11 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Describes skirmishes and battle near the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond, where "lots of the men were sunstruck." Has not been able to "draw money for rations and I don't know when we shall"; mentions a letter from Urial, a need for stamps and a lack of whole sheets of paper.

GLC04558.133

17 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Has not heard from his wife since he left New York. Lengthy decription of the back and forth fighting around Richmond and the heavy losses by both sides. Cross writing questions whether money sent from Elmira was received.

GLC04558.134

24 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Placed in command of a "post" along the James, GWT directs the defense of his troops as Confederates repeatedly attack from across a ravine. Also defends himself against rumors that he played games and drank at Parkers (in New York).

GLC04558.135

27 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Details the health of friends, including one who has measles, and acknowledges a pay raise. "This dearest is an awful campaign. Rivers of blood have already been shed but still the story is not half told yet."

GLC04558.136

2 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Describe marches and the break up of the brigade. Sends his wife his new address and cautions her not to work too hard.

GLC04558.137

6 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Writes news of the fighting at Cold Harbor and lists the fate of friends. "I take this opportunity of leting [sic] you know that I am still among the living, but still I have to acknowledge that life here at present is very uncertain."

GLC04558.138

9 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Still in the rifle pits at Cold Harbor. "On the 6th a flag of truce was sent out for the purpose of burying our dead that lay outside of our lines and began to smell so as to make it very disagreeable for us but the rebs would to allow it, the next day another was sent that was more sucessfull and upwards of two hundred were buried."

GLC04558.139

12 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued June 13. Written in pencil while on picket duty "in a hole about four feet square." Describes the loneliness of picket duty and the unexpected orders to pull out which came on the morning of the 13th, possibly to Bermuda Hundreds. Asks his wife to send him paper, envelopes and newspapers.

GLC04558.140

16 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Writing from a hospital after bullet hit GWT in the foot, bruising the foot and making him lame. Discusses Grants losses in the campaign and the defenses of Petersburg.

GLC04558.141

23 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Cross written. Coming back from the hospital, finding many of his regiment wounded GWT takes his place in the trenches surrounding Petersburg. Describes life in the trenches, gives the number of wounded and killed for his regiment.

GLC04558.142

26 June 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Camped less than a mile from the front. Observes that shells are more dangerous in the rear than at the front. Discusses events of past few days; wishes his foot had been wounded so he could get a furlough.

GLC04558.143

1 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Faint; written in pencil. Charging a confederate line; advice to his wife about breeding a horse.

GLC04558.144

4 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil. Expresses disappointment that the fourth was not being "celebrated with more noise for it was rumored yesterday that at daylight this morning all of our batteries would open on Petersburg and the rebel fortifications."

GLC04558.145

June 28, 1864

Tillotson, Georgiana, fl. 1856-1920

Autograph letter signed

Title: To her father George Tillotson

Writes that she can't write very well yet as she has only been practicing for about four weeks. Describes her studies at school and wishes her father were home.

GLC04558.145.01

4 July 1864

Tillotson, Georgiana, fl. 1856-1920

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his daughter Georgiana Tillotson

Compliments Georgiana on her writing and thanks her for the letter. Encourages her to keep practicing her lessons: "If . . . you wish to improve in any thing, always strive to do what you do do , well."

GLC04558.145.02

9 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Evaluates the damage that different types of artillery shells (i.e. mortar and rifled cannon shot) create at various distances from the front line. Mentions troops rotations between lines, and farm business. Gives a current price for cotton cloth (75 cents a yard) and comments that bullies make cowardly soldiers. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.146

16 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written on U.S. Christian Commission stationery. More discussion of artillery shelling and trenches; predicts a possible evacuation; worries over not having heard from his wife; better rations; illness. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.147

21 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Cross written. Receives letters from home. Wonderful description of night time artillery barrages, comparing them to fireworks. Also writes of tearing down rebel fortifications, rain in the trenches, and news of comrades.Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.148

24 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Farm business, mainly the price of wool, leads into a discussion of the value of paper money versus gold. "You will probably notice that as gold goes up (and consequently paper down) that "prices" also "go up" so as just to keep pace with gold, so you see gold, and not paper is, and must be the basis." Hopes to get paid soon. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.149

29 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Advises his wife on how to cope with a long drought and offers some remedies for her illness. Details a letter from Louisa, encloses a recipe for condensed milk with a request for a sample. Still has not been paid. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.150

31 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Written in pencil with portions of pages 1-4 traced in a darker pencil. The explosion and charge on fort along the rebel line by Burnside's 9th Corps was at first rumored to be a great success although GWT noticed Grant "appeared a little troubled." Later, GWT learned that casualties for the 9th Corps was 6,000 killed wounded and missing. GWT blamed "the disaster of yesterday" on a brigade of "negroes [who] when charged on scadaddled without fireing a volley."

GLC04558.151

5 August 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

The discovery that rebels had mined some of the Union forts discouraged Burnside's plan to blow up additional rebel forts. Requests that his wife not publish his letters. "Maybe you wouldn't like to think that I had killed any body but I do know that I have hurt some of them."

GLC04558.152

9 August 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Discusses farm business, friends, camp news, and politics. "I may vote for "Old Abe" if on keeps on behaveing [sic] himself, and calls for 300000, or 500000, more occasionally between this and election.

GLC04558.153