Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863 [Collection of Peter E. Rifenburgh and Louis Brooks, 128th regiment, New York, infantry] [decimalized]

This collection consists mostly of a series of letters from Private Peter E. Rifenburgh and Sergeant Louis Brooks of Clermont, New York. Private Rifenburgh enlisted in the Union army on August 12, 1862, when he was 19, in Germantown, New York. On August 22, he was mustered into K Company of the 128th New York Infantry regiment. The next day, the 128th left for Baltimore, Maryland. From there, the regiment travelled to New Orleans by way of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. In January, 1863, Rifenburgh's regiment was assigned to General William T. Sherman's division. It took part in both of the failed attempts to storm Port Hudson, taking heavy casualties. After the capture of Port Hudson, the 128th was transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for garrison duty. It was during this time that Rifenburgh died of disease on June 26, 1863. Louis (also know as Lewis) Brooks was a family friend of the Rifenburghs, and was mustered into G Company of the 128th New York. Brooks survived the war, travelling with the 128th on the disastrous Red River Campaign, Sheridan's Valley Campaign, and the final pursuit of General Johnston at the end of the war. The rest of this collection is a series of financial papers including receipts and inventories that chronicle the Rifenburghs' financial arrangements.