The author of this letter signed it with the initials “S. G.” and he does not give his regiment but I surmise from the content that he served in the 6th New Hampshire Infantry. The author mentions having been recently in Concord (in residence or in camp) and his camp duties suggest to me that he was an older man. My best guess is that the letter was written by 56 year-old Solon Gould (1806-18xx), the son of Ichabod Gould (1774-1812) and Sally Hoyt (1776-18xx) of Hopkinton. In the 1860 Census, Solon was employed as a “day laborer” in Concord, Merrimack county, New Hampshire.
Solon enlisted in October 1861 and was mustered into Co. I, 6th New Hampshire Infantry at Keene on 27 November 1861. The regiment left the State for Washington, D. C. on 25 December 1861 and remained there until 6 January 1862 when they joined the Expedition to Hatteras Inlet, N. C. Solon was discharged for disability on 24 June 1862 at New Berne, North Carolina.
[See also 1862: Edwin Moses Sherburne who also served in Co. I, 6th New Hampshire Infantry.]
TRANSCRIPTION
Washington D. C.
January 4, 1862
Brother and Sister,
How do you all do? You may judge whether it is as cold out here as it is in New Hampshire by the position I am in while writing. I am in the wagon. It is covered with canvas just as nice as it can be. I sleep in it nights with the driver. Mr. Moore gave me his straw tick. It is tip top. We are about two miles from the City of Washington. I can see the Capitol. That is that is worth seeing. I like [it] first rate. I never felt any better than I do now with the exception of a bad cold and cough.
If you could look in upon us you would look wild. My cooking is out in the open world with a few boards that the boys stole about two miles from here but we have good times.
There was a fight about twelve miles from here this week. There is lots of rebels round us. We had word to leave this place Sunday next to go about sixty miles. There has been lots of boys here to see us. Frank Graham—they are about two miles from here. I am some tired. I have washed for thirty men this week. They give me ten cents apiece.
I guess they won’t fight much. I don’t hear so much as I did when in Concord. I guess we shall all be at home in the spring that is alive. There is seventy in the hospital with colds and measles. It is cold nights and mornings through the day. It is warm as summer. The trees have all budded. Lots of [ Â ] trees and grapes round here.
[January] 5th after dinner. Since I began my letter we have got a neat tent close to the cook house for the cooks. It is large enough for four to sleep, stove, and all things handy. I suppose you would like to know what we had for dinner today. I will tell you. Rice and [ Â ]. I picked over a bushel this morning and it was all ate up, durned boys.
They had a hard time about ten miles yesterday. The way the cannons roared was about so so. There has been five or six from the Fifth [New Hampshire] Regiment here today. Ben Farnum’s son ¹ and [Edwin C.] Gilmore and Mr. Manning from Fisherville [now Penacook]. I am going over to see Sam Brown next week if we stay here. Some thinks we shall go away Monday but I do not. I wish we was going tomorrow.
There has a story just come in to camp that we are going down to Dixie. I can go where Hiram is for fifty cents. Andrew and I talk of going out to see him. Andrew is a first rate fellow. He has been with me this week. The second cook is sick.
Give my love to all the folks far and near. I should like to step in and see you all. If I could see you, I could tell you more than I can write. By the way, how is the old gray mare. Has father killed the old one yet? Â Write all the news [and] how you all do. It is a [ Â ] day today—stormy. It has snowed a little. It is cold today. Give my love to Joe. Tell him we have a little whiskey. I sent and got a quart of gin the other day. I must stop. It is getting supper time.
To T. & H. G. Â — S. G.
Love to Father and Mother and all the rest.
¹ Ben Farnum’s son, George H. Farnum, served in Co. K, 5th New Hampshire. George was born in 1840 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. He resided in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire at the time of his July 1861 enlistment. He was mustered in as a musician. Hew was wounded on 13 December 1862 at the Battle of Fredericksburg and transferred into the Veteran Reserve Corps.
Spared & Shared 21 