The following letters were written by Ira E. Morse (1837-1862) of Co. D, 3rd Vermont Infantry. Ira enlisted on 1 May 1861 and was mustered into the regiment on 16 July 1861. He received a gunshot wound on 16 April 1862 at Lee’s Mills, Virginia, but recovered only to die of disease on 29 November 1862. It appears that Ira, weakened from chronic diarrhea, had fallen out of the ranks while on a march and that a Boonsboro, Maryland, resident named Cornelius Wertz found Ira by a tree in the woods near his home and took him in and cared for him until he died. He was buried “in front of the church in Boonsboro where several Union soldiers had been buried.” David Trull claimed to have received Ira’s diary and bible from Mr. Wertz and delivered them to Ira’s parents.
Ira was the son of David Morse (b. 1807) of Charleston, Vermont, who was said to be physically unable to support his family financially. David and his wife Fanny’s net worth in 1860 was only $400 and they had come to rely on the money that Ira sent home to his family. By the time of his death, Ira had sent home $200 between his wages and the bounty he received for enlisting.
While researching Ira, I discovered in the “Widow’s Pension” claim filed by Ira’s mother following his death, that two of Ira’s letters written during the Peninsula Campaign in the summer of 1862 had been sent to the Pension Office as proof of Ira’s having sent money home to his parents for their use. I have transcribed these and added them with the 3rd Letter describing the Battle of Antietam.
Letter 1
Dixie Land
June 13, 1862
Camp at Fair Oak, Va.
Dear Parents,
I received your letter last night & was very glad to hear from you & now I seat myself in my little tent to write a few lines to let you know that we (Port & I) are well and hope that these few lines will find you the same.
We have crossed the Chickamoniny Creek at Fair Oaks on the grapevine bridge. We are now encamped on a hill on the south side of the creek. Our regiment is detailed out to build a bridge across the crick. The rest of the [Vermont] Brigade is 1.5 miles ahead. There is heavy cannonading up there this morning. Our picket is so close to the Rebs that they have to post themselves in the night & lay flat on their bellies until the next night. Our men are a building forts all along the lines. We shall have Richmond before long.
This is a very pretty place here. It is all oak on the hills and pine in the swamps. The niggers is as thick as the hair on a dog. One old nigger is 106 years old. Little niggers from 10 to twelve will carry a pail of water on their heads and not touch a hand to it.
I am sorry to hear that Dan ain’t so well. I don’t think he had ought to work at all. You may take any of my money that you need and use it and get Dan some clothes too if he needs them. I don’t want any of my folks to suffer as long as I can work. We probably shall be paid off again before long & then I shall send home some more.
I see in the papers that the Mississippi River is open now.There was a great fight here the last day of May & the 1st of June. The Rebels got licked. The loss was great on both sides. The Vermont boys weren’t in it but we could hear it. There is nothing more to write—only direct as before. So goodbye from your son, — I. E. Morse
I wrote this in a hurry.
Letter 2
Camp near Berkeley’s Landing, Va.
July 6th 1862
Dear Parents,
I received your letter the third. I was very glad to hear from you. i now take this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that Port and I are well and I hope that these few lines will find you the same & to let you know where we be & how we come here. Probably you have heard of our skedaddle before this time and are anxious to hear from us.
Well, first of all I will say that them postage stamps was all right.
Thursday the 26th of June, a battle was fought on our right & we got news that our boys was a licking them. Cheers after cheers was given all along the lines. We was paid off the same day & Port & I sent home our money the next day by the pay master…
Well. Friday the 27th we was all under arms & marched up onto the hill into some rifle [pits] by a little fort that we had built to support a battery & the pickets. We had not been there long before the artillery on both sides began to fight. It was the hottest place that I ever see. I see that some of our batteries throwed shell over across the crick to the Dr. Gaines’ farm & I could see rebel troops & further around to the right I could hear fighting & hard fighting too.
And then I began to think that there was something up. Our artillery silenced the rebel guns. In the afternoon we went down & tore up a bridge that some of the nigs built across the creek & there I had a fair view of a battle. Our men drove the rebs & then the rebs drove our men & they kept up just so all day and then our men give up the battle & come back across the creek. We stood to the bridge that night to keep they rebels from coming across. The next day—that was Saturday—our troops wrecked the rebels all out and took a lot of prisoners. We was completely cut off twice but forces come up in the rear from the James river and drove the rebels back. The 2nd day we arrived at this landing. It rained all day hard & the mud was half a knee deep & we all got wet as rats & our legs was all mud up to our bodies.
The next day the rebels got into a hill and began to shell some of our camps. The cavalry went up and drove them off & took their guns & then we loved to the place that we are now. We lost everything on this retreat almost. We are a building a fort here. There is not much danger here. Our front is only 5 miles long. The gunboats is right in sight of some of our camps. They protect our flanks. I said that we had no one hurt in our company but one of our boys has not been seen since the Battle of Sunday night at Savage Station. I am a going to send 3 gold dollars in this letter. There is nothing more for me to write. So goodbye. Please write soon. From your son, — I. E. Morse
Direct as before.
Letter 3
Camp near Hagerstown, Maryland
October 13, 1862
Dear Brother & Sister,
It is with pleasure that I can have time to write you a few lines to let you know that I am some better than I have been. I had had the diarrhea for two months but I am on the gain now. I shall be all right before long now.
We are to Hagerstown a doing guard duty. You have probably heard of our big fight here so I can’t tell you any news about that. I was sick about this time so I was in the rear but I went all over the battlefields. Our brigade drove them over the Blue Ridge. The 4th regt. was skirmishers & they done a most all the fighting on this ridge. They give it to them Rebs good. They took two guns and drove them all out of sight.
The valleys here is full of all kinds of fruit & corn & wheat. The farms is as pretty as I ever see in old Vermont.
The Battle of Sharpsburg was an awful slaughter. Our Brigade lay on their bellies 36 hours under a raking fire of the enemy [guns]. 1 John Stanton was shot through the heart. He was all the one that was hurt in our company. Every house & old barn and shed was full of wounded. The fields was full of dead. We passed across the battlefield en route for this place three days after the fight. It stank awfully then. The dead was not nye all buried. They burnt a lot of them.
We have got a good place to stay now. The citizens bring in a lots of good provisions & sell it cheap too. It has cost me some money to live since I have been sick. The government don’t furnish one thing that a sick man can eat. We are to the head of a large spring. The water that comes from it carries two grist mills & two saw mills & several small shops.
Tell Dan to be saving of his money for we shall need it sometime more than we do now. Tell him to let father get his clothes and have mother mail them. Direct to Washington. From your brother, — I. E. Morse
1 The 3rd Vermont, being in Brooks’ Brigade, left its camp in Pleasant Valley at 6 A.M. of the 17th, crossed the Antietam at Pry’s Ford and reached the field about noon. It was ordered to the support of Sedgwick’s Division, Second Corps, on the Union right but, before getting into position, was ordered to the support of French’s Division and formed in Mumma’s Cornfield, on ground vacated by the 14th Connecticut, its left connecting with French, its right resting on Mumma’s Lane, facing south parallel to and about 170 yards from the Bloody Lane. It was subjected to a galling fire of both Artillery and Sharpshooters, causing some loss. It remained in this position until the morning of the 19th.
Spared & Shared 23 