The following letter was written by Calvin H. Orcutt (1836-1921), the son of John Loomis Orcutt (1793-1855) and Elizabeth van Gorder (1812-1885) of Chemung county, New York. The letter was written in late July 1863, just after Lee’s army was turned back by defeat at Gettysburg, and at roughly the same time that Calvin had to register for the draft at his place of residence—Towanda, Pennsylvania. In that registration, he identified himself as a 26 year-old “clerk”, yet unmarried, and yet without any military service. If Calvin was drafted, he must have paid for a replacement for there is no military record of his having served in the Civil War despite the claim in his obituary that he was a “Civil War Veteran.” I don’t think that employment as a sutler exempted him from the draft, but I may be mistaken.

From this letter we learn that Calvin was employed by grocer Daniel V. Barnes of Barnes & Co., 481 9th street in Washington City. It appears that Daniel was assigned by his employer to serve as a sutler to the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry. Sutlers were civilian merchants who sold provisions to an army in the field, in camp, or in quarters. Typically, when an army expected to be engaged in battle, the sutlers were ordered to the rear or some safe location until after the battle was over. To read more about sutlers, see “Sutlers of the Civil War” by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens.

After the war, Calvin worked in the real estate and insurance business in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Transcription

Washington D. C.
July 28th 1863

Brother Daniel,

As I have a few moments leisure, I cannot spend more pleasantly than in penning a few lines to you. When I left Towanda, I left in very much of a hurry and very unexpectedly. I presume you have seen the letters I have written to Sarah and therefore it is not worth while to undertake to give you a history of my passage to this city.

We have made a march of about fifty miles and back since we have been here. We came into the city last Wednesday morning, unloaded our goods, and went about three miles from the city and went into camp. I am in the city every day. I have to walk about one mile and then take the street cars (pay 5 cents) to come down here (9th St. 481).

We are encamped one mile from Georgetown on the Georgetown Heights—a very beautiful place. We can see all the forts around the city, see the steamers pass up and down the Potomac, and right in plain sight of the Reb. Gen. Lee’s former residence—a very beautiful large house just across the Potomac from Georgetown. I presume he has wished himself back there more than once since this last raid in Pennsylvania and be situated as once he was.

We got news last eve that sutlers were ordered to their regiments but I don’t know how true it is. If that is the case, we will probably leave here in a day or two but when I cannot say. But I suppose in the direction of Harpers Ferry.

I have not seen much of the warfare yet but thus far I like it first rate. I never was ruggeder in my life. I am growing heavier every time I get on the scales.

Our march to Frederick City was (the boys say) a hard one but I enjoyed it very much with the exceptions of one night there two of us had to sleep under the wagon where it rained all night very hard. The next morning the water stood in puddles in our bed. But we had some old Bourbon worth $3 per quart that took the wet all out. I had rather been excused that night when I went to bed but I had to stand to her. We were in the wilderness—no houses to be found. But our consolation, others had to fare the same fate. We had over 100 sutlers wagons in our train and about 4 men to each wagon so you may judge we had some fun. All good boys. If one was misused, they all were.

I must now close for my sheet is full. I want you to write to me often and give me the particulars of everything. As for our individual matters, I will inform you next time where you can get the soap. I want you to attend to that monument. Write soon. — C. H. Orcutt

Address C. H. Orcutt with A. I. Noble, Sutler, 141st Regt. P. V., Washington D. C., Care of Barnes & Co., 481 9th Street