The following letter was written by George Robinson (1829-1885) who enlisted at the age of 31 as a 1st Sergeant in Co. A, 123rd New York Infantry. He was promoted to a 2nd Lieutenant on 4 September 1862 and to a 1st Lieutenant on 18 July 1863. He mustered out of the regiment as Captain (by Brevet) of Company A on 13 March 1865.

George wrote the letter to his wife, Elizabeth (Wright) Robinson (1838-1912). The couple lived in Greenwich, Washington county, New York. After the war, George worked in the Coal industry.

Transcription

Headquarters
McMinnville RR Branch [Tennessee]
[March] 25th 1864

My Dear Wife,

I seat myself this evening to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well as usual. I have not had a letter from you in a number of days. I received a letter with some postage stamps a few days ago but I don’t know but I told you about it in my last. I was to Tullahoma yesterday and came back this morning. I was there to draw rations for the detachment which is in my charge since Lieut. Warren left to go home.

There is nothing new here now and no prospect of any as I know of. The guerrillas have not disturbed us yet although they have been all around us more or less. This morning when we left Tullahoma, the pickets told us that that there were Rebels between there and the water tank about four or five miles out, so we kept a sharp lookout for them but we did not see any, so we got down without any disturbance. The prospect is that we shall not go to the front this spring and perhaps not this summer but will stay on some RR to guard. I think we will not stay where we are now but will have some other road for our division.

I have sent a letter to the village paper with a list of our absentees to be published to have them report at once to the company or send their excuse, showing by what authority they are away. There are quite a number of men that have been absent since the Chancellorsville and Gettysburg fights—some with slight wounds and others with severe ones, and they are having a nice time at some convalescent camp and are playing off, claiming their pay regular, and doing nothing in return while others are probably disabled and will never be back. I am determined to get the dead beats back if there is any such thing. If you hear anything about any of them anywhere laying off, let me know and I will take measures to bring them back. I have heard that Caleb Tefft was in New York and I don’t know what he is doing there and I would like to know for certain if he is there. If I knew your father was there now I would write to him and find out but I don’t know whether he is there or not. I wish you would write to your Father if he is there and find out about him and let me know.

Well, I must stop for this time hoping to hear from you soon and often. Give my love to all, and a big lot to yourself. Your loving husband, —George Robinson