The following letter was written by Pvt. David Sibley Thurber (1838-1862) of Co. D, 13th Massachusetts Infantry. Born in Mendon, Massachusetts, to Daniel and Hannah (Sibley) Thurber, David was 23 years old and working as a clerk in Boston when he enlisted in April 1861. David addressed the letter to Lucy S. Osgood (1823-1902) of Newport, New Hampshire, who may have been affiliated with the Teacher’s Institute in that village. Perhaps David’s sister was a student there.

David was killed at the Battle of Antietam on 17 September 1862, struck down in Miller’s Cornfield. The regiment took 301 men into the fight and brought out 165.

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Camp Jackson
Williamsport [Maryland]
Sunday night, December 22, 1861

Dear Sister

I received your short note last night at 12 o’clock while I was on guard and this morning I received the box all right. Was very glad to get the things—all of them. I did not think of having such a large one. All the things were very nice. Tell Alice I am much obliged to her for the [ ] and the shoes and all the like. I think they are gay. I should thought you would made them larger. They are just the size of our stove but then they are nice for all that. I tell you, the fried pies went well—as well as all the things. Tell Metcalf’s wife and him that I am very much obliged to them for the things they sent. I will write to him in a few days.

We have had a good deal of fun here for the last two weeks as the rebels have showed themselves a good deal down to the river. The last week we was called out at 9 o’clock to go down to the river at Falling Waters, about 6 miles, and we was gone 3 nights and two days, sleeping all the time on the stones and under the fence. I tell you it was cold enough. And one day we had a little fighting to do for about two hours. We did not have a man hurt but are sure we killed some of the rebels. There was about 4,000 of them and we had only about 500. But the fighting was all across the river and they dare not try to cross. I tell you, it was fun to hear the balls whistle by your ears. I suppose you have seen accounts of it in the papers. I will tell you more about it in my next.

Give love to Addie, Alice, and all. And write soon. Yours in haste, D. S. Thurber

Merry Christmas to all.