The following letter was written by William Leon Mowry (1841-1910) of Deansville, Oneida county, New York who enlisted on 8 August 1862 to serve three years as a private in Co. B, 157th New York Infantry. William mustered out with company on 10 July 1865, at Charleston, South Carolina. When he enlisted, William was described as a 5’6″ brown-haired dentist.

William was the son of Charles Mowry (1797-1883) and Matilda Dennison (1803-1876). After the war, William relocated to Syracuse, Onondaga county, New York, where he became a machinist.

Transcription

Arlington Heights,
Camp Chase
[Early October] 1862

Dear Sarah,

I now sit down to write you a few lines as I promised thinking you would like to hear from me. I will improve this opportunity as another may not present itself right away. My health has been first rate ever since I left Camp Mitchell. We left Camp Mitchell a week ago Thursday. we went to Canastota and took the cars for Albany. We had a splendid supper in Canastota—as nice as ever eat in my life. The people turned out from ever direction to welcome us. It seemed that they could not do enough for us. We got into Albany about daylight in the morning and stayed around the depot till about 8 o’clock when we got our breakfast and marched up to the Capitol where we saw the Governor. He made us a speech. He said he thought we were the best drilled regiment he had met with under the new call from Albany. We proceed[ed] to New York by way of the Hudson River Railroad where we arrived about 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon. We stayed there over night till the next day in the afternoon. We got our guns there. Also our haversacks.

While we were there, I had opportunity to go round considerable. I went into Barnum’s Museum, went down to the Battery and all over town. I had a very pleasant time indeed. From New York we took the steamer and rode about 30 miles to a place called Port Monmouth, We took the cars there (Sunday) for Camden, Pa., where we arrived about 5 o’clock. We took the ferry across the Susquehanna River into Philadelphia. There we got one of the best suppers I ever eat. We met with a very warm reception indeed. After supper, we marched to the cars about two miles between two files of ladies and it was shake hands all the time all the way.

From there we went to Baltimore where we arrived early Monday morning about daylight. It was quite different with these people there. They did not come out and welcome us there as they did in Philadelphia. We stayed there all day and started for Washington in the evening. There was two men deserted in Baltimore. We did not miss them until we got into Washington. We stayed in Washington about three hours and then marched six miles for our camp. It was rather tiresome but we all stood it first rate. We hired our knapsacks carried in a baggage wagon. We are a going to move from the camp. we are in now to guard a fort. We are a going Monday. our camp is very pleasant and I hate to leave it. We are in plain sight of Washington and the Potomac.

Direct your letters to Washington D. C., 157th Regiment, Co. B, NYSV. Be a good girl till I see you again. If I ever live to come home, I shall go into my trade again in Martin’s office. goodbye for the present. Write, write, write. — W. L. Mowry