The following letter was written by 26 year-old George S. Campbell (1838-1931), the son of John Campbell (1811-18xx) of Boston. George was employed as a machinist when he enlisted as a private in Co. C., 1st Massachusetts Volunteers. His muster rolls informs us that he was wounded on 5 May 1862 in the Battle of Williamsburg and was absent from his regiment for a time but returned in time to participate in the Battle of Chancellorsville a year later. He mustered out of the regiment after three years and 9 days.

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Camp near Brandy Station, Va.
February 15th 1864

My dear cousin Alice,

I received a letter from you a short time ago but have neglected to answer until now for reasons that I have not had the materials to do it with, and besides, I have had no postage stamps to put on them to send them by. So I hope you will excuse me, won’t you. I will be more prompt in future if you favor me with your correspondence.

I am well and enjoying excellent health and hope this will find you and your folks enjoying the same blessing. I should like dearly to see that charming little brother of yours for I do so love little boy babies. I like the girls when they get larger.

So you are glad to bet back to Saugus again, are you? Well I should think you would. I wouldn’t mind if I was there myself just at present. I think it would be quite agreeable to me, don’t you? Are there many girls down there for I shall want you to introduce me to all of them when I visit you which will be in the course of three months or more. Won’t we have a grand time climbing up that hill you spoke about? You better believe I remember it—when you were so small that your Mother and I had to carry you up. But I suppose that the place has changed considerable since then, ain’t it?

How is that black-eyed Parker girl getting along—the one I sang for at your house one night at Chelsea? Have you been a skating much this winter? Has your Mother attempted to make a spread eagle of herself on skates? Tell her for me that our doctor has got a female horse out here and they call him Nancy, and he—excuse me, I mean she—can’t be beat. Will go her mile inside of 240.

We are having a snow storm today. It commenced about an hour ago. We had a Grand Review also today to please the women that are out here visiting their husbands at Corps Headquarters. So you see what we have to undergo to please the softer sex—march five miles with knapsack, haversack and canteen. I wish they would stay at home. This is no place for them. We have enough to do without their making more work for us, don’t you think so?

We came near having a fight the other day but missed it. Quite lucky for once. Since I left Boston last, I have been in three pitch battles and one skirmish—Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, One Mile Run [Mine Run], and the skirmish at Wapping Heights [Manassas Gap], Virginia, and so far have not received a scratch except a slight wound in my knapsack which tore a hole in my shirt and that was all. Lucky, ain’t I? But I don’t care about seeing anymore fighting. I have had my fill. Patriotism is below par with me. I want to go home and see Pa.

There is a rumor and I expect is true that the regiment is to come home on 16th of March. I am afraid if they keep us until the 27th of May, we will have some fighting but I hope they won’t.

I think it is real mean no one hasn’t sent me any Valentine this year. Have you had any yet? By the way, have you got a beau yet? What is his name? Tell me. I won’t tell anyone. Is he as handsome as me?

There, I have just finished my supper. I had toasted bread, butter & molasses. I had for dinner beaf a la mode yesterday. We had bake beans for dinner. I tell you we live like lords out here but I should like to get a hold of some of your mother’s mince pies tonight just to top off with for I feel as though I could do justice to one of them just now.

There, I guess I have wrote nonsense enough so I will draw to a close. Give my love to your Father and Mother and also to Grandmother and kiss the baby for me. Give my love to all the pretty girls. Send them all a kiss. So hoping you will answer this, I will now bid you goodbye until you hear from me again. So with lots of love and a kiss, I remain your cousin, — George S. Campbell

“A solger in the Army of the P-o-t-o-m-a-c”

The rose is red, the violet blue
Is pretty and so are you. Your valentine.