This letter was written by James F. Salley (1843-1864), the son of Ephraim Salley and Mary F. [Liniston] of Madison, Somerset county, Maine. James enlisted on 2 November 1861 when he was 19 years old in the 2nd United States Sharpshooters, Co. D (Maine). This regiment was placed in the defenses of Washington D. C. until April 1862 and were part of the “First Iron Brigade.” The regiment was broken up on February 20, 1865, and Company “D” transferred to the 17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment suffered loss of 8 officers and 117 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 123 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 250 fatalities.

James was one of those who did not return home. He was killed in action on 9 June 1864 in the multi-day Battle of Cold Harbor. He was initially buried on McGhee’s Farm (at the intersection of Gaines’ Mill and Cold Harbor) but later moved to the Cold Harbor National Cemetery.

Note: This letter is from the personal collection of Greg Herr and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.

Transcription

Washington D. C.
December 11, 1861

Dear Mother,

I have just received your kind letter and was very glad to hear from home. I am well as usual. It has been very warm—so warm that it has been uncomfortable. We have been out skirmish drilling and I have come into camp every day for a fortnight with the sweat dropping off my nose. But we have some good times out drilling. We have been all over the country for three miles or four from the camp. We have been through cornfields with the corn all standing but you may guess that the boys have parched corn after we go through one.

You wanted to know how we got along. We live in tents which hold ten men to a tent. We have a tick and heavy blanket to a man. The tick is filled with straw. We have clothes enough for this weather. We have no chaplain for it is not calculated for us to be a regiment when we move from here but we have preaching every Sunday. As to papers we have Washington & Philadelphia & Baltimore and New York daily papers when we buy them but I have not seen any papers from Maine since I came here. I should like some.

As for visiting other regiments, we can get a pass once in a while but I have not asked for one yet. But I can have one any day. We drill about six hours in a day. As to my supper that I wrote to you about, I get enough to make me as fat and lazy as a hog. We have shoes. I received Cephas’s letter at the same time that I did yours. Tell him that I will write in a few days. I have written to Sabrina but I have not heard from her yet.

I got a letter from Daniel which was mailed the first. I have answered it. I was glad to hear that you had had that cancer cut out and that it was doing well. I was sorry to hear that the folks had been sick but was glad that they were better. You wanted to know if there was anyone that I knew before I came here. I had seen Abel W. Hutchins but never saw any of the other boys till I came here but I guess that I can tell every man name in the company. There is a man by the name of Walker from Emden. He is in a Minn. Co. He is a brother to Eli and John.

You wanted to know if Thomas or Thompson. I could not tell which was here but I do not know who you meant. Tell Amelia that I will give her this sheet of paper. But it is getting late and I must close. Write often for I am disappointed when I look for a letter and it does not come. Write all the news. Give my best respects to all. Goodbye from your son, — James T. Salley

To Mary F. Salley of Madison, Maine