The following letter was written by “T. H. Hall”—a Federal soldier but not otherwise identified and the clues in the letter are limited. We know that he wrote the letter to his cousin whose name was Hannah Forest but there is no envelope to inform us of her location. He mentions receiving a letter from another soldier named Hiram Campbell who may have been a member of his regiment. Pursing that lead, I found a private by that name in Co. E, 4th Vermont Infantry. Looking through that roster, I found a Pvt. Thomas H. Hall in the same company so my hunch is that the author was this comrade of Campbell’s. Company E was raised in Windsor county, Vermont and I found a Hannah Forest (b. 1841) residing in Gaysville, Windsor county, Vermont in 1860 who may have been his cousin. Unfortunately I cannot confirm the soldier’s identity without reviewing regimental or hospital records further.

From the letter we learn that Hall was in the Judiciary Square Hospital in Washington D. C. He does not tell us how long he had been there, whether he had been wounded or sick, though he appears to have recovered and anticipated returning to his regiment. The hospital was designated as the Eye and Ear Hospital from November 5, 1862 to March 9, 1863, when Desmarres Eye and Ear General Hospital opened. Judiciary Square was then designated as a Stump Hospital in April 1864—most of its patients being amputees.

Transcription

U. S. Hospital Judiciary Square
Washington D. C.
February 20th 1864

Dear Cousin Hannah,

I now seat myself to answer your much welcome letter which I received some time since and happy was I to hear from you and to hear that you was well. I am well and never better and tough as a bear and fat as a pig. And as these lines leave me well, I hope they will find you enjoying the same blessing.

Well, Hannah, the hospital get afire last night in the 9th Ward about one o’clock and there was an awful hustling amongst us for a while but it was put out and it took fire again today but they put it out.

Well, how do you think we live here? I will tell you. Sometimes we have enough to eat and sometimes we do not. But we can buy what we want but we have to pay for it for things are extremely high here. Butter is 45 cents per pound, cheese 25, apples three for five cents, milk which is chalk and water ten cents a quart, and so on.

Well, I expect to go to my regiment soon. The doctor spoke to me about going some time ago and I expected to have gone before this but he has not said anything more about it. I had a letter from James yesterday. He was well and was enjoying himself very well. But Hiram Campbell was sick. He had had a fever but was getting better.

I have been over the City and to the Capitol and seen President Lincoln and the Capitol is a nice building—far nicer than I ever saw before. I have not had a letter from home for some time but shall look for one tonight.

Well, Hannah, there are wounded men here—lots of them—and you never saw how they suffer, some [in] one way and some another. Some have their legs are off and some their arms and the men are finding their graves every day and it seems hard. But I have got to stand my chance with the rest. There is some getting into the guard house but I have not been there yet, but I came awful near going there. I got a pass and another man stole it and went out and got drunk and did not come back in time and they have to get in and give up their passes or go to the guard house. But the head nurse, being a friend of mine, helped me and I got rid of going. Had it not been for him, I should have had to gone too but when they caught him, he had to go to the guard house and stay three days.

Well, I have not much to write this time. I have just been to dinner and what do you think we had? One small piece of soft bread and beef and rice soup and the soup we could not eat. Were I at home, I would not look at such a dinner. Well, I must close hoping to hear from you. I send my best respects to all enquiring friends and my love to you.

With the assurance of my high respect and personal regard, I am dear Hannah, your obedient servant and cousin, — T. H. Hall