1862: John K. Simon to Phebe (Birdsall) Simon

The following letter was written by Sgt. John K. Simon (1829-Aft1880) to his wife, Phebe (Birdsall) Simon (1830-1897). John served in the 5th New Jersey Infantry (Part of the Jersey Brigade). He enlisted on August 19, 1861, and mustered in as a sergeant in Co. D on August 22. He was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on May 26, 1862 and later promoted to 1st Lieutenant on May 19, 1863. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in May 1864 and mustered out of the service on September 7, 1864.

The 5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, New Jersey, in July 1861, and was mustered in on August 22, 1861. It participated in a number of important engagements, including the Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Second Battle of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the Siege of Petersburg.

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

Transcription

Camp Baker, Lower Potomac
February 5, 1862

Dear Wife,

I take this time and opportunity to write a few lines to you to inform you that I am well and hope that you and the children are all well at home. I have not had a letter from home this week. The last one that I got was last Saturday and that was the one that William wrote and I have been looking for one all this week. I hope that you all will continue in good health at home. Kiss the children for me and tell them to be good children till Pa comes home.

I have been out making roads this last two days and I find it pretty hard work and we have to go about two miles to our place of work. We are all at it. I suppose there is about 35 hundred men at it so we will soon be done with it. I have not got my boots yet but I expect them every day now as the sutler has gone up to Washington on Sunday and he has not come back yet but as soon as he comes back, why I will get them.

Give my love to all the folks on there and tell them I am well and hope they are all the same. The rebels across the river keep firing at every boat that they see but they don’t do any damage to them as yet. The health of our regiment keeps very good owing to the weather.

That money I sent home I wish you would get gold for it and you can keep it better as there is no discount on gold but there may be on these treasury notes and if you can get gold without any trouble, why do so, I will write soon again and a longer letter as there is no fire in the Captain’s tent where I am writing this and it is cold here so good night and may God bless you and the children and me and all the rest of us is the prayer of your affectionate husband, — Sergt. J. K. Simon