The following letter was written by 28 year-old Norman Taylor Pike who enlisted in September 1861 as a private in Co. I of the 4th Vermont Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Weldon Railroad south of Petersburg, Virginia, on 23 June 1864 and died a POW at Andersonville. His date of death was recorded as 30 November 1864. His remains are now at the Andersonville National Cemetery, Grave No. 12198.

Norman’s parents were Isaac Newton Pike (1803-18840 and Jane Holt Stiles (1807-1872) of Windham county, Vermont.

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

Transcription

Camp Griffin
December 16th 1861

Dear Friend,

I received your very welcome letter and will try to answer it. I am well and hope this letter may find you and all the rest of the folks the same. I have been pretty busy for a week past. I went on picket twice last week and on a foraging party to Vienna one day. This afternoon I have been drilling. We had a Brigade Drill and a first rate good one.

We have moved from our old camp ground about one mile. We have got a good spot this time. It is dry and warm. We are in the woods and on a dry knoll with plenty of good water on all sides of us. There is not so many sick ones in our regiment now as there was three weeks since. Between 20 and 30 have died in this regiment—three in Co. I. All of them tented in the same tent with me. I found one of your cousins in a few days after I got your letter. His name is Spaulding. He is in Co. C, the next company to Co. I. When we were on the old camp ground, he tented not more than 15 feet from me. I see him most every day but have not got much acquainted with him yet.

I have not seen any of the rebels yet except a few prisoners. I heard them firing at our picket the other night when I was on picket. There were about half a mile from us. There was six guns fired. None of our men were hurt. Don’t know whether the rebels were or not.

How does the squire get along. Tell him to write to me. I should like to go to meeting with you one Sunday if I would just as well as not. We have meetings here every Sunday. We have to stand up all the time we are at services. I have not time to write any more now so goodbye. Yours with respect, — N. T. Pike

P. S. Give my best respects to all and accept a share yourself. Write soon.