This letter was written just days before James Henry F. Milton (1832-1910) enlisted in Co. E, 56th New York Infantry. He was mustered in on 29 August as 1st Lieutenant of his company and was promoted to Captain of Co. A on 6 August 1862. He was discharged from the regiment on 31 March 1865.

James was known to his friends as “Dock.” After attending the 1859-60 Medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, he began the practice of medicine in Liberty. In the 1860 US Census he was enumerated in the household of Benjamin W. Baker, a grocer in Liberty, where he probably lodged and boarded. After the war, he resumed his profession as a doctor, eventually settling in Philadelphia.

Dock wrote the letter to a friend named “Brigham” who is otherwise unidentified. My hunch is that it was written to Lewis Alexander Brigham (1831-1885)—a contemporary of Dock’s—who was born in New York Mills, New York, and graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton in 1849. He studied to be a lawyer and pass the New York bar in 1855. He then set up a practice in New York City and got into politics. In 1850, after graduating from Hamilton College, Lewis Brigham was a teacher in Sullivan county. I could find no other Brigham’s living in Sullivan county in that period.

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Kyle A. Williams and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Liberty [Sullivan county, New York]
August 13th 1861

Friend Brigham,

Received yours on Saturday night and you may rest assured was greatly rejoiced thereat, and as I took the welcome epistle in my hand was heard to ejaculate every forcibly, “Bully for Brigham” and so emphatically that I attracted the attention of our friend [Reuben] Wales who was standing by me, and we had a good time reading some portions of your letter.

The matter you speak of has gone up—the Company held their meeting for the elections of officers on Saturday afternoon last and elected the following. For Captain, M[elvin] S. Wells; 1st Lieutenant, Dock Milton; Second Lieutenant, George [P.] Overton of Rockland; Orderly Sergeant, Demon S. Decker; & 2nd Sergeant, our, or my, rather very dear friend Addison [J.] Clements. The remainder of the officers I don’t recollect and they are of no consequence any way.

Reub[en Wales] came out to join the company but some masons which I wouldn’t wish to state prevented him from so doing and he talks of going West to spend the remainder of the summer and fall. I told him to hold on and if you came home, we would get up a company on our own hooks, & take the officers and make a big thing of it. I would advise you to come home anyhow. If you like a soldier’s life, you can easily get a better and more comfortable situation that you have and if not, you have lots of friends who would like to see the “bould soger boy” once more.

If you come home, I have formed a project which I think from the novelty of the thing might be successful. I will give you the outline of it. I propose to get something as a standard of muscular power and require each applicant for enlistment to have sufficient muscle to do it. Say for instance require each man to be at least 5 feet, 9 inches in height, and straight, and capable of putting up 80 lb. of dumb bell and lifting 200 or 500 lbs. Also require them to be free from the habits of smoking & drinking, which are very destructive of muscle. To learn the Zouave drills & attach ourselves to some regiment which would offer the most favorable inducements, or else get an order for the raising of such a company & running it wholly ourselves. There is a Frenchman who was in the Crimean War—the best drilled man there was in the 20th Regiment or any other that they were encamped with during their absence, and I can get him to drill a company for me. He understands everything pertaining to warfare & every branch of tactics.

But there is one thing at present in the way of all this and that is I am a candidate for a Lieutenancy in the Navy and am in suspenders waiting to hear form them I have good influence as could have been procured, having the assistance of Hon. David Wilmot of Pennsylvania & Gen. [Simon] Cameron, the Secretary of War, who does out of regard for Wilmot. I have been promised it but something may turn up that I don’t get it. It is a very large thing & it’s not every civil villain like myself that don’t know any more about the arrangements of a man of war than I do about a woman of pleasure, that could obtain it. I think I shall know positively in ten days & if I don’t succeed, will be reay to go into some such arrangement of this kind.

Nothing particularly new here—only the burning of Ben[jamin P.] Buckley’s Tannery & 1500 cords of bark on Thursday night, August 1st. It is not know what the loss is, but it is supposed to be about $10,000 and it is feared that in these times, it will ruin him. To damn bad, I declare.

Your folks are all well as usual, I believe. At any rate, they were a few days ago as I was up there and called to see if they had heard anything from “Brigham.” We had a Fireman’s Parade here last Saturday after the company elected their officers which was a very large pop [?]. The girls are all sound, with the exception of that one shaky spot & I’ve no doubt they would be delighted to see Brigham, as soldiers are always irresistible among the fair sex. No picnics, no dances, and no nothing—the place is as dull as the devil and I’m going to get out of it somehow or other.

Ferd Hasbrouck has gone to Green county. I’d like to hammer him if he’s about as twice as large as he is, and had some manhood about him. Vick is running that thing extensively over at L—-y’s, but then you can spot him easy enough when you get home. Come home anyhow if possible—you and Pole both—and we’ll have a big time on your arrival. I’d like to see Pole and have about a quart of good old applejack, a pack of cards, & sit down and beat him a few games of Euchre. Speaking of such things reminds me that I’ve got some $ in the store & I’ll drink the health of you & Pole, only sorry you can’t have some too. Come home. Write to yours always, — Dock