This letter was written to Henry White Gorham (1838-1876) who enlisted in April 1861 to serve three months in Co. F, 13th Regiment, New York State Militia. They were placed on railroad guard duty till June at Annapolis, Maryland, and then at Baltimore until August 1861. They mustered out on 6 August 1861. It was penned by his sister, datelined from Williamsburgh, Kings county, New York.
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Williamsburgh [New York]
June 29, 1861
Dear Brother Henry,
It is two weeks today since I got a letter from you. I had written & I suppose you got one from me the same day. I mailed another one week ago yesterday & have been looking & hoping to get one from you every day this week but have been disappointed. I have thought you might be in an engagement but the papers have not given any account of one. Then I thought you might be out of paper, so I thought I would not wait longer but write you again.
We are all as well as usual but feeling rather stale as yesterday was our excursion. We had a very pleasant day, a good company, and a nice grove. Everything so far as I know went off pleasantly. Mr. McGonor went with us. He sang the pieces he used to sing at the hall last winter, besides others. It is a treat to hear him sing, you know. The girls were in there & I suppose wished you were there too. I for one did. I thought of you many times during the day. John & Isaiah are very lame today from running, chasing one another & the girls. They were playing war. I believe the girls thought they were so tired they could not go to the temple in the evening, but did go as we got home early enough for them to rest some first.
Yesterday while we were gone, Mr. Wilber came in with a man from your regiment that had come home sick. He said he knew you & I was in hopes he would have been in today so I could have asked him about you. Mr. Wilber said he would come with him but perhaps he is not able to come. John & Isaiah have both gone over to see Oli Briggs this afternoon. Allen was home Saturday. Went away again Monday, I believe. He is doing very well. Chrit is peddling paper, envelopes and segars I guess—a Yankee notion pedlar. He told Oli he was agoing to Albany today. Last Tuesday, Johnnie, Isiah, and myself went over to Maria’s & spent the day. Went to the Elysian Fields [in Hoboken, New Jersey]. It is very pleasant there now. Isaiah and I went to Flushing last week to the hot house. 1 Saw some of the handsomest plants I ever saw in my life. It does not seem possible such plants grow but nature is much more beautiful than anything man can make. I expect if you are spared to come home, Isiah will want you to go with him to see them. He wants to get some to put in your garden. It looks very pretty. He had a bouquet from it yesterday. The girls said they did not believe it came from his garden so he called on me to vouch for it.
The [Brooklyn] Industrial School held a fair Wednesday evening—or Strawberry Festival as they call it. Cherries are getting plenty. Wish you were here to have some. Expect you will be here before they are gone. We had some yesterday from Annie Cook’s garden. Perhaps she will save some for you. I dare say you will get some if you come before they are all gone. You say my pies will suffer when you get home. I shall be only too happy to see you eat them. You shall have as much as you want of everything I can cook for you. I always think of you when we have anything that I know you love.
There is a great deal said in the papers of the way the 13th [Regiment] are treated & of their clothes and their fare. We do not know how much of it to believe. Now I want you to write in your next if you are treated as the papers say, and tell us if there is anything we can do for your comfort we are willing and desire to do if we knew what you need. It is hard for the soldiers if they have all it is possible, for them to have for their comfort. I think the people at home ought to sacrifice some of the luxuries for their sake if they cannot be made comfortable without. If they are treated as the papers state, it is ridiculous, but we do not know what to believe.
Williard has not gone yet but he thinks they are going soon. John Dean is in and out as usual. He is not able to work, he says. He thinks his lungs are affected. He is spleeny still, I think. He is not long lived. He will probably go as Frank did. He seems some as he used to. I had a letter from [ ] the other day. She says she is not agoing to take no for an answer to come there this summer. I must, it is so lonesome. I do not know as I shall go. I think I will wait until you come. I suppose you will want to go east on a visit. What do you think? I know I have written all the news I know so will stop writing. Hope I shall get one from you soon. A good long one. Your sister, — Sarah
1 Possibly the Linnaean Botanic Garden or Prince’s Nursery in Flushing, Queens, New York. It was started in the mid-18th Century.
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