The following letter was written by 52 year-old Cornelius Robbins (1810-1895) of Kingston, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Cornelus claimed he was only 40 years old when he enlisted in late November 1861 to serve in Co. E (later transferred to Co. I) of the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry. He mustered out of the service after three years on 7 December 1864, though he suffered from yellow fever during part of that time.

Cornelius was married to Hannah Wiggins (1808-1873) in 1830 and the couple lived in Owego, New York, for a time before taking up residence in Kingston. They had at least five children before 1850—three of who were still living at home with him at the time of the 1860 US Census. One of his sons, John Robbins (1833-1864), died while serving in Co. I, 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

The 58th Pennsylvania saw duty at Camp Hamilton, Va., until May 10, 1862. They then occupied Norfolk and Portsmouth from early May till October 11, 1862. They were then ordered to Suffolk, Va.and were on duty there until January, 1863.

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Camp near Norfolk, Virginia
July 9, 1862

My dear family and friends,

It is with pleasure that I embrace this present moment to inform you that I received your kind and welcome letter in the 8th inst. with great pleasure to hear from you. It does me great pleasure to read yours from home—especially when I can’t see you for it found me in poor health at the present. But I hope I will get better soon for it is a hard place to be sick down here in hot weather for it is tremendous hot down here at this time and it is very bad here on account of the water for there is none fit to drink.

Times is very dull here but they have lively times at Richmond yet for they have been fighting for ten days and fighting yet, But I think they will come out bully soon for I am tired of the Sunny South for I want to come home bad, I tell you. But I can’t get away yet. There is nothing here to write about for it is one thing over and over again. It was a very dull 4th [of July] here but the citizens say they never [had] such a time in their city before. They say the Yankees can’t do anything.

It is very sickly in camp now and if we don’t get out of this camp before long, I don’t know what will become of us. But we will have to stand it yet awhile. Burnsides is gone up the James river to Richmond to reinforce McClellan with twenty thousand men and he will make a clean sweep of it, I am sure, for the downfall of Richmond is certain.

You must excuse me for not writing any more this time for I don’t feel very smart. Write as soon as you get this, if not before. But write soon. Write often, and write immediately. So goodbye till you hear from me again and be good children till you see your husband and father, — C. Robbins

Cornelius Robbins