Though it is only signed Thomas, I feel confident this letter was written by Thomas C. Edwards (b. 1835) who served in Co. B, 8th New York Heavy Artillery. The regiment was organized at Lockport, New York as the 129th New York Volunteer Infantry and mustered on August 22, 1862, for three years service under the command of Colonel Peter Augustus Porter. Because heavy artillery regiments were needed for the defenses of Baltimore, the regiment was converted from infantry on October 3, 1862, and became the 8th New York Heavy Artillery on December 19, 1862. Companies L and M joined the regiment at Baltimore in February 1864.

Thomas C. Edwards—Age, 25 years. Enlisted, July 29, 1862, at Lockport; mustered in as corporal, Co. B, 129th Infantry, July 29, 1862 (which became the Eighth Heavy Artillery, December 19, 1862), to serve three years; promoted sergeant, April 25, 1863; quartermaster-sergeant, February 1, 1865; mustered out with company, June 5, 1865, at Munsons Hill, Va., as Thomas C. Edwards.

I have transcribed a large number of Thomas’s letters and posted them at:

Thomas Edwards, 8th New York H. A. (3 Letters)
Thomas Edwards, 8th New York H. A. (38 Letters)

Transcription

Company B, 8th New York [Heavy] Artillery
Fort Federal Hill
Baltimore, February 23rd 1863

Friend Hattie,

I have looked for your letter for some time. Still it has not come & thinking this morning it will never reach me, I have seated myself at one of our pleasant east windows to write again that you may soon have another debt to pay, such as writing a letter to a soldier. By the way, are such debts very hard to pay? I hope you do not consider them so.

How do you do this beautiful morning? I hope you are well. Also all the friends at the Falls. Are you very busy now? I think Amanda wrote me you were washing dishes & doing housework now days, or were when she wrote. Wouldn’t you like a little help occasionally? If so, I would like to be there to help you—especially to wash dishes for I think I have made a great proficiency in that branch of housework of late. Did Amanda ever tell you how we do that work here? I think all of us soldier boys would make great housekeepers if we stay in the army our three years.

Yesterday was a very snowy cold day. The snow commenced falling very early in the morning & it continued falling until almost night & the air was so cold we were glad to keep in doors all day. The snow is six or eight inches deep this morning but the sun is shining so brightly today I think it will soon leave us. I wish you could be here a little while this morning. Do you wish so too? Well may by your work for a little time & just imagine yourself here. Our seat is just wide enough for two. My friend Charlie is sitting by my side just now but he is a very accommodating boy & will willingly give you his seat. There, he has gone already & I didn’t say a word to him. Isn’t he very good to vacate the seat for you? After all that isn’t why he left but because Sergeant Burns says he with out er boys must go out and shovel snow—that’s the reason he is so accommodating just now.

Isn’t this a pleasant place? From this window you can see the bay and hundreds of vessels & boats sailing upon its waters. Some of them more sluggishly along just as though they had plenty of time & never meant to be in a hurry, while others go shooting and puffing as though the life of someone depended upon their great speed. Now and then a little tug comes up the bay making the water all foam & wave, and it looks more as though it were flying than anything else. From here we can see Fort McHenry and away and beyond it several miles away Fort Carroll. This is not finished yet, but will be a very strong fort when it is done. It’s built out in the bay nearly equidistant from either shore. Across the bay from Fort McHenry some three miles from here we see Fort Marshall & that little long row of buildings you see just outside the fort are barracks, a portion of which were Co. B’s quarters while we were there. It is not as pleasant there as here and we hope we may not have to go back there again.

We can see nearly half of the city from here. How funny so many chimneys look peeping up above the snow covered roofs don’t they? Most of them spitting out smoke, not fire & smoke like a volcano—smoke only. The fire is beneath that snow-covered roof, warming the fingers of—do you believe it”’some secesh lady. Not all those fires are, still too many of the wreath of smoke, we see curling up so disdainfully, come from the dwelling of one who would gladly see this Union severed. Yes more, would willing help destroy it if he dare. Father of our Country, where is thy spirit on this great day of rejoicing. Ah! methinks thou wouldst harshly rebuke some of those who are now trying to sever the union thou so nobly fought for in days gone by were thou here today. I think it strange that anyone should ever think of trying to destroy such a government as this. I don’t wonder the smoke from those chimneys is glad to get out of sight so quickly. I almost wonder it doesn’t put out the eyes of any who dare call themselves secesh.

Something like a week ago, our company took some Rebel prisoners from the depot to Fort McHenry & while we were marching them through the streets of the city, we heard many words of sympathy from the brave females here. How they pitied the poor prisoners. One lady gave a hurrah for Jeff Davis & I never wanted to shoot anyone so much in my life. Would it have been wicked if I had? I don’t believe it would have been. But I must tell you how some of our boys chuckled over the kindness of these friends. Several boxes of cigars were given to one of our sergeants to distribute among the prisoners & he thinking our boys knew how to smoke as well as they, distributed most of them among us, & for several days our boys would testify to the excellency of these cigars. I might have had some too had I wished but as I don’t smoke, I don’t know how good they were so the boys tell me.

I haven’t told you the most neautiful sight here yet. It is beautiful & I wish you could see this if nothing more. It is the stars & stripes so proudly waving in the breeze which we can see all over the bay and city. Hundreds and hundreds of flags are in sight. On every boat, big or little, one may be seen, even those little row boats not large enough to carry more than half a dozen persons have the “Star Spangled Banner” proudly waving over them. Then, most of the Unionists have a flag waving over their dwelling. I hope your letter will reach me next time & that you will write soon. With much love, I am your true friend, — Thomas

As this day is kept in remembrance of Washington’s birthday, we can often on a pleasant day see many flags from this window, but never before have I seen so many as now. It is a beautiful sight to anyone who loves our “dear old flag.” Don’t you think this is a pleasant window? And do you wonder that I love to sit here? This morning each fort here fired a salute of 34 guns & I understand as many are to be fired this noon, also at night. Mr. Keef from Lockport (Augustus) was here last week. We were glad to see him as were all the friends from home. Amanda’s letter was received yesterday. Also one from Ann.