The following letter was written by Seth F. Clark (1837-1862) to his parents, George Howe Clark and Maria Louisa Smith of Roxbury, Norfolk county, Massachusetts. Seth enlisted on 22 May 1861 as a sergeant in Co. D, 1st Massachusetts Infantry. He was elevated to 1st Sergeant on 7 May 1862 and was severely wounded in the leg on 14 December 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg. His leg was amputated but he died in a Washington D. C. Hospital on 31 December 1862.

Prior to his enlistment, Seth was employed as a piano manufacturer with his father.

Transcription

Camp Hooker, 1st Regiment, Co. D
Lower Potomac
March 5, 1862

Dear Father and Mother,

I have just received your welcome letter of the 2nd and was glad to hear that you was well. I am well and in good spirits and are in hopes to pay the rebels a visit every day and pay them up for that Bull Run fight. We have not crossed the river as yet but may any day so you will see that we are not all prisoners as you wrote, nor ever intend to be as long as we are the 1st Massachusetts [Infantry]. You must [not] believe any story that you hear about our division that you may hear or see in the papers until you hear from me. Before we move, I shall write to you and let you know whether we have crossed the river or gone on some expedition.

That other picture I intended for you to keep until I came home for I want something to remind me in after life of the place I spent the winter of 61 and 62. Sgt. [Charles A.] Brazier has been appointed in Lieut. Warren’s [Walton’s] place. He was appointed the first of the month. There is nothing new in camp except Col. [Robert] Cowden has been presented with a sword, belt, spurs, boots, sash and gloves. There were presented by a Mr. Mason of Boston last night at dress parade. The sword is a splendid thing. Colonel was like a little boy with his first pair of boots. He had to show all his presents to the boys. He told Mason that after the rebels were cleaned out, that we should come home and clean out some of the political sneaks. The boys thought that was rather rough on Gov. Andrew and his friends.

The gun boat shelled out a rebel cavalry regiment last night down the river about twelve miles, Lately the rebels have been receiving a large lot of reinforcements on the other side of this river. The New York 1st Battery came down here two or three nights ago so we have got four batteries. Three of them are encamped next to us and the other other is down the river about six miles. The two Whitworth guns are mounted in front of our camp on the hill so you will see that we have got a plenty of artillery to protect our camp. Some of the boys brought into camp today a shell that weighed one hundred and twenty-five pounds that the rebels had thrown over to our battery. It had not burst and was an ugly-looking thing, I can tell you.

Give my love to all the boys and neighbors. Jim Miller has ben appointed drum major. 25 recruits arrived in camp yesterday for this regiment. Only one out of the lot for this company. From your son, — Seth