The following letter was written by John Knight Dustin (1843-1909), the son of John K. Dustin (1815-1898) and Angeline S. Heath (1816-1857) of Lanesville, Massachusetts. John enlisted on 20 September 1861 in Co. C, 23rd Massachusetts Infantry. Just previous to his enlistment, he was working as a clerk in Gloucester. He remained in the regiment his full term of three years, mustering out on 26 September 1864. After he left the service, he returned to Gloucester, married Lucy Low Davis (1847-1916), and settled into a life of book-keeping.

In this letter, John informs his father that Burnside’s return to command in North Carolina would be welcome. He also summarizes the New Year’s Day (1864) Emancipation celebration dinner given by the “colored Citizens” and the speeches in support of the reelection of “Old Abe.”

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Hammond General Hospital ¹
Beaufort, North Carolina
January 6, 1864

Dear Father,

I received your kind letter this afternoon and now proceed to answer. You can’t tell, Father, how cheering letters are—especially from home. I hardly know what a soldier would do without a letter once in a while. They seem to be the connecting link between we here and at home.

Of that money, I paid the freight and insurance here $1.25 as you will see by this receipt which I forward to you in this letter. They will I think refund the money—are bound to I believe.

I think it was a good sign that you were all well, you’re all being out coasting Christas. Am happy to know it was so.

I received a letter from Aunt Laura today. She writes that I always seem more than a nephew to her and seems to be pleased by my letters to her. I shall certainly try to merit her good opinion of me and will answer her letter tonight as I am acting as Officer of the Guard at the hospital—somewhat different from my regimental style of guard duty. You have a good idea of how that was done, I suppose. Now here I am in the ward room [with] a nice coal fire writing letters. Oh! here comes the sentry. Officer, a man without a pass, where does he belong? Just up the street here, was going home. All right, let him pass on. See how nice. Never leave the ward room—only every three hours to post a new guard. But, however, I don’t think I feel any greater man than when in the regiment, and only tank Providence that I got a good place when I most needed it.

Thomas seems to have had a hard time of it. His mother wrote an unconnected story of his sufferings seeming to feel much pride in his actions. Horace did marry one of the Eastman’s (Abby) and the day she wrote Horace and Henry were picking turkeys to send to you, That was the 20th.

Some talk of Burnside again commanding this Department. He would be warmly welcomed by all his old soldiers but still I hardly think it amounts to anything more than talk.

Everything is quiet here at present but rumors of an increase of force and an advance. Beaufort, however, is still quiet and probably will be, the only excitement being the enrollment order. One of the men of the hospital has ben at work for a fortnight now enrolling all—black and white—within the lines of this Sub District and there is talk of my relieving him tomorrow. As he is the Apothecary and much needed, the Dr. says I am the only one capable who can be spared to take his place.

The colored schools are seemingly doing well here. New Year’s Day they—Colored Citizens—gave a grand dinner, free to all in honor of the Emancipation Bill. Speeches were made and everything passed off in good style. The principle subject of their speeches was that McClellan was not the man for the next President and Old Abe should be reelected if their influence and votes would help the matter, and in that I heartily agree with them.

But Father, I must close. I haven’t written much because I hadn’t much to write and so excuse and give love and affection to all, and write soon again to your ever loving son, — John K.

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¹ Hammond Hospital was a Civil War hospital set up in the ransacked Atlantic Hotel in Beaufort, North Carolina. Union General John Gray Foster brought in nine Catholic nuns to provide nursing for “200 wounded and sick soldiers.” Source: Wagoner, M. (2020). Column: Beaufort’s Civil War hospital nursed soldiers back to health. Carolina Coast Online.