The following letter was written by Alvan Fitzroy (“Roy”) Southworth (1843-1869), the son of Constant Southworth (1814-1838) and Sarah C. Sibley (1814-1891) of Hardwick, Worcester county, Massachusetts. Mentioned in the letter are two siblings: Constant Eugene Southworth (1839-1906) who served in Co. D, 31st Massachusetts Infantry, and Oscar Sibley Southworth (1845-1907).

Roy was 19 years old when he enlisted on 18 August 1862 as a private in the 10th Massachusetts Light Artillery. He served his full three year term and was mustered out of the battery in Boston on 9 June 1865.

Roy wrote the letter from Camp Barry where the battery was organized and drilled. It was sited about one mile from the Capitol building, near the toll gate of the Bladensburg Pike. It appears that Roy was well acquainted with Henry Granger of Hardwick who is credited with having done most of the recruiting for the battery. As many as thirty members of the battery came from Worcester county, Granger’s home; the remainder came from Charlestown, Marblehead, or Boston. The battery’s gun were Rodmans made of steel with a three-inch rifled bore. The shell was elongated and weighed ten pounds. The battery did not see any hard action until the Overland Campaign of 1864.

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

Headquarters 10th Massachusetts Battery
1 mile from the Capitol, Washington D. C.
Sunday, November 2, 1862

Dear Father and Mother,

Another Sunday has arrived and I seat myself as usual to the board table to answer the letter of the 26th which came to hand last Wednesday night and in that letter was one from my dear brother soldier. I read his letter over and over again. I found a great many good advices. I have thought a great many times that I wished I was with him, not because I am not used well here but because I should rather be with him, I think. He is older and has seen more of this war that I have and could advise me in a great many things. Not but what Lieut. [Henry Hinsdale] Granger ¹ is good to me for I never asked him a question in the world but what he answers. I like my officers and respect them. If I ask any of them a question, they answer it. They talk with me or joke with me and I shall obey them. But no more of this.

I think that those that enlisted in infantry are the best off. If I was to enlist again, that would be my choice. They don’t have any horses to see to and another thing, it ain’t so hard—only on a march. Now half the time our horses are sick. We have no less than 20 sick horses today. Last night Lieut. and I doctored one till 10 o’clock and they had to be up with him all night. He is sick with the putrid sore throat and he is most awful sick too. I guess he will die. We have lost one since we have been here and there is two or three more that might as well be lost.

Last Friday night there was a drove of cattle passed in the night and they lost four. The next morning one of our boys went out and fetched them in. We shall have fresh beef aplenty in a day or two. If they ain’t called for in a day or two, we can keep them if they ain’t called for in 10 days. The captain went down to the stable and saw them the other night. He told the boys it was all right but be careful and not get caught. We had a sheep last Wednesday night that strayed from a drove.

The boys are our for inspection now. I did not have to go. I wrote you last Tuesday for some money for five dollars. Please send it to me. I came hard for me to send for it but I had to. I tried my best to get along without it but I. could not. This is my last stamp on this letter. Lieutenant Granger is going to send home for some things and I don’t know but I shall send for some under shirts. But I shan’t if I can get along without them. I was telling Lieutenant how many apples there was on that place of Rev. Mr. [Martyn] Tupper‘s and he says to me, they would not go bad if we had some of them here. I will bet I should like to step into the old cellar and fill my pockets with what I could find there.

I have written to Eugene and shall write again in a week or two. I wrote to Uncle Charles and George Howard last Sunday. I have written in most every letter to find out the number of the regiment that the nine-months men are in so when they come I could find them. The report is that they are fighting up near Bull Run again. I don’t know how true it is. You get the news long before we do. I should like some papers right well. I must go and put up his horse now and then I will finish. I was sorry to hear that Mother was sick but I hope she will be better when this arrives. I will enclose a letter to Oscar in this. Haven’t I another little brother at home? I don’t hear from him and it makes me think that I haven’t any brother there. Give my love to Aunt Nancy. Tell her I am well and never weighed more in my life. I will write the rest in Oscar’s letter. From your son, Roy

Write often. I will answer.

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¹ Lieutenant Henry Hinsdale Hardwick (1817-1864) was mortally wounded in the Battle of Hatcher’s Run on 27 October 1864. He died three days later at City Point, Virginia.