The following letter was written by Charles E. Howard (1842-1868) who enlisted at Lawrence, Essex county, Massachusetts, to serve in Co. K, 14th Massachusetts (Infantry) Regiment on 5 July 1861. However, this regiment was converted to a Heavy Artillery unit on January 1, 1862. They were officially made the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery as Charles writes in his letter. There were 2552 men that served in the regiment through the war. The unit suffered 486 fatalities; 215 KIA or mortally wounded, 115 died due to disease or accident, 156 died as POWs along with 4 MIAs presumed dead.

Charles was the son of a stonecutter named Eli Bangs Howard (1811-1851) and Rebecca Bartlett Dow (1810-1874). 17 year-old Charles was the only child living at home in Lawrence with his mother, a dressmaker, when the 1860 US Census was taken. Living in the same household was Rebecca’s mother Abigail (age 69). Charles survived the war but died of consumption in 1868 at age 26.

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

Headquarters Heavy Artillery
14th Mass. Regt., Co. K
February 8, 1862

Dear Cousin,

I have a few leisure moments now to answer your letter which I received a week ago. You must excuse me for not writing before for I have not had much time. We are changed into heavy artillery so we do not have much time to write. We have just returned from drill and my arms are so tired that I can hardly handle the pen. We are called the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Battery K, but we go by the name of the 14th Mass. Regt., Co. K. Our letters will come either way. We have to drill on the big guns every day that is fair. We have nothing but mud, mud. The mud in some places is two feet deep. That is the reason why the army do not make at attack. Our major and some more men have gone to Lawrence to recruit more men for this regiment. I think that we will all be at home next fall.

Ask aunt what she will sell me a whole cheese for. If she will sell me a whole cheese, mother will put it in my box and send it to me. How does grandfather get along? How does aunt sell her butter? I would like to see you and all of the folks. Tell aunt that if I live to get home, I will come and see her. Have you got much snow there? We have not more than one inch, if that. In some places the mud is 3 or 4 feet deep. You never, nor I never saw the mud so deep as it is in Virginia.

Tell Sumner that I want him to write to me. Tell him that I know Freeman Harley and his brother. Tell him that I see them most every day, sometimes work with him. Give my love to the girls that aren’t married yet. When are you a going to get married? Send me the marriage card when you get married so that I can see who you are married to. I do not know when I shall get married. There are plenty of Niggers out here and if Sumner wants a Nigger, send him out here and I will show him some.

The dinner has just come and you would laugh to see them run to get it. They run like pigs.

We have a shoemaker in our house so he mends all of our shoes but we have to pay him 50 cents for it. I will write a few lines to Olive Ann in this letter. Why does not Olive write to me? She has not answered my letter that i wrote her. Give my love to all. From your cousin, — C. E. Howard to C. J. H.

Dear Cousin, I now write a few lines to you hoping to hear from you soon. Have you. seen or heard of Abby yet? How does she get along? Tell her that I should like to see her. Tell her to write. I want to hear from her and you. very much, How does her mother get along? Tell Abby that I will answer her letter if she will write.

The Boys are eating dinner. I think that the war will all be over next November and we will all be at home. I heard that you. and Emeline went to the meadow and had a good time skating and then went to a party. I wish that I had been there. You must of had a splendid time. Was Abby there? When I read her letter and heard that you had a good time, I wished that I had been there. Tell Emeline that I wish that when she goes to a party, [ ] to have a good time for me. Won’t you write soon as you get this? From your cousin, — C. E. H.