The following letter was written by Samuel Norcross but which one? There were several soldiers by that name. Based on the location and date, I think it likely to be either Samuel Norcross of Co. G, 22nd New York Infantry, or Samuel Norcross of Co. E, 5th Vermont. The 22nd New York was encamped near Upton’s Hill at the time and the 5th Vermont was encamped near McLean, Virginia (Camp Griffin), some five miles further northwest. Balloon ascensions were being conducted regularly from Upton’s Hill to Vienna at the time. The camp of the 22nd New York was some five miles closer to Freestone Point where the firing on Union Vessels described occurred on 8 December 1861.

I note that the letter was addressed to his “father and mother” and since the soldier from Vermont lost his mother a couple years before the war, I’m going to attribute this letter to the soldier from the 22nd New York but without a high degree of confidence.

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

December 9, 1861

Dear father and mother,

I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at present and I hope that these few lines may find you the same.

We are in sight of the rebels and our fellows took a battery last night. How the cannon did roar and they throwed bombs at our vessel but it didn’t do any damage. ¹ I wish I had a finger in the pie too.

I send my love to you all and would be glad to see you all again but I don’t want you to grieve after me. I have got a Indian Rubber Blanket and tell Uncle Ry I don’t forget him yet and I send my love to him and I hope that I may see him again. I don’t want you to send the blanket nor the box till I write again. I am a going in the battlefield with a good heart and I hope that I may come out with a good heart.

I just received a letter from William and he has been in a fight and I han’t received a letter for three weeks and I have to pay for the letters that I get now. And there is a boy comes in from Washington with them and he says that he can’t afford to come for nothing. Don’t write but once a week.

I saw the bombs burst in the air last night and we have got a balloon here and it goes up every day and the Rebels fire at it but don’t hit it. We are on one side and they are on the other and they have their own fun to waste theirselves, and after a bit they [rest of letter missing]

So goodbye, — Samuel Norcross

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¹ The Confederate firing on Union vessels may have been from Freestone Point, the northern most point of the Confederate blockade on the Potomac river. On December 8, 1861, The USS Anacostia and the USS Jacob Bell fired on Confederate troops near Freestone Point and they may have returned fire.