The following letters were written by Daniel Webster Turner (1837-1932), the son of Samuel and Amanda (Wells) Turner of Oxford, Chenango county, New York. Daniel enlisted at age 25 on 23 July 1862 to serve three years in Co. A, 114th New York Infantry. He was quickly promoted to first sergeant and later commissioned a second lieutenant. He was named Captain of his company on 20 June 1863 and wounded in action on 19 September 1864, at Winchester, Virginia. He mustered out with his company on 8 June 1865 at Washington, D. C.
Daniel wrote the letters to his younger sister Vesta Turner.
To read letters by other members of the 114th New York Infantry published on Spared & Shared, see:
Asa Holmes, Co. A, 114th New York (10 Letters)
Erastus R. Gregory, Co. C, 114th New York (1 Letter)
Elbridge LaMunion, Co. G, 114th New York (1 Letter)
Charles E. Thompson, Co. G, 114th New York (1 Letter)
Letter 1
Headquarters 114th New York Camp
Russell, Virginia
December 16th 1864
Dear Brother & Sister,
Your kind favor of the 9th inst. came to hand last night & I was very glad to hear that you were enjoying your usual health &c. I was somewhat surprised to hear that Charley is going to be married so soon but I had a letter a few days since that informed me that it was going to take place soon without doubt as he was making some preparations for the occasion, &c.
The weather has been very cold here for the last week and very good sleighing a portion of the time. It is more mild at present but is frozen up so that there is no mud to bother about getting about. I have very comfortable quarters at present & can keep very comfortable if I can get wood enough to burn which is a pretty scarce article about here & is growing more & more so each day, &c.
There has been no move here of late, the weather being too severe to admit of anything except doing picket duty, &c. which is very trying these cold nights. Many of the men freeze their feet & ears &c.
We have good news from Sherman &c. stating that his campaign has been a perfect success & that he has reached Savannah and that a battle was going on for the possession of that city which is probably ours before this. The Rebs are evidently taken somewhat by surprise at the course that the Rebellion is assuming & many of them are anxious to return to the Union, &c. The success of Sherman & the cutting of the railroads that lead to Richmond which must sooner or later fall & I think that the time is not far distant. Our Corps from the Army of the Shenandoah are at present with Foster & cooperating with Sherman. There is a report that Early is going to attempt to regain possession of the Valley again but he may find a hard job if our force is reduced nearly one half, &c.
I have had the easiest time as far as duty is concerned since I came back that I ever had. Have not been on duty but once aside from drill &c. Crumb has got his mind made up to go home. He has sent in for a leave of absence but whether it will be granted or not remains to be determined. My company remains quite small as yet but is gaining slowly. Have 22 men present for duty but some of them are not armed. One man came back that has been absent a year and a half & has had three furloughs within the last five months.
There is some dull times among the officers. Many of them have become perfectly reckless since the two last battles & are drinking very hard. But when the Old Colonel got back they had to be a little more cautious. But it is bad enough now. I never saw such a change in the appearance of men in so short a time as there was in some of them in the time that I was absent from the regiment & the example that they set before the men tends to do away with all dissipation as they are not respected by their men, &c.
You may send me eight of those photographs when you get them—that is if they are good ones & do what you are a mind to with the rest. You had not better enclose them all at one time &c. Please to give my respects to all enquiring friends & especially give my congratulations to the Bride & Groom or which are to be soon. I should enjoy being there very much but it is not destined so to be but I shall think of the time & remember that others are enjoying themselves, &c. Write often & tell me all of the news & what is going on about home &c. From your affectionate brother, — D. W. Turner, Capt., 114th N. Y. S. V.
Letter 2
Camp Sheridan, Virginia
March 12th 1865
Dear Sister Vesta,
Your much welcome letter of March 4th came to hand last evening & I was very glad to hear that you were all well &c. Everything remains quiet about here & has for some time except the excitement that it caused by the prisoners that Sheridan captured arriving here the first of last week which we had to take charge of and delivered to Harpers Ferry.
The weather is much more pleasant than it has been & we have now & then a real spring day which we enjoy very much by sunning ourselves in much the same manner that fools do in a warm pleasant day.
We do not get any news from Sheridan since the capture of the prisoners above mentioned but we feel confident that he will accomplish his object before he returns if he returns at all.
We had a Review this morning at eleven a.m. which went off very well. Men looked finely for the season. We are having services regularly for the Sabbath at two p.m. and 6.30 p.m. & prayer meetings twice each week, but there is not a very large attendance.
There is not as strong signs of a move as a week or ten days since but we may be ordered out when we are least expecting it. The Pay Master was here & paid us off last Friday. Your humble servant got a little over a thousand in green backs which will enable me to pay up my debts & send a little home as soon as there is an opportunity to do so.
Your letter seems to carry the idea that the Rouses are as flirty as ever & if they cannot rule, that they desert their collars.
I suppose that you will be making sugar by the time that this reaches you—that is, if the weather is as warm as usual at this season of the year. How is Charlie & wife getting along farming? and what are the news in general? Write often and let me know what is going on about Preston & the surrounding towns. Give my love to all, &c. — D. W. Turner
114th N. Y. S. Vols.
Letter 3
Camp Sheridan, Virginia
April 4, 1865
Dear Sister Vesta,
Your letter reached me in due time & I was very glad to hear that you were all enjoying good health & that you had not suffered from the effects of the flood which I learn by the papers has been very destructive, particularly in the western part of the State.
We have not moved as yet as you will see by the heading of my letter but are in readiness to move at a moment’s warning. Our surplus baggage has been sent to the rear or is in readiness to send as soon as transportation is furnished.
There has been quite an addition made to our force within the last few days. Hancock’s Corps & part of the Fourth Crops are here so there is quite a strong force in the Valley but it is pretty badly scattered at present. A force about ten thousand strong moved up today but I am not informed of their destination—whether they are going into camp in the vicinity of Winchester or going to push up the Valley. Our Division is to be known in the future as Dwight’s Division of the Army of the Shenandoah & is not assigned to any Corps at present.
The weather is somewhat changeable but is quite pleasant most of the time except now and then a rainstorm which are not of very long duration. Most of the time is taken up by drills, inspections, reviews, &c. Had a recruit in my company last evening [who] has ben in the Confederate service 18 months but got tired & made up his mind to try ours for three years.
Sheridan & Grant are everlastingly thrashing the confederates about Richmond & at last compelled them to evacuate the place & to seek some other place of defense, but if they cannot hold Richmond after expending three years on its defenses, how can they expect to cope with our army in the open field & no defensive works?
The news at present are very encouraging & I hope that they may continue to be so & that Grant may cut Lee off & prevent a junction with Johns[t]on & demoralize & shatter his army so that they can never be got together again. The gentry of Richmond must have felt pretty indignant when Gen. [Godfrey] Weitzel marched his colored troops in & took possession of the place. But it is a good lesson & will learn them that they have got to submit to military law although it may be carried into force by the darkey. The Confederacy is at last on its last legs & must soon succumb to the hateful Yanks although he may be worse than the brute in their estimation.
Maj. Curtis returned to the regiment last evening from Frederick, Maryland. Capt. Baker has been ordered back & will probably return in a day or two. General Emory has been assigned to the command at Cumberland, Maryland.
Yunxy [?] is well but is getting somewhat demoralized. Has got to gumming it & loses his money about as fast as he earns it. Everything remains quiet. There has not been any attack by guerrillas for some time & things are getting to be quite monotonous, not having anything to disturb us for the last three months or over. Please write soon & tell me all that is going on about home &c. Give my love to all. From your affectionate brother, — D. W. Turner, Capt., 114th N. Y. Infantry Vol.
Spared & Shared 23 