The following letters were written by William “Nelson” Smith (1843-1867), the son of Sullivan Smith (1807-1891) and Laura Cheney Smith (1812-1900) of Orange county, William was a 20-year-old mechanic when he enlisted as a private on 4 August 1862. Three weeks later he was mustered into Co. H, 36th Massachusetts Infantry. He was promoted to corporal and transferred to Co. C sometime prior to his being wounded on 6 May 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness in the opening stages of Grant’s Overland Campaign. Pension records inform us that he received a bullet wound to the hip, disabling him and resulting in his discharge on 23 December 1864. Smith never married, and died less than three years later.  

Letters and documents associated with the Smith family of Orange, Massachusetts, ca. 1825-early 1900s (bulk 1870s-1890s), highlighted by approx. 47 Civil War-date letters dated August 1862 through December 1864 written by William N. Smith, 36th Massachusetts Infantry. Of the war-date letters, 34 were written from the field and approximately 13 were written between May and October 1864 while Smith was in the hospital recuperating from a wound received at the Battle of the Wilderness on 6 May 1864. Most letters addressed to his sister Maria Smith (1839-1912) as well as to his parents Sullivan and Laura Smith. Letters include references to the Battles of Fredericksburg, the fall of Vicksburg, and other skirmishes and events, but primarily reflect the daily activities and challenges of a soldier’s life. 

As soldiers often did, Smith appears to have numbered his letters sequentially so that recipients would be aware if one letter had not yet been received. Smith’s numbering system is somewhat inconsistent. His initial letters from mustering camp are not numbered. His letters while in the field are numbered, though he seemingly restarts his sequence when in the hospital in Philadelphia in 1864. Based on the numbering system, it appears that this grouping represents a small portion of Smith’s overall correspondence, yet at nearly fifty war-date letters is still a substantive Civil War letter archive. 

[With:] A group of four unidentified images, believed to be William N. Smith: sixth plate tintype seated portrait of Smith in uniform with lightly blue tinted sleeve chevrons indicating rank of corporal. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles indicate that Smith was promoted to the rank of corporal, date unrecorded. — Ninth plate ambrotype of Smith holding a violin or fiddle. — Ninth pate ruby ambrotype of Smith in civilian clothing. — Sixteenth plate loose tintype of Smith in uniform.

Letter 1

On board the steamship Merrimac
September 6th 1862

Dear sister,

I will again write a few lines to say for I have seen something since I wrote the other letter. I put that in charge of the Captain and he has got it yet as we have not stopped yet—not as quick as I expected—but I will write a little more and then you will have the more to read.

Well, I have seen a little of the slave plantations down here on the bank of the Potomac in Virginia. We can see a little if we are on the boat. We can see the cornfields and the nigger huts—some of them.

I have seen where the Merrimac and the Monitor had their fight but have not seen any fighting yet myself. We expect to get to Alexandria this afternoon about three o’clock and whether we shall go to Washington or not, I don’t know. We are passing ships of every description now and the Boys are telling them to show their colors and they do so.

I would like to be there with you about ten minutes and I could tell you more in that time than you ever heard in your life. I don’t know but you think that I am telling great stories but I will prove it to you when i get home. I just saw a fish jump out of water that would reach from North Orange to Athol, now that is a fact (don’t you believe it). I tell you it is a splendid sight to travel up this river. The shore is green and everything looks thriving (but the nigger huts).

I will write again before I can tell you where to direct your letters. I must stop now for I want to see the wonders of the Potomac. goodbye for now. your brother, –Nelson

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Letter 2

Falmouth, Virginia
December 27th 1862

Kind folks at home,

Again I take my pencil to say a few words to you. I received a letter from you of the date December 21st (No. 4) yesterday. I am favored now quite often by your kind letters. I think that I get all that you send me, at least I have since you began to number them. The last which I received, No. 4, I found $1 come to open the letter which Sylvester and Chandler sent me. I was very glad to get it although I had money plenty as I have sold my watch. you probably had not got the letter which I wrote giving you news of it. I have written several letters since I disposed of it and in one I sent $5 and told you of giving Henry five dollars as he wanted some money and we thought that would save sending it both ways and his father could let you have $5 to offset it. Have you received it off Caleb Maya yet?

I also received that diary you sent which was just the thing I wanted as it is much more handy than my old book. And you need not send any more money until I need some more for I have got between $8 and $9 now and that will last me a good while as there is not much that we can buy here now. And another thing, we don’t need much for we are drawing good rations and enough of them such as Hard Tack 9as we call it), beef, pork, beans, rice, sugar, coffee, a little molasses, condensed vegetable (that being several kinds of vegetable cut fine and mixed and pressed together) and once in a while a few potatoes, and once we have drawn onions.

I guess that I had something for supper at Christmas that you did not have. Well i happened to get a little corn meal and then I went to the butcher and got a little suit [suet] and cut it up fine and mixed it with my meal and made a little bag and put in the mixture and put the bag into a kettle and boiled it about two hours, took it out and found it to be one of the best boiled suet puddings. And while that was cooking, I made a soup of beef, pork, and hard tack that would surpass the best chicken that you ever saw. And all this with my tea. Don’t you think I had a Bully supper?

That box has not got along yet but I think it will before long as there was a lot of boxes came to this regiment a few days ago. My boots stand it well and so I am not in suffering condition for my new ones yet. I guess if you have not sent that vest, you need not now for I think that we shan’t have much more cold weather down here this winter. It is not cold enough here sow so that it freezes any nights excepting once in a while for a day or two. It is pretty cold but it don’t last long.

As for our army here, it is as near as I can find out moving off somewhere but where, I can’t tell. The small batteries have all gone and left the heavy ones to keep the rebs [on] the right side of the river, but we can’t tell much what is going on. we hear all kinds of stories and we believe what we have a mind to. One thing we do know, we got defeated in our battle the other day. Sorry to say it, but that was a failure and can’t be helped. And now they will try some other way, I think, than ordering the men to face the mouth of the cannon as they did this time.

The news from the South is very good but I think this war will have to be settled by some other way than by the use of gun powder and cold steel.

I received a letter from Charles T. Sanger today. Was glad to hear from him, of heir good health, &c. I owe them three letters down there and I will answer them as soon as I have time somehow. We use all our time in doing our chores besides our other duties which we are obliged to do. You had thought I wasn’t very well by Henry. You said that I was a little lame just then but I am generally very well. I can eat like a hog and have gained eight pounds within a month.

Tell Chandler he had better keep out of the ditches this cold weather. Ever one of your family, — Nelson