On March 12, 1861, Charles Russell Codman (1829-1918) enlisted in the Union Army as captain and adjutant. In 1862 he was commissioned into the Boston Cadets at Fort Warren. Following President Abraham Lincoln’s July 1, 1862, call for three hundred thousand soldiers, the Cadets began recruiting a nine month regiment. Codman was selected to be commander of this regiment, which was to be known as the 45th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Codman led the regiment during the Battles of Kinston and White Hall, as well as in skirmishes in and around New Bern, North Carolina. On July 21, 1863, the 45th Massachusetts was discharged from service.

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

New Bern, [North Carolina]
December 21st 1860

My dearest wife,

I returned this morning in safety to New Bern with the regiment. God has spared my life through many perils and I hope to show my thankfulness by being hereafter more devoted to His service. As the mail is about closing, I cannot now give you a detailed account of the expedition which has been completely successful throughout. Our regiment has suffered severely and behaved bravely. We had ten killed and 40 wounded at Kinston and 4 killed & ten wounded at White Hall.

Our brave relative Theodore Parkman was killed at White Hall. I have written to his father a detailed account of how it happened. I will only say to you here that it was not at all on account of his being color bearer that he was struck. The regiment was entirely out of sight of the enemy and Theodore was killed by being struck upon the head by a fragment of a shell that burst near us. I feel his loss keenly for I had learned to admire his unselfishness and manliness of character.

Dearest Lucy. The news that I receive in my letters from you which I find awaiting me here are mournful indeed. My dear friend and cousin and sister has passed from earth. She was more ready to go than most of us and yet it seems a severe dispensation. I feel it very deeply and can hardly realize it. Tom Russell. With all my heart I pity him and yet he seems to have the only consolation possible—and happy is he that it is so.

My darling Lucy, how much we all need to trust in God. I never felt it so much as when I went into the battle the other day. I believe that I was calm and my men say that I was brave, and I was myself surprised to find how cool I was when there was anything to be done, and yet men about me were killed and why should I not have been struck as well as others? I can only feel that God did not will it so. And I pray that through all my dangers, He may restore me to my dear wife & children. But at any rate, may you and I, my Lucy, both be prepared for the worst, by trusting in God. I will try to do so. Do you the same.

By the next mail, I will try to give you some account of our expedition and will answer many. Most fondly, your Charles