The following letters were written by British emigrant Joseph W. Luxford (or Laxford) (1838-1862) of North Troy, Orleans county, Vermont. Joseph enlisted as a private in Co. D, 6th Vermont Infantry on 29 August 1861 and was mustered in on 15 October 1861. Within two weeks of his muster, as can be seen in Letter 1, he was transported with his regiment to Camp Griffin in Virginia where they spent the winter of 1861-62. Before spring, however, Joseph had died. Muster rolls record his death as having taken place at the Broad & Cherry General Hospital in Philadelphia on 23 February 1862. The cause of death was Diphtheria.
Descriptions of Joseph’s illness and death were captured in two letters written by Moses Abbott who served in the same company with him. These letters are housed at the University of Virginia and have been transcribed on-line. See:
(6624) [writer] ~ Moses Abbott to Dinah Luxford, 1 February 1862
(6625) [writer] ~ Moses Abbott to Dinah Luxford, 26 February 1862
Joseph was the son of Henry Luxford and Mary Tabitha Turner of Kent, England. It appears the family must have emigrated to the US in the 1840s. Joseph wrote the letter to his sister Dinah.
[Note: These letters are from the private collection of Greg Herr and were made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Letter 1
Lewinsville
Camp Griffin
October 30th 1861
Good morning sister,
As I have opportunity to write, I thought I would improve it and write you a few lines to let you know I like camp life so far first rate. I have enjoyed good health so far and that you know is one of God’s greatest blessings. I enjoyed the journey from Montpelier to Washington right well for it was something new to me, you know—to get away from home and riding on the cars—to see something new too. So you see there was a good eal to keep me awake and to look at.
We started from Montpelier one week ago last Saturday morning about eight or nine o’clock. Sunday morning we stopped at Springfield, Massachusetts and eat supper. I see Henry Kirk there. He was well. He told me he come seventeen miles [for the] purpose to see the boys. We stayed at New Haven until eight o’clock, went on board a steamboat—Elm City by name—and unloaded at Jersey City. It was the pleasantest ride that I ever experienced. There was a good many things to attract our attention. Perhaps you will not know what to look for [in] these places but if you don’t, go to Geography and find Montpelier. Then find New Haven in Connecticut and follow the railroad from one place to the other and you can see the places that I passed through. From New Haven to Jersey City it is 90 miles and I think it’s as pleasant a ride as a fellow can take on the water.
From Jersey City we went to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. From there to Baltimore in Maryland. From there to Washington which you know is the Capitol of the United States. You can, by looking on the map, tell the places that I passed through better than I myself for I rode day and night from the time we left Montpelier until we got to Washington so you must not blame me if I don’t give you a detailed account of everything that transpired on the road for I was tired and slept. When we got to Philadelphia, I eat my supper and went out into the street where we had to wait two hours for the cars. I laid down on the sidewalk and had a good nap though it was of short duration for some of the boys felt pretty well and they made so much noise that it was almost impossible for a fellow to sleep.
Now I guess I must tell you something about my present location. We are situated on a pleasant swell of land with encampments all around us. We are in Virginia about five miles from Chain Bridge. Report says there is 50,000 troops within two hours march of us but whether that is true or not, I do not know. But one thing I do know and that is that the ground is pretty well spotted with encampments.
Last Friday, Mr. [Liberty] Aldrich and [I] went out in the woods to look around a little. We went out where there was a band playing. It done me good to listen to the music. After we had listened to the music awhile, we went over to the 5th [Vermont] Regiment where we found Timothy Abbott and he was just getting over the measles. He is getting quite strong. I have seen Goodwin…one by one crutch and a cane, the cause of …fingers is shattered too caused by an accidental discharge of his gun while on…
I wish you had been here last night for just after I went to bed, a band of serenaders made our regiment a visit and played about an hour and I think it was the best band that I ever heard play. It seems like home where I tent for there is Wilbur Leach, Liberty Aldrich, Moses Abbott, Harry Pettingill and three more. Two persons from P____Hill.
Well. I guess I must tell you what I am now [illegible]…to stand on guard two hours and then…
Wilber Leach, Moses Abbott and I went down to the brook and washed our clothes and now I must tell you goodbye for the present. This from your loving brother, — J. W. Luxford
Direct your letters to Washington, Company D, 6th Regiment Vermont Volunteers.
Letter 2
Headquarters 6th [Vermont] Regiment, Co. D
Camp Griffin
[mid November] 1861
Dear Sister,
I received your welcome letter a few evenings ago. Was glad to hear that you are all well but should like to hear that you could feel as contented about me where I am as you would if I was there at home where you could see me every day for I am enjoying both life and health at the present time and expect to while I stay here.
It is the coldest day that I have seen since I have been in Virginia. The wind blows quite cold and chilly this morning. It seems the most like Vermont weather of anything that I have seen. It is quite different here than it is there for some times through the day, it is as warm here as it is there in May. But when night comes, there is quite a change for then it becomes damp and chilly so that a fellow needs his overcoat on to keep from catching cold.
Well, Dinah, I guess I must tell you something of my soldier’s life this week and when you answer this, I want you to tell me what you think about my enjoying myself. Well now, for a commencement, Monday I drilled some in company and some in battalion.
Tuesday, Harry J. Bailey, William Blanchard, Harry B. Pettingill, Charles Santau and I from our company and twenty more from other companies started off to husk some corn for Uncle Sam. we went about three miles from camp, We husked about an acre and a half. After we got the corn husked, we started off to see if we could find some classmates but were not successful. We then went back to the cornfield to wait for the teams to come and draw the corn away but when we got to the cornfield, one fellow told us that he saw some grapes in the woods but they were up so high that they could not be got. But we thought it was best to go and see so away we went and found the grapes. They was not up so high but what we could reach them though some of them were up thirty or forty feet. We found all we wanted to eat and had a good time a climbing through trees to get them.
Wednesday, three of the crew that went to our tent and two more went up with our axes and picks to level off some ridges and dig some stumps and fil some ditches. We worked until about two o’clock. Then we went back to our camp and left our tools. Then we went back to see the regiments drill. There was 26 regiments all drilling at one time. They looked well now, I tell you. I wish you could be here next Monday if it is pleasant for report says there is going to be a reviewing of 90,000 troops and if that is so, I think it will be worth seeing, don’t you? At any rate, I wish to see what there is to be seen for a lot of well-dressed soldiers with their guns are a splendid sight. At any rate, I think they are. Well, I guess you will think that I lost the track. I must confess that I have got a good ways from it if I have not lost it.
Well Thursday five of us started off with our guns for headquarters to stand on guard. Well, we got there about nine o’clock, I think. Oh, I forgot to tell you that there was 45 went from our regiment. We had to guard the prisoners—not prisoners that were taken from the rebel army but unruly boys that had done something wrong. Some had got asleep on guard, some had talked saucy to the officers. Part of the time I was guarding them poor unlucky fellows, part of the time I was guarding a stack of wheat, part of the time I was guarding a cabbage bed and the magazine, part of the time I was guarding spring to keep folks from roiling it up. So you see I was not tied to one spot [even] if I was on guard. Oh, I have not told you the best of the story but I will in a few words. Well, it rained—that was the best of it.
Friday I didn’t have to do anything and today it is about the same. Well, I don’t know as I have more to write. Harry Bailey sends his respects to you. Moses [Abbott] the same. Give my love to all enquiring friends and accept the same yourself. Direct the same as before. This from your loving brother, — J. W. Luxford
Write as soon as you can for this time my hand and feet are cold and I must [say] goodbye and go to the fire and warm them up, Goodbye.
