The following letter was written by 19 year-old Jacob Azro Gould (1843-1889), the son of Jacob Townsend Gould (1805-1853) and Sophia E. Samson (1818-1882) of Hopkinton, St. Lawrence county, New York.

When Jacob wrote this letter in August 1862, he had been working as a clerk in a dry goods store, living with and employed by Orren Dorman of Swanton, Vermont. He lived there 16 years before relocating to Rutland and entering into partnership with his brother in law, A. F. Davis.

Gould’s letter speaks of the enlistment of volunteers in Vermont in August 1862 in response to Lincoln’s call for troops under the federal Militia Act of 1862. He speaks of the federal order issued by Secy. of War Edward Stanton temporarily banning all draft-eligible men from leaving the country. Gould claims he’d serve rather than run if drafted but apparently the call never came. I could find no evidence he was drafted.

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

Swanton, Vermont

August 10th 1862

Friend Silas,

Probably you will be glad to hear of my safe arrival at home again. And as I owe you a letter, I will try & pay you now. The folks here are all half frightened to death for fear of being drafted—especially the Frenchmen. They are running to Canada almost in droves. But it is now against the law for anybody leaving the state without a pass. They search the cars & boats everyday. Yesterday they caught seven or eight on their way to Canada in the cars. They were arrested and sent back. I do not know where.

Well, if they wish to draft me, all right. I will not try to run. But I tell you, Silas, this war is an awful thing. We know nothing about it here at the North. But perhaps we may yet before we get through with it. Well we must make the best of it.

Our last company left here yesterday morning for headquarters. They are [en]listing pretty fast all over the state. It may be that they will not have to draft here but probably they will. We shall know by Friday, the 15th, most likely. There has a great many good boys gone from here the last week which of course a great any will never return. Well it is in a good & glorious cause, of course you know. Are not you glad that they cannot draft you? Probably they will have to draft a great many in New York State. Do they talk much of it there? If they take me, I shall hold my tongue & make the best of it.

I wonder how Frank R. gets along. Was it not too bad because I did not make her a call? Well it is too late now so I will not cry. Going home from your house that night, I bothered Chloe considerable about you. I told her I did not have any objections &c. Well if I go to war, I will write to you as I do now of course for if I go, I am not agoing to be killed of course, not although they are pretty careless down that way. They come near killing folks sometimes but, however, all right.

Give my best respects to all, especially that man who caught those trout—I cannot think of his name. No more. Goodbye. — J. A. Gould