This letter was written by 38 year-old Nelson A. Daines (1824-1875), who enlisted as an artificer in Battery E, 1st New York Light Artillery in September 1861. In December 1863, Nelson re-enlisted and in June 1864 was transferred into Battery L. He remained with the unit until 17 June 1865 when he mustered out at Elmira, New York. According to his enlistment record, Nelson was born in Yates county, New York, and was a 42 year-old blacksmith when he entered the service in 1861. He had dark eyes, dark hair, a dark complexion, and stood 6 foot 2 inches. According to on-line genealogical records, Nelson was the son of Simeon Daines and Catherine Boulongee. He was married to Rebecca Torrence. His son’s name was Emory. He died in Towlesville, Steuben county, New York in 1875.
Nelson’s service record indicates that he was present with his battery at the following engagements: Lee’s Mills, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Seven Days, 2nd Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Thoroughfare Gap, Mine Run, Wilderness, Laurel Hill, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad. He claimed he “was never sick one hour” and that he never spent any time in a hospital unless it was “to look after sick & wounded boys.”
Nelson and his wife Rebecca were enumerated in Howard, Steuben county, New York in 1855 and 1860. He was buried in Bath, Steuben county, New York.
T R A N S C R I P T I O N
Washington [D. C.]
Sunday, February 9, 1862
My dear wife & boy,
I received your letter February 8th & I was very glad to hear from you and was glad to hear that your health was better. My health was never better & hope yours will keep improving. The weather here is very foul—rain and awful mud so that we don’t pretend to drill. Say to Old Mrs. Mills that Charles is getting better so he walks out. We still remain on the same ground a half mile of the Capitol.
You wanted to know what Uncle Henry wrote. He said that Henry Willis had not let you have anything since I left [and] that you suffered for wood, that you & him was going down to Snell’s and take up that mortgage. The amount was three dollars that I could send him—[all] the money that I had. Better have someone collect my books. [He also said] that Emery was so bad that you could do nothing with him. I felt mad and bad. It looked as though you and him was going to run the machine all together.
There is nothing would suit me better than to see you & Emery but I am in the service of my country & [in me] they’ll find one that will stand by it. The Boys consider themselves safe if I am with them. Till death or an honorable discharge, as long as the blood flows in the veins of N. Daines, I think I shall be by the first of July to help celebrate that glorious day. If Providence permits, we’ll have a good one. If its nothing more, we’ll cheer the old flag. Secesh begins to tremble at every point. As soon as the road dries up, [we] shall move on Old Virginia with three or four hundred thousand men. Our battery, it takes thirteen hundred horses to draw it from the field besides our baggage. But I and we are nothing but a drop of water in a bucket.
Emery, I want you to be a good boy & do all [you can] for your Mother. I can’t believe but what you will. There has some boys run away from home & come to the army but I will tell you how they stop it. When a boy [of] 15 or 16 is seen in a regiment, he is asked where he is from. He’s [then] reported to the Colonel [who] reports him to the marshal. If he won’t tell where he’s from, the marshal puts a ball on his leg that weighs 25 pounds, puts him in the lock up, lets them lay on the floor one night, and then they’ll tell their name & where they are from. The marshal then puts in handcuffs and sends him on the first train of cars to state he’s from [and to] the work house and then send a letter to his parents where….[end of letter is missing]
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