The following letter was written by George Chauncey Peck (1830-1906), a carpenter by trade, and the son of William Peck (1803-1879) and Elizabeth Tolles (1803-1886) of Woodbridge, New Haven, Connecticut. He was also the husband of Betsey Eliza Perkins (1834-1935) with whom he married in 1853 and had two children at the time of his enlistment. Muster rolls reveal that George enlisted as a corporal in Co. A, 10th Connecticut Infantry, in August 1862. He mustered out as a sergeant on 7 October 1864.

The 10th Connecticut was one of Connecticut’s most successful civil war regiments, compiling an exemplary record of service in the Union Army. The 10th saw action in the coastal campaign during the early years of the war, which culminated with the siege of Charleston. The 10th went on to fight the trench battles of Richmond, earning praise from Union generals and Ulysses S. Grant. The 10th was active at the war’s very end, when they blocked Robert E. Lee’s attempt to escape from Virginia. And, the 10th was present at Appomattox Court House when Lee surrendered to Grant. All told, the 10th regiment fought in twenty-three battles and at least as many skirmishes. [Wikipedia]

In this letter of April 1863, George wrote from Seabrook Island off the coast of South Carolina where his regiment, with three others, were rotated off and on outpost and guard duty for nearly three months.

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

On picket at the Upper End Seabrook Island
April 28, [1863]

Dear Father and Mother,

You must not feel hard if I have not written before. I had intended to but it had not come so I could as I wanted to but now I have a little time by myself before dinner. I must give you a little account of our life in the woods.

To begin at the beginning, we are on one of the islands that line the coast of South Carolina. We are some 20 or 25 miles from Charleston. This island has one large plantation and the other house to match [illegible] by a Mr. Seabrook but he has deserted his house. We have a regiment here to do picket duty and came on over in three weeks and stay on 7 day. We are in sight of the rebel pickets. Can see them any time. They are all mounted and have very good horses. They are dressed in all sorts of cloth—some dark, some of the light, some have on felt hats and some caps (grey). They came down and fired at us—or they did the first day that we came out here. But since, they have kept rather shy. They saw our pickets. Some of the boys get up in trees to see more of them. Edgar [Giles] Smith was up in the tree and they shot at him but it went through the top of the tree above his head. I think he got down soon. Our Boys saw the fire and returned it soon and they were off sudden. Since the first day, they have not fired.

Our General sent out a flag-of-truce yesterday and we expect one in our lines today. It is about some letters from some prisoners that we took at Stono Island just above us. They can see Charleston from that island. They have fortified Charleston very strong and in order to take it, has got to be done with a large force if they do not do anything with the monitor and gunboats. But they are to do something with the gunboats. They are fitting out another expedition and it is soon to make a strike on Charleston. They could do more than they did before. Why they did not is a mystery to me. They claimed that they silenced Moultrie and breached Sumpter [Sumter] and done all they wanted to, but I think they have a good deal to do before Charleston is ours. But from what we are able to find out, they are making extensive preparation for the next grand attack. I hope that the next will be the one and the right one and that Sumpter and the forts will be ours and that Charleston will be burned to the ground. I have some matches saved for that purpose if I am permitted to go up there safe. We can’t find out much what is going on here—only that some movements are on foot. I find the men ready for the fight as ever and down on the Copperheads. (by the way, I see by the paper that they have placed you on the Police [?] list for this year.)

I am glad that Gov. Buckingham is our next governor and may he do as well as usual for us and take the same interest in our welfare. By the time this reaches you, you will be off to Legislation for I can’t tell when our mail will go. I have not heard from home since I left Fort Hamilton excepting a letter that came from there from Eliza. I am…

I had to stop for the dinner. You will want to know how we get along in this part of our duty. I will tell you. In the first place, we have our cook go with us of course. We take two camp kettles and carry our stuff with us and cook it then in the woods. We are some three miles from our camp in the woods. We have to make our tents of the leaves. We can use our tents for they would see where we are so they reason for using green boughs. We use the Palmetto leaves for our huts. Now about our meals, we have to carry it to the picket post. They are about 3/4 of a mile from our reserve on duty. They can’t have their post but one at a time, 4 men on a post, so we are on the reserve and have to carry it to them. Have been on the reserve all the time sergeant of the reserve. By the way, I forgot the carrying around the meals. We take the coffee in our camp better for we cook our salt junk in the same kettle we make the coffee and when we get it made, it is as black as a cat is—the water.

The way we get our water, we take a cracker box and dig down into the ground somewhere near where we want to cook, sink the box down, then the water comes in it. It’s not as good as rain water that you would catch at home but it is all that we can get and have to take that. I drink as little as I can but am dry sometimes. Then I chew a limb of some bark. We cook our salt junk and cut it up and put into a box and then go around with it. I have been with most of the timeserving it out to them so it goes from day to day til our time is out. We stay out 7 days, then another regiment comes out and takes our place. We have four regiments on this island now and our turn will come once in four weeks. But this is doing picket duty in cr___ for we see the rebel picket all the time and they see us also but they have not fired on us since the first day. They found out that the 10th Conn. Vols. is on, but as soon as any other comes, then firing.

It is some healthy here now but how long it will be so I can’t say. The men are in first rate spirits—ready for anything that duty calls them to do. We are waiting for something to be done somewhere. We do not get much news and therefore can’t tell much what is going on up North. I am very anxious to hear from home. By the way, what did you think of the pictures of your soldier son? I did not have time to write you anything and though they might speak for themself in some light—that is, if you have got them. I hope you have. I found Leonard well but not as fleshy as I was in hopes to. I am satisfied in my mind that he smokes too much for his good. He seemed glad to see me and I am sure [ ] glad to see him I landed at landing and I found him as soon as I could. Stayed all night with him and part of the next day. We were together and we did not let our tongue lay still, I tell you. It seems as if I had lived some 19 months in a very short time. We talked old matters over and it seemed as if I was ready to go and stay my three years out and say not one word. As for his troubles, he seemed to take it quite cool. I am satisfied in my own mind that he was a little careless but not enough to be served as they served him. He is like much in his company and in others and the captain said he was ready to do his duty at anytime. I don’t know that I think he may get it back again sometime. I hope so for [I] feel different about it than some.

I saw Lieut. Townsend but not the Captain. I suppose he will be mad at me for slighting him. I [ ] to but I was in a great hurry to get [ ] and did not have time to go back the second time. In fact, I did not care to see him. I have not much of an opinion of him. Make the best of him from all that I can learn. I seen the other boys and seen in particular. He is as natural as life and it did me good to see him. I saw him down at the landing first with John Hernes. Tey all were looking well and seemed glad to see me from they way they came around me, taking my going home and then back. I have seen and met with much that I shall long remember. I think if my life is spared any length of time, I am [in] hopes that the time will soon come that I can see the things in their own light. We have many rumors with us about this thing the same as it was with us last winter, but nothing that is to be believed.

I feel in my heart that the time is soon coming for a quick change and the most cheering news is from the North that there is a great interest manifested amongst the people in some places. Oh! that the people will feel that from God comes all good and that they are ready to lie low at His feet and call for help. If so, then we can hope fr help and only then. I feel the same now as when I first told you my feeling about my enlisting. I shall always feel that He who rules all things well, had these thing for our good and that when we as a Nation are sufficiently humble, then He will lift the load from our shoulder. I feel that I wsa called to go and to go in the way I did. It was not for money that I went but for the love of my country and for her I will die if it is God’s will. But I feel He has more work for me to do although it may be [ ] humble. I have my work to do and as soon as I got to the company, I found something to do to this one and that I am glad to say that I can see some change in some all ready….

Mother, I hope you will continue to remember us all (soldiers) in your daily supplication to God. I know you will. I feel it now. Hoping you will be spared till the end. I must close for this time to you. I shall write to Wales and Jennie soon. I hope you will answer this soon in a good long letter. I shall want to hear all that is going on. Remember me to all the friends, far and near, — Geo. C. Peck