[Rarebooks] FS: Two Civil War soldier's letters, Company B, 97th NY Infantry

[Bob Petrilla]

Douglass, Byron J. TWO (2) HANDWRITTEN, CIVIL WAR LETTERS (ALsS) FROM THIS
SERGEANT IN CO. B, 97th NEW YORK INFANTRY, TO HIS BROTHER CHARLEY O.
DOUGLASS AT WEST LEYDEN, LEWIS COUNTY, NY: [Many phonetic spellings have
been corrected for ease of reading.]. Original manuscripts. Letter #1,
4-1/2pp, octavo, from HQ, 97th Regt. Caltett Station, Fauqier County,
Virginia, June 30, 1862, in part: "I suppose you would like to know what we
soldiers are up to now a days. Well we ain't doing much of anything .... I
was Sergeant of the Guard yesterday and last night .... There was a fellow
died and buried yesterday. He died with the fever .... You wanted to know
how Jake Casbacker got along. He is well but says that he rather be at West
Leyden, and work on a farm than to be a soldier, for the Rebels might shoot
him .... The rest of the boys from there are well and smart and all
enjoying ourselves first rate, but we would like it if we could get a
chance to fight a little .... Tell Chris that if he goes down the Lea
Corners that he must dance with all the pretty gals for me .... [He
encloses a Confederate dollar--not present now] If they won't take this
money up there rather than Union money, you can send it back to me and I
will send you some other for it is just as good as gold here .... Byron J.
Douglass" ~~ Letter #2, 4+pp, octavo, from Carver Hospital, Meridian Hill,
Ward 14, Washington, DC, Oct. 3, 1862, in part: "... I went over to the
Post Office last night and got your letters and then I went up to the
sutler's and got a dish of oysters ... first time that I have been out so
far ... I laid in bed 4 weeks ... My right leg is almost well...but the
other one, that is shot in the knee, that ain't healed up hardly any yet
.... The Captain and George Peeles and Adelbert Jones came up to see me
yesterday, but they did not stay but a minute .... Mr. Barnard started to
come and Nels Felsham and some other boys...but they all went to the
Capitol and they got parted there .... Little do they know about soldiering
now, and I hope they never will see the times that we have. Charley, if I
was home I would tell you some stories that you would think was pretty hard
.... If I get so that I can march and do duty again, I guess I shall have
to go back to the Regt. and see if I can drop one or two more of them
Rebels .... Byron J. Douglass"  [Includes one roughly opened envelope,
postmarked Washington, stamp removed.] Very Good.
Byron J. Douglass enlisted on September 30, 1861 at Boonsville, NY as a
Sergeant, and on the same day was mustered into Company B, 97th NY Infantry
Regiment. Douglass was discharged for disability at Washington, DC on Sept.
22, 1862. On March 1, he mustered again into the Unassigned 5th NY Heavy
Artillery, and was mustered out at Hart's Island, Westchester County, NY on
June 6, 1865. He fought in the battles of Cedar Mountain and Groveton,
where he was wounded as described above in his second letter.   $250.00


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