1864 – Letter from a Union sergeant on the battle lines near Petersburg describing mortar bombardments how Northern and Southern troops would call cease-fires so they could have friendly conversations

Item Details

Petersburg, Virginia, 1864, Letter

Very Good

1864 – Letter from a Union sergeant on the battle lines near Petersburg describing mortar bombardments and how Northern and Southern troops would call cease-fires so they could have friendly conversations

This two-page letter, datelined “Near Petersburg Va Oct 16^th 64”, was written by Sergeant Aaron Crouch of the 152^nd New York Infantry to his brother in Mohawk, New York. Enclosed its original mailing envelope with stamp removed. The letter is in nice shape.

In this letter, Crouch relates that he believes that soldiers will overwhelmingly support President Lincon’s reelection.

“I think when the army is heard from they will give a handsome majority for uncle abe, The 1^st Minnesota Regt. sent in their vote yesterday 86 for Lincoln 4 for Mac. . ..”

He then describes how Union and Confederate soldiers hold friendly conversations between the lines when they tire of shooting at each other.

“We are in the place where the charge was made the 19^th of July [Battle of the Crater] we are in plain sight of the blown up fort where so many of our Colored troops met their death the works are very strong here  about half of our men on piquet and the other half on the main line. . .. our boys have great times [as] our lines and the Johneys are pretty close together  they keep up a pretty strong fire at each other but sometimes they will agree to stop firing for a while  if they get to talking on politics they are sure to quarl and call eatch other hard names and down they go behind their works and have some lively shooting whitch will last an hour or two, when they get sick of it the onside or the other will sing out if our boys they say Johey or fi the Joheys it is yank if you will stop firing we will it is most always agreed to and they will get up in sight and are as friendly as can be  if either side gets order to fire they will allways give the other warning by singing out down yank or down Johney, after dark they begin to fire and keep it up all night. . ..”

He continues describing how nighttime mortar bombardments are visually enjoyed.

“Some times they get to going it so fast that the Artilery opens parhaps it will go the whole length of the line then there is lively times for they use mortors on both sides very freely and they drop the darned things about where they are amind to  we can see them very plain in the night for they have a tail of fire caused by the fuse buring and they go and come in all directions and it is better sight than any fourth of July I ever saw but a little more dangerous but we have good bombproofs and they dont do mutch damage to us for a mortar shell dont go through the air very fast you can see where they are coming and get into your hole untill it hass bursted then get out and look for another. . ..”

A terrific letter evidencing how soldiers can find enjoyment even in dangerous situations.

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