From Jerome to Allie, March 10, 1863

From Jerome to Allie, March 10, 1863

Peirce, Jerome

Allie

Newport News, VA.

From Jerome to Allie

Jerome Peirce

Jerome Peirce Collection, National Park Service

HIST 428 (Spring 2020), University of Mary Washington

1863-03-10

NPS, Civil War Study Group, Josef Rokus (Transcriber)

For educational purposes with no commercial use. Courtesy of National Park Service, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP, FRSP 16095-16102 (FRSP-00904).

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English

Text

Letter #83

Newport News VA.

N. [Newport] News Va 10th Mch 1863
My dearest Allie,
Do you ever rejoice to have it rain? Well I do this morn. The call had sounded for morning drill when it commenced to rain. (Oh miserable pencil! Can you send me another by and by. See that the lead is black, not too soft). Send me a dime and I will have ink and try and write with it once more, don’t seem more than 10 c [cents].
Well, I have gone thru the usual morning exercises, viz. shaking blankets, washing and combing hair, blacking boots ready for drill, using toothbrush so that my teeth are much as of old. Our food don’t foul the mouth as at home, and I think you would think you have quite a good looking “soldier boy” yet! You see my conceit is not quite dispelled but here in the Army self esteem is a “big thing”.
Jesting aside, I have read over your last letter of 4th Mch. [March] and I just mentioned it in my last of Sunday.
You must, I should think, have had a nice time at Mr. Judkins. How pleasant it is to see aged people like Mrs. F. for I know she enjoyed it and has her faculties sufficient to appreciate it all. I wish you would always remember me to her, for we think over all the pleasant times here, etc. often call to mind my walks and calls about “Pleasant Valley” and you know what I think of quite young and old people.
Allie, do you keep any kind of diary, even a short note of the passing time? I am sorry to hear you speak of working so hard and you must humor yourself all you can but if you could just keep something to recall your doings I think ‘twould be a good thing. When I get my little book full, shall send it home although ‘twill be nothing new as I believe I have told you the various moves of camp life.
Sun. eve. Last was particularly pleasant to me. ‘twas warm and took a stroll after “tea”. By the way, Co. B “get up” some nice baked beans, like home, so went there Sund. eve. and had a few by the politeness of Geo. Edmunds, a nephew of Ben, so had coffee and beans with baker’s bread and butter and then came the walk till “Tatoo”. Heard the band play, sat by the side of the river chatting of things past and present and we both feel more patriotic as we view the beautiful country and noble views and a thousand assertions and resolve that it must be one Union and people. Geo. E. is a son of Edward Edmonds who is dead some years ago. Geo. is about 21. I pass most of my time in his and Ben’s tent. Ben is older and tents with another ‘set’. Geo. has my Shakespeare now and will enjoy it this foul day.
Yesterday the Col. took his place again on his fine grey horse that was presented him at Falmouth and we moved. I assure you and then P.M. came the Brigade Drill which takes the three Regts., in all about 15 hundred men, and makes quite a show. We go thru the movements as in battle in changing positions, marching, etc. but not firing. Col. Leasure of the Penn. 100th is Acting Brigadier Gen. and his manner makes a good deal of sport although he is a pleasant man but he’ll bring out his aides shout Orrrrder Arrrms! in a fine and hoarse voice. He is quite considerate of the men and that we imagine troubles the Col. some and so amuses us for he loves to ‘rush’ things when on drill.
We have a great deal to amuse us here. Last eve. a lot of us had a general squabble, pushing etc. in the street and finally Sergeants Perley and Woodward, the latter of Orange, with Jos. H. and self had a fun game of eucher in our tent in which the Peirces were ahead.
I have thus given you a little notion of camp life. Each day passes much the same and on the whole we enjoy life here quite, yes, very well and as our tents turn water we have no trouble about that. Think ours will not ‘tip up’ again just yet. Had a paper from you yesterday of Mch 3. Don’t see as they how got quite ready yet but I’m confident that we’ll be all right by and by. The people must make one more “pull altogether’ and the Rebellion will end, for we have evidence that they can’t hold out much longer as things are in an awful state at the South.
Our camp is full of “Contrabands” who peddle all sorts of things and some poor families reside here close by and some of the little “nigs” look quite cunning as they dance and hop about at the band music for you know they are born full of music of some sort.
We expect an event today or tomorrow. Capt. Draper’s wife of Milford, Mass., is to visit her husband, one of our youngest, finest captains and who has drilled us in the absence of the Col. and who we would like for Col. They are wealthy people of Milford and he has been out in the 25th Regt I believe, and was attached to the Signal Corps awhile. His father came to N.N. [Newport News] when we did to visit him.
As mail don’t close till P.M. will leave room for a word if I have any mail. Am going to send the Register and ‘Trumpet’ to Frank.
A little later. Looking over a religious [???] found the following which is beautiful and can we not both appreciate it. It is from Victor Hugo, the great French author.
“The pupil dilates in the night and at last finds Day in it, even as the soul dilates in misfortune and at last finds God in it.”
I congratulate Hattie on the book “A Talk with My Pupils”. Have seen a notice of it and it must be one of the best. Will is a thoroughly noble fellow and how I wish I could see them. It seems “Haverill” was up here a while ago. I expect he is chaplain of the 6th. Wish I could have met him. Have written to Abbie.
No mail yet, so adieu
Jerome

7th letter I believe from here

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

NOTE 1: The Unit History includes the following summary regarding February and March of 1863. The 36th Massachusetts moved to Newport News, Virginia, on February 10, 1863, where it remained in camp until March 22, 1863. On March 23 through March 29, 1863, the men of the 36th Regiment went by steamer to Baltimore and then by train freight cars, outfitted with rough board seats, to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and then again by steamer to Cincinnati, Ohio, and on to Lexington, Kentucky. They remained there, except for a short assignment back to Cincinnati to deal with possible riots during an election. Those riots never materialized.

NOTE 2: A tattoo is a military performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from an early 17th century Dutch phrase doe den tap toe ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeepers near military garrisons to stop serving beer and for soldiers to return to their barracks. It was commonly used in the Civil War to signal “Lights Out.”

NOTE 3: William F. Draper, from Milford, Massachusetts, enlisted at age 21 as a Private in September 1861. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on October 12, 1861, and was promoted steadily thereafter, becoming a Major on July 31, 1863. For a time, he was on detached duty with the U.S. Signal Corps. He commanded the 36th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment from October 10, 1863, until August 10, 1864, except during a time when he was recovering from a severe wound he sustained in the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864. He was mustered out of the service on October 12, 1864, upon the expiration of his three years of service. He was subsequently promoted to Brevet Colonel and then Brevet Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, for “gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war.”

NOTE 4: The “Jos. H.” that Jerome referred to in this letter was Joseph H. Peirce. He enlisted as a Private in Orange, Mass., on August 4, 1862, at age 18. Jerome also enlisted in Orange on the same date, but as a corporal. Jerome was 31 years old at the time. According to the Unit History, Joseph H. Peirce was taken Prisoner of War at Pegram Farm, Virginia, on September 30, 1864, (See Letter No. 227) and he was later exchanged. He was discharged on June 21, 1865. Joseph H. Peirce was the son of Joseph Peirce, one of Jerome’s brothers, and was, therefore, Jerome’s nephew.

NOTE 5: “Contraband” was a term commonly used in the United States military during the Civil War to describe a new status for certain escaped or freed slaves who affiliated with the Union forces. The Army (and the United States Congress) determined that the U.S. would not return escaped slaves who went to Union lines and classified them as contraband. They used many as laborers to support Union efforts and soon began to pay them wages. The former slaves set up camps near Union forces, and the Army helped support and educate both adults and children among the refugees. Thousands of men from these camps enlisted in the United States Colored Troops when recruitment started in 1863. At war's end, more than 100 contraband camps existed in the South, including the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island, where 3,500 former slaves worked to develop a self-sufficient community.

NOTE 6: The book “A Talk with my Pupils” was written by Mrs. Charles Sedgwick in 1862 and published in 1863. Reprints are still available today.

Letter/Paper