From Jerome to Allie, October 20, 1863

From Jerome to Allie, October 20, 1863

Peirce, Jerome

Peirce, Joseph

Boston, MA

From Jerome to Joseph

Jerome Peirce

Jerome Peirce Collection, National Park Service

HIST 428 (Spring 2020), University of Mary Washington

1863-10-20

NPS, Civil War Study Group, Ben Raterman (Transcriber)

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

"5.29 X 3.10" - 1st Scan
"4.96 X 8.10" - 2nd Scan
"9.98 X 8.10" - 3rd Scan
(JPG)

English

Text

Letter #169

Boston, MA

Boston 20th Oct 1863
Brother Joseph,
Mary’s letter is just received and I can only reply in a word as I am ordered to the Regt. and leave this P.M. at ½ past 2.
Did not recover but a moment last eve. and came up to Foster’s.
Have no news. Letters from Jos. H. were received here same date as yours. I may not see the Regt. for two months yet to come.
Wish you would write occasionally and direct to the Regt.
It is sad about the Orange boys. Certainly the town has reason to remember the war and many are made mourners. I am so firmly in the belief that “all’s for the best” that I return to my duties cheerfully altho I expected to remain awhile.
Weather is delightful and I hope to keep well and hearty as I am. Allie and Lulu are well. Hardly expect to see them again.
Will let you hear from me as often as possible.
Remember as ever to all the friends. I would have been glad to have visited you but I don’t see how I could. Don’t think I was indifferent.
Accept my best wishes for you all. Trusting that the tide of patriotic feeling will again arise to back up the recent elections and sustain the “braves” in the field and close this “Civil” War”.
I am as ever your brother,
Jerome Peirce

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES (Josef Rokus)

NOTE 1: To identify the members of the Peirce family, a detailed, well documented 283-page history of the family written and published in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1880 by Frederick Clifton Peirce was used. It is titled Peirce Genealogy, Being the Record of the Posterity of John Pers, an Early Inhabitant of Watertown, in New England, which is now available on Google Books. It traces the Peirce family history back to John Pers in England, who was born in about 1588 and died in 1661.
According to that Peirce family history, Joseph Peirce was one of Jerome’s older brothers, having been born in 1820. (Jerome was born on November 11, 1831.) It is fairly certain that Joseph and Jerome operated a furniture manufacturing business in North Orange, Massachusetts, before Jerome enlisted on August 4, 1862. According to the envelope and other sources, Joseph continued to live in North Orange, and it might be assumed that he continued to operate the business.

NOTE 2: Foster Peirce was also one of Jerome’s older brothers. The 1850 U.S. Census listed him as being born in 1812, living in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and being in the furniture business. It is interesting to note that when that census was taken, Jerome, then 19 years old, was living with the Foster Peirce family, with his occupation being recorded as a “gilder.”

NOTE 3: 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 (to whom this letter was addressed), one of Jerome’s brothers, and was, therefore, Jerome’s nephew.

Letter/Paper