Tillotson, George W. (fl. 1830-1918) To his wife
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04558.026 Author/Creator: Tillotson, George W. (fl. 1830-1918) Place Written: Roanoke Island, North Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 2 June 1862 Pagination: 4 p. ; 20.5 x 13 cm. Order a Copy
Home affairs: children, horses, business deals. Food: "We have plenty of salt pork, bacon, and beef there has been a lot of fat cattle brought here which they butcher so as to have fresh beef twice a week.... We get a kind of conglomerated vegitables [sic] composed of all sorts of boiled, mixed up together and dried vegitables for soup. It is considered very healthy and is middling good but since some of the boys found worms in their soup it dont go down so well." Describes bread so heavy that the soldiers fight with it.
Tillotson was thirty-one years old when he enlisted as a corporal on November 5, 1861. He mustered in H company of the NY 89th infantry or Dickinson Guards and later promoted to Sergeant. He was discharged on December 18, 1864.
Roanoke Island June 2nd 1862
My Dear Wife
Your letter of the 25th and post marked 27th last I received this morning. I am very well and am glad to learn that you are all well also. You must be as cheerful as possible and not give up to dispondency so much. I to rely a good deal upon hope and manage to keep in pretty good spirits but then I know that I have more here to divert my mind than you have there. I wrote a letter to Mary and Uri yesterday but as it is, this will probably go in the same mail. I don't suppose you could coax or hire Georgiana to stay away from than you can Leon to go to school. Well never mind he will be some company for you If you had some of our warm weath[r] and showers guess there wouldnt be [2] much trouble but what crops would grow. Tell Fred Bunnel to charge and then fire. The damned scoundrel knows as well as I do that Will White was to pay for his horses services and that he himself accepted White for pay at the time the trade was made and I can prove it. If White didnt figure for his (Bunnels) horse as he agreed to it aint my fault and White must stand it. Yes I think best to try the luck again but if there is any other good horse in the country which has a deasent owner send her there instead of [inserted: to] Bunnels and if Fred comes around just read to him what I say about it. I did not expect to have my letter published and dont think it looks very well in print but still I shant scold now it cant be helped.
Dan did not have the fore piece of [3] His cap nor any thing else shot off nor was he or his clothes touched by a bullet. George and Abe both fell out. I make out to stand the hot weather so far very well. The days, when it is clear, and still, are very warm, but the nights are cool. Our liveing is very simple, we have plenty of hard crackers, I keep a box of them up on my bunk all the while for the tent and deal them out as they want them We have plenty of salt pork, bacon, and beef there has been a lot of fat cattle brought here which they butcher so as to have fresh beef twise a week but all the rest may eat it if they are a mind to but I dastent. We get a kind of conglomerated vegitables composed of all sorts of vegitables [inserted: boiled mixed up together and dryed] for soup. It is considered very healthy and is midling good but since some of the boys found worms in their soup it don't go down so well
[4] We generally draw half rations of flour. They have built a bakery so that any one can use it to bake that wants to The last five days rations of flour that was drawn for the company the captain set Preston to bakeing up but it was heavyer then lead about between ledd and mercury Our first Lieutenant Murray Lewis [inserted: and Corporal Hooper] got to fireing chunks of it at one another while I lay on my bunk. Harper being in the tent and Lewis out in the street when Harper dodged a chunk about as large as my fist which struck my rist right in front of my mouth, but you know I am tough soon however Harper sat down on a bench when Lewis threw a chunk which struck him in the eye and nocked him over as quick as though it had been a cannon ball and he has got a black eye yet. We get rice and beans occasionally but our best hold is baked pork and beans. We have plenty of coffe and black tea. We [inserted: draw] five days rations of sugar and molasses at a time I get for the tent a little over a quart of molasses and we have a pint of sugar apiece Most of the inhabitants of the island have a guard at each house to protect the women and property. Lew Davis was or pretended to be lame with the rheumatis[inserted: m] so he couldnt drill and so they sent him to guard the house where he is and it suits him to a notch. We have to laugh once in a while to see him comeing along through the woods escorting the ladies as spruse as a boy til he gets in sight of the camp when he will be taken suddenly and hopelessly lame If you envy Viola her happiness maybe you think I dont envy Albert his. Maybe I dont and maybe I do, but then I am as ever your
Affectionate and True husband
George W Tillotson
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