Smith, William A. (fl. 1863) to Mary E. Townsend
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08989 Author/Creator: Smith, William A. (fl. 1863) Place Written: Falmouth, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 11 February 1863 Pagination: 3 p. : envelope ; 17 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy
Expresses strong dislike of the Emancipation Proclamation, and does not want to fight for blacks. A soldier from the One Hundred and Sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, part of the Irish Brigade, writing to his sister. "You asked me how I like the Niggers Bussiness I tell you wat I think of It in shorte wordes to hell with the Niggers I did not come out to fight for Niggers I come to fight for the flag and for the Union Insted of going to free Niggers and down at Fort Royle they think a Nigger is better than a white man and I donte thinq mutch of that for I would shoote one as quick as wink if he give me any sass and would not now wate to hurt him and I would not think nothing of it. Well I got a letter from Frank the other day and he said that the Nigger Regt is thought of more than the whites." Written one month after the Emancipation Proclimation.
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