Culture

Clifton Farm, Va. Sept. 9^th, 1864.

Dear Cousin:-

Here I am, just about 1 ½ miles north of Berryville, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. I promised to write to you when in Washington, but have had so much to do that until within the past two weeks have had time to write to anyone, except my wife. I will give you a history of our movements since joining the regiment. Passed the Casey Board in Washington as first Lieut. for colored troops June 12^th, went to Camp Distribution June 14^th, drew arms and equipment that night (mine had been turned over at Brattleboro) next morning took a transport for Bermuda Hundred, reached there the third day after leaving Alexander. We went to City Point and the 6^th Army Corps had just crossed the Potomac and were in front of Petersburgh. Went up there and reported June 20^th for the places I shall mention. I will refer you to Leslie’s Illustrated Paper for Sept. 10^th.

Thursday morning, Sept. 8^th. I am here still in the old place, after cleaning up our company street, carrying off beef bones, scrap of beef that could not be eaten and bushels of cobs, husks, apple pearings, and had bean pods (you see there is plenty to eat). Those of us that could not draw the charges from our guns went out and fired them off. Was wiping out the gun when Zopher came over to see me. He is looking extremely well. Looks fresh and in good flesh. Was very glad to see him. The report is that the Johnnies are reported to have left, but I never put any confidence in reports after the fight on the 21^st of August I was quite unwell until the next Friday morning. That morning I got up all right. My legs were so sore that I could hardly step.

  Camp-near Berryville-Sept. 7, 1864.

Dearest Abiah –

It is sometime since I have written, but it would have made no difference, as there has been no chance to send out letters since we came here until last night, and then I was away after some water and a few apples to stew. We have to go some distance for green corn and apples now. We will soon clean out a hundred acres of corn. We came here Saturday morning. I had just before written to Mary Ann and to Father. Since we came here have been pretty still. Have worked one night building breast works and then were marched back. The breast work was built on our right facing Winchester. I have not seen Zopher since I wrote to Mary Ann, but the 3d Division has been in no fights since the first was in, the night we came here expected to have to go out, but the Rebs ran their heads against something that hurt them and hauled off.

Who was killed in the accident to the presidential party…

If you were in Brattleboro on September 1st, 1902, there is a good chance that you might have worked your way downtown to the train station late in the afternoon in expectation of the arrival of a notable visitor.

Arrangements had been in the works for months for a visit to Brattleboro by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Young Men’s Republican club had sent an invitation and had been forming committees to schedule the visit, arrange a program of activities, decorate the parade route, and welcome him to town. As the President’s plans changed (his time available was increasingly short), so did Brattleboro’s. The reception banquet was cancelled and a more simple ceremony substituted.

The visit, Roosevelt’s welcome, and his speech made headlines, and he spoke to those assembled on the topic of good government and Abraham Lincoln.

In additional to its historical Importance and preservation, one of the prime movers behind the redevelopment and renovation of the Brooks House is the economics of Brattleboro’s daily life. Historically, Brooks House was, and remains, the largest commercial structure in Brattleboro.

In the midst of The One and Only the Brooks House continues to be an important visual symbol of what makes Brattleboro so unique. Of all of Southern Vermont’s noteworthy landmarks none capture the quintessential past and renewed hopes for the future as this Main Street frontage in the center of downtown Brattleboro.

Hall Town, Aug. 27^th, 1864.

Dear Wife,-

I received a letter from you yesterday Hope you received my last. It was short but it was good, was it not? Warren’s wound was not considered dangerous, though it was very severe. My old bunk mate at Brattleboro was wounded. The shot came from a flank fire and in some way passed between the heel cord and the bone without touching either. We fought all day. We drove the rebels back. Drove them up a long slope of a hill side, through a corn field; after getting up the hill the land was in ridges. About two hundred yards from the crest of one hill to another. We drove them one ridge too far. They were not driven back immediately on our right, and there was a wooded ridge that came in between in this shape.