December 4, 1862 One of the more historical references Abbott has made thus far occurs in today’s letter when he mentions reading the President’s Message. He calls it “the best thing I have ever read.” Indeed, the 1862 State of the Union address served to reinforce the Emancipation Proclamation, delivered only ten weeks previously. Lincoln presented it in a far more moderate way, though still emphasizing that once freed, slaves would remain so forever. This is definitely an interesting tidbit that he has mentioned. It’s not every day that we can learn about the major speeches from this time period from someone who was actually around at the time. Abbott also reasserts his strong belief that soldiers deserve to receive high quality letters. In his eyes, a soldier should receive around two replies for every letter he has written. He has found, however, that people seem to think the opposite is true: he should be the one writing long letters, whereas soldiers should be satisfied by their relatives “scratching a few careless lines.” Again, letters were really the only way to keep in contact with loved ones. Naturally, Abbott would expect to receive letters that had a sufficient amount of thought and information put into them. It looks like the regiment will be on the move again sometime soon, which will be a nice change of pace for the group! Works Cited: History Channel, "This Day in History." Accessed November 12, 2013. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincolns-state-of-the-union-address. Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
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September 5, 1862 Indianapolis, Indiana This letter is the first in the Isaac Mark Abbott collection and marks the beginning of Abbott’s life as a Union soldier during the American Civil War. On this day he writes to his family, telling them that he has officially been accepted to serve Uncle Sam. At this point, Abbott is at Camp Joe Reynolds, in Indianapolis. Throughout the war, Abbott moves frequently with his regiment, with most of his time being spent in Tennessee. In the letter he sounds very upbeat and ready to tell his family about his life, as he puts it, “soldiering.” While at camp thus far, he observes that it is a nice place to live in and that he has been to two meetings and a Grand Ball, in which he partnered with a fellow soldier. He estimates that around 2,000 men are in camp but expects one of the regiments, the 96th, to be leaving in the next few days. This optimism, while not necessarily as strong during the duration of the war, never completely dies out, despite some less than ideal conditions. After reading through the entire collection, it is interesting to track his mood and how it fluctuates as he becomes more involved in battles and other war-related situations. Abbott closes the letter by expressing his wish to come home on Sunday and that he will write again soon. This shows a bit of homesickness, something that frequently crops up in his later letters. He also reminds his family to address their letters to him at Camp Joe Reynolds in Indianapolis. Abbott is extremely fond of receiving correspondence from home and at the end of nearly all his letters, gently urges his family and friends to write to him as frequently as possible. The emphasis on making sure where to send the letters becomes a theme throughout the collection, as Abbott often mentions that he or his brothers have not received letters from the family, possibly due to incorrect addresses. *Note: Throughout the collection, Isaac Mark Abbott refers to himself in a few different ways: Mark, I.M. Abbott, and Ike, for example. Photo Credit: Burke, Kathryn, National Postal Museum. "Letter Writing in America: Civil War Letters." Accessed December 17, 2013. http://postalmuseum.si.edu/letterwriting/lw04.html#Scott. November 2, 1862 It appears that the regiment has relocated to Indianapolis, this time at a Camp Dumont, and no one is quite certain how long they will remain there. That also is a fairly common element throughout Abbott’s letters. He never seems quite sure about how long his regiment will remain in one spot or how often they will be called to march out to battle. There must have been quite a bit of down time and waiting around within the camps. Of course, there were daily activities, such as drill practices, but those certainly would not occupy large spaces during the day. Indeed, Abbott comments on his daily life, which does not appear to be particularly stimulating. His description of his daily routine hints at the monotony of camp life. The letter is brief, something he apologizes for, as he does not have much to say. He asks the family to write lengthy responses to give him something to do during the day, as he has to pass his time by writing and reading letters. This then, is why he emphasizes continually the importance of letters. Without them, he simply would not have much to do in his free time. However, one positive aspect he notes is that the regiment is not in danger of starving, as they have quite a lot of food at their disposal. This is somewhat surprising to hear, as one would think that it would be hard to transport large amounts of quality food as the regiment moved about the state. Indeed, perhaps Abbott’s rations were atypical. The average Union soldier would receive one pound of hardtack (hard bread), ¾ pound of salt pork, a little bit of fresh meat, and some coffee, sugar and salt rations. Abbott, on the other hand, lists a variety of foods he has available, such as bacon, beef, potatoes, beans, rice, and molasses. Seeing as this letter was written in 1862, perhaps food was a little more abundant towards the beginning of the war and as it progressed, began to move towards the typical rations. Those interested in learning more about Civil War dining experiences can go here, where one can learn about both the Union and Confederate food situation. He also mentions that Sunday church services are held, though only in fair weather. This seems to indicate that the regiment tried to maintain ordinary, everyday practices, despite being out in the field. Works Cited/Photo Credit: Helm, Gary. The Civil War Trust: Saving America's Civil War Battlefields, "Life of the Civil War Soldier in Camp: Disease, Hunger, Death, and Boredom." Last modified 2013. Accessed December 2, 2013. http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-ground-magazine/winter-2013/life-of-the-civil-war-soldier-camp.html. November 23, 1862
Today’s letter offers some very interesting insight into how Mark views the war at this point. He has been with the regiment for almost three months now and has been able to gain a more thorough understanding of the conflict. The family must have asked about when he thought the end of the war was coming because he states the belief that, in six months’ time, he will be home and the war over. While acknowledging that this could be a foolish hope, he still remains very optimistic in his assertion. One reason is because the Governor had just made a speech upon returning from Washington, saying that “our prospect of success now is much brighter than it has been since the war began.” Knowing today how much longer the war was going to last, this letter is a little sad. It seems like the people at the time really had no idea about the extent of the war and just how contentious the issues would prove to be. On a lighter note, he talks happily about the turkey dinner that was provided for the regiment. They were also due to participate in a dress parade later in the day. Mark is confident that the regiment will look “pretty good” as they were getting drilled enough to make a good impression. In fact, after one of their drill practices through town, there was an article in the paper the next day praising them on their “fine appearance.” Little compliments such as these had to have been morale boosters for the soldiers. Any little bit of optimism would more than likely have benefited them and kept their spirits up a little better. He again implores his family to write soon. Letters definitely had to have been one of the main ways that soldiers kept their sanity and spirits up. In times of war, it is terribly hard to remain upbeat, being so far from home and not knowing exactly what is going to happen next. Receiving these little bits of home must have been life savers on some occasions. September 11, 1862 Lebanon Junction, Kentucky Abbott has reached his regiment at Lebanon Junction, Kentucky. At this point, the letters take a different turn, now focusing on Abbott’s daily life as a solider out in the field. He first describes his extensive journey to reach Lebanon Junction, during which he took a train as transportation. This letter introduces readers to the presence of the Confederates, who have burnt a bridge along the Salt River, slowing down Abbott’s trip considerably. There are now thousands of men rebuilding and guarding the bridge area. It’s strange to think that these opposing sides were essentially right on top of each other during most of the war. Today, warfare has changed enough where, sometimes, soldiers may never actually see the enemy they are fighting. Upon finally reaching the regiment, Abbott believes he is in the “most desolate looking country that I ever got into.” Water is scarce and not particularly fresh or good to drink. These conditions were probably not the most ideal to live in. There was already the stress simply of being in the war. Having to battle the elements and master basic survival skills more than likely was an extra burden. We also hear briefly about Roe, one of Abbott’s brothers, who is also in the regiment. He is described as looking “the best he has for a long time.” It’s interesting that this family had multiple sons fighting during the Civil War. The worry was even more intensified as even if the family received a letter, mail was bit slower then, meaning that that was not a definite indication that the boys were safe. To close, Abbott anticipates not receiving his uniform for another six weeks and that he must stop writing as he is on guard duty soon. Can you imagine today’s soldiers heading into battle without their uniforms? Photo Credit: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/e/v/a/Lynne-Evans/PHOTO/0007photo.html September 14, 1862
On this day, Abbott writes to his family a lengthy description of his life in the army and asks many questions about what he is missing at home. One passage in particular shows just how important letters were to soldiers. Abbott expresses that if there was ever a soldier who didn’t like to receive and read letters, then he should be put in a museum, for certainly he would be considered a “Curiosity.” Keeping in contact with loved ones in the military is very important today and modern technology allows this communication to be far easier. Civil War soldiers had to sit around waiting, not necessarily for a letter they know is coming, but in hopes of receiving mail. Abbott also discusses the people living around the regiment’s campsite, who he says “are all about secesh here.” This is a derogatory term referring people who were sympathetic to the secessionist effort. These people did not care to offer the Union soldiers any sort of supplies and if they did, charged far higher prices for them. He also emphatically states that, after seeing the Southern sympathizers, he can’t believe that they still “want to bring their infernal Institution into our free and happy homes.” The “infernal Institution” naturally refers to Southern slavery. It would be very difficult being camped in an area that is surrounded by hostile neighbors. I certainly would not be able to rest easy, knowing the conditions I was camped out in. Works Cited: Wisconsin Historical Society, "Dictionary of Wisconsin History." Accessed November 12, 2013. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=15364&term_type_id=3&term_type_text=things. November 24, 1862
This letter is written to Mark’s sisters and mainly talks about his past few days in the camp. Roe and Mark were able to attend church for the first time since leaving home, something Mark seemed to enjoy immensely. He comments that more and more regiments are leaving the camp every day and guesses that his regiment will soon have its turn to head out. He also is still excited about the turkey dinner the day before, going into far greater detail than he did in the previous day’s letter. Besides the turkey, there was also beef, butter, pies, peaches, sugar cakes, and coffee. That is quite the meal to have while in the army! The letter picks up a couple of days later, on the 26th, with Mark saying he had not finished writing it as soon as he had intended. The drill the day before was a bit different than the others because the boys had saved enough money to buy one of the lieutenant colonels a horse, which had their colonel tell them they beat any other regiment that had been there. He also reminds the girls that he sent money home a few days prior and what to do with parts of it. It’s fun to read letters Mark has written to his sisters. They are a little more lighthearted and you get a feeling of how close they were as siblings. He still talks about different aspects of the war and life as a soldier but also includes more details about little events that occur in the camp. November 11, 1862
Letter #1: The first letter written on this day introduces us officially to Roe Abbott. While mentioned briefly before, we have never actually seen anything from Roe’s point of view. It’s a nice change to hear Roe’s account of army life. It offers a slightly different perspective on the events that were happening at the time. Roe tells his father that he just received $36 and has spent most of it on paying someone back and purchasing boots and socks. Ideally, soldiers were to receive payment about every two weeks. This wasn’t necessarily the case, as the paymaster had the difficult task of keeping up with the regiments as they moved around. If we assume that the Abbotts were on the lower side of military rankings, they would make about $13 per month. Roughly then, we can guess that it has been about three months since the last payment. He is sending home $20 and asks that one of his debts be paid off there and to give the rest to his mother. He mentions that many in the camp have fallen sick though he believes it is mainly homesickness. It was interesting to read a different person’s viewpoint about the life that Mark Abbott has been describing. The day’s letters are interesting in the sense that we get to hear about similar events from the two brothers. Mark is far more descriptive than Roe, who kept his letter short and to the point. Mark oftentimes does provide far more lengthy descriptions of circumstances, elaborating sometimes on even the tiniest of details. Works Cited: The Civil War Trust: Saving America's Civil War Battlefields, "Military Pay." Accessed November 3, 2013 http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/pay.html. September 8, 1862
Indianapolis, Indiana Abbott is still at Camp Reynold, anxious to leave and join his regiment. He left camp earlier in the day to try and obtain a pass to join his regiment. After some difficulties, he is successful in acquiring the proper pass and expects to leave the next morning to join up “with the boys.” He guesses that they are somewhere in Kentucky and assures his family that they shouldn’t be concerned about him arriving at his destination. Abbott describes himself as being in “firstrate health and never felt better in my life.” Clearly, army life is agreeing quite well with him so far. Soldiers from the 16th, 12th, and 69th regiments entered camp earlier after participating in a battle in Kentucky. Abbott remarks that they look to have had hit hard times with a majority of them wounded in some way or another. This is the first mention of an actual conflict during the war. It’s fascinating to read about this type of event from a first-hand account. These types of recollections are so crucial to preserving history. He believes that he is in the busiest fort in Indianapolis and that at least a thousand people walked by him as he was writing his letter. If he estimates are correct, that is a boatload of people passing through the area. Imagine how chaotic and overwhelming that would be! He reminds his family that, since he is leaving Camp Reynolds the next morning, any subsequent letters from them should be directly addressed to his regiment, otherwise he won’t receive them. He ends by imploring them to write long letters and to write often. |
AuthorTessa Wakefield, student intern at the Concordia College Archives, assembled these blog entries in 2013-2014 for the Isaac Mark Abbott Civil War Letters Collection. The posts summarize the content of the letters, interpret Abbott's experiences and place them in the larger context of the Civil War. Archives
March 2014
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