Item description: Letter, dated 16 June 1863, from Eldridge B. Platt to his family, including parents Enoch and Sallie Bronson Platt, of Waterbury, Connecticut.
Eldridge B. Platt (b. 1847) enlisted as a drummer in the 2nd Connecticut Light Battery on 12 August 1862. By 11 November 1862, he was serving as a cannoneer. He was discharged 10 August 1865. After the Civil War, Platt became successful in the tool and die making business.
[Item transcription available below images.]
Item Citation: Letter dated 23 April 1863 from Folder 3 in the Eldridge B. Platt Papers, #3767,Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Item Transcription:
Wolfrun Shoals
Tuesday June 16th 1863
Dear Father and Mother Sisters and Brothers As I have got a little time this morning I will write a few lines to you I got your leters yesterday I tell you I was glad to hear from you I have ben wondering why you did not write but I have found out now. we still enjoy good health. I tell you I would like to had you hear yesterday and to day if you wanted to see an army move you could see one a bout one half of Hookers army has marched by our camp they comenced day before yesterday about 3 o colock and they has ben a stedy of batteries and bagage wagons eversince going in to Washing-ton I tell you they is going to be some fun hear before long Lee has got in the rear of Hooker and they are both bound for bullrun and all of Hookers bagage corps is going to washington to get out the way so that Lee cant take any I tell you we are going to give it to them this time we shant have any bagage train to take care of and to move around they has ben 5000 bagage wagons threw hear yesterday and last night and they still come as thick as ever and they say that it will take till night before they all get along the 6th army corps is comeing threw to day. the 12th corps came threw hear yesterday and a mong them was the 1st Conn heavy artilary and the 5 and 20th Conn regiments but I could not find anyone that I knew they was so mixed up with other regiments they said they was going to fair for Court house we expect that we shall have marching orders every minit if we dont we shall have to be re-inforced prety quick I think that we shall move toards Washington ang get our wheels fixed. we got paid off 2 month pay the 9th I will send home 10 dollars in this leter and when I hear from it I will send some more in the next leter. I ? have got some warm wether hear now it is awful for men and hosee that is on a march they was 3 or 4 men melted down bewween hear and the coart house and several came very near it. we can see clouds of dust on the hills kickicked up by by the bagage wagons and bateries which is coming a crost the Shoals and we can see a large cloud of dust on the other road west of us clear to union mills. so they must be some heavy forces on that road as well as this they say that most of the infantry is on that road such a night I never saw before the train that is going by hear cant be far from 50 miles long and about as much more traveling threw union mills I cant write much more this time so good by from your true friend E B Platt
Dont wory a bout us for we are all wright we fear no doings
Thank You! These series of papers make our history so much more than a recounting of historical facts. I cannot imagine the hours it must take to keep a collection like this in a usable form. For those of us who are now far from academia, you provide an invaluable service. I particularly like these letters sent by “the common man”. Too often we forget the foot-sore soldier and the drummer boy in the glare of famous generals.
May I make a suggestion? The last word of the closing may be “dainger” rather than “doings” based upon other spellings in the letter.
Again thank you for opening the world of the Civil War in such a personal way to us amateurs.
Tom Lamkin