American Historical Ephemera and Photography Online

"Near Newtown Va," 23 November 1864. 7 pages, 5 x 8 in. Creased, with some minor separations and discoloration.

Lieutenant Fairbanks writes to his parents of the latest goings on since the last time he wrote, at Cedar Creek. He says that the army is engaged in throwing up a new line of works, and that on the 21st he and his men travelled 7 miles to support the cavalry, "who pushed to the front to find the enemy." After a few details and musings about being a soldier, he turns to answer a question his parents must have communicated in a previous letter:

"You ask me of Phil. Sheridan -He is a small light man about 32 years of age - with dark hair & complection [sic]. I think he is not fleshy and has rather a long face of the two. He is a graduate of West Point & he's been Q. Master, Col. of Cavalry & Brig. Gen. of Infantry. Everyone who has known him speeks [sic] of him as one who will successfully fill the position assigned. He says many things to his soldiers when in battle & is always present in the most important place. In one of his fights he sent word to Gen Emory [William H. Emory] of the 19th Corps to put the 19th Corps in. The Gen. did as ordered & then sent word. Gen. the 19th Corps have charged & taken the enemies line. Sheridan returned the answer 'Tell Emory 'he is a brick'' I have only seen him ride past and will not attempt to say more this time."

Turning briefly to politics, Fairbanks reports: "The Election passed of quietly in the Regt.: Lincoln 184 Mc-26 = 158 maj. for Lincoln."

He then tells of "a very painful death" of a good friend, Lieutenant [Abraham N.] Rowe, who was a graduate of Bowdoin College and "one of those honest upright men, who always did right & one of those men that I was taught to respect when a boy." The Adjutant General's report records that Rowe died of disease on 21 November 1864, just two short days before Fairbanks penned this letter.

He also writes of disagreements with Captain (John C.) Kendall, writing: "I am not very pleasantly situated now Capt. Kendall & I do not agree at all; he is a very different. Drinks Gambles & is Profane; makes it an object to have everything unpleasant for me." He says that he has already spoken to "Col. (Thomas Hamlin) Hubbard" who advised him not to leave but to stand up for his rights. Fairbanks laments that he would rather "fight the enemy, than quarrell every day in camp."

Henry N. Fairbanks enlisted as a sergeant on 12 December of 1863, and mustered into Company E of the 30th Maine Infantry that same day. He received a promotion to second lieutenant in April of 1864 before mustering out the following year at Savannah, Georgia. After the war, he married Abby Woodworth and lived in Farmington, then Bangor. Fairbanks died in Bangor in 1913.