American Historical Ephemera & Early Photography Online

Fort Lincoln, 22 September 1862. 3 1/4pp., 4 3/4 x 7 5/8 in., creasing and some minor separations, discoloration and soiling throughout.

Everts writes to his friend, Steven Luis, that he likes the soldier's life quite well, except for the exposure at night, standing on picket and guard duty. He says that the excitement is up as the war has been "ragin hevy [sic]." He writes that there has been fighting all around him, and sometimes there is a constant roaring of cannon fire. He also notes that they could see the smoke from the cannons when the Second Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas. He laments that his regiment was unable to go help their Union brothers: "I expect we wold [sic] of bin [sic] thare [sic] to helpt [sic] are [sic] poor fellows butt [sic] we was expecton [sic] an atact [sic] on us laing [sic] with our guns under our heds [sic] an are batrey [sic] Box on with 27 rouns [sic]..."

The attack his regiment expected never came. He explains: "tha [sic] expected old stone wall Jackson was agonto [sic] try to take this fort that morning but he was over taking [sic] before he recht [sic] it."

In an interesting aside, Everts also notes that his regiment is encamped on an old battleground from the War of 1812, and that he and his men have found the bones of soldiers along with balls and belt buckles from the Battle of Bladensburg, fought on 24 August 1814.

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"Fredric City," 9 October 1862. 4pp., 4 5/8 x 7 5/8 in., fully separated at spine, with creases and additional separations, discoloration, soiling.

In this letter to the same recipient, Everts announces that his regiment has been ordered to march to Sharpsburg, nearly a month after the bloody Battle of Antietam took place there. He predicts: "I expect if old stone wall Jackson dont [sic] sirender [sic] thay [sic] will be a hard battle thare [sic] soon thay was 40 thousand solyers [sic] came here the same time we come an thay have all left But 30 thousand for sharts Burg [sic] I Think wen [sic] we all git [sic] thare we will make old stone wall scadadle [sic]..."

Once they arrive to the field of battle, Everts describes the carnage: "we are now clost [sic] ware tha faut [sic] a Battel [sic] tha Battel field looks hurble [sic] the horses an mules ar [sic] laing in evry [sic] direction over the field thare is solyers Berid [sic] so shalow [sic] that thare armes [sic] an legs stiks [sic] out..."

Listed in HDS as Reynold Everts, the author of the letters featured here lived in Dauphin County, PA before the war, and enlisted as a private on 16 August 1862. He mustered into Company C of the 136th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment the same day.