American Historical Ephemera & Photography

The 17th CT was recruited in July and August 1863 primarily from Fairfield County, its Colonel, William Noble, was a resident of Bridgeport. The departure of the regiment on 3 Sept. was an occasion of patriotic demonstrations, with friends and relatives accompanying their sons to the camp and sending their blessings. The regiment headed for Washington to connect with Genl. Franz Sigel, but when it arrived in Baltimore it was needed to protect that city. When no attack was forthcoming after several weeks, they sought to continue their journey. This so angered Genl. John Wool that he threw them out of Baltimore. They reached Washington on the 16th of October and had orders to join Sigel at Gainesville, VA on Nov. 5. They were in reserve at Fredericksburg, and fought at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Morris Island, Welaka and Sunders, FL and Dunn’s Lake, FL. They spent most of their enlistment on Folly and Morris Islands and in Florida with four Ohio Regiments (25, 55, 75, 107) and one New York regiment (157), together making up the Second Brigade, First Division.

Sylvester Rounds (1843-1899) enlisted in mid-August 1862, a 19-year-old farm laborer in Huntington, Fairfield County. He was wounded on the first day at Gettysburg (not specified) and apparently considered unfit for field service after recovering. In Jan. 1864 he veteranized along with many of his fellow privates. At some point he was assigned as clerk to the Office of the A.A. Provost Marshal General in Trenton, NJ, where he was when all of the letters in this lot were written. In one of these he says he needs to get back in the field and threatens to apply for a transfer because he needs to be outside more. He dislikes the desk job. Interestingly, however, that desk job appears to have prepared him for his later career, since he does not seem to have gone back to farming after the war, but went to work for Sawyer’s Mills where he became a book-keeper. Rounds died in 1899 at the young age of 55.

All eight letters are to his sister, Martha and all are headed the Provost Marshal General's Office in Trenton. 

October 24, 1864: He has extensive comments about the upcoming election. He has already voted for “Uncle Abe,” the service members having the opportunity to vote early and their ballots collected for counting.

Nov. 2nd, 1864: Still concerned about the election coming up.

Nov. 8, 1864: He has time to write because the office is closed so everyone has time to vote. Even though he is sure Lincoln will win, he is still nervous that “Little Mac” will find a way to win the election.

Throughout these late-year letters he talks about trying to get a furlough to come home for the holidays – or at least part of them, maybe New Years if not Christmas.

Dec. 6th: “…Warren and Amos you say have finely arrived home, and brought a little contraband with them, that will make talk for the copperheads won’t it! They will say now that the soldiers have got so used to n_____rs that they like them better than they do white folks. And I should say so for I believe I do think about as much of a decent n____r as I do of one of these copperheads! And could a great site sooner trust them.”

Dec. 16th: “I see Sherman is getting petty near Savannah if he isn’t already into it – “ He goes on to wonder if the “old 17th had a finger in that…”

Dec. 22nd: He has requested a transfer, but thinks he will be kept in the same place he is now. He expects that the war will be over soon, anyway.

June 2, 1865 (still with the Provost Marshal): Mentions a big celebration of the 4th of July two years prior at Gettysburg. “…rather bigger than I would wish to have every fourth. I see the 1st Conn. Cavalry has been ordered to Gettysburg Pa. to participate in the ceremonies to be enacted there on that day. I wonder how those Rebs will celebrate the 4th or will they feel so shamed that they will not feel like celebrating at all. I think they must feel rather lean about now. I know I would if I had been licked as bad as they have been in the last 4 years - ” 

July 5, 1865: They had a review of the troops in the morning of the 4th, then they marched through the principal streets to a green where there was a dinner prepared for them, with plenty of ice cream and such. Unfortunately, when they fired the big guns in salute, one went off prematurely and the gunner had his hand blown off, just a few days before he was to muster out. Makes arrangements to visit his sister on his way home.

Sylvester Rounds did muster out the next day – July 6, 1865.