Item No. 0799994

Two war-date letters, one postwar letter, and one document make up this small archive relating to Second Lieutenant John Kelt of the 21st Massachusetts Infantry. Kelt’s service record is rather lengthy. An immigrant from Scotland, he enlisted in the 90-day 2nd Connecticut in mid-1861 and in the 21st Massachusetts later that year after the expiration of his initial term. He was wounded in the leg at Antietam and was promoted to second lieutenant the following day. Records then indicate he was dismissed by court martial in August 1863, enlisted in the 14th Connecticut that same month, and in 1865 transferred to the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery. It was as a member of the 2nd Connecticut that Kelt wrote the first letter from Falls Church, Virginia, in June 1861, shortly before the First Battle of Bull Run. A jumpy Kelt writes to his father:

I have just come in from picket guard. Have been on for 24 hours. The rebels are very thick around us. They have taken off one captain, 1 sergeant, and a corporal from us. I came very near being taken when they took the captain. Neal and I was on the picket from which he was taken. We went to the house about an hour before he came. Two women came along the road and said they wanted someone to go home with them so he went himself and was taken and sent to Richmond.

Kelt expects “to be attacked every day,” noting that “we have but about ten thousand men with us besides Tompkins’s Rangers,” referring to Lieutenant Charles H. Tompkins, whose company of the 2nd US Cavalry “made that charge through Fairfax some time ago.” The small skirmish at Fairfax Courthouse on June 1 is considered the first land battle of the Civil War, and Tompkins’s name was much celebrated.

Kelt continues:

The rebels have somewhere between 15 and 25 thousand men. It is thought that they will have [to] either advance or retreat if this dry weather holds on much longer as they have to carry their water 4 miles, and nothing but rain water at that.

He then recounts how a local preacher was jailed for praying for Jefferson Davis’s welfare:

I am writing in the pulpit of the church and there is about 50 others about me writing. The minister that used to preach here is under guard. He has a man follow him with a rifle where he goes and has to board him at his house. The Sunday before we came here he was praying for Jeff Davis. His guard has orders to put him in the guard house if he hears him do it. He tried it once but did not like the quarters and has not tried it again.

Kelt concludes the letter explaining his intent to “try to get a lieutenancy in the regular army” after his ninety days were through.

The letter was written on four pages of a 5 1/4” x 7 3/4” letter sheet featuring the patriotic decoration of a large dog (General Winfield Scott) taunting a smaller dog (Jefferson Davis) for not taking a large steak (Washington DC) from under his nose, saying, “Jeff, why don’t you take it!” Good condition with foxing and toning. Creased at the original mailing folds, where it is a bit delicate in some places.

The second letter was in May 1862 from Washington DC. Kelt was by this time just weeks away from being appointed a sergeant in his company of the 21st Massachusetts. He and his regiment were returning to Washington after participating in General Ambrose Burnside’s expedition to the North Carolina coast. Writing again to his father, Kelt describes the news around Fort Monroe, where they had stopped on their return to Washington:

Stopped under the guns of Fort Monroe on Sunday night. There are 1300 Mass. troops there. There is a Camp of 10,000 Georgia Troops encamped about 5 miles from the fort. They have given the Officers 3 days to evacuate [and] they have taken 5 privateers that were trying to get out of the bay and sank 2 more.

Kelt then discusses the situation in Washington and the oppressive heat:

We are camped about a mile out of the city. I have visited the Capitol today and been most all over it. It is almost full of provisions for the Army. I never saw so much together before. There are between 40 & 50 thousand troops here. It is very hot here. It stood 65° in the shade at 9 o’clock this morning. 40 of the [1st Massachusetts] regiment fell in the road marching from the ship. There was but 10 of ours. We were called the best regiment that has come here yet except the 7th NY, and the only one that were fully equipped to go into camp.

He then describes the tense situation in Washington:

The city is under martial law and everyone that is out after 1/2 past 9 is put into the guard house till morning. There are 9 men to be shot for filling bombs with sand. We shall probably stay here for a month. I feel first rate—am a little sore marching so much. I have not drinked a glass of rum since I left home and am not going to. It seems from the talk of the people here that they think that south will back down. We get Baltimore papers here every day. They are for the Union. There is about 2000 Texan Rangers here. They are a hard-looking set of men and have seen service.

This letter was written on four pages of a 4 3/4” x 7 3/4” letter sheet. It also has a patriotic decoration, this one showing a hog under the US flag with the caption, “THE WHOLE OR NONE!” Good condition with foxing and toning. And like the first letter, this one is also a bit delicate at some of the mailing folds.

The third letter in the group is a postwar letter, written in 1870 from Summerville, Georgia, where evidently he was still serving in the Army. Kelt writes to his sister:

This state is under martial law and had ought to be forever. The people are not half civilized. Worse than Indians. They have no regard for law. A man’s life is not worth a straw. They will hang a man for horse stealing, but to kill a man is nothing. They do not even arrest a murderer. There have been eight men killed in this county in the month of January and not one of the perpetrators brought to trial. We are after some of them now and if we get them will make an example for Northern Georgia.

This letter was written on one page of a 7 3/4” x 9 3/4” letter sheet. Very good condition with light toning.

The last item in the archive is the June 1862 document appointing Kelt sergeant in the 21st Massachusetts. It is signed at the bottom by Colonel William S. Clark, commanding, and Lieutenant Asahel Wheeler, adjutant. It is in very good condition with light toning and foxing. It measures about 16” x 10 1/2”.

Letter No. 1:

Falls Church Va. June 28th / 61

Dear Father,
I write to you again to let you know that I am well and hope this will find you and the rest of the family the same. I have written two letters to you and have not rec’d any answer to them. I suppose you did not get them.

I have just come in from picket guard. Have been on for 24 hours. The rebels are very thick around us. They have taken off one captain, 1 sergeant, and a corporal from us. I came very near being taken when they took the captain. Neal and I was on the picket from which he was taken. We went to the house about an hour before he came. Two women came along the road and said they wanted someone to go home with them so he went himself and was taken and sent to Richmond. We expect to be attacked every day. We have but about ten thousand men with us besides Tompkins’s Rangers. They are the ones that made that charge through Fairfax some time ago. The rebels have somewhere between 15 and 25 thousand men. It is thought that they will have [to] either advance or retreat if this dry weather holds on much longer as they have to carry their water 4 miles, and nothing but rain water at that. I am writing in the pulpit of the church and there is about 50 others about me writing. The minister that used to preach here is under guard. He has a man follow him with a rifle where he goes and has to board him at his house. The Sunday before we came here he was praying for Jeff Davis. His guard has orders to put him in the guard house if he hears him do it. He tried it once but did not like the quarters and has not tried it again.

When my three months are up I am a going to try to get a Lieutenancy in the regular army. There has [been] three gone from this regiment that I have learned to drill. They could not drill half so well as I can. They got their appointments through the member of Congress from their districts.

I have got my pay. Am [living] very well now. Neal has not seen that box yet. There is a train runs from Alexandria here every day so that we can get anything that is sent to Washington to us. My love to all the family. I remain your affectionate son
John Kelt

Direct to Washington the same as before.

Letter No. 2:

Washington D.C. May 14 [1862]

Dear Father, I rec’d your letter before I left N.H and was glad to hear from you. We left on Friday night and got here on Tuesday at noon. Are all well. Had a very pleasant trip. Stopped under the guns of Fort Monroe on Sunday night. There are 1300 Mass. troops there. There is a Camp of 10,000 Georgia Troops encamped about 5 miles from the fort. They have given the Officers 3 days to evacuate [and] they have taken 5 privateers that were trying to get out of the bay and sank 2 more. We are camped about a mile out of the city. I have visited the Capitol today and been most all over it. It is almost full of provisions for the Army. I never saw so much together before. There are between 40 & 50 thousand troops here. It is very hot here. It stood 65° in the shade at 9 o’clock this morning. 40 of the [1st Massachusetts] regiment fell in the road marching from the ship. There was but 10 of ours. We were called the best regiment that has come here yet except the 7th NY, and the only one that were fully equipped to go into camp. The city is under martial law and everyone that is out after 1/2 past 9 is put into the guard house till morning. There are 9 men to be shot for filling bombs with sand. We shall probably stay here for a month. I feel first rate—am a little sore marching so much. I have not drinked a glass of rum since I left home and am not going to. It seems from the talk of the people here that they think that south will back down. We get Baltimore papers here every day. They are for the Union. There is about 2000 Texan Rangers here. They are a hard-looking set of men and have seen service. We had very poor living on board the vessel. Neal is well and all of the other boys. They came into our camp last night. They have [it] rather hard—not much to eat and not very good at that. Our Quartermaster gives us enough but not so nice. We have very good officers all through. I have sent you a Baltimore paper. I wish you would send me the Mirror and Republican once in a while and I will send you the papers from here.

Give my love to all the Family and tell them to write to me and I will answer if I can get time. I must stop now.
I remain &c,
John Kelt

Letter No. 3:

Summerville Ga Feb 8th 1870

My Dear Sister,
I write to you once more as I have made another move since my last. I have been at this place about two weeks and I hope I may not have to stop another. It is the worst place I ever was in. Out of the world along there’s nothing but mountains and hills for 25 miles. I am in hopes to get settled permanently in some place before long, when things get quieted down if they ever do. This state is under martial law and had ought to be forever. The people are not half civilized. Worse than Indians. They have no regard for law. A man’s life is not worth a straw. They will hang a man for horse stealing, but to kill a man is nothing. They do not even arrest a murderer. There have been eight men killed in this county in the month of January and not one of the perpetrators brought to trial. We are after some of them now and if we get them will make an example for Northern Georgia. I suppose you have answered my last and it is waiting for me at Corinth. I may go back there before long. If you write immediately I will get it here. Diirect to Summerville, Chattooga Co. Ga. via Rome.

Give my love to all I remain your brother,
John