“Peace we are going to have, and we are going to have it on our own terms. No price is too dear to pay for the preservation of our Liberty & Union. Our forefathers gave their lives to establish it, and shall their sons submit to its being dissolved, I never, while there is an American arm to wield a sword, or handle a musket, never will we submit to see the stars & stripes trampled under foot.”

Item No. 8750145

An exceptionally patriotic letter written by “Albert,” a member of Company C, 13th Massachusetts Volunteers, to his cousin at home. Writing from Warrenton, Albert states that they “keep along just about the same from day to day...I have been on picket twice and camp guard once since we came here.” He also believes that “this war is about played out.” Responding to his cousin’s question about whether “we shall have peace before another year,” Albert expresses his contempt for the rebels and his zeal for supporting the Union:

You ask me if I think we shall have peace before another year. I am not prepared to express my opinion on that point now, but I think that all the fighting will be done within the next three months. You say you are not reconciled to this war yet and sometimes think you had rather the rebels would have been allowed to take what territory they wanted. Do just as they please. I cannot agree with you there. They would not have let us alone in peace, for they would not have been satisfied to keep in their own states. If they had gained one point, they would try and gain another till at last we should have had to tamely submit, and see our Country broken up, or fight. We chose the latter before it was too late. Peace we are going to have, and we are going to have it on our own terms. No price is too dear to pay for the preservation of our Liberty & Union. Our forefathers gave their lives to establish it, and shall their sons submit to its being dissolved, I never, while there is an American arm to wield a sword, or handle a musket, never will we submit to see the stars & stripes trampled under foot.

You say you want peace. So do I. And probably the cry of peace would be welcomed by no one with more joy than the soldiers now in the field. But we want it on our own terms, & we are willing to sacrifice all that we are able to, to gain that object. And that object now seems to be within our grasp. If we had submitted to the South, we should have been looked upon with contempt by foreign powers, and they would have stepped in and taken all that was left. Then where should we have been? But I will not undertake to say any more on the subject. I guess you begin to think I have said enough now.

Toward the end of the letter, Albert discusses another family member’s evident interest in joining the army. He writes:

You say that Charles cannot be convinced even now but what it is a fine thing to be a soldier, but he does not know what he is talking about. It is little use to talk with such a person. The best way is to let them try it, and I will bet all I ever expect to own on the result.

The letter was written in pencil on four pages of a 5” x 8” letter sheet decorated with custom letterhead for Albert’s company. Creased at the original folds. Handwriting is faint, but legible. The full transcript appears below.

Head Quarters 13th Regt. Rifles, M. V., Co. C.
Warrington Junction Va.
May 2nd 1862

Dear Cousin Hannah
Your kind letter of the 18th was received with much pleasure. I should have answered it before, but I have been waiting to see if something would not turn up which would afford me something to write about. But there is nothing here for news. We keep along just about the same from day to day. There is not much for us to do except guard duty and drill. Guard duty does not come very often. I have been on picket twice and camp guard once since we came here. We have had so much rainy weather lately that we have not had to do drill much. It has rained about two thirds of the time for the past month. Such weather makes a fellow think of a comfortable home, and a plenty to eat. But I don’t imagine it is to last a great while longer. I think this war is about played out.

You ask me if I think we shall have peace before another year. I am not prepared to express my opinion on that point now, but I think that all the fighting will be done within the next three months. You say you are not reconciled to this war yet and sometimes think you had rather the rebels would have been allowed to take what territory they wanted. Do just as they please. I cannot agree with you there. They would not have let us alone in peace, for they would not have been satisfied to keep in their own states. If they had gained one point, they would try and gain another till at last we should have had to tamely submit, and see our Country broken up, or fight. We chose the latter before it was too late. Peace we are going to have, and we are going to have it on our own terms. No price is too dear to pay for the preservation of our Liberty & Union. Our forefathers gave their lives to establish it, and shall their sons submit to its being dissolved, I never, while there is an American arm to wield a sword, or handle a musket, never will we submit to see the stars & stripes trampled under foot.

You say you want peace. So do I. And probably the cry of peace would be welcomed by no one with more joy than the soldiers now in the field. But we want it on our own terms, & we are willing to sacrifice all that we are able to, to gain that object. And that object now seems to be within our grasp. If we had submitted to the South, we should have been looked upon with contempt by foreign powers, and they would have stepped in and taken all that was left. Then where should we have been? But I will not undertake to say any more on the subject. I guess you begin to think I have said enough now.

If my letter reads anything like I feel, it will hardly be worth reading, for I feel like most anything but letter writing. This being in camp, seeing nothing new, hearing but very little, with nothing to do but the same routine of daily duties, makes one feel decidedly lazy. You say that Charles cannot be convinced even now but what it is a fine thing to be a soldier, but he does not know what he is talking about. It is little use to talk with such a person. The best way is to let them try it, and I will bet all I ever expect to own on the result. But I will not waste any more paper. I hope the next time I attempt to write, I shall have something to write about. Tell Emmie I will answer her letter soon. Please remember me with love to all and accept this scrawl with much love from your Cousin
Albert