Item No. 3648027

“The bugle sounded the charge & away we went upon the gallop, right into their face & eyes with sabers raised. Just then we came to a five-rail fence, which we had to jump or get over the best we could. This broke up our line. The rebs were skedaddling & it was every man for himself, & the one who came up to them first was the best man. We were right upon them entering Stevensburg, when we came upon a deep mud hold in the road, into which my horse plunged above knee deep & sent him on a summersault on his head, which threw me out of the saddle, bruising me some & shaking me up “right smart.” But we picked up & on again & drove them to their main force some two miles back, capturing some 54 prisoners, most of them wounded more or less with the saber, which shows how hot the contest was.”

Archive of 15 letters relating to Private Alphonso F. Child, Company E, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. Includes three letters written before his enlistment in 1860-61 and seven written while in service, 1862-64. Notable topics include the wreckage of the Antietam battlefield, observing the Battle of Fredericksburg, and a remarkable letter about his participation in the Battle of Brandy Station. Child was captured in June 1864 at the Battle of Trevellian Station and sent to Andersonville Prison in Georgia, where he died. Two letter exchanges are included between Alphonso’s father Abijah Child and 1st Massachusetts veteran Henry J. Remington, in which they discuss Remington meeting Alphonso at Andersonville, and confirming his death.

Thirteen original covers with postage are also included.

Samples from the archive are below. The full electronic transcript will be sent to the buyer.

Groton, Massachusetts, January 1, 1860
“I hope you will excuse my bad writing, for the writing master here is breaking my old handwriting up entirely and makes me write in an entirely new mode, to me at least. In the first place, he makes us sit the right side to the desk, then place your elbow upon the desk. You take your pen with your thumb and two first fingers, pointing the pen holder over your shoulder and the pen from you. Then rest your third and fourth fingers on the paper and be careful not to let your wrist touch at all. Then proceed to write, not taking the pen off until you have finished the word if it reaches clear across the page. I can write better in this way than I should suppose I could. I do get up and speak a word or two in their ears in the debating society once in a while. The last meeting I was chosen Secretary “pro tem” so that I had some writing to do.”

Boston, Massachusetts, July 19, 1861
“We try to keep the run of the war news here, which seems to be about all there is done now. The Mass. 3d Regiment are to be mustered out of service here soon. I believe they have arrived in the harbor now from Fortress Monroe. There is another 3 months regiment expected soon. Military parades are quite everyday occurrences now, but they seem to lose none of their interest as the streets are always packed through, which the soldiers are expected to pass.”

Boston, Massachusetts, July 21, 1861
“There is nothing new to write unless it be what everyone is talking about, “enlisting” and “drafting.” The writer was offered $275 to enlist about a week ago, but somehow could not see the inducement. So here I am. I saw about two hundred or more raw recruits today on their way from Boston to camp at Lymfield, in charge of a schoolmate of mine. It is wonderful how we begin to miss Laborers here now. Two months ago if we had a cargo of coal in we had about 40 applications an hour for a job. Now we have to run all over town to get three or four. For instance, today I was on the scent from 11 o’clock until 4 for two men to cord a lot of wood and am not sure of them now.... I had a letter from Chas some time ago, which I have not answered until now, which I enclose. He had a very narrow escape at the battle of Fair Oaks. I have not seen his name among the killed or wounded since the last battles before Richmond & suppose he is safe. What does Father think of these times of Legal tender postage stamps? I think it is now the darkest and the least chance for success of any time since the war began, although I hope there will be something done now Congress has adjourned and Senators have stopped sputtering.”

Washington, DC, October 2, 1862
“We expect to be sent to the front now within a few days, as soon as we get our equipments & horses, which are now picketed in camp. We all expect to go into Co. E, which with Co’s B, F, & G are to constitute Gen. Porter’s Body Guard. The majority of the men of these Co’s are now at Sharpsburg. The others are here. We are all expecting the order to march Tuesday or Wednesday if it does not rain all the time before”

Hagerstown, Maryland, November 9, 1862
“About seven next morning we arrived at Berlin, where we saw the signs of War in the form of ruined buildings, ‘butments of burnt bridges replaced by pontoon bridge, dead horses, &c. After an hour or so we started again. Went to Sandy Hook, where we left the cars & stopped there an hour or two. Then marched through Harpers Ferry to Maryland Heights, about three or four miles from Bolivar Heights, where we encamped in pine woods & slept soundly with our feet to a fire, our blankets over us, the trees above us. Next morning a snow storm set in, which melted about as fast as it came, making it about as muddy as you please. We rolled up our blankets, but waited around our fires until ‘most night, when we started bundle equipments & all over the hills (big ones too) for Antietam, about 7 miles off, where we arrived about 8 1/2 o’clock. Put up in a stone house with windows broken in, situated among the ruins of a factory burnt to the ground by rebels. Slept again & started for Sharpsburg, 4 miles (Virginia miles, about 7 Mass. miles). Arrived there about noon. Passed through the town, which is quite a place in its way. Dirty houses built mostly of logs, plastered between them. We halted just the other side of town at a church completely riddled with balls & shells. It is on the battleground of the Antietam Battle, about three miles from where the battle commenced & from which the battle takes its name. There was there many graves about with boards at the head with name & Reg in lead pencil. In sight is a mound where it is said 1300 rebels are buried in trenches. Cannon balls & shells are laying about. Large trees show the effects of the shots. Rail fences, too, scarcely an inch of the surface without a bullet hole.”

Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 14, 1862
“While writing this, a fierce conflict is raging, as indeed it has been for the past 4 days. Thursday morning at 5 o’clock we were awakened by heavy cannonading in the direction of Fredericksburg. Boots & saddles were sounded & we were off for the scene of battle, but stopped about two miles to the rear, where we still remain with horses saddled all day & where we can get them on a moment’s warning by night. A very fierce conflict is now going on by the sound of musketry & cannon. We know nothing outside of our own division, but the report is that Franklin has driven the enemy 5 miles on the left with the intention of cutting off R.R. communication between this & Richmond. Hooker is engaging them in center (our division). Sumner is on the right, while Banks with 60,000 men is said to be behind Richmond with serious intentions.”

Falmouth, Virginia, January 19, 1863
“To show you what works we have here, I will give you an account of one proceeding which rather takes me down. More than a month ago, our Sergeant called the company into line, saying all those who wanted boots he would take their names. The Major was to send for boots for all who wanted & keep $5.00 on pay day. This suited my case, so I gave my name. Did not write for any. Upon their arrival yesterday, it found me without a good boot to my feet & nothing to keep out mud or water. But when I stepped up to draw my boots, I was informed that the “Old Boys” were to be supplied with boots regardless of names before any of the “Recruits” could have any. This took all the boots, leaving the “Recruits” out in the cold by the Major’s orders. This is a fair example of all the doings of the Officers in this Regt.... Since I wrote last, I have been out on a scout twice about fifty miles outside of our pickets, & on picket once. Two nights we were out. It rained like suds, we getting wet as ducks & no shelter when we stopped. This I call bordering on the rough side of soldier’s life. We are under marching orders again. Expect to go today or tomorrow. By present appearances, this Division of the Army will soon cross the Rappahannock, menace Fredericksburg, or do something else.”

Bealton Station, Virginia, June 12, 1863
“But with details for this & that, we got no sleep & started out again about two A.M. for Kelly’s Ford without supper or breakfast except dry hard bread & muddy water. We crossed the ford a little after daylight & formed a line of battle. Our Squadron, Co’s E & G, was thrown out to the left as skirmishers. We continued to skirmish through woods, over fences, & through ditches, &c., until about noon, when we came upon quite a body of rebels, 200 or more, who fired from behind fences & wood piles & houses & every place where they can shelter themselves & get a good sight at us. We stood in line in the woods for some five minutes while the balls were whistling over our heads. Here we lose one Sergeant of our Company who was shot dead & fell from his horse. It was a rather queer feeling came over me as the balls would “zzip” close to our ears. We soon advanced, came into the open field in plain sight. The bugle sounded the charge & away we went upon the gallop, right into their face & eyes with sabers raised. Just then we came to a five-rail fence, which we had to jump or get over the best we could. This broke up our line. The rebs were skedaddling & it was every man for himself, & the one who came up to them first was the best man. We were right upon them entering Stevensburg, when we came upon a deep mud hold in the road, into which my horse plunged above knee deep & sent him on a summersault on his head, which threw me out of the saddle, bruising me some & shaking me up “right smart.” But we picked up & on again & drove them to their main force some two miles back, capturing some 54 prisoners, most of them wounded more or less with the saber, which shows how hot the contest was. We then returned, gathering our wounded, & I helped bury our Sergeant, the only man killed in our Company. We recrossed the river about night & camped for the night at Rappahannock Station, well satisfied with our day’s work.”

Warrenton, Virginia, September 13, 1863
“I have now been in this hospital one week sick with Typhoid Fever. I was sick about a week before I came here, making about a fortnight in all. I am much better than I was so that I go out every day. There is nothing new to write. Indeed, there is just nothing. There are Sutlers plenty about here so we can get almost anything we want. We have about 40 patience in the hospital now. About 50 or 60 were sent to Corps Hos. this morning from here.”

Warrenton, Virginia, February 14, 1864
“I notice what you say about reenlisting. What you say is ready so except [in the case] of Massachusetts troops, as Gov Andrew made the bargain with the War Department that all recruits raised under one call for 300,000 in 62 should be allowed to go into old Regts. in the field until they were full before forming any new ones, and that to do so he (Gov A) must be allowed to make the agreement with such troops that they should be discharged with their Regiments, so that we recruits of First Mass Cav, coming as we do under that call, we have advantage of the old men of something over a year. So we can reenlist as Veterans if so disposed. However, you need not fear my reenlisting as now nothing is farther from my thoughts. I did put my name to the rolls to take the Regt home, but it dod not do it so I won’t.”

Fiskdale, Massachusetts, December 27, 1864
Abijah Child to Henry J. Remington
“Learning from Mr. C. M. Smith Conway of your escape from the rebel prison Andersonville, I take the liberty to inquire if you can give me any information in regard to my son Alphonso F. Child, Co. E, 1st Mass. Cavalry. He was captured in June last, since which we have rec’d no intelligence from him. Please write at your earliest convenience and give me any information in your possession concerning him."

Remington replies, "Your letter of inquiry is at hand. I read and haste to reply. I saw your son, Mr. Child, the 19th of July. Had a long talk with him in regard to my brother Orrin, who was in the same Co. He was not very well at that time and was stopping at the other part of the stockade. I was also unwell at that time and promised to come to his detach’t and see him. I went in a few days and he was dead, died the day before. The boys said he died of chronic diarrhea and nostalgia. When I saw him he told me he could not long live there. Said he was captured July sixth. Your son had a good name as a soldier and most good soldiers are true friends. I sympathize with you in the loss of One so noble and brave. But your loss is His gain."

Claremont, Massachusetts, January 4, 1865
Henry J. Remington to Abijah Child
“I am sorry to inform you that your nephew A. F. Child is no more. I saw him the 19th of July, talked with him a long time. He was a member of Co E, 1st Mass. Cavalry, of which my brother was a member. He was not well at the time, as also I was unwell. He invited me to come over and see him (for he stopped at the other side of the stockade). When I got able I went in a few days, but his comrades told me he was dead and his remains was carried out the day before. Died of chronic diarrhea and nostalgia. Our men on parole buried the dead, but hardly think their graves were marked. I never went close & the potter’s field but near enough to see that they were buried by our men in pits. Could see no board to mark any graves. They were lain close together in a long pit. Think there was more."