Tuesday, February 5, 2013

1863 January 31 Camp near Fredericksburg

No. 82
Sigels Corps Jan 31 1863
Dear Wife

Camp near Fredericksburg
                        No 81 is received and
I omitted in my hurry to number
mine I will call this No 82
I do not care so much about my
own letters as I do yours I wished
to find out whether I get all your
letters or not, I was somewhat
doubtful about it: They have all
come so far however: G Burnside
has left us also Gen Sumner
and Gen Franklin; and I hear
about 80 other officers of differ
ent grades but worst of all
we have lost our Col He left
us on a furlough of twenty days
and I hear he will not return
Those of our regiment who did
not like his strick[sic] strict
discipline are able now that he
is gone to appreciate his worth

[page 2]
Our Lieutenant Col. is a very
fine man: but lacks those
qualities which do distinguish
Col. Maggi from any other man
that I have ever seen: With an
iron will he made the whole
regiment feel that he was to
be obeyed in the smallest things
all[sic] as the largest, and
every man was made to feel
that there was to be no question
about obedience: Now all is
changed, and although they like
Col. Underwood, they cannot
have that respect for him
that they had for the old
Col: We have got a new
Captain; Groves of Boston
a very good man we think
but not Capt Rogers by a long
shot; Where we are drifting
to I know not but if we are

[page 3]
to lose all our best officers
we may about as well go home
and give it all up  Truly these
are dark days that are upon
us and unless God shall
speedily arise for our deliverance
our cause is lost: My faith
is firm however in our final
triump[sic] for I believe that
God is with us and if so
we cannot fail: I must stop
                From your Affectionate
                         Husband
I sent you ten dollars two
days ago and now send you
five more which I hop you
will get

 J.W.P.

Josiah Perry, Co. K,  33rd Massachusetts

MSS 2215

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