12TH NC TROOPS CONFEDERATE CIVIL WAR LETTER - April 23, 1863 FREDERICKSBURG

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12TH NC TROOPS CONFEDERATE CIVIL WAR LETTER - April 23, 1863 FREDERICKSBURG:
$127.51

12TH N.C. INFANTRY CIVIL WAR SOLDIER\'S LETTER
APRIL, 23, 1863 CAMP NEAR FREDERICKSBURG

This marvelous Confederate Civil War letter was written by John Pittman of Co. H, 12th North Carolina Infantry - Iverson\'s Brigade, D.H. Hill\'s Division.

The 12thNorth Carolina Infantrywas mustered into Confederate service on May 18, 1861. The unit participated in every engagement as part of the Army of Northern Virginia, including Chancellorsville from May 1-4, 1863.

TRANSCRIPTION

Camp of the 12th NCT near Fredericksburg, VA Apr. 23

My dear brother,

Your letter, at least brother Jessie\'s, came to hand today and to show how glad I was to hear from home I answer immediately.

I believe my health is as good as usual, as good as I can expect under the circumstances; tho most of the boys are considerably annoyed with diarrhea, occasioned by drinking this muddy swamp water. We get all of our water out of a ditchand when it rains it is just like any other mudhole.

Ourregiment has just received orders to cook up all the rations we have on hand and be ready to march at a moment\'swarning, as the Yankees are reported to be grouping in large force at Port Royal. Probably before you hear from me again I\'ll be able to say I\'ve been in a battle.

The rations are not altogether so large as a well man could eat; but we manage to get along very well if it never gets any worse.

Occasionally we get a mouthful of fresh fish -- herrings and sometimes a shad or two. We have one man detailed from our company to fish, and from some of the brigades men are detailed to get wild onions for the men to eat. I never thought I\'d live to see men and white men eat wild onions but we have to do a great many things we never expected to do.

Three of our men deserted night before last. They were Hiram Edwards, Dick Bottoms and ... Joyner. They took their guns and ammunition and they carried off rations belonging to ten men, a pretty severe loss for soldiers to lose their rations by men running off.

When you write, direct to your affectionate son,

John Pittman
Co. H, 12th NCT
Iverson\'s Brigade
D.H. Hill\'s Division
Richmond, VA