Tremendous Letter 6th CT Volunteers Bermuda Hundred May 1864. Must Read

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Tremendous Letter 6th CT Volunteers Bermuda Hundred May 1864. Must Read:
$149.88

Absolutely wonderful authentic complete four page letter from an unnamed member of the 6th Connecticut Infantry. Writing his sister, the author gives much insight to life as a soldier. Please read the transcription below in its entirety – it gets better and better as it goes on. I have done some light editing in punctuation to help in reading.

Look at the photos – very dark and legible letter.

The 6th Connecticut was assigned to the 10th Army Corps, Army of the James. Served in the 2nd Brigade (J.R. Hawley) of the 1st Division (Alfred H Terry)

Transcription
Bermuda Hundred
May 23d 1864

Dear Sister. I receive your welcome letter the 20. It had bin written a good while but we have not had any male from the Head till this, when I got 5 letters and your one of them. I felt good to hear from you and to learn that you still enjoyed good health and you sed that you hope that I did. My health has bin very good and I think better than for some years till I was taken with disentry the 18 and I went to the doctor to get some medison but he sed that he had but little and I would work it off and I told him I had not enough strength to labour but I had to do shoveling dirt or mud on the entrenchments for it rains hear most every day by showers and the roads are very mudy. So I work till noon eating nothing. Then our regt. was cald out to the front to picket that night and I stood it till 5 o’clock the next day when I could not stand up no longer and was helped in to camp about 1 ½ miles and I went to him after something to take and he sed that he had no medison of any account and that they might be some wounded that would want it more but I told him I must have something and he murmured over something and gave me 2 pills. Told me to take them and not to come there any more and mark me for light work. I went to my Capt. And told him what the doctor sed and he sed that he aught to be ---- and he told me to go to my tent and keep as still as I could and keep away from the doctor. I have don so but I boiled up some White Oake bark and made a tea of it but I do not get much better for I am groing weaker but I am in hopes that I shall be better in a few days. You wanted to know how I like a soldier’s life. It is not any more than I expected only in a few respects that is this: I thought there was more humanity among men and their has been days that we have had nothing to eat nor any sleep but march and dig entrenchments. This place is nothing but woods, mostly pine -----. There is Chesnut and Oake and Maple and other wood but once in a grate ways their a cleard lot are no large wood but pines about 8 or 10 ft. high. These are --- up and on these places are where the cannons are place to shell the enemy or to drive them back. We haft to go go a head of the cannons and commence fighting there in the woods and if they drive us back then we retreat back to the cannons and they fire over us abd drive them so then we can advance and then they haft to follow on but they haft to go on the roads til they get to another cleared lot and some time they will get the advantage of us so that we cannot have any help from our batteries then they will ----. I have been in 4 fights or skirmishes as you might call them. I thought it pretty hot work creeping upon your hands and nees through swmp and woods to screen ourselves from their fire. I have had3 very narrow escapes. A ballcut my canteen off from my side and a ball past between my neck and chin cutting off my whiskers and cutting off a line as large as my finger the other side if my neck which I lay upon my face hear. We lost good many men. I saw a man fall but a few feet from me and good many wounded ones but the Rebs sat the woods afire to drive us back so we had to go double quick to get out of the fire and hear many must have perished in the flames. Oh how sorriest[?] are the sounds of the dying and the wounded. You may read of battles and see pictures but they are but paint and paper but when you stand by one that has bin along your side day by day in the marches and hear them profane God’s holy name then see them in the pains of deth cursing those that inflicted the wounds and hear them say “tell my wife for me that I am ded”and others say “oh, mother. This will kill my dear mother when she comes to hear of it.” My dear sister that it wants something more than the babblings things of this world to stand ad to behold sutch sights. If ever we need religion it is upon the battle field but we need it in our every days walk and what are we but dust except the soul and oh I hope that you may imbrace the religion of Jesus Christ and not put it off till you are upon a sick bed or be taken away by accident. I would like to have wrote much longer letter and give you more particulars about our last battle which I was not in on account of being sick. They are a fighting most every day. They are not over ½ mile from camp. The rebs balls come into the camp once and awhile. We no no Sundays in the army but haft to chop and dig and fight the same. Oh we have had the most fatigue and skirmishing if any regt. hear. We have not had since we landed hear, that was the 5th, but one night rest and no days but have bin on a – till the regt. is pretty well used up with hard usage and poor keeping. We have lost since we landed 145 men Kild wounded and missing including 9 officers. The 7, 8, 10 CV [Connecticut Volunteers] are with us and the batteries with Wm. Williams and --- and Mr. Lake and Mcgenice[?] and Paterson and good many of our Naugatuck boys. You tell Hatch that that I receive those pictures the 20 of this month but I am not able to write to him at the present and I would have sent this privilege if I did not want to answer your letter. My sheat is full and I am getting tired but not of writing for I could write another much larger and not tell you half. Robert is at little Washington. He is sick and I was glad to get a letter from him. Write if I do not for when I get well I have no time till this place is taken or we are drove off which I hope will never happen. Tell May[?] that I shall be better in a few days if they do not make me labour. Give my love to all at home. I receive a letter from Robert yesterday and I answered it for I thought I could not have another chance and I thought the same--- ---.

Below are a couple of reports from the Official Records (not included)

Itinerary of the Second Brigade, First Division, Tenth Army Corps, May 1-June 9.*
This brigade was reported last month at Gloucester Point, Va., as consisting of the Seventh Connecticut and Seventh and Third New Hampshire Volunteers.
May 2.-The Sixth Connecticut was assigned to the brigade and reported for duty.
May 4.-In common with the whole Tenth Corps the brigade embarked on transports, steamed up the James River, and landed at Bermuda Hundred.
May 6.-Marched about 8 miles and bivouacked until the 9th without meeting the enemy.
May 9.-The brigade marched to Chester Station and assisted in destroying the railroad; thence the same day proceeded to Walthall Junction in the direction of Petersburg; formed that night the reserve before Swift Creek.
May 10.-The brigade was engaged in the morning destroying the railroad track, and afterward marched hurriedly to a point near Chester Station, where the enemy was encountered in considerable force, but was repulsed and driven back after a short just severe fight. Brigadier-General Terry, commanding First Division, personally directed the operations.
May 13 to 16.-The brigade was engaged it the several battles in the neighborhood of Palmer\'s Creek. The entire loss of the brigade during the four days exceeds 500. Since the withdrawal of the troops to the intrenchments the brigade has been occupied constantly on picket or fatigue duty.
During the month the brigade was occupied mainly on the line of intrenchments near Bermuda Hundred. 16. Report of Colonel Redfield Duryee, Sixth Connecticut Infantry, of operations May 9-10.
HDQRS. SIXTH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS, In the Field,
May 11, 1864.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report regarding the part taken by this regiment in the operations of May 9 and 10, 1864:
On the morning of May 9, pursuant to orders from Colonel J. R. Hawley, Seventh Connecticut Volunteers, commanding brigade, this regiment took up line of march and proceeded in the direction of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, and reached said railroad at the station 14 miles south of Richmond. From that point the line of march was directed along the railroad toward Petersburg until the regiment reached the point where the Richmond and Petersburg turnpike crosses the railroad 16 miles from Richmond. Here a halt was ordered and the regiment rested about two hours in the field near the building occupied as a temporary hospital for the division.
From this point the line of march was toward Petersburg along the turnpike for the distance of about 1 mile to support a light battery. Remained at that post until night-fall, when orders were received to return to the railroad and bivouac for the night.
At 8 a.m. on the 10th instant the regiment, by orders from brigade commander, formed in line and destroyed a portion of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. I then proceeded with my regiment along the turnpike in the direction of Richmond to the distance of about 2 miles, when our advance was attacked by the enemy in force.
By the order of General Terry the regiment marched by the flank through the woods on the west side of the turnpike and formed line of battle in an open field about one-half mile west of the turnpike; advanced in line across a road running at right angles with the turnpike and entered a piece of woods to support a regiment which was engaging the enemy, when orders were given for the regiment then engaged to retire in order to give me an opportunity to open fire upon the enemy. A portion of the left wing of my command mistook the order and fell back out of the woods and formed on the opposite side of the road in rear. The right wing remained in line and repulsed the attack.
As soon as the enemy ceased firing and retreated the regiment, by orders from brigade commander, formed in line of battle in the open field to support a light battery. From this position orders were given for the regiment to retire. Returned to camp about 8 p.m. the 10th instant. All the officers behaved in a most satisfactory manner, and with very few exceptions the enlisted men conducted themselves well.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
REDFIELD DURYEE,
Colonel, Commanding Sixth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.

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