On the March Again

Log hut on the far right in a military camp on the Tennessee River

Commentary 

Maryland Heights near Harper's Ferry overlooks the Potomac. A camp near Antietam would require moving the camp about 12 miles north.

A log hut such as described by William can be seen (as shown above) in at least one Civil War photograph. The hut is on the far right of the photograph.

Col. Alexander S. Diven

Alexander S. Diven became a Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General and a US Congressman. He was a member of the New York State Senate in 1858 and in 1861, was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh Congress, serving until 1863. During his term, he was commissioned as Colonel of the 107th New York Volunteer Infantry. After the war he was the vice-president of the Erie railroad and the Mayor of Elmira, New York. 
 
William's health would not improve. Shortly after this letter was written, William was sent to the hospital. Not exactly overwhelmed by the promotion to corporal - lighter work and more responsibility.

Army Food

The basic rations of both armies consisted of four items. These were hardbread, beef, beans and coffee.

Hardtack (hardbread) was a biscuit made of flour with other simple ingredients, and issued to Union soldiers throughout the war. Hardtack crackers made up a large portion of a soldier's daily ration. It was square or sometimes rectangular in shape with small holes baked into it, similar to a large soda cracker. Large factories in the north baked hundreds of hardtack crackers every day, packed them in wooden crates and shipped them out by wagon or rail.

According to army regulations for camp rations, a Union soldier was entitled to receive daily 12 oz of pork or bacon or 1 lb. 4 oz of fresh or salt beef; 1 lb. 6 oz of soft bread or flour, 1 lb. of hard bread, or 1 lb. 4 oz of cornmeal. Per every 100 rations there was issued 1 peck of beans or peas; 10 lb. of rice or hominy; 10 lb. of green coffee, 8 lb. of roasted and ground coffee, or 1 lb. 8 oz of tea; 15 lb. of sugar; 1 lb. 4 oz of candles, 4 lb. of soap; 1 qt of molasses. In addition to or as substitutes for other items, desiccated vegetables, dried fruit, pickles, or pickled cabbage might be issued.

The marching ration consisted of 1 lb. of hard bread, 3/4 lb. of salt pork or 1 1/4 lb. of fresh meat, plus the sugar, coffee, and salt. Soldiers of both armies relied to a great extent on food sent from home and on the ubiquitous Sutler - a person who followed the army and sold provisions to the soldiers. Additionally, food found in field and orchard along the road of march was fair game for hungry soldiers.

Sundry

In the 1870 census there is a farmer John Ross (age 64) listed in Reading, Schuyler County with a Tyrone Post Office.

The rubber blanket probably refers to a blanket, usually in poncho form, made waterproof by being treated with rubber. During the 1850s a great deal of experimentation with various materials for military equipment led to the decision that gum rubber was quite a fine material for many purposes. Goodyear's earlier patent for the vulcanization of rubber made the gum (or gum rubber) blanket a natural for the Civil War armies. Not only are they useful as ground cloths, or to make into "shebangs" (Civil War soldier term for shelter), they are good rain-wear when draped over the body and tied or buttoned in front.

Commentary 

December 9 is a propitious date given that this would be the birth date of William's future son and great grandson.

The destination of the next day's march was Fredericksburg, Virginia where a great battle was soon to be fought. The Battle of Fredericksburg would last for five days between December 11 and 15, 1862. 

Burnside's Battle

On December 11, 1862, under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, Union engineers laid five pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River under fire. Robert E. Lee previously had entrenched his Confederate army on the heights behind the town.

General Ambrose Burnside

On December 11 and 12 the Federal army crossed over the river into Fredericksburg. Urban combat soon enveloped the city.

On December 13, Burnside mounted a series of futile frontal assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye’s Heights that resulted in staggering casualties. In separate attacks, fifteen Union Brigades assaulted the sunken wall at the foot of Marye's Heights. The brigades were destroyed by the Confederates.

On December 15, Burnside called off the offensive and recrossed the river, ending the campaign. Total casualties were 12,653 for the Union and 5,377 for the Confederates.

The Army of the Potomac crossing the Rappahannock River. 

William Graham's 107th Regiment arrived near Fredericksburg on the 16th of December - too late to join the slaughter. William was not with them. Despite finally receiving his new boots to ward off the winter weather, disease, a common peril of the Civil War, finally felled him.

 

Sundry

Today, Burnside is more remembered for his hair style than his capabilities as a Union general. Thanks to him, we now call that hair in front of the ear a 'sideburn'. One little known fact is that in his post-war life Burnside was named the first president of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

William's advice respecting Libbie's love life did not lead to her imminent marriage. Libbie at age 46 ultimately married a widower in 1884, long after the war had ended.  She never had children of her own.

Not sure who is the Isaac to whom he asks his sister to give special respects.  Would be interesting if he is of the Grahams from County Tyrone, Ireland which his future son Hiram would marry into in 1903. That Isaac Graham was then living in Schuyler County's Town of Orange.

The December 9, 1862 letter clearly indicates the difficulties of a Civil War soldier's life. Whether it is unreliable mail service, inadequate provision of boots and clothing, lack of sufficient sleep, few to no furloughs or the missing pay mentioned in other letters; a soldier's life was hard. Perhaps William's strong religious faith helped see him through his coming multiyear military service. Nevertheless, the December letter marked the last message William would send during active military duty with the Army of the Potomac.