Editor’s Note: The Soldier Studies web site (http://www.soldierstudies.org) collects and publishes letters written during the Civil War. Owner/editor Chris Wehner was kind enough to grant me written permission to publish a selection of letters from his site which focus on the Siege of Petersburg. Look for letters to appear here during the 150th anniversary of the Siege of Petersburg and beyond. These letters may not be reused without the express written consent of Chris Wehner. All rights reserved.
My Dear Wife,
I will drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well and I hope this may find you and all of my Dear Relatives and friends the same.
My sweetie little Mattie I have nothing new to write as I know of only we blew up the the Yanks the other day but we did not charge them and all get killed like did us when the ground bursted. They all run for life. It frightend them so and we stood in our works and had our fun a shooting them but they soon rallied and came back to their works. All of our artillery opened on them and it was terrific for a while.1
Now my Dear, I want to know the reason that you all don’t write to me. I have wrote to all of you and to Babe and Emma and can’t get an answer. The last letter that I got was wrote July 25 and here it is Aug 12. I can’t tell what is the matter. Mattie, tell Mother that I have found 3 of the old Bagget Stock. They are the sons of old John Bagget. They are three fine looking boys and they send their respects to all the family. Their names are Neal, William and Burten. They are in our division. I can see them anytime.
My Dear little Mattie, I will close by saying I pray that God will protect us all and permit us all to meet again on earth and at the last day receive us in heaven and give us all a seat at His right hand. Give my love to Father and Mother and to all the family and to your folks and tell Babe to write your loving Reb until death,
T.W.G.Inglet to Mattie his own heart2
Source:
- SOPO Editor’s Note: Inglett here appears to be referring to the mine the Confederates attempted to explode underneath the Union 18th Corps on August 5, 1864, near where the Battle of the Crater had been fought. It was a failure, falling short of the Union lines, but it prompted a lively skirmish. ↩
- Inglet, Thomas W. G. “Petersburg, Va.” Letter to “My Dear Wife” 12 Aug. 1864. MS. Petersburg, Va. This letter appears here due to the express written consent of Chris Wehner, owner of SoldierStudies.org and may not be used without his permission. All rights reserved. ↩