These letters are from Scott's 2nd enlistment, in the 11th New Hampshire Infantry. More than 50 Vermonters served in the regiment, which "was organized at Concord and mustered in September 2, 1862. Moved to Washington, D.C., September 11-14, 1862. Attached to Brigg's Brigade, Casey's Division, Military District of Washington, to October, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Dept. of Ohio, to June, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Dept. of the Ohio, to April, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1865." (Frederick H. Dyer, "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion," Part 3)
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From Fredericksburg to The Crater till the war's end, Private Don E. Scott believed God was by his side
Camp Colby
Concord, NH
Sept. 2nd, 1862
Dear Mother,
I cannot stop to write much this morning only a few words that you may know that I am well. I have been very well with the exception of a large boil on my arm. It is coming to a head now and will be better soon. I have opportunity to come home but will not for I have already bidden the good people of Warner goodbye and don't care to see them till I come home from the war a timeworn and honored patriot. When you come down on Saturday please bring me some money for I want to get several things. By the way there is other money besides the $1.50 offered by the town, which all say I am entitled to. Mr. Dorr offers $5.00, Mr. Ordway $2.00, and some others say $100 to every recruit. Will Father please look into it & get all that belongs to me. I don't think of anything else that I shall want.
Give my regards to all the people who may inquire of me. I promised to write Mrs. Davis but tell her I hardly think I can find time till I get down in Dixie which will be very soon according to all accounts. The Governor has said we must go a week from today. Be sure to come down Saturday.
This in affection
From your son,
Don
Private Charles M. Judkins of Company A, 9th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment, and Company G, 6th U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps Infantry Regiment with bayoneted musket
Inscription on handwritten note: "To my sister Addie. When this you see remember me from Charles M. Judkins, Co. A, 9th Regt., Camp Colby N.H.V., Concord, N.H."
The Thirteenth was at Camp Colby from September 11-15 to 4 a. m. of October 6. The Thirteenth New Hampshire was organized at Camp Colby, Concord, in September, 1862 Thirteenth Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865: A Diary Covering Three Years and a Day
Below contains many letters from Camp Colby
Concord Plains would hardly be selected from choice as a desirable place of residence during the usual New England winter. The barracks erected by the state were of rough boards, hastily put together, with now and then a crack of considerable magnitude, that neither straw nor mud could render impervious to the driving snow which so often fell, or the violent attacks from the north wind—an almost daily visitor. But the Seventeenth had come to camp for service, and this winter experience was, as they supposed, but a prelude to the promised filling of their ranks, to which they looked forward with confidence, and for the accomplishment of which they cheerfully endured, and made the best of, surrounding circumstances. The barracks were all alike—no one had been builded better than another; and it was not unusual, even in regimental headquarters, for the officers to find in the morning upon awakening an extra coverlet of snow supplementing the woolen blanket, which with clean straw underneath made up their beds. It was not a long ride to the well-kept "Phenix," where Steb Dumas was ever glad to accommodate guests and surround them with every comfort. The hospitable "Eagle," too, was equally available. But the officers of the Seventeenth were always in quarters. What was good enough for the men was good enough for them. It was"share and share alike;" and there were no requisitions upon the quartermaster from headquarters that were not equally available for each one of the company barracks. Doubtless all this had a good effect upon the regiment as a whole, and went far to uphold the strict military discipline and create the strong bond of personal interest among all ranks, which it was remarked existed to a greater degree in Camp Ethan Colby than in any other command assembled on Concord Plains.
Special Order No. 15 is an illustration of the maxim, "To do in the most thorough manner the thing that is next to be done," which has been already quoted as characteristic of New England manhood; which has ever been characteristic of Colonel Kent, and from the observance of which came the results foreshadowed in his regimental utterance The order is as follows:
Headquarters Seventeenth N. H. Volunteers,
Camp Ethan Colby, Concord, N. H.,
January 25, 1863.
Special Order No. 15.
The benefit of the service and the contentment and cheerfulness of the men require that their time be fully occupied. As soldiers, the time of the officers and men belongs to the government, and no more pernicious results can happen to a command than those that flow from idleness and consequent discontent.
It is therefore ordered: That from and after Monday, January 26, 1863, the following rules be observed without the slightest deviation, on penalty of such punishment as may be awarded by court martial, or ordered by the proper regimental authority:
1st. All soldiers are on duty, and will perform all duty required of them unless they have a written certificate of disability from the surgeon, and unless they have been on guard during the previous day, in which case they will be excused from all but police duty on the forenoon following, and will return to regular duties at 1 p. m.
2d. A detachment will be ordered to prepare at least one dozen birch brooms for sweeping the parade, and the officer of the day will see that the entire parade, company parade, and grounds about the officers' quarters are swept and the refuse carried outside the lines.
3d. All wood received during the day will be piled up each morning in its appropriate place and the chips gathered together and burned on the guard fires.
4th. The arms of the men will be thoroughly and practically inspected by the company officers before going on dress parade, and any damage to the arms or dirt or rust upon them will merit punishment according to army regulations and the usages of the service. The clothing of the men must also be neatly brushed before appearing on parade. All deficiencies will be reported, and, if necessary, a further inspection will be made by the proper officer at each dress parade.
5th. Company drill from 10 to 11 a. m. and from 2 to 4 p. m. will be observed daily on the parade when the weather will permit, and in the barracks, in the manual, when the weather is bad. This may be varied for battalion drill at the discretion of the officer commanding the camp, and these drills will be attended by every man not excused by paragraphs of this order.
6th. Before drawing in the guard at night sentinels will be posted inside the doors of the barracks, and no one will be allowed to pass out under any pretense whatever unless accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.
The colonel commanding joins with the officers and men in a desire to make the history of the Seventeenth honorable alike to the state and itself. Nothing but a close attention to discipline will secure this end. He acknowledges the general good behavior of the men, and confidently expects, in the execution of this order, that he will have the cordial support of every good soldier of whatever grade.
Be the future of the regiment what it may, it must never be said that the Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteers consumed any period of its existence in inactivity, or that the uncertainties which surrounded a part of its career made its members forgetful of their duties as gentlemen and soldiers.
Let the record of the regiment, while it remains in the state, be unsurpassed for soldierly attention and progress, by that of any which has preceded it. Let each officer and soldier unite in the simple performance of duty, and then, whether as a regiment on the battlefield or as a band of citizens and friends at home, we shall be able to refer with pride to our common connection with the regiment.
By order of
Henry O. Kent,
Col. 17IA N. H. VolsSee NH Fights in Civil War by Mather Cleveland
Hello, I am wondering if you know where I can find out more information about the Mr Dorr mentioned in the 2nd Sep 1862 article featuring Don E Scott.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ellen