1861 Blog

Dear Father,

 The year has gone by in a breeze. Earlier this April, the Union had to surender Ft. Sumter so Prezident Lincoln called for 75,000 volontears. So I enlisted in the armi, you know, gotta lend an ol´ neybor a hand when he needs one. I hope that you will suport my decisioun to join him and his forses. I beleeve that I am doing the rite ting for our family and the cuntry. I promis to fite hard just like you have always taut me and work to keep them slaves out of Illinois! This war ´ill be a breeze! 

 A few days later I hurd that stuf was goin down in Baltimore. Heard der was 11 deaths total! An it didn't even happen in battle, pa; it was just some o´ Lincoln´s troops coming down from Massachusetts towards D.C. when these crazy guys from Baltimore tried to stop ´em. An´ den both sides shooted at each other. Looks like ol´ Abeś not gonna get any help from dem border states, dats for sure! 

 Sence then ,it´s been pretty chill round camp. Boring, but chill. Thot everythin was settlin down but nah. Later that July, we got called with some other Union regiments to march down to Bull Run Creek to try to take dem railroads or somethin. But dem rebels met us there and letś just say, we got our buttś kicked. I tried to hold my regiment together but then everyone was runnin away with their tails between der legs. Nutin I could do then but run with ´em. What a nightmare it was! Trying to keep a bunch o frantic teenagers together wen your scared half to death yourself! It was then that I realized that this war wasnt gonna be just a lil favor for an ol pal. Nah this was da real thing, lives were on the line. 

 The war just kept growin biger and I was just growing farther and farther apart form poor Harriett and da kids. Dang I miss them so much. Round August, Congress pased this new incum tax to help pay for the war. Some guys round camp were pretty upset about that; this had never happened before, never! Looks like the government was willing to come up with just about willing to do anything to get money for dis war. 

 Da war just kept groing bigger,pops,and I felt less and less sure of our victory. But round November, good ol LIncoln put this new guy in charge, General George McClellan, and what a promising leader he was. Youthful, vigourous, a little self-contained, but promising! I heard he turned some rag-tag army in Potomac into some elite fighting force! Woo wee! I sure do hope he got what it takes to finish up this war and get me back home to my family!

 I sind you all of my luv and I hope that everything is goin wel for you arond the hous and at your general stor. I hope to be returnin to you and my butiful famli soon.

 With luv,

 Thomas Norton

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