Correspondence
Emerson A. Boynton (c1840-1864)
Camp Lyons
Aug 4th /61
Dear Brother & Sister
I suppose it is time I had written you one more letter but I do not know as I am indebted at all for I do not know as I have rec'd a single letter from you as yet & you must remember I do not think I will write again until you write me. I suppose you have rec'd or seen the letter that I sent home so it will be of no use for me to go over with what I wrote then. you must first know I have got entirely well of my relax & I am truly thankfull (sic) that it was no worse. There was yesterday on the sick list some one hundred and thirty but today there is but seventy. I was sick marching today & took about fifteen from our company. There has not been any dangerous sick but the Doctor told me today that he expected more every day. I am afraid there will be some for they are not carefull (sic) enough about what they eat. I do not buy anything to eat but tomatoes and they call them healthy.
We send out picket guards everyday & I suppose I shall have got to go before many days but they do not call it very dangerous. They have to go out from one to five miles.
How is my horse doing, does she get out any more. How are you getting haying this summer, if anyone wants that colt for one hundred dollars let them have her. If you can get the last number of Harpers Weekly you can see where the Chain bridge is that we are stationed. I do not think we will see much fighting as long as we stay here that is I do not feel much afraid of it. I do not know as I wish myself back but still I think we shall know how to prize home if we ever get back but do not worry for my welfare. Levi has not got along yet but guess he is not very sick now. I suppose Henry has gone home for I see by the paper that the reg't has gone home that he came in. All the rest of the boys from N. Sp-d. are all well I believe. I have not got any more news to write until I hear from you & I have not heard from home not from you since I was at home. write soon & I will write soon.
This from Brother
Emerson.
Headquarters Washington, 3rd Regt, Co. A
Camp Logans
August 17th 1861
Dear Brother & Sister
I rec'd your letter in due season & was glad to hear from you. I must tell you that you must be more punctual as I am afraid I shall not but will try to. I am now on the Virginia side of the Potomac on picket guard, have six men under my charge, do not think I am in a very dangerous place for they cannot approach us without we get an alarm from our advance pickets. I will first say I have got well & I feel full as well as I have since I enlisted or since I came into camp. This is the first day that I have been out on picket since we came here & this morning was the first time I have stepped on Virginia soil. It is some like old Vermont here, that is the hills and valleys are about the same. The soil is quite different, it makes the running water all look red or yellow and even the spring water looks as though it ( ? ) but it is not. We have very good water but not like most Vt water. I think it is better than that we had at St, Johnsbury.
It is rather a dull day here and rains some. It seems some like the days we used to try to hay last summer and could not get along very fast. I want you should when you write next time tell me more particulars for you did not say who was helping you do your haying. How does Charly get along this summer.
Now I will talk about war. I do not know as I have much more fear here than I should in Vermont but I suppose we all do. They get some rebels most every day. The land is pretty much covered with timber with now and then an opening. Where I am now stationed there is several Negro huts (free ones) full of little black brats ha, ha! I have sent two of my men out scouting & two have gone out to a plantation that an old secessionist has left with all its crops on the ground, it looks like desolation. I expect they will bring back some potatoes for us to roast, sweet corn is plenty and all kinds of fruit such as watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches & etc.
We live pretty well or as well as I expected when I came here. Butter is worth from 25 to 37 ½ cts per pound and not very good at that. I am going to send on when it comes cold weather for some butter & some maple sugar. What do you say about sending it. For I can send you so and could afford to pay as high as you can get at home. We have a plenty of tomatoes & I cannot help but grow fat eating them. You know how I used to like them & they taste a great deal better than did those for our ( ? ) are not the best. We have a plenty of ( ? ) bacon and most of the time salt pork, fresh but twice a week.
You wanted to know what kind of care we had in the hospital. I had very good care but not such as I should get at home. Last night we got news that the federal forces had taken Fairfax again but how true it is I do not know. I think by the middle of September we shall make an important maneuver into the enemy's country.
Levi is not very well he has a bad pain in his side kind of pleurisy I guess but he keeps around. He is the last one to complain you know.
We had another accident to one of our Co. his name is Cor. Marsh of Felchville. He discharged his gun by mistake and cut off his right thumb and cut his forefinger some. He got a furlough and sent home yesterday. Some are always very careless you know.
Our Officers are getting promoted quite fast. They say there is a great deal of talk in the city about the 3rd Vt reg't. They call them the buddy reg't. Our Colonel is promoted to Brigadier General & Quartermaster Proctor is Brigadier Quartermaster. And also our Adjutant is talked of for Brigadier Adjutant. Crain has got the appointment of Quartermaster and I guess he will accept it.
I must draw to a close. You must tell the others I am tough and hearty. They must wait another week for a letter. You will have hard work to read this. Want you should write me soon and tell me all the news.
Accept this from your Brother
E. A. Boynton
P.S. Sunday
I have got back from picket safe and sound, have not got any news to write except that we brought in three runaway Negroes. Two of them were slaves and one of them a free man. They came to our outer posts and so were brought in. We generally take them to headquarters in Washington & so I expect these will be taken there. I have been weighed today and have gained eight pounds since I got better, but I am doing first rate since. Accept this in haste from Emerson.
Sept 22nd /61
Dear Brother & Sister
I will enclose a few lines to you. You will probably read fathers letter so I will not repeat it. We have not had any pay since the 26th of June so there is not much money in the reg't but we are expecting two months pay every day & if we get it I shall send you $20.00 & you can do as you see fit, put it in the Savings Bank or let some good person have it, or keep it yourself I do not care which. I have not got a single mite of news to write this time so you must excuse me for being short. Accept this from your brother.
Emerson
Headquarters Chain Bridge,
Regt 3rd V. V., Camp Advance, Co. A
Oct 1st /61
Dear Brother & Sister
I rec'd your kind letter of the 22nd & I will assure you I was glad to hear from you again. I am sorry to say I have neglected to write as often as I should but if you knew how we were situated here you would not say a single word. I was glad to hear you were well on. I am sorry to say I have been on my back for a few days past but I am better now so I have been out to walk & visited the camp of the 4th reg't. which arrived here last Saturday & the 5th reg't. came in Friday night. So we have now got the Vt reg'ts. all in one Brigade. There is quite a number in the 4th reg't. that I am acquainted with & some that I little expected to see out here. Yesterday Collins Piper came into the Hospital to see me but I did not expect to see him & I did not know him at first but it did not take long to find him out, It seems good to see a fellow from Vt. when they have been there since I have. It is just three months today since I left Springfield the last time. It does not seem but a short time to me but I presume it seems longer to you. I am sorry to hear that Father is unwell but I hope he is better by this time. There is a great many sick here in our reg't. but they are most of them some like myself kind of run down. I shall soon be out tough as ever. When in the Hospital we have the very best of care. A good many of the boys are having the Ague some. I have not had it any as yet.
Our position here is not half as dangerous as it was a short time ago. The rebels having withdrawn their forces. We have sent out a number of reg'ts. from this place. Within a day or two this place will soon be filled up.
I did not know if Ed. Bemis had got home but I was more astonished to hear he had got married & also to hear of Ellen Ohollis getting married. What Strong did she marry.
I cannot give you any idea how one feels when he is a target for the rebels to shoot at, but he is liable to feel scary at first but we soon get over that.
You have not sold your wool yet but I should not worry as long as it keeps rising & I see it is quoted higher than it was. I should not be in a hurry to sell my horse if I was in your place for I think they will be pretty high before another year comes around & if you can Winter mine by giving grain & straw I wish you would & I will pay for it if I can. You will find enclosed within this letter a bill of $20.00 on the N.S. & I guess it will pass better than the old paper that Revolution soldiers were paid off in. You said that you enclosed me some stamps but I did not find them & it may turn out the same with this Bill but if it comes safe you may do as you see fit with it.
Stowell was sent to the City Hospital today and also two more of our Co. Henry Coffin & Henry Cook. Neither of them are very sick but it will take some time for them to get recruited up & they do not have the conveniences to have so many at a time as they would be obliged to if they kept them all here. I should have been obliged to have gone if I was going to be sick long but it appears the Doctor thought I should soon get around & I think so to & I was glad he thought so for I should not like to go to the General Hospital.
We have made quite an advance lately along our lines & I have not heard of any great battles but it is rumored they have been fighting some towards Harpers Ferry but we have not heard how much they have done & you will probably get all the news as soon as we do when we are not in the middle of the skirmishes. I will soon be fit to go out & give them fits and the Lord willing we shall have them conquered & be at home by next July. I must ( ? ) this letter to a close. Levi is fully well. Love to all & accept this from your brother
Emerson
P.S. Do not worry write as soon as you get this letter & then I shall know whether you got the money.
Military Record: BOYNTON, EMERSON A., credited to Springfield; enlisted 6/1/1861, mustered in 7/16/1861, as 7th Corporal, Co. A, Third Vermont Infantry; re-enlisted 12/21/1863; promoted Sergeant, 2/1/1863; killed in action, Spotsylvania, 12 May 1864.
Source: Letters written by Emerson A. Boynton to Joseph Willard Leland and Electa Harriet Boynton, Emerson's brother-in law and sister. Levi is Levi Leland, Emerson's cousin.
1982 Revised Roster, 73.
Contributed by: Ron Foster, Columbus, Mississippi, great-grandnephew of Emerson Boynton, who transcribed the letters 21-23 Feb 1999
