This letter was written by Sgt. Alfred Hatch (1842-1864) of Co. A, 7th Connecticut Infantry. Alfred was the son of Joseph Ebenezer Hatch (1804-1874) and Phebe Maria Sackett (1807-1878) of New Preston, Connecticut.
Regrettably for Alfred’s family, this may have been Alfred’s last letter home. Just one month before his three year enlistment was completed, he was wounded in the fight at Deep Bottom on 16 August and he died three weeks later at Hampton, Virginia, on 9 September 1864 after having had his right leg amputated.
The letter may be partial as it lacks the normal dateline and the handwriting on the envelope seems to be in a different hand than that of the author’s. It was postmarked at Old Point Comfort four days after Alfred was wounded so a fellow soldier may have addressed the envelope for him for a previously written letter carried in his pocket.
In the letter, Alfred mentions Hancock’s 2nd Corps crossing the James to the Deep Bottom area which occurred on the night of August 13-14. This would have been a couple of days after Alfred commenced this letter if it was written on the 11th but he may not have written it all on that same day.
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Mr. Joseph E. Hatch, New Preston, Connecticut
Postmarked Old Point Comfort, August 20
[Bermuda Hundred, Va.]
Thursday. [August 11th] P. M.
This morning’s mail favored me with two letter—one from Charles and one from Father & Mother with another greenback enclosed. I wrote a few days ago that I should not send any more as I had received the amount ($20) which I sent for but guess our folks had not received it.
I thought day before yesterday that I should hear from you by this morning certain and was not disappointed. Came off picket last night. Went to the trenches last eve about 9 o’clock and lay there till after sunrise this morn.—something which we have not done much all night since we have been in this camp. Go there, however, every morning at three o’clock, believe there was an attack expected last night, presume some of the Generals got drunk, to speak plainly and thought they saw an attack. Col. [Joseph Roswell] Hawley lay out near us on the ground and some of the boys wished it had rained in torrents so as to get him wet. We could have seen it rain and laughed at it if he only would have stayed out with us and took it, but had it rained, he would have gone to his tent and nobody would have said anything to him and should have got wet without the satisfaction of seeing him do so. I tell you, it makes me feel good when we can see all the officers roughing it with us.
I expected to go on picket tonight but am happily disappointed. Am the only one on the company on duty and able to go that is not on today or going on tonight.
Gen. [David B.] Birney, formerly commander of a Division in Hancock’s Corps, is now in command of the 10th Corps. Have not seen enough of him to know whether we are going to like him or not but he must be a good general or he would not have had a command under Hancock and I believe he is a fighting man. Hope he will not be immediately superseded for we do not have one man long enough to get the run of the “Masheen.” ¹
Report says the 2nd Corps have crossed the James and that our men (10th C. V. & 100 N. Y. V.) captured a four gun Battery with some prisoners yesterday across there somewhere but we don’t know what is going on anywhere about us till we have seen the New York papers. get them almost every day. Tonight get yesterday’s papers a day later than you get them.
The sutlers get tomatoes from Norfolk. They are very high of course—25 cents per dozen and small at that. There appears to be a great many troops lying back of us. How many [I] don’t know. Suppose they belong to the 19th Corps. They have done no picket or other yet. Think they are not going to be here long but know nothing about it.
I am sorry you was homesick at all. Tis a bad feeling for I have been myself but am glad you got over it. Frank & Hat must not bring you up to your school. It is going to make you homesick. By the way, how is Frank? Will he be likely to return to the regiment before I come home? And Alfred W. Do you hear anything more about Jim’s coming home on furlough? I want to have some of the boys stay till September for I want to see them—especially Frank. I wrote to him awhile ago but presume it never reached him as they were out on the march from the Rapidan to the James.
Mr. H is very kind in making you a present of paper [given what] paper costs these days. I shall get along with what I have very well. I see you do not rise as easily in the morning as we do but I do not think I shall rise as early as three o’clock when I get home. My sheet is used up and I guess I will close. Hope not to have to write many more letters to you from the army. I am as ever your loving brother, — Alfred
¹ Coined by Mortimer M. Thomson who wrote under the pseudonym Q. K. Philander Doesticks in the 1850s. He wrote a piece called “Running with the Masheen”—a spoof on firemen.
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