Civil War Letter of Homesick Maine Soldier Died Who Months later of Disease

“April 24, 1862 – A Union soldier’s letter home from two miles beyond Warwick Court House, Virginia.” with Letter Cover Died Months later of Disease 
 
During the early days of the Peninsula Campaign, a Maine infantryman from the 11th Maine Regiment writes to his wife with dry humor and raw honesty: idle camp days filled with wild rumors (the Merrimac sunk “a dozen times,” Richmond captured repeatedly), the tedious routine of building forts by night, daily shelling of Confederate lines, and the universal longing to go home. He jokes about “playing sick” for a discharge, describes eager sharpshooters and new shelter tents, and reassures her about money while admitting the mail is irregular due to muddy roads. A vivid, personal window into the boredom, rumors, and quiet determination of McClellan’s army on the eve of the Siege of Yorktown. 
 
 
"Two Miles beyond Warwick.
Court-House Thursday
April 24th 1862
Dear Wife
As I have nothing at all to do, or take up my attention, and am killing time by doing just nothing which I find is a very poor way, I made up my mind to pass a hour or so away in writing to you. I have not the first thing of any interest to communicate. Receive no news only what wee call Comp news and they amount to nothing. you would laugh to hear some of the news wee get sometimes. they have had the Merrimac sunk a dozen times, and Richmond has been taken several times. by Mc Dowell and Banks. Jeff Davis surrendered to Mc Clellan and a Thousand other stories. about the same sort. it is impossible to get anything reliable. unless you see it yourself. or in the newspapers. and they are not to be relied upon allways. you probably get more news about this army and what they are a doing than wee do here. what papers wee get are a week old. when wee get them and not very often at that. I do not see any change in affairs since I first got here, wee remain on the very same spot. also the whole Division. but I suppose that there is enough going on a head of us. our Troops are throwing up entrenchments and building forts every day or rather nights. for they do a most of that kind of work in the night. the Rebels get up some of these mornings and take a look towards the Yankees. and are undoubtedly surprised to see a large Fort that has made its appearance since their last view of our lines. I dont believe that they can get much ahead of the Yankees. it appears so at any rate. wee have got any quantity of large guns in position that they know nothing about. and probably will not until it is to late. for them to help themselves. our Batteries shell them just enough every day to attract their attention. and to keep them from strengthening their Forts. by mounting heavier guns on. wee can see one of their guns that is turned bottom upwards and there it lays and they dare not venture up to fix it for the moment they show their heads it makes a beautiful mark for the Sharpshooters they dug a trench the other night within fifty or seventy five yards of the Rebels Fort. and before daylight in the morning it was filled with Sharpshooters. and they wer poking them of strangely and the Rebels did not know where they ware. and kept firing in another direction for them. About a dozen of the Band fellows have gon up there to day some of them are up there all the time it is somewhat enticing I suppose. There is occasionally a little fight between pickets. there has been several of the maine men killed and wounded. but that is nothing with them. they are just a eager to get a shot at one of them Rebels. as Mr Mose Thomas would be to get a shot at a Fox. say nothing about what the Pelt would be worth. they say they like it and do not think any thing about the danger they are in. Bush Lew Olson
Morrison. yesterday a Brother to Fred A Morrison he is on the 7th me Regt. there was three Bullet holes in his Overcoat. that is coming pretty close. his Company say that he is a good shot and is sure of his man. I am well acquainted with him and am going up to see him to morrow if it does not storm. I can hear our Batteries as plain as if I was there. they fire about once in five minutes. the explosion of the shell is as loud as the gun. they have not opened on them with any large guns yet. nothing only field Batteries. twelve pounders. wee wer Reinforced yesterday by Franklin’s Division. which is about fifteen thousand. there is no end to the Troops here. I want to see them pitch in. but there is no knowing when that will be. Mc clellan will not move until he is ready and it will not be a Bull run affair I’ll bet. Mc clellan says that he can shell them out in six hours so I have heard.
I have not got any letter from you this week but I am looking for one every day your letters have always come and I have received all of them so far and I hope they will not stop now our mails has been very irregular lately on account I suppose of the bad roads. which after a rain is almost impossible to get along the people in maine never Saw any poor roads. I suppose that the snow is about all gon there now. and they will soon be doing their Springs work. as things look now I shal not have that Garden before another spring. I have about abandoned the Idea of getting home this Spring. unless I play sick and get my discharge in that way. I am afraid that they would find me out and then I should be laughed at. they are all sick of this show and went to get out of it and sorry Band that I have seen is in the same condition. they say let me get out of this and I will never inlist again me is as sick as any of them. and is trying to get discharged also Mr Buck. he wanted me to say that he was going to get his in my other letter so that his wife would hear of it so if you see her you can tell her he may get it. but he has got to be sick longer than he has been. he does not say much about it lately. Col Secretary tried to persuade the Colonel to give us a discharge but it was of no use. he said no no. and I hope they will never ask him again. but if it so happens that Congress does it I will tell him that he is a very nice man and that wee all love him (over the left) I dont know but I should be fool enough to sauce him. I dont believe that any one will stay here long for there will be no need of them. the Rebels will be whiped and the war over. with. that is what makes my courage hold out if I thought that I had got to stay here three years or even one. longer I would resort to some means of geting out of the Circus. wee have got some Tents now they came to day they are little small mes just large enough for two. each one has to carry his Tent or half of it. for the tent is in two parts. they are first rate and wee shall live like heroes. I have enough to eat and good enough. I suppose that you are not at work in the Shop I hope so at any rate. I want you to use that money to make yourself comfortable as it possibly can I do not expect that you are agoing to save all of it by any means. and I want you to use it. as you like it is yours I have not time to write any more to night.
Dearest Respect yours in Henry