These letters were written by 19 year-old Nathaniel (“Nathan”) Batchelder, Jr. (1843-1864) who enlisted 1 August 1862 as a private in Co. A, 11th Vermont Infantry. Nathan was taken prisoner on 23 June 1864 during the fighting at Weldon Railroad. The National Park Service data base lists Nathaniel Batchelder, Jr., 1st Vermont Heavy Artillery, as being confined at Andersonville Prison after his capture and later moved to a prison in Millen, Georgia where he died on 27 October 1864.
Nathan was the son of Nathaniel Batchelder (1803-1891) and Jean Stewart Nelson (1810-1892) of Ryegate, Caledonia county, Vermont. In the letter, Nathan mentions his brother Corp. James N. Batchelder (1841-1863) of Co. F, 15th Vermont Regiment who died on 13 April 1863 in the regimental hospital near Union Mills, Virginia. His pension record indicates his death was due to typhoid fever. James enlisted for 9 months service in late October 1862.
Nathaniel Bachelder, Jr. was mustered into the 11th Vermont Infantry but the name of the regiment was changed to 1st Vermont Heavy Artillery on 10 December 1862 while on duty in Washington D. C. The regiment was assigned to garrison duty within the defences of Washington, occupying Forts Slocum, Totten, and Stevens. It remained at Washington until May 12, 1864, when it moved, 1,500 strong, to join the Army of the Potomac. Although nominally a heavy artillery regiment, it served as infantry, the only difference being in its larger organization; it had 12 companies of 150 men each, with a captain and four lieutenants for each company, forming three battalions with a major for each. The regiment arrived at the front on May 15th, when it was assigned to the Vermont Brigade, and two days later it went into action near Spotsylvania. On June 1st, Major Fleming’s Battalion was engaged in the storming of Cold Harbor, with a loss of 13 killed and 107 wounded. In the affair at the Weldon Railroad, June 23d, the regiment lost 9 killed, 36 wounded, and 257 captured or missing, the captured men belonging to Fleming’s Battalion. It was next engaged in Sheridan’s campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, where Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlin fell mortally wounded in the fight at Charlestown. At the Opequon, the regiment lost 8 killed, 85 wounded, and 6 missing; and at Cedar Creek, 13 killed, 74 wounded, and 20 missing. Returning to Petersburg, it was engaged in the final and victorious assault, with a loss of 5 killed and 45 wounded.
For more letters by members of the 11th Vermont (1st Vermont Heavy Artillery), see — 1863: William Joseph Cheney to Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Kenfield and 1863-64: Alonzo F. Smith to Cousins
[Note: Letters 2-5 are from the collection of Jim Doncaster and are published by express consent.]
Letter 1
Fort Totten, D. C.
December 21, 1862
Dear Sister and Brother,
How do you do? I am well and hope you are the same. This is Sabbath day. It is all the [only] time we can get to write any of any consequence. We have to work all the time week days and most of the Sabbath.
We are expecting the Gov. of Vermont here every moment and we had to sweep the whole works this morning and pile the major’s wood pile over. That is the remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. The Major [George Ephraim Chamberlin (1838-1864) ¹] would keep us to work nights if he could. It seems as though he could not get work enough for us to do. He worked us all day Thanksgiving day. Someone heard that the Col. [James M. Warner] was mad about it. We have a nice Colonel. If we did not think so much of him at Brattleboro, but he has made that all up since we come out here. Our major is a brave, gallant officer. He has got his mother out here to stay with him but it will not do to say much about one officer. If they hear it, it would go hard with us. But this is a place where it will not do to tell truth at all times.
I had a letter from [brother] James last Friday. He is about one mile from Fairfax Court House. He was well and in good spirits. He said they was about three miles from Bull Run Battlefield. He said it was a hard-looking place. He said he was on picket one day at the ford where the battle commenced. He said there was a lot of masked batteries there and rifle pits there. He said they [15th Vermont Infantry] had got some “A” tents now. They had little fly tents that two can put up on their guns. The “A” tents are big enough for five or six and will tie uptight.
We have got into our barracks now. We have got comfortable quarters now to live in. We have got two large stoves in it and some of the boys keep a fire a going all night. We are having cold weather here now. It is pretty frosty nights but I do not think we shall have four or five feet of snow and drifts 10 feet deep and six months of it neither. We have not had much rain yet. It is nice weather for fighting now and they have had a hard battle down to Fredericksburg and I guess we got whipped too by the looks of things. I expected when we heard we had took Fredericksburg that we would lick them good, but I am afraid it is inclined the other way. But I am in hopes when [Franz] Siegel gets there and some reinforcements that there will be some things done. I hope they get it settled up some way before next spring some way or the other if it can be done without fighting and losing so many lives. I hope this will do it that way and if not, fight it out as soon as possible and be done with it as soon as possible.
There was one of our boys died last week [on 15 December]. It was Austin Wheeler of Peacham. His body was sent home. He was sick two or three weeks and they thought a day before he died he was getting better. But he died very sudden at last. There was a stoppage in a blood vessel between his heart and lungs.
We have pretty good times. Steve and Tom and Sam ² lay [in] one bunk. I want you to send me a dollar’s worth of postage stamps as soon as you can and I will send you a dollar as soon as we are paid off. I expect that we shall get paid off in January some time and then we will get 4 months pay then. There will be preaching at the Soldier’s Home tonight but I do not know as I shall go. I do not like to see a minister dress as the Episcopalians do. I was over to the meeting house a few Sabbaths ago. The minister was dressed in white till he got ready to preach and then he went out and put on a black dress. When he prayed, the people would say over same things too he read of his prayer and they had book to read with him. The house ³ was built in the year 1719 and rebuilt in the year 1790. It is the oldest house I was ever in.
Write soon and send me some stamps. — N. Batchelder
It is after dark and I am writing by candle light. We get a half a candle a night for six men so you see that we do not have much candle to write by. I bought four over to the sutlers the other night. The way we trade with sutler, we get an order from the Capt. and take it to the sutler and he will give you two ($2.00) worth of tickets and he will get it when we are paid off. We are not allowed to take up more than $2.00 a month.
Sam Brock had a letter from Betsy and she said tell Will Aiken that someone heard John Calder ask Mary Harriman if he might come up and see her some night. I wonder who he [will] try next. Will Aiken is corresponding with Mary Harriman and we bother Will some. It beats all. We know all that is going on at home. So goodbye from Nat Batchelder
¹ It seems that Nathan was not the only member of the 1st Vermont Heavy Artillery that had a problem with Major George E. Chamberlin. In a letter by William Joseph Cheney of Co. D written from the hospital at Fort Slocum, he told some friends that the Major had ordered 150 men out of the fort to work all night but he was overruled by the Colonel. Cheney called Major Chamberlin a “very nervous man” and indicated that the boys in the regiment took great delight in seeing the Major’s anxiety.
² These three members of Co. A were probably Stephen P. Carter, Thomas Gilkerson, and Samuel Brock — all of Barnet, Vermont. The William (“Will”) A. Aiken mentioned in the post script was also from Barnet.
³ Nathaniel implies that this ancient church was located near the Soldier’s Home. If so, perhaps he was referring to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish. This church was built in 1775 and incorporated parts of an older church that dated to 1719. It was remodeled in 1853.
Letter 2
Fort Totten, D. C.
March 2, 1863
Dear Sister,
I suppose you are wanting to hear from me by this time. I am well and hope this letter will find you the same. It is very sickly in our regiment this spring. We have lost three men since the new recruits come and they have all been new recruits. The disease is mostly pneumonia. It is a very hard trouble. Our regimental hospital has full that they have sent into the General Hospital. There was two of our boys up here today on a pass from Harewood Hospital. They have got most well. The mumps has been on our company and I guess there has been 25 or 30 of the boys have them. There is two or three boys quite sick with them now. They caught cold and they are pretty sick. I have got over them. It was curious that I never had the mumps before and have been exposed so many times. When I worked at Pen Farrow’s, their children had them and [I] never took them.
It is after supper and I will try and finish this. I could not write worth a cent. I suppose Eliza Silkerson is married before this time to Wm. Batchelder. That family of Batchelders seem to hitch to the Silkerson’s pretty well. Cynthia is married too, they say. I suppose Eliza will go West soon. It beats all how the folks are all getting married there at Burnet. The widow Abbott and Willie White, Moses Giffilan and others too numerous to mention. I guess the soldiers will stand a poor chance if they have to wait till the war is over if they get married off as fast the rest of the time as they have for 18 months.
We were mustered again last Monday. That made the ninth muster and we have not got but nine more muster. We have got to the top of the ladder and we begin to go down hill now. There is a lot of boys fooling with one of the fools that come out under the big bounty. I wish I had a big bounty coming to me once in awhile for I am out of money and have got just three postage stamps left and I do not know how or when I shall get any more. Uncle [Sam] has neglected to pay us for four months.
Tell Andrew I want him to get me a lot of spruce gum and send it down home so it will be ready to send out when I have a box come out after folks make a little new sugar. Then I am going to have a box. Tell Andrew to write to me.
Whatever become of Lewis Bemis’s boy? When you see any of the Lance boys, give them my best respects. And the same to George Lance and wife. I should like to come home on a visit but guess I shall not. I do not think I can but it will cost considerable. But if I should get the offer to go, I should not mind the cost. I almost forgot to mention little Jimmie. How does he get along. Do not house him up and make a little pimp of him. If I am ever Father to any children, they shall not die for want of fresh air.
My sheet is most full and I must close. Write soon and write all of the news you can. From you brother, — Nathaniel Batchelder
Letter 3
Fort Totten
July 10, 1863
Dear Sister,
As there is plenty of time and news, I thought I answer your letter I received yesterday. I was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear of Andrew’s sad misfortune. It is a bad time to be layed up. Now is the time of the best wages going. What good news we get now [a]days from the army, from the western army and the army of the Potomac. Vicksburg has surrendered to Grant. There is some 10,000 effective soldiers taken prisoner and from 10 to 12,000 wounded soldiers taken at Vicksburg. Grant has gone down to help Banks to take Port Hudson, and to all accounts Meade and Lee will have another battle on the old Antietam battle ground. He can not cross the river and he will have to stand another battle. Our men will probably fight like tigers there, for they was victorious there once and they will not want the Rebs to whip them there and I should think Lee’s men will be discouraged some. But I will let it drop till after the great battle comes off.
Do you have a great many berries there this summer? We have any amount of berries here. There is a kind of blackberry here that grows low. It runs on the ground and we can go out a few minutes and pick 2 or 3 quarts, and a lot of blackberries and huckleberries. But our officers will not let us go 300 yards from camp without a pass. One boy went out about 2 hours and picked up a 12 quart pail full this forenoon. Our cook’s wife bakes pies for 15 cents a piece. She has baked a good many pies this winter since she came out. She baked apple pies for 15 and mince pies for 25 cents. We have got a good cook. He has been a cook on board a vessel.
That man you spoke about from Cabbot is a corporal. Now I have forgot his name. One part is Dustin and I have forgot the rest. It is supper time and I must stop.
We have had supper and dress parade. We had tea and bread for supper and for a change we will have bread. So you see we do not live on one thing steady. One noon we will have bread and water, and the next noon we will have water and bread. But we have plumb sauce to eat on our bread, and once in a while we buy butter for a rarity. It is pretty good butter and we pay a pretty good price too—only 35 cents a pound. You spoke about my celebrating Independence Day with our boy[s]. I had a better time. I went down to Mount Pleasant Hospital to see John Stevenson and Moses Hunter and Will Hosedy. We had a good visit with them. They have been up here to see us since the 3rd Vt. Brigade was highly spoken of in the Battle of Gettysburg. Gen. Stannard was wounded but not dangerously.
I shall have to finish for want of time. Tell Andy he will not have anything to do now but write me a good long letter now [that] he is wounded and in the convalescent camp. Ask him if he thinks he will be able for active service again or if he will join the invalid corps. Tell him to answer them questions himself and [in] his own hand write.
From your Brother, — Nat Batchelder
Letter 4
Fort Totten, D. C.
Jan 20th, 1864
Dear Sister,
How do you [do] tonight? I am well. I received your letter tonight and was glad to hear you were all well. I am glad to hear that you are gaining but it seems to me that you gain very slow for it has been some time since you were taken sick. You wanted to know whether I was troubled with the diarrhea now. Since cold weather came in, I have not been troubled any of any consequence. So it seems Father is whipping the cat this winter. Has it drifted enough yet to have old life drive out his whole stock of cattle yet?
Corporal Walbridge was promoted to Sergeant Major. It was read on dress parade tonight. The orderly sergeant and the third sergeant were promoted to lieutenants this last week. Tomorrow I expect there will be recruits enough to organize an artillery Co. There is 4 lieutenants, 8 sergeants and 12 corporals. It has got to be the 20th and we have not got paid off yet and we do not expect that we shall have to wait till March before we get any money and then we get four months pay. There is a way some of the boys do. They give an order on the pay master for two dollars a month and take up two dollars of sutlers tickets. There is 25 & 10 & 5 cent tickets and they are good only at the sutlers and the sutler can gouge us all he has a mind to. There is an old man that lives close by our barracks that has got a license from the War Department to keep a grocery, and he runs the sutler. If we take up the sutler’s orders we cannot trade anywhere else. I shall want some money for I shan’t take the sutler’s tickets and be obliged to trade there. I want $10.00 in money sent to me if you have to draw it out of the treasury, and in March I shall have some to send home. I shall have somewhere in the neighborhood of $30.00 coming to me. I sold a watch I had for $8.00 and there is another one that owes me $2.00 and I shall have to wait till pay day for them. So you tell Father to send me $10.00 as soon as he can get hold of it. If he has not got it just take it from the Treasury for I must have some money some way, for everyone wants a few apples and one thing and another occasionally.
I do not know whether you can read this writing for I cannot write so worth a cent tonight. I received them tops Father sent to me by Somers. I had ought to have mentioned [it] but I never could think of them when I was writing. I shall have to close this horrid sheet.
— Nat Batchelder
Letter 5
Fort Totten, D. C.
April 3rd, 1864
Dear Sister and Brother,
How do you do? I am well and hope this will find you the same.
One week ago yesterday our battery divided [and] one half went to Fort Slemmer. They are about a half mile from here. The 112th Pa Regt has moved off and our Regt has to garrison the forts they left. We have 8 to garrison instead of four. You still see I am at Totten by the beginning of my letter. The captain picked out the men that were to go to Slemmer. All the Barnet boys are over there but me. I am to work in the cook house now. It is considerable work for two men. There was three till yesterday and the other was ordered to report to Fort Bunker Hill to drive team. Since the Pa Regt left, there was no teamsters for the Brigade teams, and there was a lot detailed out of this Regt for that purpose. There was five out of our batt went to drive teams.
A week ago tomorrow I was over to Fort Stevens to get some pictures taken and I called on Mr. Martin. He was well. I had quite a chat with him. I never was acquainted with him till you wrote to me of him. Yesterday we baked beans and we had some good ones for dinner. We had to work pretty smart yesterday but we do not have much to do now.
Today Maj Chamberlain has left this post for Fort Lincoln, and Maj. [Charles] Hunsdon is in command here. He is a first rate fellow. He ain’t trying to find every little flaw for to put the boys into the guard house, and he has not had a battalion drill yet. He is a great fat fellow and I guess he had rather sit himself than to drill.
I is getting most 4 and I must finish my letter and begin supper. We will have bread and beef and tea for supper. I have been expecting a letter from you most all this week. I had a letter from home and they said father had been out to Marshfield to see some land out there. I hope he will find a place somewhere and get a home of our own. I must close. Give my respects to all. Excuse poor writing and bad spelling.
I still remain your brother, — N. Batchelder
3 April 1864, Ft. Totten-DC
Spared & Shared 13 
One Comment Add yours