Item No. 3886441

In this July 1862 letter, Union soldier Charles D. Robbins (or Rollins) writes about fighting during the Seven Days Battles. Charles writes in a broken and phonetic style, which has been edited here for clarity. The letter was written on a patriotic letter sheet for the 101st New York Volunteers, a regiment that had formed in the fall of 1861 and had arrived on the Peninsula in June, joining the 3rd Corps. Writing to his mother, Charles begins with discussion of the 5th New York regiment’s fighting at Gaines’ Mill:

Mother, I don’t know but what you think I am killed or wounded, but I ain’t hurt. But there was good many killed and wounded around me, but I don’t expect to come out straight. But Barnard is wounded in the leg. The battle was on Sunday night. The fight was the night the 27 of June when we was on that and the fifth regiment was cut up pretty bad. Company E was cut up so they didn’t have but eight men that night, but half come in since that night, so there is fifteen men in Comp. E of the fifth regiment now.

The 5th New York “Duryée's Zouaves” had formed in the spring of 1861, and during the Seven Days fought at Gaines Mill and Malvern Hill.

Charles’s exact identity isn’t determined. Roster searches didn’t find a Charles Robbins or Rollins on the rosters of either the 5th or 101st New York. Further research could reveal more context.

The letter was written on four pages of a patriotic bifolium letter sheet. Staining largely to pages 3 and 4, but still legible. Measures 5” x 8”. The full transcript appears below:

Camp in the Field
July 14th, 1862

My Dear Mother

I take my pen in hand to write to you to let you know that I am well. I hope these few lines will find you well. Mother, I don’t know but what you think I am killed or wounded, but I ain’t hurt. But there was good many killed and wounded around me, but I don’t expect to come out straight. But Barnard is wounded in the leg. The battle was on Sunday night. The fight was the right the 27 of June when we was on that and the fifth regiment was cut up pretty bad. Company E was cut up so they didn’t have but eight men that night, but half come in since that night, so there is fifteen men in Comp. E of the fifth regiment now.

I will send you my […] miniature in this letter so you can see them […] they be. So now I shall have to lay this to […] for this time. And now I shall have to go and get my supper. Mother, I want you send me the Manchester paper, so you write as soon as you get this letter. Tell Daniel not to enlist to come but home, for I don’t think they would […] out […] this, but here there […]. I wish that I was there to help you hay this summer. You stay at home and help Father, and when I come home I will try and get you and the rest of the boys. I will get there sure thing. When I come home I will try to get them again, and my Stiles has got on two of his […]. I can’t think of any more to write tonight. You may tell Miss Hord that Nile is close by me and he was in my camp today. So goodbye for this time.
This is from your son
Charles D. Robbins