Dwight Henry Cory Letters and Diary

Camp Near Milford Station, VA
June 1st, 1864

Friend Hattie

Your kind letter is at hand and has been read with pleasure two or more times, and I commenced to answer it some time ago but just as the first four words on this page were written the order came to pack up and move so we did and have moved almost night and day ever since, that is for the last five days and we are now on the banks of the Richmond. Shall I say that the fight is going on? Yes it is, and has been for the last four weeks, and during that time there has not a day passed but the booming of the cannon might be heard and the ambulances moving to the rear in slow procession told too plainly what was going on. Only last Saturday our regiment lost twelve men killed and about thirty wounded. Among the latter is George Northway wounded in head and leg and had a ball pass through his jacket under his arm, but he is doing well and will recover. His Captain was shot dead and was buried at Enon Church near there. Hattie this is the nicest country that I ever saw, and the Rebs have planted it all to corn so much so that there is not award [?] ground enough left to park the teams on, and it is very sandy and dusty, but we manage to pinch along by using freely of Parmsley water. But this is not answering your letter. What do you think Lib said about your picture. He had the hardihood to want to swap with me. Do you suppose I'd do it. No I guess not. It looks as though it were going to speak to me. I wish it would. When I received your letter it was raining and had been for some time and the roads were muddy and the streams swollen so that it was rather difficult to move the trains at all. Consequently rations and forage were scarce and are not very plenty yet, but we look for more soon. It would be a great treat for Lib and me to slip in some Sunday to hear you sing and the prospect is now that we will before another three years. Don't we poor soldiers hope that it may be so but if it does happen, there will be many a friend at home who will look in vain for the return of dear ones, but their graves will cover the hills and valleys of the South and their place shall know them no more forever.

But I must close and go to supper of Crackers and Coffee. Give my love to our folks and others

Dwight
[In margin] Write Soon

Prince George Courthouse Virginia
August 12th, 1864

Friend Hattie

Your kind letter came to hand this evening, and was like all your letters perused with great pleasure. It's now dark and today has been very warm and to use a stronger expression, in addition to the heat there is a scarcity of water for since the middle of last month. The heavens have refused to yield their accustomed amount of rain and have seemed more like heated brass than anything else. May be this more than true but suffice it to say the heat and dust have at times been almost unbearable. The regiment is on picket where they can talk with the pennies and exchange papers while I am here in camp waiting till it is time to send rations to them. On the 8th while we were on our way to this camp we heard a tremendous explosion and on looking in the direction of City Point saw rising above the trees a dense cloud of white smoke, and some declare that they saw pieces of something flying in the air, and all was conjecture for some time until some of our men who were on the spot returned to us, and told the sad fate of near two hundred men, and two ammunition boats were blown to atoms, and the torn and shattered limbs were strewn with fragments of the boats and bursting shells and shot in terrible confusion all over the place, and into the river. This is the most terrible accident which has happened since the war has been in progress notwithstanding accidents are almost a daily occurrence. It is only a few days since a man was killed and another wounded by the accidental discharge of a brass gun in our battery, and it is curious to think with how little feeling of sorrow we look on these casualties after so short a schooling in the army. Does time pass slowly with you? I presume it does and you are no doubt lonesome at times but thank fortune this is not one of the troubles which harmt me except when all alone I read of the good things left behind and imagine the pleasure we will experience when we are relieved from duty in the army, but these feelings don't last long when we think there is another call for troops for we don't like to be drafted nor would we feel well contented now that we are fairly in the harness to leave the field until the object for which we came is fully accomplished. The news are churning too from all points as you will know when you receive this. We get daily papers in two days from Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia so we know what is going on.

You may give Miss Mary Gould my compliments and tell her that the last I knew of her Cousin, he started to attend a military school (in Philadelphia I think) for the purpose of preparing to accept a commission in a colored regiment and I believe he was successful but have not heard from him. I heard from Nat Hubbard yesterday. He is on the other side of the Appamatox river, is a first Lieut. in a colored regiment. I am going to see him one of these days if nothing happens as it is only five or six miles and then I could see the famous place where Cap. Smith was saved by Pocahontas. There is an oak tree on the spot from which leaves and chips have been taken as curiosities. Our regiment came past it a short time ago, and nearly all got a twig from it but as luck would have it, they were called to use the carbine and pistol and in the fight they lost their leaves which they were expecting to look at long years hence with pride and pleasure as they told their children of their gallant deeds in the defense of the common government. While I am writing to you the firing in front of us is like the coming of a thunderstorm only it has continued since last night almost without cessation, and it is rather annoying to those who like to sleep undisturbed. Our garden is earlier than yours I presume, for we have had new potatoes, cabbage, onions and beets. What do you think of that. And what is more, we have enough for the wants of 331 men. I received a letter from Liberty Raymond a short time since and he asked me if I had heard from Hattie lately adding that he had, and that she was a good girl too, just as though I didn't know it.

But I must bid you good evening not as of old when parting with you at your door but it must be done on paper and it will be sometime before you know it. In all your gatherings for pleasure or for worship, you may think of me as present in mind though absent in body.

Hoping to hear from you soon. I remain as ever

Your Friend

D. H. Cory.

Home, Aug. 17th 1864

Ever Remembered Friend

I am just a little ashamed for not answering your letter sooner but I have been very busy of late and time passes so rapidly that it is hardly perceivable. I suppose time does not pass so rapidly to you who are in the army.

I came home one week ago tonight. There has been and is now considerable sickness in Wayne. Dysentery is the most prevailing disease. I do not know of any one sick here except Amelia Sloan and I have not heard from her lately. She had to leave her school. Her throat troubles her. There was nothing going on in Wayne the fourth. In Greene I think the young folks went down into the woods for a swing and in the evening there was a nice party at Ms. Raymonds'. I would liked to have been there but if all our wishes were gratified I expect we would be very selfish beings. We are selfish enough already. There is to be one next Wednesday evening at Ms. Powers'. The people are getting pretty well excited about the draft and I don't know as they can be blamed any for it either for surely it must be a hard slavish life, and it seems that there is not much prospect of its closing. I think there are 17 men to be drafted from here and I don't see as we can spare any more. It seems that money will not save them this time only to hire a substitute who is not subject to the draft. Nel. talks some of enlisting but what will Lol. do if he dies. She would just about go crazy and I don't know as I would blame her any. She would be taken care of well of course, but if he belonged to me I should just like to have him in a place not quite as dangerous. I got a letter from Sal. last week. I cannot imagine how he came to write to me unless it was to find out Sue, for he inquired every particular about her. I received one from Lib that was written the 17th of last month. He was then getting better. He said the Dr. wanted him to stay in the hospital and help take care of the sick and he thought he should until his time is out. I suppose he is rejoicing greatly think that he is most through. Well I guess he has had a pretty hard time and surely it will be quite a relief to feel free once more. I am going to work at home this fall. What I shall do next winter is more than I or any one else can tell if my health is good I shall. I think, I am going home with an aunt that is out from Cleveland. Albert Hayes' wife. I shall go nothing preventing one week from next Thursday and the next Tuesday is commencement and I intend to go to Oberlin then and see the ladies dressed in white. So you see it will be quite a pleasure trip and I think I shall enjoy it very much.

Mary Gould wants me to ask you if you know where her cousin Simon Gould is they have not heard from him for so long that they do not know where to direct. It is still very dry here. We had a very nice shower here last Monday but the ground is so dry that we need a great many such showers. Most all are through haying we are nearly through grass is very light and every thing else in proportion. New potatoes are a very rare article but I expect they will be all the better when they do come. Now if your patience is long enough to study out this letter I shall think your patience is long enough for most anything. It is meeting time and I must wind up for this time. Now do not wait as I did and I will promise to do better the next time, and I am pretty good at keeping my promises am I not. Write soon and direct to Greene.

From one that never tires in reading and answering your kind letters

Hattie

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