My cover of the day for April 24, 2020

[Howard Weinert]

For a change of pace (nothing to do with Russia) but with a British connection:

A cover and letter from Union soldier William Brimblecom postmarked in Washington DC on 13 April 1865 and sent to his mother in Santa Clara, California. The writing paper and envelope are stationery of the United States Sanitary Commission. The recipient was charged three cents since the cover was mailed without a stamp. The letter contains a vivid description of the final days of the siege of Petersburg.

Field Hospital
Ninth Army Corps
City Point Virginia
12th April 1865(1)

My Dear Mother

I am once more on the list of killed and wounded and will take the occasion to commence a letter to you and will finish it as the condition of my injuries will permit. The smoke of the battles has cleared away and coming out into the light we find ourselves in possession of Petersburg & Richmond – forty miles of the strongest fortifications in the world, prisoners by tens of thousands, Lee's army captured or knocked to pieces, the Great Rebellion collapsed and the War over. If Albert(2) is alright then you have lost none of your sons for I am all right except a bad wrench of the left thigh which happened in one of the final charges(3) on the enemy works before Petersburg. This did not prevent me from hobbling into Petersburg the next morning(4) with my Regiment(5) which was one of the first to enter the city. I would not have missed that on any account. For a fortnight before the last battles we had been in the front line of the army, so near the enemy that a stone could easily be tossed from our Picket line into theirs. I frequently shouted to the Johnnies what I would do in Petersburg in a week or two, their reply to which bravado would be a bullet answered by one from me. Faith I have been in some places that I wished myself well out of – for instance on the morning of Sunday April 2nd when we formed a line in Fort Stedman to storm the Reb fort opposite(6). Minnie balls buzzed like mad hornets, round shot screamed like angry hawks, and shells burst so that one could almost read by the light of them while the noise surpassed anything else of which I have any conception. Do you want to know how I felt? Well with a perfectly clear conception of the tremendous peril I was cool as a cucumber and had as perfect possession of my powers and faculties as ever in my life. Had plenty of time to laugh at the cowardice of some of my officers. My second lieut. was so scared that he could scarce stand and could not speak, while Capt. Potter(7) of Co A ran away to a safe ravine half a mile from the battle. Had I their reputations I would never go home. On the 29th March the enemy made a desperate assault in the night on the part of the line held by my Regt. The 18th won much applause by the gallant manner in which it fought and repulsed the attack. The fire we delivered is said to have surpassed any ever seen in the Army of the Potomac. We fired nearly 70,000 bullets. What the enemy's loss was never can be known as they removed most of the dead & wounded before morning. I know we changed the character of their battle yell in a very short time. In this action we lost our Major killed & Colonel wounded(8). I have found out whether I have any courage. Henry(9) made me a call two months or so since, stopped only three hours, was well and doing well. I suppose you hear from Emily(10) occasionally. I correspond with her regularly – write often. What we shall finally do even if I live remains for time to decide. I am still young but after all have had a good deal of experience, sad enough too. Perhaps those who have separated once had better stay so. What is your advice. The Rum is pretty well out of me now. I meant it should be if I lived. Now I hope I will stay out but can't tell. I will close and mail this and write again sometime. Love to Sis and all the boys.
Affly your Son William(11)

1) Lincoln was shot on 14 April. 2) Albert was a sergeant in Company E of the 92nd Illinois Infantry Regiment. 3) The attack on Fort Mahone on 2 April. 4) Union troops occupied Petersburg on 3 April. 5) The 18th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regiment was active from July 1864 to July 1865. The regiment was at Petersburg from 19 March as part of IX Corps commanded by Major General John Parke. 6) Fort Mahone. 7) Alvah K. Potter left the army with the rank of Major. 8) Colonel Thomas Livermore. The regiment lost 41 men (36 of those to disease). 9) William's brother. 10) William's wife. They married in 1855 and were divorced by 1869. 11) William was born in Maine in 1832 and became a teacher. He registered for the draft in June 1863. In 1880 he was living in Illinois with his brother Henry and working as a school teacher. His mother, Harriet, was the granddaughter of Major John Buttrick, who commanded the Minute Men at the Concord North Bridge on 19 April 1775, and gave the command to fire the shot heard round the world. She and her daughter moved to California in 1863 to join three of William's brothers.