“If I could only get to the front then I would be in my glory again. I want to get another crack at them sons of Graybacks. I show them bullpens in the sunny south. They gave me a lesson that I never shall forget in my life. I have heard about hell. I think I have been there, and tormented by crabs, lice, flesh maggots, bugs, flies, and all other varmints that ever crawled. There cannot be any worse punishment in the known world. When I fall in the hands of the rebels again, I’d rather die.”

Item No. 4877803

This vengeful February 1865 letter was written by Private George W. French of the 4th Vermont. French writes from a Union parolee camp in Maryland, where he awaits an exchange after having been paroled from the notorious Andersonville prison in Georgia, where nearly 13,000 Union men died in captivity. The 4th Vermont had been badly cut up in the fighting for the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg on June 23, 1864—known as “Black Thursday” in Vermont—when over 130 men of the regiment were scooped up in a rebel counterattack. French was among the prisoners, and in the letter he mentions a number of other 4th Vermont men who had been captured and imprisoned at Andersonville. French also describes the personal horror of the prison and vows he would “rather die” than be captured by the rebels again. At the end, he discusses plans for buying and working a farm at home. After the conclusion of his letter, an “L. Abbot” replies on the same sheet with news from home.

While Andersonville is not named in the letter, an online search of Andersonville prisoner rolls shows that each man named was held there. Thousands of men were paroled or exchanged in January 1865 upon resumption of prisoner exchanges, following suspension of the agreement in April 1864.

The letter was written on four pages of a bifolium letter sheet measuring about 5” x 8”. Very light toning. Creased at the original folds. As evident at the top of the first page, the paper had been provided to French by the U.S. Christian Commission. The full letter reads:

February 6 1865
Camp Parole: M.D.  

Friend George
Tis with pleasure I take to answer your fine letter you sent to me. I am well and tough. Hope this will find you the same. [Edwin R.] Shumway is in prison yet. I hope they will all get out soon. That is the story here now. There has not one half of them came back that went home when I did, and a great many of them died at home, but Curnal Semoure [William H. Seymour?] and I am as tough as they make them. I think Luther Eames will not live through it, nor George Estabrooks. They was very slim at the time I left. Leonard Cummings was rather slim. Otis Pike and Joseph Edson was the two toughest in the lot. Shumway was rather poor and short of clothes.

I wish that I could get out of this hole. It is a mean hole, I tell you. If I could only get to the front then I would be in my glory again. I want to get another crack at them sons of Graybacks. I show them bullpens in the sunny south. They gave me a lesson that I never shall forget in my life. I have heard about hell. I think I have been there, and tormented by crabs, lice, flesh maggots, bugs, flies, and all other varmints that ever crawled. There cannot be any worse punishment in the known world. When I fall in the hands of the rebels again, I’d rather die.

I had a fine time of it at home, I tell you. I rode out most every day. Curnal stayed with me a week. We had a fine time of it. If I had known as well as I do now, I would have stayed and see you when I came back. But I was behind the time, so we went straight along. But I could have stayed at home till this time then been all right. They do not care hear anything about us. If I get another furlough I will stop and see you. Write and tell me where I shall find you. God knows I love you and always did. I will see you if I can. I have a long story to tell you, and a tough one too.

I cannot think of much more to write. William and I have bought a large farm in Montague. Paid two thousand dollars for it. We shall have it clear from dirt this spring. We have got 4 cows, 6 sheep, two horses, two hogs, nineteen hens, four turkeys, good house, one large barn, and a horse barn, new corn barn, new sap house, and a new wood shed, and a hundred and nine acres of land. There is two hundred cord of wood on the place and plenty of timber. I have got an english double barrel shotgun that was taken from the battlefield. One barrel had three balls in it and four buckshot. I took them out when I got home. The gun weighs 10 pounds silver silver mounted. How I got it there you must guess, you know that I am not asleep if I do not know much. You know me of old. There is a great wonder where I got it. I sat up a mark 12 rods of the size of my hand, hit it with three buckshot. It is a gun, I tell you.

Well, I will close my letter for this time. Write soon.

From you friend
G. W. French
Write soon as you get this.
Yours Truly

March 10

This letter came in last night, so I will send it this morning. My health is not very good, but I am in hopes to be better when warm weather comes. Nothing new that I think of. Old Mrs. Fisk is dead. We was down to Shumway’s the other day. She still continues to get better. Henry has sold his cherry farm.
Write quick
Your pither in haste
L. Abbot