Item No. 4114290

Private Almon L. Reed of the 89th New York Infantry wrote this letter home to friends in December 1861. In it he describes their difficult and dangerous railroad voyage to Washington, comments on the equipment and accommodations in camp, discusses the sights seen while touring Washington, and mentions a few comrades who had yet to join the regiment.

Reed begins his letter by relating the details of the regiment’s recent journey:

Our Regt did not leave Elmira until the 6th inst., 5 o’clock p.m. Before we left we were furnished with the Enfield rifle with bayonet & all the other equipments belonging to the soldier, & 6 cartridges each. We came via Harrisburg & Baltimore. Marched 2 miles through the latter place with martial music & fixed bayonets. We filled 30 cars. Engine ran off the track once & we got run into once, disabling 2 cars, but we arrived in Washington in 46 hours from Elmira without anyone getting seriously hurt.

He then comments on the 89th’s camp, which was “on a slight hill 1 ½ miles east of & I full view of the Capitol.” He is particularly interested in their Sibley tents, “with a little round sheet iron stove in the middle.”

Reed next describes the many sights seen in Washington:

Our Reg. was in the review of the 14th instant. We marched about 10 miles, mostly though the city, which gave us a good opportunity to see the public buildings. I got a pass a week ago last Friday & spent the whole day in the Capital & patent office. Both houses were in session & I heard them a while from the gallery. If I could think of anything that was not in the patent office (that man can make) I would tell you what it was. In the way of curiosities, I saw Washington’s canes, sword, writing case, part of his tent, military clothes, &c., Gen. Jackson’s coat that he wore at the battle of N. Orleans—shells, blankets, swords, sabers, scimitars, & guns from Egypt & Arabia and all sorts of curious things from Japan. In fact, I seen enough to pay for a whole year’s soldiering, & I presume if I am ever in a battle, I shall see enough to pay for the other 2 years of enlistment.

Near the end of the letter, Reed mentions a few men who had yet to join the regiment, including James Northrup (would become first lieutenant in 1865) and Byron Livermore (seriously wounded at Antietam). Reed then states, “I was guard last night that we were in Elmira & the first night here we were all so near drilled out that they took volunteers for guard. The consequences of getting asleep at our posts, of course, kept us awake.”

The letter is signed “Almond Reed”—perhaps a nickname. Like Livermore, Reed would be wounded at Antietam. Records indicate he transferred into the Veteran Reserve Corps in January 1864.

The letter was written in pencil on four pages of a 5” x 8” bifolium letter sheet nicely decorated with a view of the U.S. Capitol. Some soiling to first page, else very good. Creased at the original folds. The letter’s full transcript appears below:

Headquarters 89 Regt, N.Y.S.V., Camp Clay Co. F 
Washington D.C. Dec. 29th 1861 

Dear Friends 
I got two letters from Lisle last night & learned that you had arrived safely at your destined place. Our Regt did not leave Elmira until the 6th inst., 5 o’clock p.m. Before we left we were furnished with the Enfield rifle with bayonet & all the other equipments belonging to the soldier, & 6 cartridges each. We came via Harrisburg & Baltimore. Marched 2 miles through the latter place with martial music & fixed bayonets. We filled 30 cars. Engine ran off the track once & we got run into once, disabling 2 cars, but we arrived in Washington in 46 hours from Elmira without anyone getting seriously hurt. And now here we are encamped on a slight hill 1 ½ miles east of & in full view of the Capitol. We have fine weather, though the nights are rather cold, but no snow. Plenty to eat & all in the best of spirits. We have cone shaped tents, 1 rod in diameter at the bottom & about the same in height, with a little round sheet iron stove in the middle. These tents accommodate 15 soldiers each. We spread cedar boughs on the ground & at night we all sleep in one bed & each one in the middle at that. Our rations consist of bread, fresh & salt beef & pork, potatoes, peas, rice, hominy, tea, coffee, & a little sugar & molasses. We do our cooking over fires built up outdoors on the ground. Each tent is furnished with 2 kettles & 3 frying pans & a candle.  

Our Reg. was in the review of the 14th instant. We marched about 10 miles, mostly though the city, which gave us a good opportunity to see the public buildings. I got a pass a week ago last Friday & spent the whole day in the Capital & patent office. Both houses were in session & I heard them a while from the gallery. If I could think of anything that was not in the patent office (that man can make) I would tell you what it was. In the way of curiosities, I saw Washington’s canes, sword, writing case, part of his tent, military clothes, &c., Gen. Jackson’s coat that he wore at the battle of N. Orleans—shells, blankets, swords, sabers, scimitars, & guns from Egypt & Arabia and all sorts of curious things from Japan. In fact, I seen enough to pay for a whole year’s soldiering, & I presume if I am ever in a battle, I shall see enough to pay for the other 2 years of enlistment.  

George Nichols, James Northrop, & Byron Livermore have not joined us yet, but Dr. Jim & Fredrick Tanner are here. Fred is drummer. I was guard last night that we were in Elmira & the first night here we were all so near drilled out that they took volunteers for guard. The consequences of getting asleep at our posts, of course, kept us awake.  

Milk sells here for 10 cts. per quart & butter for 30 cts. per pound, & so on.

We have preaching in the camp every Sunday from the chaplain & we are all obliged to attend too. I do not know but these pencil marks will all rub out before they get to your northern region, but you must write & let me know how you are getting along & what sort of country you are in. Camp is a hard place to write.

Direct to Washington D.C.
Care of Capt. R. Brown
89 Reg. N.Y.S.V.

Yours &c 
Almond Reed