Beschreibung:

35 letters, with envelopes, 1862-1865. All but forgotten by most, nine-month regiments filled an important role in the union army during the Civil War. With the increasing need for manpower as the war entered its second year, the north got creative in recruitment, increasing bonuses to lure enlistees, resorting to the draft for others, and creating regiments with limited terms of enlistment. While relatively few of these short-term regiments were effective in combat, a few did witness the thick of the fray, serving a vital role in providing boots on the ground at critical junctures. Organized for nine month’s duty at Camp Cadwallader, Beverly, NJ, during the late summer 1862, the 24th New Jersey Infantry was sent into the defenses of Washington at the end of September. In the ranks was a married man from Millville, N.J., Jacob Cobb, who spent the early weeks of his service constantly trying to dissuade his wife, Ellen, from coming to visit, assuring her there was no place for her to stay, that they would be laughed at by his fellow soldiers, and that they would soon be home anyway. Nine months was just not that long. In an unpracticed hand spiked by rough spelling, Cobb described his service in the 24th New Jersey in over two dozen letters. Not called into the field in time for Antietam, Cobb still felt the tensions as the Army of the Potomac and Army on Northern Virginia edged slowly into confrontation. We are own top of A high Rock Rite clost to Chane bridge, he wrote in October. We are in Virgina the bridge Crosses the Potomac Rever and we are garden it. We are looking for A take every Night but we are All Ready for them.... We expet to due a good Peace of fiting. We expet about 7 thousen Calverrmen every night to try to cros the bridge but we will Due all we can to stop them from crossing. What Cobb prepared for came in early December when, as part of the 2nd Army Corps, was drawn into the Battle of Fredericksburg. On the final day of the conflict, the 24th became the tip of the spear as the federals attempted a brutal assault on Maryes Heights, occupying the position nearest the enemy and fighting until they ran out of ammunition and were forced to withdraw under the cover of darkness. The highlight of Cobb’s collection is four letters written by him during and just after the Fredericksburg campaign describing his experiences: • Dec. 10: Dear wife we expeten a battle now sur. We are on one side of the river and the rebales is on the other side we can see them. I hope I shall be spared but if it is for me to never see you again in this world I hope I shall meet you ware we shall never part again in a better world then this... • Undated: Dear Wife we have lost a good meney of our Brave boys come of them is kill and sume of them wounded. We went acrost the rhapipan [iileg] over on Friday morning and a sataday we was in the fite and a budy fite it was. • Dec. 18: Dear wife I have ane more then I ever expeted to see I have Benn in a grate fite but I was spare through the Mersey of god. I hope I shall never see a nother such a fite ase I have benn into again but we expet another before long... Dear wife I had a peace of bum shell to hit me in the breast but it did not not go through al of my closes.... John Cobb was wounded by a bum shall striking a nother man good and nocking a gainst tis breast... • Dec. 25: I am in the ospelpitel...Dear wife I hant got the Crismas dener to day that I had last crismas day. I hope you will have a good dener to Day if I Dont but if I live till next Chrismas day I will eate my Dener with you if you live and I live and I hope we will both live... The boys is getting in good hart again sence the fite... Dear wife you said in your letter that you hard that I was not in the battle I onley wish I had not binn in it but I was in the fite from a 11 o clock till dark i was under stad faire and then we was till 9 o clock at nite a getting our wounded off the feaild. They may say what thay are amin to but