Beschreibung:

42 letters (all but 2 war date), 1862-1865. In response to Lincoln’s call for volunteers, the 138th New York Infantry was organized at Auburn in September 1862, but in December, after being sent into the defenses of the nation’s capitol, they were reorganized, reoutfitted, and redesignated the 9th Heavy Artillery. Only 16 years old in 1862, Lewis Foster left home without telling his mother that he intended to enlist. The friend who had the pleasure of telling Foster’s mother what had happened noted that Lt. Harry Follett had agreed to act as Foster’s guardian: I asked Lieutenant Follett if you could get Lewis clear. He asked how old he was and I told him you said he was 16, and he said if that was the case you had better keep still, unless you wanted to get him into worse trouble than he was now, for he said that he did not know Lewis when he came there, but that he questioned him, and Lewis told him he was an orphan, and that he swore he was 18 years old, and that false swearing would put him into state prison. Like many heavy artillery regiments, the 9th NY spent much of their time in garrison duty, remaining in the defenses of Washington, D.C., for a year and a half. Wide eyed at his first experiences, Foster sent home charming letters describing the sights, seeing lots of black boys in the road, that had nothing on but half of a pair of trousers and nothing else..., and learning to march and camp and campaign. As young as he was, Foster received advice from home in return, including his Aunt Lucy who advised: The same rule applies to a soldier that does to a man, but a soldier must be either a brave man or a coward, they must either stand nobly up to duty, and win the esteem of all good persons, of if they falter in the work the finger of scorn is ever pointed at them. I know which way you will choose, and I know that you will be ever faithful. Faithful he was, and eager. After a storm, in January 1863, he revealed just how much: I told the boys to never mind if we did get wet, because it was all for the union. It is military to have a tent blow down once in a while every thing got as wet as water would and then I have slept in the sergeants tent since outs blow down. Foster’s letters describe his experiences learning his ordnance, doing duty at Fort Gaines and Roziers Bluff, and building the ring of forts around the city. As fixed as they are in place, however, the letters give a wonderful sense of life and attitudes in the Civil War artillery service. Foster mentions desertions from the regiment, including one boy who went home only to find that his father refused even to shake his hand, and a suicide, apparently by an intentional overdose of opium, and he has a fascination with the military matters that concern every soldier. On May 28, 1863, he wrote: The guns we got first were the heavyest in the service but the officers have got them condemned and we are agoing to have new guns. We are at work on the fort. We have to work from 7 o’clock till ten from 2 till 4 those that are not detailed on the fort have to drill on the big guns...Steward of our regiment was shot a short time ago. He was out walking a short distance from camp when he heard a revolver fired and the ball passed close by him he turned around to see where it come from when another shot struck him in the side. I guess he will recover. Half of the regiment was out in the woods searching for the fellow by they did not find him... After many months in garrison, the 9th NY Heavy Artillery was thrown into the thick of the fray, called into the assault on Cold Harbor in May and June 1864. After the ferocious battles died back, however, Foster was taken ill and sent to the massive Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia by late July. Still wide-eyed and young, he wrote a fine letter describing the famous place: The hospital Buildings are Built in a circle. There is 40 Buildings and 60 beds in each Building, then there is a lot of other buildings in another place f