47043: Civil War Archive of Brainard T. Curtis, 160th N

Civil War Archive of Brainard T. Curtis, 160th New York Infantry. Consisting of 11 war-dated letters from Curtis to his parents, dating from November 9, 1862 to June 21, 1863. All of the letters have multiple grammatical and spelling errors. Many also have retained their original transmittal covers. In addition to Curtis' letters, the archive includes three cartes de visite of Curtis, one in his uniform and the other two are of an older Curtis in civilian clothes. There are also Curtis' disability discharge papers, transport papers, two pension forms, and a 160th Regiment Reunion card dated October 16, 1890. Brainard T. Curtis (1834-1917) enlisted at the age of 27 as a sergeant on August 22, 1862. Curtis had been a blacksmith before the war, but felt it was his duty to serve his country. After enlisting, he was commissioned into Company D of the 160th New York Infantry. The 160th was ordered to Louisiana in December 1862, where it was attached to the Army of the Gulf. Throughout his service, Curtis had numerous bouts of illness, and he was ultimately discharged on August 12, 1863 due to a medical disability. The 160th New York set out from New York on December 4, 1862. The journey south to the Department of the Gulf was not an easy one, and Curtis wrote of many who were ill aboard the steamship. His December 6, 1862 letter relates the troubles in part: "We are off the Delaware Coast today, we are running very slow. The wind continues to blow all day. The captain dare not undertake to cross the Delaware bay so we lay to and let the vessel drift a spell and then put on the steam and run in towards shore again. We continue in this way until about ten o'clock Monday morning when the wind began to cease. The boys were sick enough. I can tell you some of them puked up boots and all the captain said he never saw the wind blow so hard for 48 howers from one direction. I was lucky enough not to be sick at all. The sealed orders were opened today and we find that we are to land at Ships Island in the Gulf of Mexico..." [Six pages, 5" x 8"]. By February 1863, the regiment was stationed at Camp Dewight at Brasher City. In a letter home dated February 12, 1863, Curtis vehemently expressed his hatred of the Confederates, writing in part: "I wish the war might soon close. But not until every rebel both North and South was struck of the face of the Erth. I hate these Devels down here." [Four pages, 5" x 8"]. And despite having served only a few months in the army, Curtis had already solidified his opinions on the army hierarchy. He disparaged about the Union Army's leadership in a February 24, 1863 letter, writing: "The privates in many cases are mutch beter men & would make mutch better officers. And if they could have command I think the war would be brought to a close. The way the war is carried on sometimes makes us feel almost discouraged. But still it may all be fore the best. We hope so & we hope that it will continue until the Nation comes up to work in sutch a shape that the great end will be accomplished. Namely the union preserved & slavery abolished. God forbid we should be obliged to endure so many hardships and then the war end with a disgraceful compromise. Although the hardships are many yet we are not sorry we enlisted if the end be accomplished it will be one of the most glorious works we could be engaged in and the young men that were able to go will feel that it was a disgrace to them to be found at home. If the end is not accomplished the blame will not rest at the dore of the soldier but it will be at the dore of the politician...On the Burwick Bay some 30 miles from the gulf we can look right across into rebel town but the rebels do not show their heads. We were unfortunate enough to lose one of our gunboats the other night. It ran onto some obstruction and knocked a hole into her. She sank in deep water and 5 men were lost. The captain was drunk & would not let them run her ashore or it might have bin saved..." [Four pages, 5" x 8"]. The following month, Curtis wrote to his parents regarding his views on recent politics and those in support of George B. McClellan. Writing from Camp Reno on March 15, 1863, he expressed his discontent with those in the North who were becoming McClellan Democrats, in part: "You said some of the soldiers that had come home were McClellan Democrats & did not want to fight for the Nigers. That is a very good excuse for one that don't want to fight at all. But this dissatisfaction in the army is seated by those outside. By their crying peace, peace & the niger niger...With regard to this I hope that you nor any one of my friends by making the cry of peace or of attending one of those peace meetings so fashionable in the North. This party & those meetings are growing to be the means of keeping us in the Army one year longer & with regard to becoming McClellan Democrats, when I become one it will be when he becomes a true Democrat & I think that will be when the Leperd changes his spots or the Etheopean his skin. God forbid that I should ever be anything but a true friend to my country & to humanity. Black as well as white. The blacks are just what I expected they were, a poor ignorant race made so by the hand of the oppresser. But they are mutch more capable of being enlightened than I expected. Many who when we came here did not know the letters, can now read quite well. They are treated very meanly by ower soldiers in many cases...The health of the Reg seems to be improving slowly. We have suffered mutch from sickness & deaths were very frequent. Co D have lost 4 by deaths since we landed & 2 by desertion, both from Sodus, both Democrats..." [Four pages, 5" x 8"]. Two weeks later, Curtis was back in the hospital and continued to disparage about the course of the war and the conduct of those in charge. He wrote on March 29, 1863, in part: "We sometimes almost get Discouraged when we see the great expenses the government is to sustain the war & how mutch is dwindled by men pretending to be fighting for their country & then how cooly those at the head of the government looks on and appears to sanction the whole thing & how little is done. But then we excuse the mater by saying that we don't know perhaps as well as they what is best. But whether we do or not we would like to have them adopt ower plan. That is reduce officers pay at least one half & then burn as fast as they went & go as fast as they could. I don't believe that that conscript law would be necessary if that was done...While I was in the hospital the dockter went off and got 3 beef cattle under the plea that the subjects were in need of it to my certain knowledge there was not a single pound of it used for them. The dockters & other hogs eat it all up. The best of them are perfect hogs after a little while in the service. The hospital is the worst place in the service. They literally starve the subjects to death in some places..." [Four pages, 7.5" x 11.75"]. At the end of April, the regiment was engaged at Fort Bisland, and Curtis provides an extensive description of the battle in his April 26, 1863 letter to his parents. He writes, in part: "On the 10th we came in sight of the rebels & commenced send some shells after them. We drove them gradually before us all day and camped within range of their shots. The 160th firing in the advance. Sunday morning the 11th Company D was sent out as skirmishers. We soon had a chance to try ower peaces upon some Rebel cavalry. We made them show their heels after two or three rounds. The ball then opened with a artillery from both sides compelling us to take refuge in ditches and you better believe it was a tickelsome spot to be placed in to be right between the two forces & they firing hot shot, solid shot & shell over ower heads for about 3 owers...Monday 19th the firing commensed early. Co D again advanced as skirmishers...About 9 oclock we had orders to advance & pick off the gunners & officers from behind their breastworks & if possible make a charge on the baterys. This made us think of home, but Company D walked bravely up to the work. The shot flying like hale. When within about 60 nods we droped in to ditches through a heavy cannonading from both sides. Their baterys seemed to be silenced...I lay for several minutes once during one voley with nothing but corn hills to protect me. The musket flying all around me covering me with dirt licking my clothes as they passed over. Only one of ower company was hurt, he was shot through the knee...General Witzel gave us mutch praise for ower daring bravery. Monday night the rebels abandoned their works & run. Tuesday morning we started in pursuit of them. We were fatigued to death almost but the hope of baging them at Franklin gave the boys courage and they pressed on like tigers. General Grover had gone around with gunboats to attack them in the rear but from some missmanagements there was one road for them to escape; but not without a fight. With pretty heavy loss on both sides about 300 killed, wounded & missing on ower side. We captured about 700 there. We have captured about 2000 in the expedition up to this time. We followed the enemy close to their heels up to a place called Opalousas, distance of about 125 miles, most of the boys getting very foot sore...N.B. My health is good but my feet are very sore and legs very lame." [Six pages, 4.75" x 7.5"]. In May the Union Army continued their siege and ultimate seizure of Port Hudson and Vicksburg. Despite these victories, Curtis was still wary of the progress of the army, although he was impressed by the addition of the black regiments to their forces. On May 27, 1863 he wrote, in part: "We kneed more practicable common sense men than lawyers, preests & politicians for ower Generals. Men whose heart beats stronger for love of country & humanity than for self, [illegible], & their pockets. The US Army has already suffered mutch from these men...but thank God there are some...