Letter Group - Joseph Cotton 12th New Hampshire Infantry

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/26/2023

The following twelve letters, the vast majority are from the hospital, were written by Joseph T. Cotton (1836-1878), a native of Gilmanton, Belknap county, New Hampshire, who enlisted in Co. B, 12th New Hampshire Infantry in August 1862 and served in the ranks as a private until he was severely wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville on 3 May 1863. He was discharged for disability a year later at David's Island in New York Harbor. In the wartime letters, Cotton discusses very little in the way of war news but speaks mainly of his leg wound the treatment he received for it at two different hospitals in Washington D. C. All but one of the letters were written by Cotton while he was hospitalized. Here are several excerpts:(Twelfth New Hampshire Regiment, Camp near Fredericksburg [Va.], Feb. 10, 1863, 4 pp), to his brother, in part: "...Clark Leighton is dead--only two weeks. He had typhoid fever. Was very sick last week. We took as good care of him as we could for the chance we had. Julia is about crazy about him. I don't believe she will live six months. She is sick abed now...Leander Sawyer is dead. He died last Sunday morning. He had been in the hospital some time. The folks at New Hampshire don't know much about what the sick have to suffer here nor they don't know anything about this war -- only what they hear...There is a good part of our men here that don't want this thing settled up. They are getting good pay and that is all they want. And as for the Negroes, they are better off today here than one half of the white folks at the North. When these boys get home -- these Republican boys, they will never want to hear Niggerism preached to them anymore for they will be good Democrats then and let the Negro be where they are...You said something about my going to the 11th Regiment to see the boys. I have seen the regiment a number of time but have not seen Sherman but once..." (St. Aloysius Hospital, 1 Washington D. C. July 6th 1863) 2pp., to his mother on litho of Fair Oaks, in pencil. Unique. ...(St. Aloysius Hospital, Washington [DC], July 26, 1863), 2 pp, with color-engraved stationery depicting Capitol, to his mother and aunt, in part: "...My leg is doing well but cannot tell when I can come home. It is gaining slow. If the bone [fragments] all come out, it will soon get well but my courage is good... St. Aloysius Hospital, (Washington [DC], July 21, 1863), 2 pp. to his mother, in part: "...My leg is feel better today...I had it cut open the other day and the small bones keep coming out. There has eight pieces come out now. It never will get well until the pieces are all out. It will be a long time before the leg will get well...Harwood Hospital, (Washington, DC, October 20, 1863), 2 pp. to his sister, in part: "...I was transported to this hospital last Saturday and have the most splendid place in the world there is one thousand here...There is fifteen wards...There is plenty of female nurses here to wait on me..."Harewood Hospital, (Washington DC, Nov. 23, 1863), 4 pp., to his sister, in part: "...[Sarah] wants me to come home soon as I can but you know I am better off here than anywhere at present for they know what to do for me. I think that I am sure of my discharge when the leg gets healed good but I don't think that I can ever work on a farm anymore. It will be too hard for me. But I am not afraid but what there will be a way for me to get my living..."

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