Gustavus
Gould 17th Vermont- 2 letters with Envelope
Camp near Petersburg, Va.
March 17th 1865
Dear brother, I now seat myself here in this damned Virginia mud hole shanty to answer your kind letter. I received your letter this morning and was glad to hear that you was well once more. The Sergeant brought it to me this morning before I was up. I opened the letter and read it, I see that you are still in the hen trade yet. I hope you will keep on and make all you can. I want you should have some good fat ones when I come home for I think I shall have a pretty good appetite when I get home. You wanted to know where Tip is. I had a letter from him this week, he is at City Point hospital about 15 miles from here. He says his foot is not any better yet, he says 3 of his toes are stiff and that the Doctors think that his foot will always trouble him. I don't think of much more this time, so I must close. Excuse all mistakes and accept this from your brother.
Gustavas Gould
I will slip in 25 cts in this letter for you Uncle Billy, perhaps it will come in handy in some of your hen trades. Good by for this time.
SECOND LETTER ON
SAME SHEET OF PAPER
March 17th 1865
Camp near
Petersburg, Va.
Dear little
brother Ronnie, I must write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and
hope these few lines will find you the same. Well Ronnie, how do you get
along this spring? I suppose your school has finished now and you have nothing
to do only to sport and enjoy your self, just as I used to do. I must
tell you are (to) enjoy your self better now than you ever will again.
You must be a good boy and help your Father and Mother out. You can tell
Father that I just had a good drink of whiskey. That is something that I
had not had for some time before the Lieutenant sent Tom Cole, that is the
fellow that I tipped over you know, after a canteen of whiskey. He got
the whiskey and fetched it up to my tent and we took a good drink, then filled
it up with water. I guess this will do for this time so I will
close. Good by Ronnie, please write soon. This from your brother,
Gustavus Gould.
I will send you
twenty five cts, you can buy you something with it that you want. When I
get payed up I will send you all a good present. Tell little Eliza to be
a good girl and mind her mother. I often think of her.
Tell Eliza when I
come home I will give her a good shaking. Tell Eliza here is 25 cts I
will send you to buy some candy. Think of me when you eat it.
Gustavus Gould
Residence Montpelier VT;
Enlisted on 2/24/1864 as a Private.
On 3/3/1864 he mustered into "E" Co. VT 17th Infantry He was Mustered Out on 7/14/1865 at Washington, DC |