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Civil War Archive of George T. Feyerweather, 51st Massachusetts Infantry and 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, with Battles o...
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Description
Civil War Archive of George T. Feyerweather, 51st Massachusetts Infantry and 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, with Battles of Kinston and White Hall Content. An archive consisting of 104 letters war dated October 9, 1862, to May 28, 1865; six postwar letters dated December 30, 1865 to February 4, 1866; sixty-nine original transmittal covers; one invitation to the Grafton Grand Dedication Ball dated December 28, 1863; one receipt of transport from the Adams American Express Company dated April 30, 1864; and one copy of an engraving of George B. McClellan. Documents in this collection are written in both pencil and ink and range in size from 5" x 2.5" to 7.12" x 9.12".Organized at Worcester, Massachusetts on September 25, 1862, the 51st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry served for nine months until July 27, 1863. Soon after mustering in, the soldiers joined Foster's Expedition in December 1862 and fought in the Battles of Kinston, White Hall, and Goldsboro. After the new year, several companies of the regiment were stationed at Newberne, North Carolina to guard nearby railroads. Others, including Feyerweather's Company E, fought at Beaufort in the Battle of Washington. In July 1863, the 51st Massachusetts joined the 1st Army Corps to pursue Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
After he completed his nine-month tour with the 51st, Feyerweather mustered into 6th Company Massachusetts Unattached on May 4, 1864 and mustered out on August 2, 1864. On August 27, 1864, he was commissioned into Company F of the 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He mustered out on June 17, 1865.
Throughout the war, Feyerweather wrote to his sweetheart, Nellie Brown, whom he later married. In his letters, he described candidly the shocks of life at war. A young soldier eager for action, he wrote on December 3, 1862, "I went out into the woods looking for rebels but not a one did I see. I was careless going as I did but I wanted to see what I could find. I am going down to the old battle ground in a few days, our Capt. told us last night that we might leave any day for the rebels were all around us. I think we shall be sent out on some tramp soon. We have not drilled once since we came here."
Feyerweather perhaps unintentionally punctuated his naivete, telling Nellie that "I have had my whiskers all cut off and it made the boys laugh for they said they thought I was a man but I was nothing but a boy after all." Feyerweather was only twenty-two years old when he enlisted in the Union Army.
Soon after he sent that letter, Feyerweather did, in fact, see action at the Battles of Kinston and White Hall. He wrote: "When I wrote my last letter I told you we had our orders to march we started on Thursday morning Dec 10 at 5 A.M. I had been up all night seeing that the men got their things and that all that we were to leave was just on the boat, so I was not feeling very well to start off. We went up to the city to join our Brigade which is the 1st in Gen. Fosters Division. We marched about fifteen miles and camped on a plantation we had nothing but our blankets over us and a large camp fire at our feet. I was so tired that I fell asleep in five minutes after we stopped. We started the next morning Dec 11th and marched about 20 miles under we had orders to stop and the rest went on and left us (our regt) to guard a bridge that the rebels tried to burn to cut-off our retreat in case we got defeated Co A, 2B and our 60 were sent out on picket. I was up that night most all night."
He continued: "[T]he 45th suffered the most of any regt. except the 9 r.g. we marched into the city that night a distance of 25 miles the old regts could hardly believe that we had come so far in one day and cheered us as we came up. We were almost used up for we hardly rested a minute on the whole march. We started Monday Dec 13 on towards White Hall and marched about 20 miles and camped for the night. Tuesday Dec 14 we started on our Brigade in advance our regt. is the 5th in the line which brings us in the rear about 1000 feet we heard firing and a messenger came back and order us on at a double quick and on we went as soon as we came near the field the place we stopped and caped our guns Capt. W was all in a flutter and Winslow not much better we marched on to the field and waited for orders we were sent to the edge of the woods on the right of the batty to keep the rebels from making a charge upon it we marched up as cool as any old regt. with bayonets fixed and the shells began to fly over our heads and we lay down on the ground and let them fire away. Mr. Cummings and the drum corps got their litters to bring off the wounded of ours I did not like the looks of that for I had not thought of any danger before and if you will believe me I fell asleep right then on the field with the shots & shells flying over our heads as fast as they could and the noise and cries of the wounded ringing in my ears. I thought that some of the officers must keep cool and I am certain I was that. I do not want to see such a sight again...the 45th suffered some loss in that battle but the 10th Conn the most. We did not have a man killed and only two hit one on his belt and one on his coat. It was surprising that we got out of it so easily the 44th was marching along in the road back after us and a shell went over us and killed two men as they passed along."
Despite Feyerweather's bravado less than a month earlier, Kinston and White Hall forced the young soldier to reckon with his own mortality. On December 26, 1862, he wrote, "The only miracle to me is that I am not dead. I guess you would have fussed some if you could have seen us on the battle field I never thought anything about being shot until after the whole thing was over and I saw so many wounded ones in our rear when we came out of the field. I have to think it was a miracle I was not shot. We never could go through what we did that time and not have any one [sic] hurt again. I have just found out what a soldier life is."
After Feyerweather mustered out of the 51st Massachusetts in July, he returned to the war effort only a few months later as a sergeant and, later, a captain with the 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. His second tour largely consisted of garrison and guard duty. On October 1, 1864, he wrote from Fort Marcy: "I received your letter last night just as I arrived and you know just how happy I was to get it. For we had been marching and the men gave out almost every step and I have to energize them on the best I could. I started from Fort Bunker Hill, with the two 60s under my command about 7 ock pm Sept 28 and marched to Fort Cochran and reported to Gen De Bussy - who sent us to this fort. Capt. Winslow has gone somehow down here but I do now know where. He has been alone ever since he came out. We are better situated here than at the other fort, we form the only line between the Rebs and Washington. We have pickets set out but have not seen any Rebs."
One of the many forts within the Defenses of Washington system, Fort Marcy protected Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge along the northern bank of the Potomac River. The garrison was just one of sixty-eight forts and batteries that surrounded the capital. Although several forts came under Confederate fire, they remained solidly under Union control throughout the entirety of the war. In 1936, Lillian Money-Read wrote a poem titled "Thoughts on Fort Marcy" that paid homage to these structures.
Though Fayerweather wrote to Nellie throughout his service with both the 51st and the 4th, their relationship was not always smooth sailing. Several letters pointed to the hardships of young soldiers trying to court women from afar. For example, one letter from November 4, 1863, reads, in part, "I must write for I have thought of nothing else this week and that is what you told me. I feel as though I could never come to your home again for fear I shall intrude. If it were not for you I would not, I cannot get it off my mind I almost wish you had not told me yet I am glad you did for now I know how they feel toward me. You well know I have offered to release you if you can find anyone better and there are plenty then perhaps your mother would be better suited. I will do any way for the best but it would almost kill me to give you up now so near when I can take you but if it is best I will say nothing."
Again, he writes on December 2, 1863, confused about how he failed to appropriately navigate social decorum. He complained, in part, "I received your letter last eve, what is the matter now I thought you said you wanted to go to the Ball and that was enough, but I see you are not satisfied with that and are angry because I did not give you a formal invitation. I could have done so but did not think it necessary, I will give you one."
Nearly a year later, Fayerweather fretted over his many years away as a soldier. On October 8, 1864, he wrote, "I received your letter of the 2nd inst. My dear Capt.: Oh dear I am sick of the title if you must call me so just as though I was only Capt. to you and nothing more you speak of Friday something to do, what in the world do you mean - I am sorry I came away for you are tired of waiting for me I know but I could not help it for we were ordered away so sudden that I did not have time to prepare for anything. But my darling if you can do better you know that I will give you up." Though the date is unclear, Fayerweather and Brown ultimately got married after the end of the Civil War.
Condition: Intermittent staining and torn margins on envelopes. All letters creased along folds. Intermittent foxing and staining.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 4
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