Good news I found out today that I can use the new letters I have within the manuscript. I have already transcribed them and am not working on the incorporations of them. They are all written to William Charleton and, as noted in an earlier post, there is some good content.
One thing I have found is the utter lack of correspondences “TO” the soldiers. As we know these letters were often discarded by the soldier out of necessity. Carrying several pounds of letters would be difficult during long marches. To send several pounds of letters home, very costly. So that is why, at least in theory, there are not near as many letters to soldiers as letters written by the soldiers and sent home.
The letters written to Charleton offer a nice reflection on how his family worried about him and how they kept him in the loop on the happenings back home. Also among the letters are correspondences from fellow officers. Charleton went home to Wisconsin to recruit during early 1864. At this time he became very ill and some worried he might die. He did not and was able to rejoin the regiment later that year.
So I am excited to use these letters and will keep you up to date.
Chris
