Politics and the progress of the War were of great interest to Peter. He mentioned them in most of his letters. He expressed his conflicting sentiments about the war effort.
Peter commented on rumors or items he read in the newspaper. Sometimes he predicted what the Union or Confederate army might do next.
Peter reported on troop movements. Following his promotion to Sergeant and as the war progressed, Peter provided more detailed reports.
Usually Peter's writing demonstrated pride and support for the Union cause. However, he expressed sympathy for the Southern civilians who had been harmed, especially children, and decried the horrors of war.
He noted that Confederate soldiers engaged in the same activities around camp that he and his fellow soldiers enjoyed.
On return to Fredericksburg months after the battle, he saw the town in ruins and watched the occupying Confederate soldiers on the banks, noting:
'It seems so strange to me that we can approach one another so close without danger and soon we shall be trying to take one other's lives and engaged perhaps in a terrible battle.'
Many letters expressed longing or prayers for peace, but by December 30, 1863, he wrote:
'Oh, we all hope for peace this winter. But the soldiers have suffered and endured so much through the folly of Rebels, they all unite one another saying that there can be no peace until every vestige of rebellion is swept from the face of the earth...'
'The feeling is far different from what it was last winter. Then they wanted peace on any terms, but it is not so now.'
Peter reported on Lincoln's and Grant's activities, and their grand reviews of his regiment. Numerous references are made to high- ranking officers, including Meade, Burnside, Garrard, Ayres, Sykes, Rosecrans, and Casey.
He noted that 'Gen. Warren was so drunk he could hardly set on his horse...I was told by old soldiers that all of our Generals get beastly drunk to get up their courage.'
In his last letter, before disappearing in the Battle of the Wilderness, he wrote: 'I am afraid before you hear from me again there will be a hard battle fought with the [Army] of the Potomac, but wherever I may be placed I shall try to do my duty....'
| B a t t l e s | T h e m e s | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1862-10-18......."THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME", Camp Seward, sick, Gen Casey, Col unfeeling, Wes Dimbley 10-18-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-11-05.......Camp Seward, letterhead of Cleveland w woman and poem, coats, Julia and Tom, $3 left 11-05-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-11-13.......5 day 60 mi march, unburied dead and horses, Bull Run, Gainsville, McClellan, 6 pgs 11-13-1862s.htm |       | p: |
| 1862-11-30.......Camp at Fredericksburgh, her military clothes, his dream, Ida, Peace rumors, hopes to settle it 11-30-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-12-08.......Camp near Fredericksburgh, freezing, tent like pocket handkerchief, all sick, rumors go home if no pay, old castle & cabbage 12-08-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-12-16.......Camp near Fredericksburgh, describes 6 days of Battle of Fredericksburgh in detail 12-16-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-12-23.......Camp on Potomac Creek, reflects on peaceful life, buried 2 more, court martial 30 pound log, peace talk 12-23-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1862-12-28.......many sick and dying, 9 officers reassigned, blames Capt Cone, guard duty, center position, unfit for duty, Fletch no letters in Utica from Regt since Fredericksburg 12-28-1862s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-01-04.......Tom very sick, Jacob Breish coffin, Joseph Corrigan tent mate, Fletch separated 01-04-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-01-11.......guard Gen Warrens hq, daughter of the Regt 17th regulars chased by drunk soldiers, Burnside, Breish trinkets, resignations, all wish war over 01-11-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-01-25.......building roads in mud, men would not cross, Lee said would help, men deserting, political war 01-25-1863s.htm |     | p: |
| 1863-01-31.......taking box 30 mi rt to Tom at Acquia Creek hospital, made Fourth Sergeant, Fletch no barber business, says January 31 1863 (wrong year) 01-31-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-02-19.......Tom back, William Jones, Demming, Tom Gray, Sergeant school, her walking to school barefoot 02-19-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-02-22.......sketch winter scene on home page Armyofthepatomic.gif, snow, tents, wood, sickness and death, froze finger, government shoes, Deming, shoemaker Dennison, Washington Birthday 02-22-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-03-01.......Camp near Potomac Creek,diarrhea, Demming, Dave Reese, rebel prisoners grit to backbone,well dressed, Julia, ward money, says March 1 1862 (wrong year) 03-01-1863s.html |   | p: |
| 1863-03-04.......sending pipe, could sell for $10, they call him whittling yankee, earned 75 cents whittling, got gloves, Ed [Burbiege] Tom 03-04-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-06.......sore eye Co A and Co H snowball fight, Lincoln review, copied funny Fredericksburg wedding night letter 04-06-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-09.......Grand Review by Lincoln 80 thousand troops, Rebels opposite, Fredericksburg ruins, children begging, no pay, sketching for money, whittling 04-09-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-13.......says Monday April with blank date, hopes children better, mud dried up, grass green, left in charge of Camp with Lieut Walker, foreign general, Tom discharged? 04-13-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-17.......did not move, heavy rainstorm, sending $40 allotment pay, balloons over Fredericksburg looking for strike 04-17-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-19.......order to move, 8 days rations, sick to Washington, curious move, jokes she says she will be like poor girl, ammunition explosion, Hooker broke leg 04-19-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-04-24.......Hooker relieved of Command, rumor Fremont, upset his father is turning her out, Tom mad Julia letter says mother renting rooms 04-24-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-06-18.......rumors of another Bull Run, description Menzo Gibbs death on battlefield, sick soldiers, her idea to telegraph, beef bone ring, paired with Fragment 3 06-18-1863s.htm |     | p: |
| 1863-06-28.......has not gotten telegraph she said sending, Fletch, hard march, wants furlough badly, 4 pictures in case Ida and Willie, afraid folks offended 06-28-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-07-04.......no 4th of July, took telegram to Col who sent to War Dept, dream home so reverse- will not, picture with Fletch new uniform, rumor Lee captured 07-04-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-07-08.......Ida sick, Papa girl, Willie, George to picnic, since telegram presentiment Lord will punish, rebels destroyed, tired, Malvina, Harwoods, Justis Place 07-08-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-07-19.......hopes she got money, Ida sick, George & Mally do not write, will be exchanged, driving Rebels hard, hopes wicked rebellion ends, tired of lying around 07-19-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-08-20.......upset stomach, whiskey and quinine, soldiers beastly drunk, yellow fever, NY Herald, Rebels refuse exchange, riots and draft resistance, disheartens soldiers 08-20-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-08-23.......has been a year, may never come home, remembers their parting, Regt reduced from 900 to 170, 4th Oneida had it easy, sending papers 08-23-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-08-28.......Julia letter, her hop picking, Dave Jones horrible news, Commissioners cannot agree on exchange, Negro Soldiers, busy in charge of 68 men, same power as Capt 08-28-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-08-29.......sends picture, discourages hop picking, Utica draft, George, lay awake remembers Chancellorsville, human butchery, in charge Squad No 11 08-29-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-09-16.......tramp to Washington, War Dept, Smithsonian, Navy Yard, Capitol, Dave Laughlin, father to Roscoe Conklin for furlough, Francis Kernin, strict orders 09-16-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-09-20.......exchanged, going to front, clothing and 1800 guns, dream of going home vanished, Fletch nurse, hopes war ends after winter 09-20-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-09-25.......got recommend Conklin, took to Lieut but exchange orders, going to front, Col said no one can leave, Rosecrans and Burnside, prisoners likely shot if take arms 09-25-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-10-02.......in Camp, rumor to Tenessee Gen Rosecrans,men confined refusing arms, no exchange,Fletch, Sarah Graff, Jakes brother Fred, Gods followers, wicked men 10-02-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-10-08.......back with Regt, bewildered, Regt altered, looked on with pride, new drills, Uticans would wonder, uniforms, owe Uncle Sam, march 8 days rations 10-08-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-10-22.......13 days driving Rebels and retreating, captured more than them, Fletch march stocking feet, Fairfax, 96 conscripts, Bill Dagwood, paired with Fragment 1 10-22-1863s.htm |    | p: |
| 1863-10-26.......left New Baltimore, 5 miles New Camp, No name, 8 days rations, heavy cannonading, short letter, mail call 10-26-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-10-31.......moving 4 weeks, shoes no soles wet feet, Dagwell, sold picture 50 cents, 250 conscripts, 146th great name no praise at home, Gen Garrard loved, Battle Bristow Station 10-31-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-11-09.......on move, 2 battles, took 2200 prisoners, 9 artillery, drove them to drown in river, log cabins, Rebel letter, railroad destroyed, Tom invalid corps, Garrard 11-09-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-11-20.......not getting her mail, she lost tooth and hair turns grey, hospital men furlough to vote, Culpeper, Rapidan, another Chancellorsville, no paper or sutler 11-20-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-11-24.......marched to cross Rapidan but rain and mud, Meade determined, Fredericksburg, made 2 pictures for a dollar, Boys need tobacco, Tom Washington discharge 11-24-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-12-25.......got paid, sending $50 for Christmas, all buying at sutlers, bed of boughs, got paints, James Handwright, Steve Lent, hopes peace in New Year 12-25-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-12-30.......Sergt Guard House, Edic late furlough, candy Ida, moved, reenlistments, guerrillas slit throats, 146 three years, determined to win, different than last winter 12-30-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1863-12-xx.......undated, Bealton, probably mid-Dec 1863, her Dec 7 letter, Meade rumor, half rations, winter shanty, soldiers will not get paid, Tom invalid corps, paired with Undated 2 12-xx-1863s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-01-15.......Smith, Handwright, tries to be good to soldiers, speak well of him,whiskey New Years eve, Capt Clasgens and Lieut Dutton recruit Utica, Mosbys guerrillas 01-15-1864s.htm |     | p: |
| 1864-01-22.......got pictures, wishes Card de Visites, Melora Teed letter, shimmer, rats, been sick, Sweet Oil and Laudanum, Fletch home to recruit?, furloughs, George sleigh ride 01-22-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-01-28.......sad she is upset whiskey, guerrilla threat, guard duty, tent mates snoring, Henry Brownell, Rebel revolver relic, Lotty, Joey letter, mother picture, grim monster war 01-28-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-02-06.......2 days guard duty rail road, cannons, captured 7 guerrillas included major, those wounded, Cone and Stanford arrested, how treated Jakes wife, Sarah, Zouave sketch 02-06-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-02-08.......forwards letter for father to drop at Herald Office, do not tell many who wrote it if it is printed, fight on Rapidan, prisoners on train 02-08-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-02-11.......Julia mad at Tom, all owed money but prepare they may never get it, bounties exhaust Treasury, take $2 a week from Baker and City subsidy, lengthy cruel war statement 02-11-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-02-20.......cold spell, daily routine described, breakfast, Charlie, Sarah, George Keiser, $1100 and 30 day furlough if 146 reenlist, sacrifice all life time for few days home 02-20-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-02-25.......got her letter and fathers, sending picture of himself in uniform,what did she think of newspaper piece, should he write another Julia, sending likenesses of Generals 02-25-1864s.htm |    | p: |
| 1864-02-28.......orders to move, 3 days rations, possible Mine Run, new picture, old one does not look like him any more than Abe Lincoln, did not send money, being stolen in mail 02-28-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-03-04.......little scrape, released prisoner without proper orders as Sergt of guard and was arrested but excused with reprimand, sending more pictures, Gulich 03-04-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-03-11.......friends with Fletch but not tent mates, his picture, not a loafer, Willie, Ida, Mally, Bill Jones, Sarah, Garrards Tigers, men owe govt for clothes 03-11-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-03-16.......Congress transferring army to navy, asks her consent, Jackson picture, Handwright, Fletch orderly, Curran, Armstrong, sketch Capt Durkee one arm 03-16-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-03-21.......Stewarts Cavalry anticipated raid, Navy application, Mr. Hart, Lotty, father, heavy cannon, referenced enclosed Daily Chronicle clipping poem Soldiers Letters, Ford theater 03-21-1864s.htm |     | p: |
| 1864-03-22.......got paid and is sending check, Navy papers filled out wrong so sending back, expects to go any time, preparing to move camp, cigar box lace for Ida 03-22-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-03-25.......Ida sick, sleigh, wagon, watch, George, Tom home, Dimblebys lost child, waiting for navy papers, orders to move, sick moved, Grant, put Army of Potomac in motion 03-25-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-04-01.......Col Navy papers, Brig Gen Ayres, now 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corp, Gen Warren, Sykes like a father, left, target practice, preparing for terrible conflict 04-01-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-04-14.......Thursday the 14th, 1864- probably April- scans used to say mm-14-1864, warm, Spring campaign, drills,not transferred to Navy, Clarinda living downtown, Lotty, downhill worst 04-14-1864s.htm |     | p: |
| 1864-04-19.......sent to father for Clara, recd warrant, not sent for Navy exam, papers did not come, will try hard, preparing to move Fri, hurt finger playing ball,doctor excused 04-19-1864s.htm |   | p: |
| 1864-04-23.......afraid did not pass Navy exam, preparations, officers on soldiers rations, bread and molasses, no communications after 26th, her dream is wrong, he is well 04-23-1864s.htm |     | p: |
| 1864-04-29.......mail stopped, Burnside 40 thousand men looked worn out, 10 thousand negro troops, fear hard battle, hope Lord spare us to meet again on earth, heaven protect us all 04-29-1864s.htm |   | p: |