This Civil War soldier letter was written by 2d Lieutenant William Staughton Peck (1823-1909), the son of John Mason Peck (1789-1858) and Sarah Paine (1789-1856).
William S. Peck was born in Rock Springs, St. Clair county, Illinois. He saw service in the Mexican War and returned home to marry Margaret Patton Sept. 24, 1848 in Jackson county, Iowa. He enlisted as a 38 year-old resident of Fairbank, Buchanan county, Iowa, on July 1, 1861 as 5th Sgt. in Co. E, 5th Iowa Infantry. Acted as Orderly Sgt. during the absence of C. L. White in Nov. 1861. “Was offered the office when Blondin left (April 1863) but declined as the duties are too much for one man.” He was promoted to 4th Sgt. March 1862; to 2nd Sgt. June 14, 1862 and was commissioned 2nd Lt. of Co. E, 5th Iowa Infantry on April 10, 1863 to date from Feb. 26, 1863. The regiment was consolidated Aug. 8, 1864 and transferred Sept. 18, 1864 as 2nd Lt. of Co. G, 5th Iowa Cavalry. He mustered out at Nashville on August 11, 1865.
William wrote the letter to his friend and comrade of Co. E, William Codling, who was wounded in the leg on 14 May 1863 in the fighting near Jackson, Mississippi. We learn from the letter that William was in a hospital recovering from his wounds at the time. The hospital’s location is not given but he was discharged for his wounds on 27 February 1864 at St. Louis, Missouri.
TRANSCRIPTION
Huntsville, Alabama
January 31st 1864
Mr. William Codling
Dear Friend,
I received yours of the 19th inst. on the 28th and was truly glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that your wound had broken out again. I am well. As I expect to correspond regular with you, I will try in my poor way to give you a record of the regiment but more especially to Company E.
As I wrote you on the fourth of January, I shall commence from that date. On the 5th of January ’64, we struck tents and marched to Larkinsville, Alabama, where we arrived at 7 o’clock P.M. Shortly after getting into camp, there was a little excitement got up about the Veteran Service and all of Company E that was present reenlisted except Charles F. Putney & A. Mervin Conkling (that is I am speaking of the enlisted men). Henry W. Snider & George [B.] Sitler was rejected. Perhaps I had better give you their names as it is not likely that you will know who are present. Well here they are.
Sergt. M[adison] J. Bryan
Sergt. Wm. Bunce
Sergt. Jerry Rea
Corp. J[ames] B. Gaylord
Corp. H[enry] McQueen
Corp. J[ames] B. Wolf
Corp. H[eta] C. Speague
Corp. J. J. Whait
Priv. S[amuel] Allison
Priv. Joseph Brackney
Priv. C[harles] Brooks
Priv. E[lijah] Chittester
Priv. John Geyer
Priv. W. F. Johnson
Priv. J[ames] McKinzie
Priv. F[rederick] Payne
Priv. J[ames] C. Perham
Priv. J[ulius] F. Phelps
Priv. Peter Putman
Priv. John Richards
Priv. Moses Robinson
Priv. S[amuel] E. Rouse
Priv. R[ufus] Safford
Priv. H[ela] Sprague
Priv. Mahlon Williams
And Frank Noble but I understand that he enlisted in another company in the regiment as they had that privilege of joining any company in the regiment. They have not been mustered yet but will be in a day or two as we have got all the papers made out, and the boys signed the pay rolls today and then the company will start home for their thirty days furlough in the state.
There was ¾ or more of 6 companies that reenlisted. The companies are A, C, D, E, F, & G. But Co. E was the banner company as there was no other company enlisted as many as came near enlisting the whole company.
Now for myself, Capt. Ellis was recruiting officer and I went up to enlist and he would not accept of me. He told me to go in with the rank that I had got and I promised the boys that I would if they wanted me as lieutenant. Now I shall go back to where I left off.
We left Larkinsville on the 7th for this place and arrived here on the 10th. For the first week we built chimneys, bunks, &c., policed the camp, and since then it has been guard & drill, and then drill & guard, until the last few days it has been guard all the time and there was nobody to drill. We had two new recruits to join us on the 8th of January. Their names are John Donovan of Independence and Dennis Donovan of Dubuque—both mickeys [Irish].
Huntsville is one of the finest places that I have seen in the south. In town is one of the finist springs your or any other man ever saw and discharges as much water as Little Wapsy at Fairbank at a common stage. Within 40 feet of the fountain head, there is a dam 8 feet high and there is a large wheel that runs a force pump that forces the water through pipes all over town. I have never seen anything to compare with it.
Now my excuse for not writing sooner. The day that I got your letter I was Regimental Officer of the Day. The 29th I went on Picket Guard to accommodate a friend of mine—Lt. R[ichard] Barrett of Co. I. Yesterday I was too sleepy and did not feel like writing. There is it. Will it do?
The boys are all well except Sergt. [Jerry] Rea & J[ames] C. Perham and they are able to be about. Charles F. Putney is clerk for Lt. White in Provost Marshal’s Office. He failed to come to time in last battle and as I had command, I had him reduced as my motto is—humor to whom humor is due.
Capt. Lee is well and he says he does not know but what he may go in as a Veteran but her rather thinks not. Berny Gaylord says he wrote you about the 5th or 6th of January.
As I expect to start for Iowa within ten days, you may direct to Fairbank. I have received letters as late as January 17th from Fairbank. They was not all froze up there.
There, with them few lines I shall close, and when you are tired with my scribbling, let me know and I will not trouble you again. Yours truly, — Wm. S. Peck