Civil War letters and promotion certificate belonging to John Kelt (Mass. 21th infantry, company H). Two letters are addressed to his father and another his sister.
The first is datelined Washington D.C. May 14th and addressed to his father. He recounts a pleasant trip to the encampment, stopping at fort Monroe. He writes "...the city is under marshal law and every one that is out after 12 past 9 is put into the guard house till morning. There are 9 men to be shot for filling bombs with sand… I am a little sore from marching so much... I have not drinked (sic) a glass of rum since I left home and am not going to it seams (sic)." He continues "The talk of the people here is that they think the South will back down...we get Baltimore Papers here everyday...they are for the union...there is about 2000 Texas Rangers here... they are a hard looking sort of men and have seen service…" Header with "The Whole or None!" stamp.
The second is datelined Falls Church, V.A. June 18th, 1861 and addressed to his father. Excerpt reads "...have been on for 24 hours...the rebels are very thick around us... they have taken one captain and 1 sergent and a corporal from us... I came very near being taken when they took captain Neal... about an hour before two women came along the road and said they wanted food and they said wanted someone to go home with them so he went himself and was taken to Richmond. We expect to be attacked every day... we have but ten thousand men with us besides Tomkins Rangers... they are the ones that made that charge through Fairfax some time ago... the rebels have somwhere between 15 and 25 thousand men..." Header stamped with political cartoon.
Third letter is datelined Summerville P.A. Feb. 8th, 1870 and addressed to his sister. He laments of his latest move being the worst yet, he writes "...this state is under Marshal Law and have ought to be forever. The people are not half civilized worse than Indians... they have no regard for law... a man's life is not worth a straw... they will hang a man for horse stealing but to kill a man is nothing... they do not even arrest a murderer. There have been eight men killed in the county in the month of June and not one of the perpetrators brought to trial... we are after some of them now and if we get them we will make an example for Northern Georgia..."
Also includes promotion certificate from the Commanding Officer of the 21st Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, appointing John Kelt as sergeant (company H) dated June 5th 1862.
Condition:
Good, age related wear.