Transcript: Camp Near Falmoth [sic] Via April the 24

Dear wife I have just receved your kinde and ever welcome letter of the 20 I am glad to hear that you are all well I am well as useual albert is well albert saw james on Tuesday when thu came in of picket he was well a Monday will be our turn to go from three or four days we are still staying hear exspecting to be order to move at any hour we have ben completely idel for the last two weeks thare has been no drill nothing but the negulargard duty to do but thare has ben quiet a good deal of the excitement since we got payed among the ball players the first match was played between the offercers of the fifth and eaight the fifth winning the match and tha was so elated with thare victory that tha offared to play any nine in the brigade so tha got some out of the seventh eaight and two out of the second new York and tah beat the fifth bad after it was don one of the officers of the second new York said he would take nine out of his ridgement and play any other nin in the brigade offersers and privates to gether for one hundred dollars a side it was taken up and on wensday afternoon it came of thare was six privates out of our rigement one affereen out of the fifth and two out of the seventh and tha made 34 runs to the second new York 17 and then tha gave it up but some of thare offercers felt so sore after thare defeat that tha offered to play nine privates against nine out of ridgement for six hundred dollars our corlnel pute up the money right away but it has raned the last two days and nights so tha haven’t played it yet it is reported that the corlnel made a good pile an the last match he is regular sporter and very fond of ball playing himself William Sutton hasent got here yet nor we haven't heard anything of him except what you whrote governor parker and two other gentlemen was hear to se us this afternoon that dident stop long it was late when tha got hear and he wanted to viset al the jersey regments in the brigade so thare wasent time to call the regments out we got our blankets and things back to night but ordered to have them reddy to send of again at a minutes notice it is reported that the great cavalry expedition that went from hear two weeks ago is on its way back so it looks a good deal like a faleure everything is kept verry dark hear so we don't know what tha intend to do with us but manny thinks we will be throwen acrost the river hear in a big hurry some of theas fine mornings I don't know as I have anything more to whrite at present to night and it is almost tatbu and them all lights has to go out give my love to mother fanny George and mary and all inquiring friends and hear is my love and well wishes for you my dear wife.

From your effecionate husband

William E. Halstead

Life as a solider camped near Falmouth Virginia in the middle of theCivil War was a mostly boring one. A Civil War infantryman once saidthat being a soldier was "99% boredom and 1% terror." Based on thisoffered letter written by Private William E. Halstead of Company 'K' inNew Jersey's 8th Regiment of Volunteers that bland statement is not toofar off. In his last letter to his wife Nancy Jane Halstead of Paterson New Jersey Private Halstead wrote how for the last few weeks there had been no drills to complete and the quietness of camp had created an opportunity for the soldiers of New York and New Jersey to play ball.

Baseball was in its infant stages during the mid-19th century and was beginning to gain attention from soldiers outside of the Tri-State region. Soldiers from that region would play in the downtime between drilling and traveling. They would share the sport with regiments from other northern states and the game exploded with national exposure. Teams were created from all ranks and got a wide range of fans from across the encampment.

In this particular letter Private Halstead speaks of the high scoring games and the sport of betting on the games. Union soldiers averaged a pay of $15 per month but higher ranking officers had more money to burn. Private Halstead retells how a Colonel was betting $600 on a game played and had done so in the past and made good money. To put this amount of money at the currency value from 2015 the Colonel bet approximately $11700 on a single game played by an assortment of soldiers from all different ranks. This sort of activity only sweetened the game for players and spectators in the encampment. While Private Halstead never mentioned playing in this letter it is clear that he enjoys the sport and may have even been familiar with it before this letter.

Unfortunately this letter was the last one Private Halstead sent to his wife Nancy. Just a few days after the date of the letter Halstead's regiment received orders to follow Maj. Gen. Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker across the Rappahannock River in a maneuver to flank Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army and attempt to weaken the South's defense in northern Virginia. This led to the Battle of Chancellorsville.

The Battle of Chancellorsville was fought over the period of five days in the beginning of May through the rough wooded terrain just West of Fredericksburg. The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in the winter of 1862 and the Union Army was still reeling from the crushing defeat when the outnumbered Confederate Army. Once again though Lee found himself outnumbered and took on Hooke's nearly 100000 Union soldiers with 40000 less men himself. Up until this point the Battle of Chancellorsville was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War with an estimated total of 30764 casualties. The most famous death on the battlefield was Confederate Lieutenant Stonewall Jackson and still the Confederates claimed the victory. Private Halstead sustained fatal injuries during the battle and died on May 18 1863.

The letter is in excellent condition. There is no bleeding or fading of the ink and the paper of the letter is crisp and fine. The common practice of the paper maker's stamp is letter pressed into the top left hand corner most commonly found in stationary of the mid-19th century. Overall this letter is a fine example of the history and life of a Civil War soldier who lost his life after bravely fighting for his country during the Battle of Chancellorsville. An additional letter also written by Private Halstead to his wife is featured in Lot 1249. It details the unique the punishments issued to deserters who abandoned their posts before the bloody Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862.