Five additional letters from Willard dated
1 September 1862, 19 September 1862, 29 September 1862, 11 October 1862, and
1 November 1862 can be found on the site of the 122nd re-enactors
at http://www.122ndnewyork.com/norton.html.These letters are from brothers Perry Norton and Willard Norton to
their family back home in Spafford, Onondaga County, New York.
Perry, in the 149th Infantry, was writing to their sister, Mary J. Norton.
Willard, in the 122nd Infantry was writing to their father, Erastus Norton.
Five additional letters from Willard dated
1 September 1862, 19 September 1862, 29 September 1862, 11 October 1862, and
1 November 1862 can be found on the site of the 122nd re-enactors
at http://www.122ndnewyork.com/norton.html.
The first of Perry's two letters to his sister was written 12 October 1862.
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Be sure and send that paper and stamps. Goodbye. Sandy Hook or Pleasant Valley [Maryland]
Dear Sister,Sunday, October 12th, 1862. I received your letter last night and I was awful glad to hear from you. We are within 4 miles of Harpers Ferry on the Potomac River. I like it first rate so far but once in a while I get a little home sick, and then I get John Fox [John W. Fox would be killed 15 June 1864 at Pine Knob, Georgia.] and we go and get Chestnuts. They are thick as butter here. The boys do not think anything of going out and pick a couple of quarts in 5 or 10 minutes. They are just like picking up small apples. They are so thick. You say that Willard does not get your letters. You do not direct right do you. You must direct to Willard Norton, 122nd Regt., Co., whatever the letter is you put it down side the Co. Think it is F. You must be sure to put N.Y.S.V. down, and in care of Capt. Moses, I think is the name. Direct it to Washington, D.C. Then he will get it without fail I know. Tell Ma that I have a fine comb and am just as clean as a whistle. We have to be. Sundays we have to be all slicked up just as clean as we can be; if we don't we are put in the guard house for 2 3 4 hours. You may send $1.00 worth of stamps and a quire of paper. Just write a letter and put it in with the paper and the stamps in with the paper too. Then make a big envelope and put it all in. I have some money left yet and I guess I shall keep it till I come back. I can not get a dollar bill changed in this town. I hear that Alice Bulfinch was married the day before I got your letter. Someone wrote to me and told me. I am well and hope I shall remain so 'til I can see old Spafford. Tell Emily I was glad to hear from her but next time say more. She says it is cold enough to freeze anyone. It is warm here so that a man can lay down anywhere on the ground with nothing but his clothes on and will be comfortable. Tell Emily that I have not been anywhere since we left Syracuse so I could have my likeness taken, but tell her again that she is mistaken–I am fatter than I was when I left home. I have gained ten pounds since I left home. I weigh just 174 1/2 pounds now. I think I have not fell away much now. They are a fighting south of us---we can hear the cannons just as plain as can be. You can hear them just about 30 times a minute firing. That is you can hear cannons 30 times a minute. I hope that they will have this thing settled. Our Brigadier General said that all the men that did not die by sickness would be home by the first of January but they do not know anymore than I do. I must close---direct as before. Perry.
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The second of Perry's two letters to his sister was written 19 March 1864.
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Anderson, Tennessee.
Dear Sister,March 19th, 1864. Once more I take the opportunity to write a few lines to you. I am well and hope this will find you the same. We are now guarding the road as when I wrote to you before, but soon expect to be on our march for somewhere and where we do not know but I think to the Army of the Potomac. I do not care about going there but we must go where we are ordered but our three years is not any longer in one place than it is in another. I do not know how long before we shall have to go. So you may not think it strange if you do not hear from me in some time. Probably before we start we shall get our pay, if so I shall send some to Carpenter. Then Pa can do what he likes with it. I hear there is a great story out about Elmira. Is it so or is it all gammon. I should think it would bring down her reputation some if it is. Jane, I am going to have my likeness taken if we stay here a day or two and then you can see if I have grown poor any since I came from home. I will not write any more at present. So I will close my letter for this time. This is all. Perry Norton
Direct as before.
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The first of Willard's two letters to his father was written 13 September 1863.
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Warrenton [Virginia], Sep 13/ 63.
Dear Father,As I have a little leisure time I will write to you and let you know that I am well. I have not received a letter in two or three weeks. For that reason I am anxious to hear how things are getting along in Spafford. I got a letter from Perry the other day . He said that he expected to go home as soon as he was able to go. [Perry, Willard's brother, was in the 149th N.Y. He was wounded in the leg by 'friendly fire' at Gettysburg, in defense of Culp's Hill.] We are under marching orders that is to be ready to march at a moments notice. It is thought that Lee is falling back and sending reinforcements. To brag if that is true, we shall try for Richmond and unless something turns up wrong, we shall have them inside the fortification of their capital and when that comes, I shall think that it will soon fall. There has been cannonading today and almost everyday but that is so frequent that little or no attention is paid to it. We are having a little rain today, the first in a long time. There has been some thundering. It will probably be cooler after this. It is the most of the grain out up that way and how much is? Do they have to pay for help and are the crops good? Russell Sweet came up to the regiment the other day. He looks very well but has had a very hard time. He has been in the hospital ten months. I have not heard from George Ripley in some time. The last time that I did hear, he was getting along well. No more at present so good bye. W. Norton
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The second of Willard's two letters to his father was written 22 September 1863.
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Camp 122nd Reg. NYSV
Sep 22/ 63
Near Culpepper [Virginia] W. Norton
Please send me another handkerchief.
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I need to go to the Onondaga County Public Library in Syracuse, New York in order to copy out the relevant entries from the AGO reports:
Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1904," Serial #39; Brandon Printing Company, State Legislative Printer, Albany, N.Y.; 1905. Page ___: 149th Infantry
NORTON, PERRY.—Age, 21 years. Enlisted, August 26, 1862, at Syracuse, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. I, September 18, 1862; wounded in action, July _, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa. [in the leg by 'friendly fire' in the defense of Culp's Hill]; mustered out with company, June 12, 1865, near/at? Bladensburg, Md.
Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1903, Serial #36; Oliver A. Quayle, State Legislative Printer, Albany, N.Y.; 1904. Page ___: 122nd Infantry
NORTON, WILLARD.—Age, 18 years. Enlisted, August 14, 1862, at Marcellus, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. F, August 15, 1862; promoted corporal, September 1, 1864; mustered out with company, June 23, 1865 at Washington, D.C.
Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1903, Serial #36; Oliver A. Quayle, State Legislative Printer, Albany, N.Y.; 1904. Page ___: 122nd Infantry
FOX, JOHN W.—Age, __ years. Enlisted, ___, at _____, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. _, ________; mustered out with ____, June __, 1865 at _____
Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1903, Serial #36; Oliver A. Quayle, State Legislative Printer, Albany, N.Y.; 1904. Page ___: 122nd Infantry
RIPLEY, GEORGE.—Age, __ years. Enlisted, ___, at _____, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. _, ________; mustered out with ____, June __, 1865 at _____
Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1903, Serial #36; Oliver A. Quayle, State Legislative Printer, Albany, N.Y.; 1904. Page ___: 122nd Infantry
SWEET, RUSSELL.—Age, __ years. Enlisted, ___, at _____, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. _, ________; mustered out with ____, June __, 1865 at _____