The letters and diaries of Lieutenant Philip R. Woodcock
121st Regiment, New York State Infantry
"Upton's Regulars"
September 4, 1862-November 9, 1865

Saturday, November 21, 2015

A Dream from the Battlefield

"...I dreamed last night that I was home..."

I was gently nudged the other day by a friend and faithful reader that I hadn't posted in a loooooong time, so I'm back at it today.  I've gone back to the cold days in March that I left off with chronologically and found an amazing letter!

The letter is tough to read as it is smudged and the ink shows through from the back of the page so some of the words are illegible.  This one is four pages and also contains his trademark post script
written upside-down on the bottom of two pages.  There is no heading listing where he is writing from, but his previous letter of the 21st indicated that he was at the Camp at White Oak (winter quarters).  Philip launches right in without a salutation....

"I think I shall write to Pernelia Kaisler in Westfield one of these days.  I do not get hardly letters enough but it is getting so late that I must go to bed or I will wake up with a headache tomorrow..."

(As I'm typing this, I'm actually now wondering if this is the continuation of a previous letter, but I've not found a front page.  He next goes on about his dream):

"I dreamed last night that I was home on a 10 days furlough and I stayed over my time 4 days without knowing it[,] all the while I was there you would not sleep with me but made me go on the [illegible here--the word looks like either lorrey, journey or something, neither of which make sense in context] alone. I felt awfull bad you would not tell the reason till the last day just before I started back then you said that you was afraid that Georgie would not know that I was his father & that he would tell around that you slept with a stranger man ~ I remember telling you that it was the most foolish thing I ever heard of & then I woke up glad to get away from home ~ all the while I was there you did not seem to care whether I [should?] kept or not you took it very cool ~ I was glad to find it a dream...but good night..."

I think that last sentence should end with an exclamation point!

I'll finish up the letter tomorrow, I promise ~  Thanks for staying with me faithful readers.  I'll try to keep up my end of the bargain and keep posting Philip's letters a bit at a time.

Until next time...
 
   

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