10 items.
Thomas Herbert (b. 1822) was a merchant and local militia captain in Lynn, MA. The company, known as the Lynn Guards, became Company “F”, 8th Massachusetts Infantry (9 months) in 1862, and served at New Berne, NC, and vicinity. Captain Herbert left the regiment to be commissioned into Company “G”, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. They were stationed in various forts defending Washington, DC, from Confederate attack. He was discharged for disability on May 3, 1865.
This archive, which includes Herbert’s Massachusetts commission as Captain of the Eleventh Unattached Company of Heavy Artillery, dated October 1, 1863, presents a rare war-date look at an attentive, doting father on active duty. This lot includes four endearing war-date letters he wrote to his small sons back home.
The first such letter is dated April 22, 1863, from New Bern, NC. Commanding his old company as part of the 8th Massachusetts Infantry, Capt. Herbert told his toddler son Freddie about the conditions of the poor little black children there. The poor little darkie boys here do not have nice clothes like little Freddie Herbert, no nice bed and sheets to lie in, no nice bed room to sleep in, no clean Mamas to keep their little black face clean…
He told Fred how a little black girl ate the meal she got from the regimental cook out of a little tin dipper with her hands, and wrote: I thought to myself if my little Fred had to eat his little supper like this little girl, not have any table to set up & no mama to fix his little supper, oh how bad Fred’s papa would feel… Now the little darkies do not get any play things here and wouldn’t they be tickled to have some of little Fred’s old play things. Can you send them some of your old ones? And some of your old clothes? Ha ha! How tickled they would be to get some, the little wooly heads.
The rest of the letters are from Herbert’s service in the 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. The first, dated May 22, 1864, from Fort Mahan (part of the defenses surrounding Washington, DC), told Fred things about camp life that would interest a small child. The next letter, from Fort Slocum, is to Freddie and his older brother Willie. He discussed artillery practice at the fort, and carving toy wooden cannon to bring home. A January 1865 letter from Fort Stevens is addressed to his older son George, who had started a bookkeeper’s apprenticeship. Herbert gave him some sober fatherly advice. He drew pictures of the interior and exterior of the cottage built for his winter quarters, including the furniture, and described life in camp.
Non war-date letters include an 1841 letter from the Herbert family to their brother George in Mobile, AL; a February 13, 1843 letter to Thomas from George; and a July 7, 1843 letter from George to Capt. Levi Stearns in New Orleans, which mentioned Thomas was attending militia training as 3rd Lieutenant in the Lynn Guard.