Eleven letters of various pagination, ranging from 1 to 4 pages, ten written in ink, one in pencil, with dates ranging from Sept. 19^th, 1862 to April 15, 1865.

All but two letters are addressed to married sister Almira Edgecomb, address unknown:

1. Seven letters written by 2^nd Lieut. Seth Tremain, Co. F, 86^th New York Infantry, five to Almira, one to his father, and one to brother Warren

2. Two letters written by Private Oren Tremain, Co. D, 207^th Pennsylvania Infantry, both to sister Almira

3. One [unsigned] from either Private Warren Tremain, Corporal Gilbert Tremain, or Private Lyman Tremain, Co. D, 141^st New York Infantry to Almira.

4. One from Lyman Tremain, 161^st New York Infantry.

All letters are yellowed and smudged in spots, with one torn corner, but remain entirely legible. All five brothers are barely literate, writing in run on sentences without punctuation, and are poor spellers to boot. Nonetheless, the strength of their thoughts and sentiments come through full force. Letter transcripts provided

All brothers were inducted in Lindley, NY. Their service histories summarize as follows:

Seth Tremain, age 22, was the first to enlist, as a Sergeant in the 86^th NY, 9/14/1861. Lyman and Gilbert Tremain, aged 21 and 18, enlisted together as privates in Co. D, 141^st NY, on 8/14/1862. They were joined a week later in Company “D” by 18 year old brother, Private Warren Tremain, in the same company. Oren Tremain, the youngest of the brothers, enlisted at age 15 as a private in Co. “D”, 207^th PA Infy., date of enlistment unspecified.

Elder brother Seth was wounded on Houck’s Ridge, at Gettysburg, where his 86^th New York fought on the right of the 124^th NY “Orange Blossoms”, 7/2/1863. He was promoted to 2^nd Lieutenant, 12/15/1864, and mustered out with his unit, 6/27/1865. His regiment participated in all major engagements of the Army of the Potomac from Fredericksburg through Appomattox. During service it lost 172 men killed or mortally wounded, and 131 by disease for a total of 303. He was not only eldest of the brothers, but an obvious leader as well, enlisting as a sergeant and finishing the war as a 2^nd Lieutenant. Author of the majority of the letters, he comes across as level headed and competent. [The correspondence is accompanied by a pair of army documents pertaining to Seth Tremain, one of them a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness on Account of Ordnance Stores. Obviously Seth was a Lieutenant who could balance accounts.]

During service with 141^st NY, Gilbert Tremain was WIA at Resaca, GA, 5/15/, hospitalized at Elmira, NY, and promoted to Corporal. Absent in the hospital, he was released in 1865, with brother Warren being discharged two weeks earlier in Elmira, NY. Through the summer of 1863 their 141^st served in the east before being transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and service in the west.

Just prior to transfer they participated in the pursuit of Lee from Gettysburg, the scene of Seth’s wounding. They saw service in the in the 1863 Chattanooga operation, followed by Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, March to the Sea and the closing march through the Carolinas. Their 141^st NY was present at the surrender of Joe Johnston’s Confederates at Bennett House, just as brother Seth’s 86^th NY had been present at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox,. During service the 141^st lost 75 men killed and wounded and 174 by disease for a total of 249. These two brothers write no letters but are frequently mentioned in the correspondence of the others. As a group the brothers are tight, keeping in touch, and looking after each other as best they can. In letter to brother Warren, Seth thanks him for sending “munny”, as Seth had been “dead broke,” and promises to repay him as soon as possible.

The army career of the Lyman, the remaining Tremain brother, poses a mystery inviting further research. According to the Civil War data service Lyman Tremain deserted from the 141^st New York in Laurel, MD, possibly in the fall of 1862, shortly after enlisting with his brothers in Company “D”. Among these letters to sister Almira Edgecomb is one dated August 14, 1864 from “Mr. Lyman Tremain, Co. “G”, 161^st Regt. NY Vols., New Orleans, LA.” It would appear that Lyman re-enlisted on 1/4/64 at Corning, NY and was mustered into Co. G, 161^st NY. He is listed as being wounded in action on 4/8/64 at Sabine Cross Roads, LA, but he again deserts on 7/27/65 at Apalachicola, FL. The reasons for either desertion are unknown; his military and/or pension records would most likely make for interesting reading.

The mystery is compounded in Lyman’s letter. Whatever prompts him to sign as “Mr. Tremain” rather than with his military rank, it is clear from the context of his remarks that he is serving in 161^st ranks as an enlisted soldier, and seeing action to boot. In another odd feature, Lyman asks his sister to pass on word to his older 86^th New York brother Seth, and his kid brother Oren, without mention of brothers Gilbert and Warren with the 141^st NY. He oddly concludes this paragraph with the line….”I send my luv to him and to you and all the rest of my friends thare if I have eny there.” Obviously, Lyman’s desertion from the 141^st caused ripples, not only for his 141^st regimental brothers, but among his home community.

These Tremain letters offer some of the saltiest and most poignant and soldier commentary we’ve seen. The correspondence opens with an unsigned letter from one the three 141^st NY brothers stationed in Laurel, MD. Written 9/19/1862, two days after the Battle of Antietam.

“Dear sister…..we are encamped at Laurel Station Maryland… it’s a very nice place but the rebles are close by us…they bring them in evry day as spies…1 am wensday while we were resting and pitching out tents we coold here the canon boom at Chain Bridge 19 miles from here…there is 2 or 3 car load of soldiers pass evry day….our out side pickets are fired upon evry night but that don’t make me one bit alarmed . I like it firstrate here…the news is that old Jackson is taken prisoner…Almira the reports are half falce…the boys are well and like it firstrate…”

On July 22, 1863, Seth Tremain writes from the Annapolis General Hospital to inform his father of his wounding at Gettysburg:

“Dear fother…I thot that I would rite a few lines to let you no wher I was and how I was getting along sence I got wouded….i suppose you have hurd that john was kild…he was shot thrugh the neck he lived about 3 minutes after he was shot…I got shot thrug the rite hip..Warren Beeman was litley woud thru the leg…they was 3 kild in or [our] company and 4 wouded…we left camp at Falmouth on the 6 of june and then went up the river about 30 miles…or regiment and the 124^th NY had a fite with the reble cavalry…we drove them back about 3 miles and they got reinforced with infantry and we crost back…we garded the ford 4 days and stared for gitisburg PA and got ther the 1^st of July and the 2 we had the fite…my hip pains me so that you must excuse me for not riting more this time..”

On August 7^th, 1863, Seth Tremain sent his sister a brief note telling of his Gettysburg wounding in the same terms written earlier to his father. Then on August 26^th he replied to a letter from brother Warren with the 141^st:

“Dear brother I now take my pen in hand to attempt to answer yor kind and welcome letter I received yesterday…they sent me to Annapolis Junction…I think my furlow is plaid out…I shell come back to the Co as sune as I can git away…I hade a letter the day before I got your from gilbert…he was pretty feble…he is in the Harwood hospital about 2 miles from Washington…when I go to the regt I will go and see him ifn I can…when you rate to him tell him where I am and tell him I will come…I was glad you sent that munny for I was dead broke…when I git my pay I will send it back to you…well warren they ant eny nuse of eny importence to rite so I will bring my leter to a close…”

On August 29^th Seth Tremain writes again to his sister, from whom he hasn’t heard since Gettysburg:

“….I rote to you about 3 weeks ago han’t received no answer yet…I wrote to amelia and Lime and dident receive ene answer…yet I suppose you hav hurd about my gitin wounded John gitin kild …he was kild almost instedly…I was hit so I wasn’t able to fetch him off the field…I should feel beter if I cold fetch him off the field and seen how he was burid…he was shot thru the neck and I was shot through the right hip…I ant healed up yet…it is quite stiff yet…it will be some time before it is sound…I rote to Henry brown in our compny and fond out where john was burid..he was burid on the battle field rite where he was shot…they stuck a stone up to his head and cut his name on it….I felt beter when I heard how he was burid…if I ever git out of this war a live I shell go and take his body up and fetch it home…I had a leter from Gilbert the other day…he is in the Hospital at Washington in the Harwood hospital…”

On September 19^th, Seth writes again to Amelia, from whom he still had not heard:

“I now take pen in hand…to let you know how I git along…my wond is about well…I am duin gard duty to the hospital now..i don’t now when I shell go back to the regiment…well Almira I got my likness taken and I will send it to you I am on gard today and I shant have time to rite much this time..”

Nearly as year passes, and then in August 1864 Almira receives a letter from Lousiania, from her 141^st NY deserter brother Lyman, now with the 161^st NY Vols.:

“My Dear sister…it tis with plesher that I now take the opertunity to rite a fiew lines to you too let you no where I am and how that I am getting Along…we ur [are] in camp at morganza bend now…but we ur [are]under marching orders now too be redy at a moments notice and I guess more ur going too…so it will not be long till I will have a chance to try the rebils once more and that is what I want to Doo…for I want too pay them for shooting me in the arm…Does me good too…Stand rite up and take my gun and load and shoot and see them fall tho you may think that I am hard hurtid [hearted]…but I have seen them shooting our men Down all round me…then is when I like to see them fall…Well Almira tell orsun to rite too me…tell him that I am tuf as a bar…I way too hundred and fore pound now…I send my luv to him and you and all the rest of my friends thare if I have got eny thare” [which, following his desertion of brothers Warren & Gilbert & the 141^st NY, he may not]

Tell orsun too never be a fool an not to inlist for it tant as nice a thing as it looks to be for boys…it does well Anuf for men that is tuf and rugid too solger but young boys cant stand it for there was 15 boys inlisted when I did and they all died but one of them…the ablest of them was 16 years ald and the youngest was 13 or 14 years ald…they are dying off very fast heer now…Almira when you rite too me let me no where Seth is and I will rite to him….well I must bring my letter to a close…for it rains very hard heer now and my begins to leak some…so goodby for this time from your brother Lyman Tremain…”

But, 15 year old Oren Tremain did not follow brother Lyman’s advice, and enlisted soon after. On September 24, 1864, now a private in the 207^th PA Vols., Oren sent his sister a brief note from the Bermuda One Hundred in Virginia, a note that only a 15 year old could write:

“Dear sister I take my pen in hand to rite to you I am well..Goot my pay to neely alla fifteen doolars…it is very dry here nice and warm…just came of from gard …we have lots of fun here all the boys is well and I enjoy myself tip top…went to Carlisle..Stade there over and then wnet to camp certen [Curtain]…and when I got there the boys was ready to march and I got my gun and then tuck the cars….went to Baltmore and then we tuck a steamboat and went to Bermuda hundred [Virginia]..”

Oren writes Almira again, on October 17^th, from Point of Rocks, MD:

“Dear sister….I like it first rate down hear…I had some warm busquits and buter for diner and I tell that they was first rate…I tent with charley taft and we have bust ben building us a nice little tent…we halv lots of fun…write and let me know whether seith has got his discharge yet or not and how gilbert gats long and I want to you wright as often as you can I halv not had but one leter from you and I halv rote five…”

On December 7, 1864, Almira receives a letter from brother Seth, now back with the 86^th NY, on the Union line near Petersburg, VA. In eight days Seth would be promoted to 2^nd Lieutenant:

“Dear Sister…..we had marchin orders to move this morning at daylight…the Regt moved this morning and I was left chaurg of the camp while they was one …I expect that the 5^th Corps and part of the 6^th Corps has gon to try to take the Soth Side railroad from Rebs…we trid to take it about a month ago and we got defeated that time…

Well Almira…I went to the 207^th Regt last Sunday and seen Oren--[now in the army , against brother Lyman’s counsel]…he was well and injoyin himself tip top and sed that he liked solderin first rate but I ges he lies about for I don’t think enyone cen like it ifn they tell the truth..I saw Eith Taff and charly Taff… Asa Bancroft and Horace Pride had gone a way so I dident see them but the boys sed that that was well…the nite that we moved out of fort hell front of Petersburg the Rebs shelled us and killed or [our] col…he ust to be or 2^nd Lieut in the company…he was a good feller…he live one nite and one day after got hit…the shell exploded and peace of it struk him in the side and came ot by his back bone…after he got hit he shook hands with all of the boys and told them that he had got to die and sed that he was a gonto Die like a man and told us to fite the Damn Rebs till we all got kild but what we would whipe them…we thought so much of him it made them all cry to hear him talk after he had got his death wond…well Almira they ant Eny more nuse of Eny inportence to Rite…”

Then, on April 15, Lieutenant Seth Tremain writes his sister from Burksville, VA, with some devastating news concerning brother Orin and the boys of the 207^th PA:

“Dear Sister Almira…..This morning finds me seated to rite a few lines to let you now that I am among the livin…I was Down to the 207 Regt to Day to see Oren…they sed that he was badly wonded…they reported him dead and they Rote home that he was Dead but Liutenant Chan Ackly was in the hospital that Oren was in and he got back to regtment last nite and he sed that had Sent Orren to Washington…Ackly told me he thot Oren wold git well but sed that the ball struck in the bolels [bowels]and run a round under the hide and come out by his back bone…ifn the ball dident go inta his inwards he will git well..when he gits to Washinton he will write to you…ifn he wants I will come and see him…I will git a furlow…Martin Whiple gat wonded thru the thy…hisen was a flesh wound…old uncle Juleus Charles gat badly wonded too…he gat shot thru the neck and thru the ancle…the Docters sed that they dident now but they wold haft to take his foot off but ifn they dident he would always be a cripple…Charley Taff gat wonded pretty bad…he gat hit in the chalder and the ball glanced and struvck in the moth and run a rond his Jaw bone and com out in his neck. Liut Ackly sed he saw them both…Asa Bancroft was kild..

..we have capturd old Lee and his army so the fitin Is plaid out in Virginia now and the report is this morning that Jansan has surended his army and if that is so fitin is don with on the 6^th of apr this month…they shot five holes thru my clos as Brigade charged ther works Six times In one day…we Drove them from one line of works up to a nother all day long…we drove them about 8 miles that day and we gat them evry inch of the way so you may no that we put in a full days work that day…[around the margin of the letter]…you must excuse the poor ritin and poor Spellin this time…you cnt expect ritin very good as I am seten on the grond and the paper on my knee..and it is rainin this morning and evry thing is weat and nasty.”

[Note: Of the three 207th soldiers mentioned in Seth Tremain’s December ’64 letter, Asa Bancroft was killed 4/2/1864, Horace Pride died of wounds received on that date, and Charles Taft was wounded. Also to be noted is identity of the soldier “John” who was killed alongside Seth Tremain at Gettysburg, 7/2/1863. Regimental records list two soldiers named John killed that day, John A. Tremain and John Popple. Neither soldier enlisted from Lindley, NY, but the Tremain name suggests that John A. Tremain may have been a cousin, and a person known to both sister Almira and her father, and whose last name needed no mention, as John Popple’s would have.]

So ends the Civil War correspondence of the Tremain brothers to their beloved sister Almira. Five brothers, four of whom were wounded in battle, yet all survived and made it home. A remarkable letter grouping from a remarkable family. In protective sleeves, accompanied by brief amount of internet research material & letter transcripts. Invites further research.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!