4 page letter written on one folded piece of paper. Each page measures 4 ½” x 7 ¾”. In ink, minor toning not affecting text. Dated January 17, 1864. At the time the letter was written the 4^th NH was in Port Royal, SC. Text of the letter reads:

Dear friend Lisa…I am well now and hope you are the same we have a good deal of duty to do now it is all picket now we have got over the fatigue now our folks throw a shell in into the city every five minutes for four days I should think that they would have some things to tend to in the city in was on picket last night it was prety cold I thought when I got into South Carol[ina] that I was going to a warm climate but I got deceived in it I was on picket new years night and froze my fingers I was in a boat we lazed with in fifty yards of the rebels bateries all night I suppose that you know about soldiering I think by the time that my time is out that I shall know enough to keep out of this war but I have got a year and a half more I guess I can stand it I guess I don’t think that you would get you to come out here again all the money in the u states to hire me to here me to enlist again that is as well as I  like it an I suppose you like it the same it is nothing but a money making war I have seen all of it that I want I have been in action ever since the first of may and I have got enough of it…last night I tossed in with an ten inch mortar and a three hundred pounder …”  “….give my respects to all the prety girls I shall be there some time so good by  rite as soon as you get this from your friend  parly S. young”;  “I havnt seen the face of an woman for six months  Direct your leter to Port Royal SC”.

Born in Concord, MA. Parley S. Young was 18 years old when he enlisted as a Private at Grafton, NH on 9/6/62. He mustered into Co. K, 4^th New Hampshire Infantry on that date. Wounded (date and place not stated); died of wounds on 11/4/64 at Gloucester Point, WA.

The 4th New Hampshire Infantry was organized in Manchester, New Hampshire, and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on September 18, 1861. Moved to Washington, D.C., September 27–30; then to Annapolis, Md., October 9. Expedition to Port Royal, S.C., October 21-November 7, 1861. Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, Port Royal Harbor, November 7. Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., until January 21, 1862. Expedition to Florida January 21-March 2. Occupation of Fernandina, Fla., March 5. Occupation of Jacksonville, Fla., March 12 to April 8 (Companies E and F, provost duty at Fernandina until April). Regiment moved from Jacksonville to St. Augustine, Fla., April 9, and garrison duty there until September 6. (Companies B, H, and K moved to James Island, S.C., June 8. Action on James Island June 10. Moved to Beaufort, S.C., June 12, and duty there until April 1863.) Regiment moved from St., Augustine, Fla., to Beaufort, S.C., September 6, 1862, and duty there until April 1863. Expedition to Pocotaligo, S.C., October 21–23, 1862. Action at Caston and Frampton's Plantations, Pocotaligo, October 22. Expedition against Charleston April 4–11, 1863. Expedition to North Edisto River April 17–28. Moved to Folly Island, S.C., April 29, and siege operations against Morris Island until July. Expedition to James Island July 9–16. Secessionville July 16. Siege operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, S.C., and against Fort Sumter and Charleston until January 1864. Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg September 7, 1863. Moved to Beaufort, S.C., January 17. Expedition to Whitmarsh Island February 20–22, 1864. Moved to Jacksonville, Fla., February 23, and return to Beaufort, S.C., February 26. Veterans on furlough March–April. Non-veterans at Beaufort until April 12, then ordered to Gloucester Point, Va. Butler's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4–27. Capture of Bermuda Hundred and City Point May 5. Chester Station May 6–7. Swift Creek (or Arrowfield Church) May 9–10. Operations against Fort Darling May 12–16. Drewry's Bluff May 14–16. Bermuda Hundred May 16–27. Moved to White House Landing, then to Cold Harbor May 27-June 1. Battles of Cold Harbor June 1–12. Before Petersburg June 15–19. Siege of Petersburg June 16 to December 7. Duty in trenches before Petersburg June 23 to July 30. Mine Explosion July 30. Demonstration north of James River August 13–20. Strawberry Plains August 14–18. Bermuda Hundred August 24–25. Duty in trenches before Petersburg until September 25. (Non-veterans mustered out September 18, 1864.) New Market Heights, Chaffin's Farm, September 28–30. Duty on north side of the James, operating against Richmond, until December 7. Fair Oaks October 27–28. Expedition to Fort Fisher, N.C., December 7–27. 2nd Expedition to Fort Fisher January 7–15, 1865. Assault and capture of Fort Fisher January 15. Sugar Loaf Battery February 11. Fort Anderson February 18. Capture of Wilmington February 22. Advance on Kinston and Goldsboro March 6–21. Guard railroad from Little Washington to Goldsboro until August.  [LD]

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

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!