Correspondence, 1861-1862

The collection includes letters and newspaper clippings related to Alfred A. Parmenter, a member of the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts Infantry. In the letters to his parents, dated from February 1861 to August 1862, Parmenter describes battles and camp life. In his earliest letter, dated February 14, 1861, and written aboard a ship stationed at Ship Island, Mississippi, Parmenter assures his parents that "the people are, as near as I can learn, disgusted with the C. S. of A." and that he anticipates returning home soon. An enclosed note identifies this letter as the earliest Civil War letter. In his later letters, Parmenter describes the Battle of Baton Rouge and describes the inadequate medical treatment for Union soldiers stationed in New Orleans. This collection includes typed transcriptions of some of the letters and newspaper clippings related to the Battle of Baton Rouge.