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Letter written by former Colonel James Peckham to his mother, from St. Louis. Peckham writes that he and his wife Kate are both at home and doing well. He has been asked to go to Philadelphia during the National Convention to act as a correspondent for the Missouri Republican, but he declined. Peckham mentions a book he has written, and says the publishers Wynkoop & Hillenbeck have agreed to have it out by August. Peckham is already thinking of the election next fall, and says that he wants to “see what kind of a state of affairs we are going to have here in Missouri.” Peckham disputes rumors he has heard of an outbreak of cholera in the city.
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St. Louis August 2, 1866
My Dear Mother
I got home safe & quite well in the night of July 3d. Kate came home last Saturday night, and is well enough to eat her regular rations. Today I do not feel so well as I would like, and I am at home resting & keeping cool & quiet. The Missouri Republican wants me to go to Philadelphia as its correspondent during the National Convention to be held there on the 14th of this month, but I am so adverse to making such a long trip again this summer that in my present mood I positively decline it. I haven’t got my book out yet. Wynkoop & Hillenbeck agreed to have it out by the 1st of August at latest. Their draft for the whole expense was paid July 25th.
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Kate has got house keeping on the brain, but I rather think now I won’t think of housekeeping until after our next fall election, and see what kind of a state of affairs we are going to have here in Missouri. These are terrible times all through the state now. We have had awful warm weather for the last two weeks, but today it is delightfully cool. There have been rumors of cholera being in the city, but I doubt it very much.
My throat troubles me very much. Last night I made a short speech and today I suffer from it. Spank Fan and Belle for me, & kiss & shake hands & say “how’d’do” to all the balance. God bless you all.
Yours affectionately,
Jim
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
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Letter written by former Colonel James Peckham to his mother, from St. Louis, Missouri. He and his wife have both been ill lately. He writes that he is still working as tobacco inspector, but will soon be licensed to practice law and will be going into partnership with a friend named Selah Squires. Peckham hopes that his wife will be able to go east in the summer, as the conditions may be better for her health.
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July 4th 1865
My Dear Mother,
I have not heard from any of you in New York since my return. I have been night sick with a billious attack but am better, and now Kate is down with a severe dysentary. The weather is very hot and I never saw so many flies before. I never got that business fixed up until last saturday and before I could get so that Staunton would act, had to remoddle the the whole thing. Instead of one fifth I only now got one sixth. I though that much of a loaf, better than none at all. I am still Tobacco Inspector, but business is dull. I shall be licensed to practice law next week and am going in partnership with an old intimate friend of George, named Selah Squires. Mr Squires is from New York City recently, & has to settle somewhere west for his health. I regard him as a good enough lawyer for me to go into business with.
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I want Kate to go East this summer & hope she will. Ask Nic if she cant get board somewhere in the Country where she can get fresh butter milk & chickens. She is getting weak mighty early in the season & I am afraid she cant stand it here.
Kiss Fan Belle & all the youngones for me and spank Fan besides once in the while
My best to Clark & all & everybody and each one, and the whole squad, and Eliza.
I see Nic & George Bennett have struck ile. Bully for ile.
God bless you & all the rest, Remember me to Sarah & Henry.
Love to all.
Good Bye
Affectionately Your Cub
James.
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
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Letter written by former Colonel James Peckham to his mother, from St. Louis. Peckham is now a tobacco inspector, and he and his wife Kate have a new house. Governor Thomas C. Fletcher has promised Peckham that he will stay in this new role, after long talks with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington. Peckham writes about he and his wife’s efforts to furnish their new home, and talks about the possibility of visits from a few friends. Also enclosed is a letter from Kate to Peckham’s mother, in which she also mentions their new house and the recent cold weather.
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Saint Louis January 29. 1865
My Dear Mother
Kate & I are amusing ourselves this evening, writing letters – she to her own mother & I thought I would write you. It may be very possible that I shall go to Washington City in a week or so upon some business connected with my office, and if I do I shall return by the way of New York in order to see you. Kate & I are both well & we are now at house-keeping – got a nice place & continually accumulating something in the way of furniture. I think I shall Keep my office – Governor Fletcher when in Washington about a month ago called on the Commissioner of Internal Revenue & the Secretary of the Treasury, & had a long talk about me, in which the promised him I should not be removed. That is all I ask of the Governor, is to keep me where I am & he has promised to do so & is trying to do so. I dont think I shall be disturbed at all.
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Kate & I make a great fit of it, at marketing. She knows nothing about meat & I know but little, but we manage to be very lucky & get good stuff without knowing it until it is cooked up. However, we are improving & have a good girl. you would laugh to see us. We have plenty of room & but little furniture – but we are gathering a piece here & a piece there & I hope in a month or two we will be prepared to see somebody if that somebody should choose to call on us. I shall not be surprised if Nic comes west this spring. I would like to see him here and will be prepared to entertain him. Nic. Raynor tells me he bought quite a bill of good of Nic. It might do good to Nic to come out here. I know everybody here & can trot him around in double quick military style. I hope you are getting stronger & in better health. Kiss all the young ones for me. Give my love to everybody May God bless you all. Yours Affectionately
Jim
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Dear Mother,
James has told you about everything I believe that would interest you – we are really housekeeping at last. I teased James into it – James said I had “House” on the brain and at last told me if I would find a house we would go to housekeeping, and I found the house and we are quite settled down in it. I enjoy this way of living much better than boarding How is Amanda and the baby – has she named the little girl yet? I often think of you all and should like to see you. I have purposed writing to you and Amanda for a long time, but as usual have been negligent. James is growing so fleshy you will scarcely know him. During the past week the weather has been very cold, to day is warmer. I shall be glad to hear from you and Amanda. Kiss the children for me. Give my love to Miss Eliza Amanda and everybody else accept much yourself from
Yours affectionately Kate.
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
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Letter written by Colonel James Peckham of the 29th Missouri Infantry, to his mother from Jackson, Mississippi. Peckham writes that his regiment will be leaving Jackson the following day to head to Vicksburg. Battle, disease, and desertion have lessened the number of men in the regiment, so Peckham thinks that regiments will soon be consolidated. He describes Jackson as being in ruins, and says that many dwellings were ransacked or even burned. There are exceptions, however: Peckham writes of a splendid mansion run by an African American couple that the soldiers have decided to occupy. The Mississippi River has been opened by the Union troops. Peckham mentions Abraham Lincoln, and rumors of a fight in Pennsylvania.
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Jackson Mississippi July 23, 1863
My Dear Mother,
Kate enclosed your letter to her in one of her own letters to me. I am surprised you do not get letters from me for I write you quite often. I allow no month to pass by without writing to you & when in Camp, write you sometimes weekly. We leave here tomorrow morning, returning to the vicinity of Vicksburg. the summer campaign being ended. I suppose this Army will be re-organized and a general consolidation of Regiments soon take place. My Regt. numbers only about 200 effective men. Battle & disease have made sad havoc among us. In one change last December (29th Dec.) we lost in the charge on Chickasaw Bluffs in the Yazoo River 200 men in about 20 minutes time. In the swamps opposite Vicksburg we lost in January & February about 100 by disease. A number have deserted. I have only six officers left, but a full staff is yet at hand. So unless we are filled up by a draft we must be consolidated. In that case if I get mustered out, all right.
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Jackson is in ruins. Dwelling Houses are left standing but even some of those which were deserted have been burned. Many dwellings of the rich have been deserted by them & our soldiers have carried off everything or destroyed everything in them. There are one or two instances exceptions. One splendidly furnished mansion was entered by my major first. He found two negroes in charge a man & his wife, almost white. When I went in I had a guard put over the House & since we have been here, now five days I have been lying off there. Magnificent furniture – beds – carpets – chairs – ottomans – sofas – crockery – silverware – wines & liquors & cigars in the cellar &c. About five of us have been living there like lords until now when we are under orders to leave at 3 oclock tomorrow morning. The negro man & his wife go with use & they helped themselves to what they wanted. I let them have a wagon & they half filled it. A new & splendid Axminster carpet which has never been in use was boxed up & I told the man Jim to take it along for me. It is large
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enough for a room 35 feet by 25. It is the richest carpet you ever saw. After Jim & his wife left, the guard was withdrawn & in ten minutes thereafter our soldiers had “gutted” the house. This process of “gutting” a house is done up in wonderful style by our men. It is curious to see a house that has undergone it. Everything is turned “topsy turvy”. Beautfiul carpets cut up to make flooring for tents, Pianos smashed so that the Bonnie Blue Flag may never be played upon them again! Marble-top tables & costly mirrors in as many fragments as they can be broken. Bedsteads costing of great value scattered through the spacious yards, with shreds of bedding covering the ground. The secesh of this town wanted war & they have had it. Some of the people are going away with us. Some of the rich who are afraid to stay have opened their houses & told soldiers passing by to come in & take what they wanted as the couldn’t carry it all with them. Mississippi secesh are feeling what war is. As I write the sky is
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illuminated by the light of burning buildings and rebel government property. the Rebs in their revenge upon private citizens & in order that we might not enjoy it have destroyed nearly as much as we have. We have been a short time in this work of opening the Mississippi River, but it is opened. The free north owns it all again, thank God, from the mountains to the Gulf. We are anxious about affairs in Pennsylvania. We have heard nothing from there except that there was a fight & neither party got whipped. This is the very moment Lincoln ought to have 500,000 more men in the field. We are too slow. Give my love to all the folks. Kiss all the children for me, if it don’t take too much of your time, as they are becoming “Legion.” God bless you & all the rest. Good night. I am to be up at 1 oclock.
Affectionately Yours Ever
Jim
10 PM July 23/63
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
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Letter written by Colonel James Peckham, 8th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, to his mother from the battlefield of Pittsburg, TN. Peckham writes of the “biggest battle of the age,” where he led the 8th MO Volunteer Infantry and suffered only minor casualties.
Battlefield Pittsburg Tennessee
April 10, 62
Dear Mother,
Just have time to drop a line. Biggest battle of the age last Monday. I led the old 8th Missouri. Only lost two men killed & 30 wounded – not even scratched myself. A piece of shell tore my coat sleeve & another grazed my spur. All well. The victory on Monday was won by hard fighting. We were at it from 5 am until 5 pm. The last break the enemy made was a perfect panic. We have lost in killed & wounded 5000 – about 800 killed. The rebels must have lost about 3000 killed and & 8000 or 10000 wounded.
Your son
Jim
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
Hi-resolution scans of the full document can be made available for a fee. Please see our Image Request page for details.
Letter written by Colonel James Peckham of the 8th MO Infantry to his mother. Peckham is writing from the St. Louis Arsenal, and has been in the city for three weeks. He writes that the volunteer force was comprised mostly of Germans, which was distasteful to the other (primarily Irish-American) troops and leading to dissension in the ranks. Thus Peckham organized an American regiment. Peckham is determined to lead the regiment as Lieutenant Colonel despite strong discouragement from “the big guns”. He has however asked Morgan L. Smith to be colonel of the regiment, as he feels he doesn’t know enough about the military to take the position himself.
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Saint Louis Arsenal July 9, 1861
My Dear Mother, The clock has just struck one – or rather the guard at the prison has struck once upon the high steel triangle which is suspended in the centre of the garrison. I feel very little like sleep – being too tired to sleep, for I have just come down from the city on foot the cars having stopped running at 11 1/2 oclock. I am here in Camp in the St. Louis Arsenal, which place is located on the line of the southern boundary of the city. I have been here for 3 weeks with my Regiment. I say “my Regiment” – for it is emphatically my Regiment. When I returned from the East i found the volunteer force here composed almost exclusively of germans, and a strong antipathy towards them on the part of the American portion of the population. Many men were drifting into rebellion through this antipathy. The consequence of this I took upon myself to organize an American Regiment. It was a big thing to undertake by one who has plenty of cash, and I hadn’t a solitary cent. But my little bed room was made the Head Quarters & by proper management I soon had a formidable
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organization. I picked out my men for Captains & Lieutenants, Major & Colonel, reserving the position of Lt. Col for myself. Of course I worked hard and ingeniously sent a messenger to Washington & was accepted by the War Department. It is four weeks since that acceptance & today we mustered in the ninth company with the tenth company on the ground to be mustered in tomorrow, which will thoroughly complete us. I have had no outside assistance from anybody. The big guns have never honored us with a single kindly recognition – on the contrary they have shown a disposition to throw cold water on our flaws because it was my work. But I want it distinctly understood that when I undertake a thing it must go through, no matter whether others assist or not. I was elected to the Legislature not by the assistance of the party leaders but in spite of them. I am Lieutenant Colonel of the best body of 1000 men in the western service not because of outside assistance but in spite of it. Since I have been in Saint Louis I have never yet received one solitary word of encouragement except from
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Frank Blair. On the contrary I have been snubbed and abused and slighted and injured by every mothers son of them who occupy position & have means. But they know me by this time. At the office of the Missouri Democrat one evening quite a crowd collected. The question was asked who is getting up this “American Zouave Regt” the answer was “that fellow Jim Peckham” Another remarked that I “was a d—-d busy fool & burning up with brass & impudence” One man spoke up, who was by no means my friend & said “Well! say what you please but if that d—–d Jim Peckham as you call him is getting it up it is going through all right, for he has got energy enough to move hell out of its place.” Now they may affect to despise me as much as they choose yet they have to cave whenever I undertake a thing & they know it. I think I can brag a little now for I have been so soundly abused & so meanly slighted that to brag once in the while is pardonable. This jealousy which is arrayed as a solid wall of stone masonry against me is what better men
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than myself have encountered & triumphed over and succumbed to, as well. I could have been Colonel just as well as Lt. Col but I did not know enough of Military to take such a position and so I got an old army officer to to be our Colonel. This week we will be uniformed & next week will obey marching orders. Our destination will be South West Missouri. I have not heard from you since I saw you at Mattewan in April. What is the matter? I hardly think you are so busy that you cannot drop me even one line to say you are well or unwell. Whenerver you do take a fit to write direct to St. Louis. Put the address in this form & it will reach me wherever I go,
Lieut Col James Peckham
American Zouaves 8th Regt M.V.
Saint Louis Arsenal
St. Louis
Give my love to everybody. May God bless you all & preserve our country. I am in first rate health,
Affectionately, Your son
James
James Peckham was a member of the Missouri Legislature before the Civil War andwas a strident Unionist when the state was debating to secede or not. He left the legislature and organized the 8th MO Regiment. Peckham served as the 8th MO Regiment’s Lt. Col. and led the regiment at Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, TN, and at Jackson, MS. He later went on to lead the 29th MO. After the war he published a book on the history of the war in Missouri and General Nathaniel Lyon. He passed away in 1869 and is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
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