Let Charlie read his Letter himself.1 Did you get those flowers?
Baton Rouge July 2nd
Dear Mother
As I have nothing on my mind to do this morning I will write an answer to your kind Letter of June 4th. I expect other Letters every day from Luther and then I shall write to him & Johnny. I know you must feel glad to have him at home2 and I know he enjoys himself which makes me feel easier although I miss him very much. I should worry morning and night if he were at Port Hudson and if you knew all we had been through & was still for us. I hardly know how you would feel. I often think of the Boys there who perhaps I have seen for the last time,3 but as a Track Society Agent told us last night we are not making these Sacrifices for nothing and I believe it.
Last night this Agent came in & gave out a Sheet of Paper & Envelope to each one. He then made some real sensible & patriotic remarks and closed with a Prayer. It's the first meeting of any kind we have been to since Apr 8th. I should have gone to the Colored Folks Meeting last Sunday but there was so much Mail Matter came that I could'nt leave it.
Brother Mudge is here in a Hospital4 I have seen him twice & lent him some Zions Heralds. I like him very much and I must say I find the Zions Herald interesting and the little Sunday School Paper.
I was real glad you sent your Picture which looks like you but dont flatter much. I believe I shall have to come home & see that you have those new Teeth. Then a Photograph of yours would look 15 years younger than this. I shall keep it untill you have one of those others for me and now I want to know why you let my Picture's go here & there. I am a very modest young man & I dont want to be looked at and criticized by every one so you will oblige me by not giving away another one, I have given more now than I ought, & when I get home I shall go round & collect them, Exchange is no robbery, but when the exchanging or giving is on one side, I cant see it. I hope you will remember.
I dont see where our descriptive Lists' are. We expect them every day & then I dont know when we can get paid. I dont want any Money sent me but I do hope you sent me a good Box & that I shall be here to get it I have no doubt. I helpt Jim Thayer5 unpack a Box last week and it did seem good. He gave us a little writing paper. I have not bought 5 sheets for 3 months but I always have enough. When we came down here I got 11 Stamps out of 9 Letters sold 10 & got some Blackberry Pie. Oh! warnt it good. I think I'll live some if I ever do get paid off. That ginger has made us one good drink and will make a few more. I hope you will always send some little thing but dont post more that 2 Stamps on for it is needless.
I am real glad you go round so much and I hope you will enjoy yourself all you can and not hurt yourself with work. I suppose Father enjoys himself. Tell him I will write to him when he writes me a Letter. How I should like to see you all, but as I cant, I want all your Pictures & I shall think a great deal of them.
We have got some real good Boys here from Wisconsin, N.H. and N.Y., Conn. and Maine besides the Mass Boys. One of the 4th Wis. is just like Uncle Oliver & talks like him. I forgot to tell you I saw Frank (Oliver's Boy) of the 26th Mass. He carries Mails for head Quarters I want you to tell me his last name for I forget & ask Lute his Co. Give my Love to Father and tell Lute & John to expect a letter from me soon. give my Love to them and all inquiring Friends — no others — with my Love & best wishes I close. Write soon.
from your Aff. Son
Geo H. Moulton
I forgot to tell you about that little Buck Shot, it don't trouble me much and is most healed up. I'll be well soon.
Tell Mr. Daniels not to be discouraged for I will write soon.
1 Henry's letter is written on a single sheet of stationery, approximately 10x8 inches, folded in half, providing four pages. This post script is on the top of the first page. Henry's letter to his brother, Charlie, has not survived — perhaps he intended to shield his mother from the carnage of battle. The two letters were probably mailed in a single envelope — to save on postage.
2 Luther Moulton, Jr. was discharged June 1, 1863 at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, LA, for disability.
3 Henry's few sentences only hint at the bloodiest day of the Regiment's history (June 14, 1863). On this day the regiment lost 10 killed and 84 wounded. Milton soldiers included Private Albert Martin among the slain and Charles Graham and Everett Grant wounded. Three more Milton soldiers, J Walter Bradlee, Jonathan Chandler and John Sias would be discharged in July 1863 for disability.
4 An affidavit given by Henry in his "Declaration for an Original Invalid Pension," 1880, states "... on or about 14th day of June 1863 he received a gun-shot wound left side for which he was treated at General Field Hospital, Port Hudson, La, transferred to 'Academy Hall, Gen'l Hosp'l' Baton Rouge, La, transfr'd Barracks Gen'l Hosp'l Baton Rouge, La."
5 Private James Thayer, a 22 year old boot maker from Braintree, MA. was wounded May 25, 1863 at Port Hudson and was with Henry at the hospital. He survived the war and died September 10, 1896.