What a letter! This is an amazing Civil War Soldier's Letter with Content Regarding a Female Soldier Giving Birth. The letter is four pages of a folded piece of paper and comes with an original envelope, 8 x 12 1/2 inches, "In camp near White Oak Church," Virginia; April 12, 1863. Although this is an unsigned letter, it came from a group that was written by Clark S. Edwards who was the Colonel and Brevet Brigadier general of the 5th Maine Infantry. He is writing home to his wife. The letter has amazing content from start to finish. He says he had tried to get the 5th Maine moved out of their present assignment but is finding it difficult as his source in Washington once tried for Colonel Beal of the 10th Maine to have that regiment moved and it did not happen. His source for help in Washington was Senator William Fessenden of Maine. He notes, somewhat out of character, about a certain lady named Mrs. Lindsey "thinks she is too young for her man"..."I presume she does not get screwing enough, she is to be pitied". Towards the end of the letter he says that Dr. Warren is hoping that his wife can visit and adds that "... a Petticoat would look good at this time." He asks his wife to keep her "...name clean and her clothes down, and hold your pucker as I have to. Is there any screwing going on in Bethel..." The most interesting part is that he mentions a woman in the Army that gave birth while on picket duty. In part:"...There was a girl who was in a regiment nearby that had a baby while on picket. She had been in the army for over a year and was in both the Peninsular and Maryland campaigns. Bully for her!" During the Civil War, an estimated 400 women, in both the Confederate and Union armies, hid their identities and enlisted as men in the Army. Additionally, six soldiers were known to have served while pregnant, their comrades never suspecting or knowing of their condition until they went into labor. This letter is a rare testament to what the lonely soldiers thought of while they were away at war. This letter is one of a kind!

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