Publication InformationBurlington July 27 1864

Geo. P. Marsh Esqr

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Dr Sir

I returned from a few weeks stay in Baltimore where I have been trying to scrape together a little of the "filthy lucre, a few days since and found your letter here. We are all glad to know that you "still live." As for Mrs M the photograph shows that she still lives and lives full as well as before she left. It ought to be a hanging matter for any one to say the picture does not look well. Our matters here go along much as usual

I think we are getting up a little in the world at our house for the street commissioner has lowered the sidewalk and street around our house a foot or two leaving us up in the air and the walks in an abominable state for now they are all soft sand. I recd your book just before I left home but have not had time to look at it Mother is reading it I believe and has found out her part, quite a small one I think In last evenings N.Y. Times there is a long and quite favorable notice of it and I have before seen notices in the Tribune

and Independent speaking quite highly of it. The Baptist Society have got the outside of their church nearly finished and very finely it looks too. They have the heaviest bell in town and seem determined to worship in . H.P.Hs church gets along slowly, the roof is almost finished but the walls are so low and the roof so large and high it looks like a boy with his fathers hat on. Speaking of boys puts me in mind that I have one of them myself now nearly of the mature age of eleven weeks, stout and healthy, with a voice like the great organ of Boston. He is enrolled among the militia and liable to draft I suppose. He has gone with his Mother to spend a few weeks in the country and perfect himself in infantry tactics. Our business never was better but prices are awful. I sold one pound of coffee today for .75 cts.

Other things are in proportion. My brother & family are now here so our summer hotel is full. Enos Peterson and the old veteran shoemaker are both dead. No other deaths since I last wrote. We tried to nominate Mr Edmunds for Congressman but the slate was already made up so we could'nt. We will try again. I suppose you like to hear about the war as they say

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We are in hopes the thing is drawing to a close, for this summer has been quite hard on the poor boys from this town. Quite a large number have been killed, more than ever before

The 3 Vt Regt has just arrived here to be paid off its three years having expired. They number ! .

Do not think we mean to give up this thing for we cannot, we are now too far in to back out. It is nearer to go forward than back now. We all believe in Grant for we think he is now in a position to take Richmond surely.

Atlanta is now ours but we lost an officer whom we all regard as the peer of Grant himself.

I mean MPherson. How few of the men who commenced this war will live to see the end of it. Burlington has still about 35 men to raise on the last call for 500.000 men They will be forthcoming without any draft. During my stay in Baltimore we had our annual raid and scare. Things looked quite seriously for a few days but it soon blew over

Had the rebels known how few men were left in Washington they would certainly have marched straight in there as well as spend their time stealing horses c c. Hoping to hear from you soon I am

Yours c A G Peirce

[The following appears along the top left border of the page beginning "Burlington July 27 1864"] Please accept my thanks for the book!

References in this letter:

Enos Peterson owned a lumber business in Burlington, Vermont.

George Franklin Edmunds (1828-1919) began his career practicing law in Burlington. He served in the Vermont State House of Representatives and in the State Senate. In 1866 he was elected to the United States Senate as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused by Solomon Foot's death and served for four terms. He resigned in 1891. Edmunds was married to Susan Edmunds, the daughter of Marsh's sister and Wyllys Lyman, his Burlington friend.

Ulysses S. Grant, after overseeing the defeat of Confederate forces at the battle of Chattanooga in November 1863, became general in chief of the Union armies on March 12, 1864.

James Birdseye McPherson (1828-1864) was a corps commander under Grant. He was killed in the Battle of Atlanta, the only federal department commander to die in battle

A Burlington businessman, Albert G. Peirce ran the J. S. Peirce and Sons, a grocery and agricultural supplies store on Church Street with his father, J. S. Peirce. When the Marshes left for Italy, the family looked after their house and forwarded their mail.