Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland, 1863 June 3

The Duquette collection of Civil War correspondence contains 50 letters, 47 of which are written by Albert J. Duquette, a volunteer from Lockport, New York, 129th Regiment. Beginning in August 1862, Albert addresses most of his letters to his parents, with some to his brother, "Billings," and little sister Ally, oftentimes including calligraphic decorations and drawings in the margins. He describes his day-to-day life at various military forts in Baltimore at Fort Federal Hill, Fort McHenry, and Fort Marshall, and relays news of the war. Duquette frequently mentions the weather conditions, and asks his parents to send him various articles of clothing, as well as money. He mentions the disparity in the pay between officers and privates, noting that, "the war is a money-making business for the officers and that is all that keeps it up. If they would reduce the pay of the officers to that of a private, the war would soon come to an end" (1863 February 15).

Duquette later describes participating in military engagements that were part of the Overland Campaign of 1864, a series of battles fought between General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Potomac againt General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Duquette does not mention specific locations, but he most likely saw fighting at Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor, the latter of which was a crushing defeat for the Union.

Duquette's letters after the the fighting of May-June 1864 are written from Washington, D.C. Wounded in the foot after the fighting, he recovers and is transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, 36th Company. While he serves guard duty at Harewood Hospital, he writes to his parents about the fall of Richmond and the air of celebration in the capital once it became clear that the war was at an end. "Well it beat anything I ever saw in my life, men parading the streets ringing bells and blowing horns, drumming on tin pans and everything that would make noise was in good demand" (1865 April 9). He further describes the succession of events after Lincoln's assassination and the search and capture of John Wilkes Booth. Duquette's final letter is addressed the day after his discharge from the army when he writes to let his parents know that he is on his way home.

Two letters in the collection are written by William B. Duquette, or "Billings", as Albert refers to him. These letters are posted from Paterson, New Jersey, where William works in a printing office, to his parents in Lockport, New York. In the first letter, he writes to let his parents know that he has found work, and in the second he makes arrangements for his parents to visit him. Both of these letters are undated.

There is one letter from Albert's mother, Alice Duquette, written to him on June 11, 1864 from Lockport. She writes shortly after Albert's most recent battle, and conveys her concern for his well-being after being wounded. "We want you to come home if it is possible for you to come...we could do better by you than they can" (1864 June 11).