Waste Family Letters

"War means fighting and fighting means killing," said Nathan Bedford Forrest. Many young men and boys looked forward to fighting for their beliefs but many were not expecting the detrimental side effects war would cause. William Waste was a Union soldier from 1860-1865 under the 23^rd regiment of the Ohio infantry. Waste’s letters to his dear Sarah Day begin well before the Civil War but it’s not until late 1862 where you sense his longing and despair for the war to end. I've selected several of Waste’s letter to show just how excitement of war led to lasting emotional and loss of hope from soldiers. 

On June 12^th, 1860 Waste was situated in Camp Jackson. Camp Jackson was “four miles outside of Columbus,” according to Waste. Unlike many soldiers at this time, Waste seemed to have plenty of time to write very descriptive letters to his wife. He presented pleasant images in his letters such as “acceptable barracks” and “excited young men waiting to fight for the flag.” I chose this letter because there is still a sense of excitement and hope that the war will end in two years.

There seemed to be a lack of correspondence for two years, but by 1862 William had moved to Camp Reynolds, Indiana. In February, Waste’s tone and hopefulness had started to decline. He begins his letter with an apology to his wife for lack of correspondence. He states “I have never regretted anything more than giving up three years to fight…” this statement made me wonder the dedication of soldiers just after two years of service. Many of Waste’s sentiments aren't focused on the fighting but only about coming home and “having the liberties” that Waste deserted by joining.

Just five months had passed when William Waste sent his wife the most descriptive correspondence in this set of letters. It was June 15, 1862 and Waste was located at Camp Flattop in West Virginia. Waste begins his letter with how hard the troops have marched and describes "we were only given 8 crackers a day." They were on the run from "4,000 Rebels" that ran them out of Parisburg. As Waste continues he begins to describe his lose of faith in humanity and that he has nightmares of battle. Unlike his previous letters, the loss of hope is significant and he pleads for forgiveness from his wife for enlisting. 

After reading these letters and reading Bill Anderson's book, the declination of man was a rapid movement during this war. Though I only selected three letters from Waste's collection, there is obvious change in him. Just as many men, Waste seemed thrilled to enlist in this war but by the end his hope and faith were gone and the only motivation he had was his wife.

1. William Waste to Sarah J. Waste, June 12th, 1860. Waste Family Letters folder 7.
2. William Waste to Sarah J. Waste, February 28th, 1862. Waste Family Letter folder 8.
3. William Waste to Sarah J. Waste, June 15th, 1862. Waste Family Letters folder 9.