Confederacy Conditions Dire As Soldiers Desert War's End Predictions Premature

Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, also known as the Keystone Zouaves, was a Union Army infantry regiment that served in the Civil War from October 18, 1861, to July 18, 1865. The regiment was organized in Harrisburg, PA, and fought in Virginia and the Carolinas.

Was engaged in the battles of Secessionville, Pocotaligo, Cold Harbor the Crater, Chaffin's Farm, Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road, Fort Fisher, Wilmington, Second Battle of Fort Wagner and Charleston Harbor, Deep Bottom, Fort Fisher. FOGLE enlisted on August 26, 1863 as a Private. Fogle was wounded on June 10, 1864. 4 pp, 5 x 7 ¾, Hilton Head, SC, December 20, 1863, to his wife. Fogle provides interesting details of Confederate troops deserting to the Union side because of lack of food available for them.

Fogle begins his letter with concern about his family. He then provides interesting details of Confederate troops deserting to the Union side because of lack of food, a major result of the financially poor conditions in the Confederacy. Everything is mildly quiet here. We have heard but little firing of cannons for the last two or three weeks... One of the men heard the captain say that he would bet his farm and all he is worth that the war would end in the inside of two months...

I don't think it will end that soon. There was four deserters come from the rebels about two weeks ago and they said that they was about starved out. They said there was more that would come as quick as they could... Fogle's spelling is challenging. Spelling corrected and punctuation added for clarity in the transcription.

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