Oneida County's 117th New York-- Part 5: "The Language That Spilled Out"

Despite combat, the regiment had long periods of boredom, drudgery and restlessness while in camp.  During one of these boring periods in July 1863, an anonymous soldier of the 117th wrote a letter to the editors of the Rome Sentinel (which had been published for about twenty years at that time).

The letter appears to be a joke about a particularly dull soldier in the 117th and was not signed.

The 117th also had a bit of a crude sense of humor.  "One general commented that he had never heard language like what spilled out of the mouths of the 117th."

--Old B-Swear