17th Maine Infantry

1864 Diary of William Bennett Morton, Co. B, 17th Maine Infantry

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The following diary was kept by William Bennett Morton (1844-1902), the son of Harrison Grey Otis Morton (1810-1891) and Theodate Helena Gibson (1819-1897) of Fryeburg, Oxford county, Maine. William enlisted on 20 July 1862 and mustered into the service on 18 August 1862 as a private in Co. B, 17th Maine Infantry. He participated in 19 battles. He was detailed on 11 August 1864 as chief clerk under Capt. Bronson, commander of musters 2nd Army Corps. He mustered out of the service on 4 June 1865.

William had two older twin brothers who also served in the Civil War. Both are mentioned from time to time in this diary. They were Sidney Gibson Morton (1842-1897) who enlisted at the same time as William and served with him in Co. B, 17th Maine. Sidney was wounded at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863 and transferred to the veteran reserve corps. The other brother was Harry Gray Morton (1842-1883) who enlisted in December 1863 in Co. E, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. Used as infantrymen in the Battle of the Wilderness, they suffered a 75% casualty rate on 5 May 1864. Harry survived the Wilderness and was detailed on 9 May 1864 to serve under Quartermaster General Ingalls. He was later transferred to Gen. Grant’s headquarters and mustered out in June 1865.

This diary is from the personal collection of Keith Fleckner and was made available for publication in Spared & Shared by express consent. The transcription was done by Keith as the diary was too fragile to make scanned images.

I have previously transcribed numerous letters by members of the 17th Maine Infantry, but this is the first diary. There are letters below from four comrades in Co. B listed below. For active links to all the letters of the 17th Maine, see:

Joseph Augustus Hodsdon, Co. A, 17th Maine (4 Letters)
Willard Snell Axtell, Co. B, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
Giles Grant Berry, Co. B, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
Charles E. Carruthers, Co. B, 17th Maine (2 Letters)
John Olin Rice, Co. B, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
George W. Doughty, Co. E, 17th Maine (3 Letters)
David Vining Lovell, Co. E, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
Albert C. Gammon, Co. F, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
Eliab Washburn Murdock, Co. F, 17th Maine (1 Letter)
Edward Gookin Parker, Co. K, 17th Maine (1 Letter)

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Tuesday,  February 9, 1864

Co. Inspection. Dress parade. Rec. this diary by mail. Drew two day soft bread, coffee, & sugar.

Wednesday 10 

Co. inspection. On fatigue. Drew ration of meat, pork, beans, dried apple and molasses, pepper and candles. Dress parade. Rec a letter from Sidney and one from home.

Thursday 11

Co. drill inspection. Batt drill.  Dress parade. Drew two days soft bread. Wrote to Sidney, also home.  Rec. a letter from Harry. Mailed old diary.

Friday.  February 12, 1864

Co. drill and inspection. Drew two days soft bread. Pickets came in last night. Batt. drill and dress parade. Rec. by mail three papers.

Saturday 13

Cleaning insp. Dress parade. Drew pork & beef. Played a game of football.  Rec. a letter from home with $1.00 enclosed

Sunday 14

Regular inspection, Wrote home. Dress parade.

Monday February 15, 1864

Co. drill & inspection. On fatigue. Drew two days soft bread.  Ordered to be ready to move at a moments notice. Drew five days coffee & sugar, pork.

Tuesday 16

Snowed yesterday. Brigade inspection. Very windy and cold. Wrote to Harry.

Wednesday 17

Co. inspection. Very cold. Rec. three papers by mail.

Thursday, February 18, 1864

Reg’tal inspection & drill.  Sent to guard Brig. train. Signed the pay rolls.  Co. paid off. Rec. a letter from Sidney.

Friday 19

Off guard.  Wrote to Sidney. Rec. a letter from home and papers. Drew hard bread, sugar & coffee. 2 loaves soft bread. Detailed for picket.

Saturday 20

Washed shirt & socks yesterday.  On reserve.

Sunday, February 21, 1864

Still on picket.  Rather lonesome….

Monday 22

On picket…..

Tuesday 23

Came off picket. Found a letter from Harry. Drew two days rations coffee & sugar & soft bread. Wrote to Harry. Reg. Co.

Wednesday February 24, 1864

Co. drill and inspection. Review by Gen. French in the afternoon. Drew two days soft breed and beef,

Thursday 25

Co. drill (no) inspection. Mailed Com. recorded. Wrote an advertisement for the Waverly.  Rec. by mail two letters, one from home & one from Sidney, also papers @ $1.00

Friday 26

Co. drill & insp.  Brig. drill. Wrote home. Sent for book. Drew rations.  Sidney arrived.

Saturday. February 27, 1864

Co. insp.  Drew three days rations.

Sunday 28

Left camp and marched to James City.  Opposite Thoroughfarm Mt.  Rec. a letter from Harry. The distance 15 miles beyond Culpeper.  

Monday 29

Still here. Commenced raining guard night.  Mustered for pay.

Tuesday, March 1, 1864

Rained all night & day. Turned to snow. Went on picket.

Wednesday 2

Left here for camp, got here at about 2 o’clock. Rec. a letter from home.

Thursday 3

Co. inspection & dress parade.  Drew two day coffee & sugar, soft bread. Rec. a letter from Aunt Mary & Harriet.

Friday 4

Co. inspection & drill. Dress parade. Drew ration of candles, soap, dried apples & beans. Got four rolls of tickets at Bakers.

Saturday 5

On fatigue. Drew two days soft bread. Dress parade. Wrote to Aunt Harriet. Sidney received a letter. I received my book & two papers.

Sunday 6

Brig. insp. Quarters insp. Wrote to Uncle Oren. Dress parade. Divine services in the afternoon with a prayer meeting appointed.  Rec. a letter from home.

Monday, March 6, 1864

Co. insp. & drill. Drew 2 days coffee, sugar. 2 days soft bread. Also pork, beans, soap, & candles. Wrote home.

Tuesday 8

Dress parade. Drew ration for picket. Detailed for picket.

Wednesday 9 

Reached the line at about noon. On reserve.

Thursday, March 10, 1864

Commenced raining and kept on til near mid-night. Very uncomfortable and wet. Spent the night better than I expected.

Friday 11

Cloudy, but no rain.  It is quite muddy. A thunder storm. Cleared off. Letter from home.

Saturday 12

Quite pleasant, seems quite like spring. Relieved by the 3d. Michigan Regt. Arrived in camp at 10 o’clock.

Sunday, March 13, 1864

Services ordered. Very high wind. We left for the ground at 2 o’clock.  We were the first off.  We inaugurated two new banners. They look very well. Dress parade.

Monday 14

Co. insp. Division drill in the afternoon. Drew two days soft bread.

Tuesday 15

Detailed for guard. 3d relief.

Wednesday 16

Co. insp. after 9 o’clock followed by a Corps review.  Did not get relieved till about 7 p.m. One prisoner confined to the guard house. Drew two days soft bread.

Thursday 17

Drew general rations.  Co. drill & insp. Dress parade. Rec. two letters, one from home, one from mother. Gary Ansonia CT.  in answer to advertisement.

Friday 18

Co. drill. Drew two days soft bread. Wrote home. Brig. drill. Ordered to hold ourselves in readiness to move. Wrote to mother.

Saturday, March 19, 1864

Regular monthly insp. by Houghton. Dress parade. Drew meat. Received three new recruits—one is an Indian.

Sunday 20

Brig. insp. Our regiment disciplined, probably on account of their neatness, before the others. Dress parade.

Monday 21

Co. drill & insp. Co. drill in the afternoon. Drew rations. Dress parade. Detailed for fatigue.

Tuesday, March 22, 1864

Detail went to Brandy Station, worked on the corduroy. Rec. a letter from home. It is snowing.

Wednesday 23

Cleared off. Got wood for Captain. Detailed picked out of the regt.  Drew soft bread.

Thursday 24

Batt. drill. Dress parade. Wrote home. Quite pleasant. Rec. two letters from Wm. Bennett. Wrote home.

Friday, March 25, 1864

Batt. drill. On police. Answered one letter. Commenced to rain in afternoon. Rec. a letter from home with $2.00 in. Wrote to Carrie Brown.

Saturday 26

Clear & windy. Detailed on guard. Rained some during the night. Rec. a letter from Harry.

Sunday 27

Off guard. Got rations at about 2 p.m. Answered Miss Bailey’s letter.

Monday, March 28, 1864

Co. insp. & drill. Drew two days of soft bread. Div. drills.

Tuesday 29

Grand Review ordered, but was stopped on account of rain. We are in the 2nd brigade. Drew pork. Wrote to Harry.

Wednesday 30

Windy. Drew two days hard bread. Drew two days soft bread. Dress parade. Rec. a letter from home.

Thursday, March 31, 1864

Broke camp at about 8 o’clock a.m. Charged with the 3d Div. Our huts are built of oak, with rift staves covering the roof. The hut in which we are holds eight.

Friday, April 1

Rec. this morning two packages of paper with two slices of wedding cake, probably those of Mrs. Weeks. On fatigue. Received the Congregationalist. It has stormed most of the day.

Saturday 2

Rain & hail. Drew 2 days of beef. Wrote home. Rec. a letter from home.

Sunday, April 3, 1864

Regimental inspection. Cloudy with some wind.

Monday 4

Co. insp. and drill. Drew one days. Stormed in the afternoon.

Tuesday 5

Skirmishing. Drew one loaf bread, also meat, rice. A letter from Harry.

Wednesday, April 6, 1864

Drew general assortment of rations. Wrote home.

Thursday 7

On fatigue.  Rec. a letter from home, also 2 packages of papers.

Friday 8

Co. drill in the forenoon & in the afternoon. Rec. a letter from Aunt Eliza. Wrote to Col. Ingalls. Drew 2 loaves of soft bread.

Saturday, April 9, 1864

Raining & drew ration. Detail was picked, went around 9 a.m.  Was rough a time as the 137th I think I ever saw. Went a roundabout way. Very wet and muddy. Near Pony Mt.

Sunday 10

Rained all day till 10 p.m. Very disagreeable. Sidney’s birthday. Drew blouse.

Monday 11

Relieved, went back to reserve. Cloudy, Foster killed a rabbit.

Tuesday, April 12, 1864

Relieved from picket at about noon, and did not get into camp till 5 p.m. Found ration of soft bread etc.  There has not been any mail on account of the bridges having been carried away.

Wednesday 13

Div. review by Gen. Meade, Birney, Humphries, Hayes. Brig. dress parade. Rec. two packages of papers, two letters—one from home, one from Harry. Drew 1 pr. shoes.

Thursday 14

Brig. insp. by a new inspector. Co. drill. Brig. dress parade. Rec. a letter from Aunt Harriet. Also three papers.

Friday, April 15, 1864

Signed the payroll. Co. drill. Dress parade.

Saturday 16

Got paid off. Quite a noisy time. Drew soft bread, pork & beef. Rec. a letter from Harry.

Sunday 17

Regimental inspection. Rec. a letter from home with $5.00 enclosed, also one from Miss Bailey. Baked a mess of beans. Wrote to Harry.

Monday, April 18, 1864

Co. drill & insp. a.m.  Brig. drill p.m. The beans came out first rate.

Tuesday 19

Div. review, preparatory to Corps review. Challenge drill to come off between the 17th [Maine] and another regiment. Gen. Hayes gives the challenge. Brig. dress parade. Drew meat and bread.

Wednesday 20

Co. insp. and drill.  Batt. drill. Brig. dress parade. Rec. two packages of papers.

Thursday, April 21, 1864

Co. drill and insp. F. Chase buried. Brig. dress parade.  Rec. a letter from home. Wrote home. Mailed letter to Miss Bailey.

Friday 22

Corps. review by Gens. Grant, Meade, &c. at Stevensburg Plain. Rec. a letter from Harry. Gen. Grant is a plain man with dark whiskers & hair, in stature short, unassuming in appearance.

Saturday 23

On guard, 1st relief. E. Holt corporal. The day pleasant, with a brisk south wind. Rec. a letter from home, with a letter from [Quartermaster] Gen. Ingalls enclosed.

Sunday, April 24, 1864

The day has opened finely. Brig. insp. It is rumored that there is to be a general move Tuesday. We have drawn 3 days rations.

Monday 25

Co. drill and inspection. Batt. drill, dress parade. Drew three days rations. The day has been very hot.

Tuesday 26

Broke camp. Our camp is on Stevensburg Plains about [ ] in distance.  Drew 2 days rations potatoes, etc. Wrote home.

Wednesday, April 27, 1864

Co. drill. Batt. insp. Drew one days ration. Rec. a letter from Nellie L. Downing. Wrote to her. Raining.

Thursday 28

Co. insp. Drew one day rations. Rec. three packages of papers. Dress parade.

Friday 29

Co. insp. & drill. Div drill. Drew one day ration. Sidney ordered to be ready to leave.

Saturday, April 30, 1864

To be a mustering in insp. at 10 a.m. Sidney has left. We have been mustered in. Drew one days ration. Wm. Adams tents with me. Raining.

Sunday, May 1, 1864

Brig. insp. Drew one days ration. Dress parade. Rec. one letter from home with stamps enclosed also two papers. Wrote home.

Monday 2

Co. insp. and drill. A view [photograph] is taken of the regiment. A tornado made its appearance. It came rather curiously. The clouds were charged with sand. It was [ ].

Maine Historical Society

Tuesday,  May 3, 1864

Detailed for picket. Arrived at the camp at about noon. Returned about dark, got into camp at near 10 o’clock. Left at about 11 o’clock.

Wednesday 4

Marched all night until 2 p.m. Crossed the Rapidan. We are now on the old battle field of Chancellorsville. Most of the traces [of battle] have disappeared.

Thursday 5

Passed through the battle ground of the Cedars. Pork dinner at Todd’s Tavern. Went in at about the middle of the afternoon [and] had a brisk fight. Relieved at dark by the 57th Massachusetts.

Friday, May 6, 1864

Went in again about daylight. Very hot. Col. wounded. Got quite a number of prisoners towards night. Our regiment’s loss severe.

Saturday 7

All night laid in breastwork. Then after were sent out to feel the enemy. Found it rather warm.

Sunday 8

Had a hard tramp. Quite well worn out. Been sun struck. Laid in breastwork waiting for an attack. Left here and went into some other work. Drew 5 days rations.

Monday,  May 9, 1864

Left the work in the afternoon, crossed the creek. Went on picket. Up most of the night.

Tuesday 10

Pickets were out to reconnoiter. Went 3 miles or so beyond support. Had to run for it to avoid being taken. A narrow escape.

Wednesday 11

Rejoined the regiment. Laid in the trenches most of the day. Amazed [?] by sharpshooter. Abandoned the works in the afternoon.

Thursday, May 12, 1864

Marched all night. At about 5 a.m., made a charge, took many prisoners, some ?. Laid in front of the trenches in the afternoon. Went with a detail to build works.

Friday 13

Laid all day in the breastworks. Rainy and cold, still most of the day.

Saturday 14

Left the works & massed in front of the works at 1 p.m. At about dark went to build breastworks.

Sunday,  May 15, 1864

Up at 3 – 1 – 2.  Marched to where the 31st & 32nd lay. Thunderstorm. 

Monday 16

Nearly on the same ground we were yesterday. Drew meat. Detailed to act as skirmisher in front of the works. [ ] by this [ ] or legion.

Tuesday 17

Left here & massed. Got shelled. Harry came over to see me.  Slept here for the night. Threw up works. Turned down but had to be awake at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, May 18, 1864

We marched quickly to some pits by a house. Left here at 2 a.m. Marched to where we now are. We have left the woods. The enemy here is firm. Left here as the enemy have made a raid. Had a large mail. (Note in memorandum:  I received one letter from home.  One from Miss Downing Raily.)

Thursday 19

We got back to camp. Drew rations. Orders to pack up. Wrote home.

Friday 20

We went to our camp. Drew two days rations. Left in about 1 or 2 hr.  Marched around Gen. Grant’s Hd. Qrs. Remained in the woods till midnight when we left. We captured about 500 men.

Saturday May 21, 1864

Left Spotsylvania. Marched till near noon when we ate breakfast. Passed through some fine plantations. Passed through Bowling Green. This place is quite large. Passed Milford Station. (Note in memorandum:  Which looks quite neat for a [ ].  Crossed the South Army (as some call it) [North Anna River] late in the afternoon after which we filed into the fields when we now are now cannonading here.)

Sunday 22

We left our camp in the morning, marched about 1 mi. Filed in and commenced to build breastworks. Saw Harry. Rec. two batches of mail, one letter from home. One from Sidney.  Drew rations.

Monday 23

Left in the morning. Marched about 12 miles. Did not get hardly time to get coffee. Towards night we are ordered to charge the enemy’s pits. Had a brisk fight. Threw up rifle pits in the night. We are on the bank of the river near Hanover Junction.

Tuesday, May 24, 1864

In the morning the Rebels shelled us quite heavily. Along in the afternoon we crossed the river on the run, under a heavy shelling. Threw up breastworks. The boys have ransacked a handsome dwelling. Distributed the library, &c. A heavy thunderstorm.

Wednesday 25

Remained here till afternoon, then left for another part of the line. Had a shower. Drew a ration of beef. Out of rations.

Thursday 26

Laid here most of the day. Pitched tents. Detailed to go for pickets.  Drew rations. Considerable firing as soon as we got well established.  Wrote home.

Friday, May 27, 1864

Pickets quietly drawn in at about dawn. We rejoined the regt. after a short march. We got breakfast and then started again. We marched till 1-2 a.m. of the 28th. Passed through Concord. We are near the river. We passed a handsome dwelling—the largest I have seen South. The peas are in bloom and the garden looked nice.

Saturday 28

Co. insp. at 11 o’clock. Ordered to leave at 12 a.m. Marched for short distance, built breastworks. Left again, marched a few miles, build more breastworks. Out of rations but meat. No salt.

Monday, May 30, 1864

Remained here all day. Drew three days rations. Rec. two letters—one from home [and] one from Uncle Oren. Also five papers. Towards night our batteries opened. The mortars threw quite a number of shells.

Tuesday 31

Left here and marched to where the rebels had had their rifle pits. Quite a number of shells threw over as we crossed an open field. Harry came to see me just before he left. He is with [Quartermaster] General Ingalls. We are now in a line of our own pits fronting three of the rebels which we had taken.

Wednesday, June 1 1864

Wrote to Sidney. Drew meat. Remained here till dust, then joined the 1st Brig. to which we have been assigned. We were marched about all night. Quite heavy skirmishing all day.

Thursday, June 2, 1864

Marched all night and part of the day. Lost my roll. A severe storm. Drew two days rations. Stormed easily during the night.

Friday 3

Shelled in the forenoon. Left for the right. Saw Jason Holt. We are now in breastworks. Drew fresh beef. The rebels charged on the 18th Corps last night and were repulsed.  Our rest was disturbed during the night of the firing.

Saturday 4

Left here in the afternoon and went back to the same where we spent Thursday night. Rained all night. Turned out in the night to go for rations. Wrote to Nellie L. Ganning. [ ] Holt came to see me.

Sunday, June 5, 1854

Threw up earthworks. Went on picket. Drizzling. Rec. three letters and a paper. One of the letters was from home, one from Sidney, the other from Aunt Eliza. The paper was from L. Perham, M.C. The M.I. Consolidated. Wrote to mother and Sidney. Left here to go farther to the front. We marched all day into the night.

Monday 6

Got relieved in the morning.  Got a lot of sweet and Irish potatoes which made a very good dinner. Drew beef in time for the potatoes. Heavy picket firing created an alarm, but subsided. Wrote Uncle Oren. (Note in Memorandum: Pickets opposite our side to be on friendly terms.  Trading tobacco etc. They are the 28th N. C.) 

Tuesday 7

Drew four rations with one of port. Got very hard bread. Detailed for fatigue to cut logs for breastworks.  A flag of truce said to have been sent out.  Truce to end at 8 p.m. Very quiet day. Night quite cool.

Wednesday, June 8, 1864

Went for fresh beef.  We now recaptured and hold another line of works, commencing from the left wing. Rec. two papers from Mr. Sewall.  On guard during the night. Still another line thrown out.

Thursday 9

Drew beef. Drew one pair socks, canteen, hard bread, coffee, and sugar, pork, soap. Routed out at 3 am. but alarm soon subsided.

Friday 10

The day thus far passed quietly.  Received by mail the Congregationalist and Independent.  Rec. a letter from home, also 2 papers.

Saturday, June 11, 1864

Drew beef, also 2 days rations of hard bread, coffee and sugar. Washed shirt for the second time since this campaign. Excusable on account of the want of soap. Drew rations, cornbread, &c.

Sunday 12

Wrote home. Left here at 8 p.m. Marched till 2 a.m. Monday when we got coffee. The country seems to be quite poor, soil sandy.

Monday 13

Left just after day break. Marched from Cold Harbor to within a short distance of the river (James). We crossed the Chickahominy River at 12 a.m. We marched and marched after the usual fashion till near 9 or 10 p.m. when we turned down.

Tuesday, June 14, 1864

Marched out a short distance, commenced to build breastworks. Had to base here (Charles City) and march down to Windmill Point where we crossed in transports. One of them (Thos. Powell) with a [ ] in civilian attire. Halted on the bank of the river. Went in bathing from here we went about a mile or more. The river is wide at this place. We left this place and went about one mile farther.

Wednesday 15

Left here and marched till long in the night, weary, hot, and dusty. We are now within two miles of Petersburg. Saw some of the colored troops. They had taken two forts with artillery and did well.

Thursday 16

Shelled while getting breakfast. Formed and charged the rebel lines, but they were too much for us. Fell back a short distance and then went back again. The sharpshooters made it hot. The 2d Div. made a charge in the p.m.

Friday, June 17, 1864

Remained here in the breastworks during the day. Capt. Pennell shot. Detailed for picket. Threw up a sort of redoubt, using a rebel hut to form the sides of it. We are under quite heavy firing.

Saturday 18

Joined the regt. at about noon. Threw up breastworks. Left here late in the afternoon, massed for a charge upon the rebel works, but did not for certain reason—whiskey. Went back to the rifle pits. Rec. three letters—one from home and two from Sidney, with papers. Threw up breastworks in open field in front.

Sunday 19

The rebels threw over rifle bullets quite thickly, killing one and wounding several. Drew two days rations, also dried apples.

Monday, June 20, 1864

Remained here all night. Relieved by the 57th U.S. Colored. They appear very well & quite orderly; reflect credit to themselves. One of the color guard killed. Left here in the night.

Tuesday 21

Left here and marched back a mile or so. Remained here till morning when we left for a new direction. We crossed the Suffolk & P.R.R. struck the Wilmington N.C. turnpike. Remained here all night.

Wednesday 22

We moved up the right farther, fixed up the works.  In the afternoon the 2d Brig. which had moved in our front after having partly built breastworks, got flanked and had to leave them. We expected an attack, butthere was none.

Thursday, June 23, 1864

Drew rations. Left here early in the morning. Went into the rifle pits which the rebels had taken. Strengthened them. Two men hit. Left at about sundown. Were sent to relieve a Brigade of Barlow’s. Occupied their pits. Got one of the new rifles. Rec. a letter from home.

Friday 24

Left here in the morning. Went to the left. Got the frame work up for a breastwork, but it is now at a stand still as we have been ordered to stop work. I wrote home, got it ready to go in the morning mail. The day has been very hot and sultry. On guard.

Saturday 25

Remained here all day.  Very hot. Drew rations of the usual kind with pickles. Wrote Sidney. Had some lemonade. Firing in the night created quite a disturbance.

Sunday, June 26, 1864

Remained here till evening, having been previously been ordered to fix up to make ourselves comfortable. Very hot. Detailed for picket. We are on the left of the line in front of the outer line of works.

Monday 27

We passed very quietly with no firing where we were. We could hear the Johnnies singing, their bugles and drum calls, &c. The day was very hot. Drew rations as soon as I got back.

Tuesday 28

The day has been very cool, quiet. A detail has been out in the woods to fix a place for a camp. My chin is swelled very much by a boil.

Wednesday, June 29, 1864

Received a letter from home, also two papers—the Congregationalist & Independent. Drew fresh meet. Changed camp, got it laid out and tent up when we had to leave again. We are now in another line of breastworks, very strong.

Thursday 30

Mustered for pay by Maj. Gilbraith. The day passed very quietly. Wrote home. The band is with us. Harry has got back [and] came over to see me. Co. insp. Policing co. grounds.

Friday, July 1

Rec. a letter from home.  We are to have two roll calls—night & morning, together with an inspection every afternoon.

Saturday, July 2, 1864

The day passed very quietly. Harry and a man by the name of Lincoln came to see me.  The day was quite cool towards night, though very hot in the middle of the day.

Sunday 3

Drew rations of sugar, coffee, pork, dried apples, bread, vinegar. In the afternoon the chaplain of the 20th Indiana preached. He is a fine, gentlemanly appearing man. Wrote home. Co. inspection.

Monday 4

The day passed very quietly. I saw but two whom I thought to be “sprung.”  I have again one pair pants and one shirt. Company insp.

Tuesday, July 5, 1864

Roll call. Detailed to act as corporal of the guard. I have 1st relief.  Castle one of Co. H’s men and another on my relief. Drew cucumbers & cabbage (fresh) one days soft bread in addition.

Wednesday 6

Relieved from guard at 9 a.m. Had a short nap.  Detailed corporal of the picket. Have three posts under my charge. Did not get any rest until morning.

Thursday 7

The night was very still for a picket line. Scarcely a gun fired.  I had to be awake all night. The sergeant’s name is John Hendricks—a very good fellow. Got relieved about 5 o’clock.

Friday, July 8, 1864

Received a letter from home of July 1st. Also three papers. Wrote to Sidney. Our regiment has dug a well of about 8 ft. diameter @ 15 ft. The water appears to be good. Quite a fracas this afternoon. The rebels shelled our line pretty briskly.  A captain of the 20th Indiana wounded. 

Saturday 9

Drew rations of pork & beans, &c. I stewed the beans. Detailed for picket. The rebels threw over quite a number of shells. 6th Corps left during the night.

Sunday 10

The rebels fired some shots. Two deserted. The middle next to me, got them. Rec. two papers. Washed shirt. Services in the evening by the chaplain of the 20th Indiana.

Monday, July 11, 1864

Rec. a letter from Sidney. Drew fresh meat. Drew two days rations, beans, picked onions, etc.  Towards night we packed up at midnight. We were ordered to destroy the breastworks, which we did. We had a splendid well here @ 20ft. deep with 2 well sweep.

Tuesday 12

Left here in the morning. Marched back a mile or two. When we stopped, it was not far from the old line. Pickets came in the afternoon. The day was very hot. It has looked showery all day.

Wednesday 13

Bathed. We left here in the morning, marched about four miles. It was very hot—as much as I could bear without a stroke. We are now nine miles from City Point. Drew rations.

Thursday, July 14, 1864

Detailed for fatigue. We were turned out without our breakfast, ordered to only carry our haversack, whereas we ought to have taken our knapsacks. We are slashing in front of where rifle pits are now dug. The colored troops are at work upon the trenches & fort. They work, I think, better than the white troops. We work by reliefs. Got quite a good night’s rest.  

Friday 15

Detailed divided up into reliefs. The colored men have built the walls of the fort. The pit connects with an angle of the fort & runs across the railroad. Ben Maxim went back to camp for pork & sugar. Night quite cool.

Saturday 16

Awoke in the morning to find ourselves alone. Started for camp. Got here in the morning. Passed the fort. It is about ready for the guns. Harry came down. Rec. a letter from Sidney & one from Aunt Mary.

Sunday, July 17, 1864

Inspection ordered. Drew two days rations. Had a shave. Wrote to Aunt Mary & Harriet. Inspection came off. Went to see Harry, but found him on Brigade guard. Changed shirt.

Monday 18 

Wrote home. Got poles & fixed up our tent, which makes it quite comfortable.

Tuesday 19

Detailed for fatigue.  The whole Div. is on. We are building a covered way. I went over to see the fort which was built on the old line. Got back at 7 p.m. Drew rations. Rec. five papers. Rained all night & day.  

Wednesday, July 20, 1864

Rec. three papers. Washed shirt. Harry is doing company writing. The day has been quite showery. Rained in the night. Company inspection.

Thursday 21

Two years ago today since I entered the service. Drew two days rations. We got a few new potatoes with the old. Company inspection. The 3d Maine joined with our regt. Cut my hand.

Friday 22

Regt. on fatigue. Got excused by the Dr. on account of my hand being wounded. Fatigue duty. Drew fresh meat. Boiled the meat for the men.  Carried Lieut. Pratt’s meat up to him.  The covered way progresses quite well. The night quite cold.

Saturday, July 23, 1864

The 2d Brigade has moved, but where? I have not yet ascertained. Drew two days rations, pickle, [ ]. Co. inspection. Received a letter from home and 5 papers, two from Mr. Sewall.

Sunday 24

The Brigade on fatigue duty, but I do not think that they accomplished much. Saw a trained mule who could perform quite a variety of feats. Commenced to rain before we got through, and rained all night. Windy.

Monday 25

Wind without rain, quite cold. Changed shirt, washed. Wrote to Sidney. Answered the letter from home. Went over to the 2d Brigade, found Harry ready to leave, having been detailed as clerk at Corps Hd. Qrs.

Tuesday, July 26, 1864

Ordered to be ready to move at 1-2p.m.  Left in the afternoon, marched across the Appomattox [River]. Very hot, feet sore, had to wrap up with Habbard & Alden. Rested until morning.

Wednesday 27

Caught up with the regt. at noon. Were quite near them, but did not find them. We are out in front as pickets. Saw a monitor gunboat in the James River. We are across the Deep Bottom. There Elias came to see me, but I was not here.

Thursday 28

Left to go on picket far out to the front. The rebel homes were in full view. Relieved by Barlow’s men. Recrossed the James [River], had to stop.  Arch Berry was with me.

Friday, July 29, 1864

Started at daybreak.  Caught up with the regt. about the middle of the afternoon.  Had a hard time of it as my feet were blistered badly, besides being chafed. The day very hot.

Saturday 30

The rebel suddenly opened at daylight and there was a brisk cannonade for a while. Our folks blew up a fort and charged, but as it is said failed [on] account of the colored troops. Relieved by the 10th Army Corps. Went back to our old camp. Pretty well played out. Got three papers.

Sunday 31

Drew days rations. Regt. inspection. Drew fresh meat. Quite warm. Received a letter from home and some envelope paper. [ ] in the night. $1.00-letter.

Monday, August 1, 1864

But little going on. Washed & changed stockings.  Paymaster paying the 3d Brigade. Wrote to Sidney & also home. Co. inspection. Drew rations.

Tuesday 2

Roll call, signed the pay rolls. Paymaster paying the 40th N.Y.; to pay our regiment next. Weinburg up with some goods. Rained some in the afternoon & evening. Rec. a letter from Sidney with $2.00 enclosed.

Wednesday 3

Paymaster here. Got paid off, received four months pay. Sent Harry ten dollars. It has seemed more like the 4th of July than anything else. Drew two soft bread, salt-fish, sugar & coffee.

Thursday, August 4, 1864

The usual amount of gambling and drunkenness consigned to payday. Paid for gold per with G. Ballard. Harry came down. The usual company inspection.

Friday 5

Wrote home. Drew one days ration of coffee & sugar, turnips. There was a little disturbance in the evening. We were got under arms and marched 1 or 2 miles toward the right, when we about face & came back here.

Saturday 6

We drew one days soft bread. Harry came down. Wrote to Sidney.  Co. inspection. Rec. by mail, the Congregationalist and Independent.

Sunday, August 7, 1864

Company inspection. Weinburg has come up with two loads of goods.

Monday 8

Company inspection.

Tuesday 9

Drew ration.  Co. Inspection or rather a Regt. one by Capt. Moore.

Wednesday, August 10, 1864

Wrote to Sidney. Harry came down for me to go up to Corps Hd. Qrtrs. as the Capt. wishes to see me. I carried the Co. Officer’s consent up and the Capt’s. Also wrote one half page. Rec. a letter from home. 

Thursday 11

Drew rations. Not much of importance going on. Harry has sent for a blouse for me.

Friday 12

Three p.m. trained till about 10 p.m. Order came for me to report to Corps Hd. Qrtrs. Made a desk in the forenoon. Order to move in the afternoon, packed up the papers. Closed in about the middle.

Saturday, August 13, 1864

We waited the progress of events till the afternoon, when hearing that No. 3 was at City Point, but when we got there, no wagon was to be seen.  We spent the night here.  We got soda crackers & pickles of C Co. for the supplies. Bathed in the river.

Sunday 14

After trying some time to get something to eat, we came to the conclusion that we had better try and get back to the Corps. 2 Hd. Qrs.  We got on the train going to the station. When we got back, we found the wagon and the rest of the clerks.

Monday 15

Washed shirt, socks, and towel. Harry went down to the Point. Got me a blouse and drawers. Wrote home.

Tuesday, August 16, 1864

Wrote some for Harry. Washed his pants, shirt, [ ]. Harry got a letter from Lily.

Wednesday 17

Not much going on. Went on an excursion after apples, but did not succeed in my attempts. Harry got down to the Point.

Thursday 18

Two years in the service. Had green corn for dinner.

Friday, August 19, 1864

Things move in the usual way.  Harry went down to the Point. Rained some.

Saturday 20

Raining. Harry got a letter and three papers. Wrote home.

Sunday 21

Left here and came here. We are at the old 2d Hd. Qrs.

Monday, August 22, 1864

Not much going on.

Tuesday 23

Wrote to Uncle Oren.  Made a desk.

Wednesday, October 26, 1864

Left here at about noon and set our faces towards the [City] Point.  We arrived here at dusk.  I rode most of the way in an ambulance.  Harry rode a horse down.

Rebellion versus Revolution

1861: George Carpenter Shepard to Clarissa Kibbie Billings

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The following letter was written by George Carpenter Shepard (1840-1919), the son of Erastus Shepard (1794-1850) and Eliza Matthews Carpenter (1797-1872) of Rochester, Monroe county, New York.

At the time of the 1863 Draft Registration, 23 year-old George was enumerated in Rochester where he identified himself as a “student” and unmarried. He was married the following year, in February 1864, to Clarissa (“Clara”) Kibbie Billings (1841-1908) in Kenton, Kentucky. In 1870, George was enumerated in South Charleston, Clark county, Ohio, where he was employed as a “Druggist.” George and his son Clarence, conducted Fairfax Hall, a girls school, in Winchester, Virginia, in the 1880s and 1890s. The school was established in 1869 by Rev. Silas Billings, Clara’s father.

Though he claimed in his letter that he would not enlist, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts inform us that he did so on 10 October 1861 at Rochester for a period of three years. He was mustered into the 8th New York Cavalry as Chief Bugler on 23 November 1861 and was mustered out a year later on 16 October 1862 at Hagerstown, Maryland. His muster roll indicates he was taken prisoner on 14 September 1862 and paroled twelve days later.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Rochester, New York
May 13th 1861

Dear Clara,

Your later letter, dated ay 5th, was received in due time by the Baltimore route and brings out the following political letter which I hope you will destroy as soon as it is read as it might occasion you some trouble if found upon you, whether you concur in its sentiments or not. First, remember that a difference of opinion on this subject need not divide our hearts. In the first place, I believe this to be a rebellion and not a revolution. A rebellion, as I understand it, is a refusal to obey the constituted authorities, and aiming to resist it. A revolution is a rising of the masses to repel tyranny exercised in the present case. Whenever God shall give me grace to decide which party is right, I shall be found on that side, against my own interests and affections, if they are in the wrong.

In the present contest, I have no hesitancy in saying that the Government should be sustained against all enemies. I shall do my best to sustain it, whether against Virginia or New York. In Virginia wishes to remain neutral, let her do so. But she does not, as is shown by her having Southern troops on her soil ready to march to the General Capitol, if they are commanded to by Jeff Davis. If Virginia secedes, I am against her. She has no right to secede. If they—the Southern States—had gone to work in the proper way, they would have gotten out of the Union peaceably, if the majority of the South had wished it. Then I should have said, “Go, and God be with you.” Now I say the Government must be sustained at the cost of my life, if need be, and I know of millions who say the same.

I shall not go until drafted, but then I shall go cheerfully. I shall not be needed for two or three years yet, as there are enough who have no friends in the South and want to go to make the army full for that length of time. In sympathy, I am with them heart & hand. If Virginia was oppressed by a foe stronger than herself, I would give her my life for your sake. But when she is in the wrong, as I think her, I will not assist. This is plain, dear Clara, but it is my sentiment and it is best for you to know it. I pray God to be with you.

There will be fighting at the Ferry, and anywhere else where Jeff Davis collects forces. If the South would return to their allegiance & hang Jeff Davis & Co., they could have a separation on almost any constitutional terms. But the North has been bullied long enough by such men—not by the people, but the politicians—and the people have to sustain their representatives. The Press have been mainly instrumental in bringing this about, by uttering the lies of base politicians, both North and South, until the people (who, if they knew one another’s sentiments, really are firm friends) are in deadly hatred to each other. I hope to send you some extracts to show this.

No one can tell where this thing will end. I leave it all with God. This is my only hope—viz: “The Lord Reigneth.”

My condition is a very pleasant one to me. My salary from the first of June is to be $25 per month. I can lay up $20 of it. George & Lizzie leave for the West. You say the South talk of starving the North into submission. We have bread in abundance. The Cotton factory hands are busy in the army instead of the mills, or may be kept so. Some 25 or 30,000,000 have been subscribed and paid for the sustenance of all families left destitute by their heads going into the army and will be well provided for. So I do not see much chance of starvation here. The banks loan money as freely as in peaceful times and are flush at that. Loans of over 150,000,000 have been offered to the government to carry on the war, and one million men besides are ready to give from $100 to $1,000 each.

I am very much in love with some places in Virginia and do some expect to find a home there unless all Northerners are proscribed hereafter. Give my best love to your father and mother. I am glad the ditch is of value. If I had a farm there, I would inaugurate a new era in the farming of that land. I expect to send this my Mr. Neill. I think of you very often and fondly. I hope to make you happy and myself more than happy before we are many years older. Won’t we be a happy pair up in a tree togedder?

My regards to all. I remember Henry Hine. He may be led to true Christianity. My heart is so sick at the state of affairs that I do not feel like writing more, so goodbye, dearest. May God bless you & keep you. Your own, — G. C. S.

61st Pennsylvania Infantry, Siege of Yorktown

1862: John Walker to Margaret (Black) Walker

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John Walker (1834-1862) was earning his living as an ice dealer in Allegheny City when he enlisted in Co. F, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry on 1 August 1861. By the end of October he was mustered in as a private at Camp Advance, Virginia, with the rest of his regiment. His tombstone in Union Dale Cemetery, Pittsburgh, informs us that his parents were Joseph Walker (1801-1863) and Elizabeth Smith (1802-1884). It also informs us that both he and his older brother, William S. Walker (1824-1862) were both killed in the Battle of Fair Oaks on 31 May 1862. What it does not reveal, however, is the fact that when Walker left home, he left behind a wife, Margaret M. (Black) Walker (1835-1939) and a young daughter, Sadie Valentine Walker (1859-1948).

Most of the 61st Pennsylvania wore the standard uniform but there were four companies in the regiment that wore Zouave uniforms. They were transferred from Birney’s Zouaves in March 1862. This is Daniel Dunne of the 61st who was killed in May 1864.

The 61st Pennsylvania was organized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 1861 and mustered in for a three year enlistment under the command of Colonel Oliver H. Rippey who was killed in the Battle of Seven Pines, where the regiment was left without a field officer standing. During the siege of Yorktown, the regiment was part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, IV Army Corps which was commanded by Brig. Gen. Charles D. Jameson.

Walker’s letter to his wife gives us news of the regiments activities during the last full week of April 1862 near Warwick Court House where they had been since April 6th. The pickets of the 61st Pennsylvania were the first to enter the Confederates’ deserted works on May 4, 1862.

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Keith Fleckner and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp Winfield Scott
Warwick Virginia, U.S.A.
April 20, 1862

Dear Wife,

I take up my pen to let you know that I am well, hoping that these few lines may find you in the enjoyment of good health. We have had 2 days of wet weather, but the sun has made his appearance again, and I assure you he is made welcome as this country is very disagreeable when it rains, as the mud soon makes its appearance when it commences to rain.

Well Maggie, we thought we would have had a bout with the enemy. Yesterday the General came galloping in and told us to get ready as the rebels were advancing. We got in battle line in double quick time where we stood an hour and a half when an aide of the General’s came to the colonel and told him that it was a false alarm. [It seems] the rebels had commenced fighting among themselves and our pickets got scared and thought they were advancing. So we are all calmed down again but ready at a moments notice to jump to our arms and go in—I hope to win. There is a brigade of the rebels whose time is out so they are dissatisfied. That is the cause of the fight yesterday. One of the colonels said if they would not let them go home, he would take his command off and go in with the Yankees—he means us.

Col. Oliver Hazard Rippey, 61st Pennsylvania. Killed at Seven Pines.

Our colonel [Oliver Hazard Rippey] called us out to tell us how to behave when in action as he said we might be called out in two days or in an hour or a minute, but for us to be ready at all times.

John Vance is commissary of his company. McLane told me that he had wrote a letter about 7 days ago. The 13th is guarding a mill down at the creek. Part of our company was down at that mill on fatigue duty the last Saturday. The Mill belonged to a Union man and the rebels give him so many days to clear out and they run the mill on their own hook. They had sawed a great pile of oak timber for gun carriages but we came on them so sudden that they could not take it away, so you see they was very kind, as the timber will mount Union guns to blow their batteries sky high. It is the opinion of a great many that the Merrimac won’t do the secesh any good down here anymore.  

April 21st. Dear Maggie it rained last night like the very mischief. Well we got over that in the usual way—that is, let it rain till it was tired.

Well we were called out again today. I guess it will prove another false alarm. That makes four false alarms since we came to Warwick. This time we heard that the rebels were crossing the creek at the place where we lay before we came to this place. I don’t think it will be a false alarm every time we are called out.

We are going to be paid off this week. We will get only two month’s pay this time. I would have liked if we would not get paid till next month and then William and Smith would get four months pay. As it is now, they will only get two months instead of four months. They will not get their pay till next pay day. I think this will be the last pay we will get till we are mustered out of the service of Uncle Sam.

April 23rd. Dear wife, yesterday the mail came out to the regiment but there was no letter for me. I tell you I was disappointed as I have got my letters so regular before. It was a week since the mail was here till yesterday. I can’t blame you as I know that you write often. If I would get your letters half as often as you write, I would be satisfied. But you can fix it by writing long letters as we will get them all sometime or other.  When they do come, they come all together. I got four of yours at one time. I don’t know whether you get all mine or not so I will begin to number them from this time.

Well, our brigade is busy digging riffle pits, building batteries, making roads, and cutting down trees to form battle lines so that if the enemy comes out our way, we will give them a warm reception. I think this fight will be about the last one as their general was heard to say that they had no hopes of gaining anything by holding out any longer. I would not be a bit surprised if they would lay down their arms and surrender after they see what preparations we are making for their arrival. Our siege guns are nearly ready to commence working on their batteries and earth works.

But I must tell you something about the sutlers. Well our sutler has gone up the spout. He can’t get anything to sell to the boys. When he brought anything out, he would not sell to privates, so when the boys seen how he did business, they went enmasse to the other regiments’ sutlers where they could buy and a great deal cheaper than he ever sold anything to us. So you see the officers are found out and they have to buy their rations at the brigade commissary and can’t afford to buy off the sutlers. You might think that the sutler’s tent would be crowded when he came into camp. [But] the way they do to give every one a chance, they make them all get in line single file and march up and get what they want in rotation. Sometimes there is one hundred in the line. It looks quite comic[al] to see them.

I send you a leaf of the holly tree. It is an evergreen. I think it does not grow in the North—at lease I never saw it. I have got a pipe made of the wood. It is some pipe.  The bark of the tree is very hard and of a variegated color, the  greatest part composed of a pretty yellowish brown. Well, enough about the holly tree.

I never gave you a description of the great city of Warwick. Well, I will commence with the court house and jail. Both together are not as large as mother’s house on East Lane. To fill up the city,  there are four little houses. That is what they call Warwick Court House, Virginia.

April 26th. Started out on picket. Our company were reserves. We were close enough to the rebel pickets to talk to them. This afternoon, one of our boys and one of theirs swam halfway over the creek, exchanged canteens, blouses, knives, and several other little things and talked about 15 minutes and then shook hands and joined their friends. It looked funny to see us, friends and enemies, fishing in one creek at pistol shot and no cross words—nothing but politeness on either side. The same kind of pickets do not always meet as we were not relieved half an hour till the pickets were firing at one another.  The [rebel] regiment that was on picket when we were was the 6th Maryland. 1  They told us that they were to be relieved at 4 o’clock and for us to be careful and keep out of sight as we might get shot for the Louisiana Tigers 2 were coming to that post. I wish I had some New York papers yesterday and then I could have got some Richmond papers in return. The soldiers on the other side would give almost anything for a Northern paper. Yesterday an adjutant came over and gave himself up. He said that the officers knew that Island No. 10 was taken but it was kept from the privates. 

There is a French brigade over the creek that will not fight against us and they have to guard them so that will weaken their side a good deal. 3 A brigade is four thousand men.  I asked them—that is, the pickets—if they did not wish this war was over. They said they did—that they had been tired of it a long time. They said it would not last much longer as they could not gain anything by fighting any longer.

You have heard of William [B.] Adams 4 that was Mayor of Allegheny some years ago? He is captain of a company down in Dixie. He was a first lieutenant from Allegheny.  It won’t do him much good if any of our boys get a fine sight on him.  There was a secesh the last time that the regiment was on picket duty that had a particular liking for our officers. He shot three times at Capt. [Joseph] Gerard [of Co. K]. The captain always carries a rifle. He said, “I guess I’ll stop him for shooting [at me].” He  got down behind a log and as soon as the secesh was taking aim, he fired. Down went Mr. Secesh. After getting up, the captain said, “I’d say I fixed him,” and walked away as though nothing of importance had taken place. 

Give my love to Mother and Suzie and Mary. If you see William Hough, give him my respects. I expect to get a letter from you this afternoon. I feel lonesome when I don’t get letters regular from you. I think I have told you all the news. Now I want you to send me all the news in Allegheny. Send all the news about the gunboats that you can  gather up. I think I must quit as my sheet is almost full.  I remain your own husband truly, — John Walker

to Maggie & Sadie Walker

1 Walker erred in naming the opposing pickets as members of the 6th Maryland. That regiment was not organized until the fall of 1862. I believe only the 1st Maryland were present in Magruder’s army at Yorktown in April 1862.

2 Possibly the 14th Louisiana Infantry which became part of the Louisiana Tiger Brigade.

3 I have searched for any evidence of a French Brigade at Yorktown such as Walker has asserted and found none. “French’s Brigade” of the Army of the Potomac was present near Yorktown and perhaps there was a misunderstanding or miscommunication that resulted in the rumor.

4 William B. Adams served as the Mayor of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, from January 13, 1854, to roughly 1856. Running as an Independent, he succeeded Robert W. Park and preceded Herman Jeremiah DeHaven in governing the city, which was later annexed by Pittsburgh. I could find no evidence that Adams joined the Confederacy.

114th New York Infantry, Baltimore, Maryland

The Civil War Letters of Erastus Gregory, Co. C, 114th New York Infantry

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These letters were written by Erastus Gregory (1833-1863), the son of Levi Gregory (1799-1878) and Clarissa Evans (1810-18xx) of Guilford, Chenango county, New York. Erastus was married in 1854 to Maria Amelia (“Meel”) Place (1835-1911) and had four young children born prior to 1863. Their names were Virgil Carruth Gregory (1852-1947), Merritt Charles Gregory (1855-1920), Mary M. Gregory (1856-1920), and Hattie Jennie Gregory (1861-1954). A fifth child, Henry Gregory was born in 1863.

Erastus enlisted as a private on 24 July 1862 in Co. C, 114th New York Infantry. His letters—20 in number—begin with his description of the journey from Norwich, where the regiment was organized, to Binghamton by canal boats, and proceeding thence to Baltimore. In November, the regiment sailed for New Orleans as part of Banks’ expedition, and on its arrival there was assigned to Weitzel’s (2nd) brigade, Augur’s (1st) division, 19th corps. It was stationed for a time at Brashear City and neighboring points, and was first engaged at Fort Bisland, where it had 11 men wounded, 3 mortally. It did not participate in the Bayou Teche campaign, but joined its corps before Port Hudson, May 30, 1863, where it was actively engaged for 40 days in the siege and suffered severely in the grand assault of June 14, 1863, where Erastus was killed.

Letter 1

Baltimore
September 10th 1862

Dear Friends,

I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am well at present and hope this letter will find you the same. I started from Norwich about Sunday and rode all night and till noon the next day and arrived at Binghamton. We stayed there until the next day at 11 o’clock on Monday. Then we were marched on board the cars and was not off five minutes to time until we got to Baltimore, three hundred miles. We had some fears of the rebels on our way. They tried to meet us at the junction but they was a little behind the time. We got there first. They was one and a half miles from there when we went through. Our train was drove by two engines adn we flew now, you may believe.

It seems droll here to see everything guarded. Our tables, water, springs, wells, and everything we eat and drink is under guard. I shall write again in a few days. I expect to stay here but do not know. Tell Amelia I am well. Tell the children to be good till I come home. You may think I am homesick but I am not. I have the same determined revenge on the rebels as ever. I shall write again soon. I have not got time now to write all I want. Give my love to all enquiring friends. Yours, — Erastus Gregory

Letter 2

Baltimore
September 12th 1862

Dear Friends,

You will not expect to hear from me again so soon but I have an opportunity to write and I will improve it with pleasure. When I wrote before, I was too tired to write. I had just got off from the cars and had slept in the engine house all night on the hard floor and a good night’s rest it was for me too after riding on the canal and railroad three days and nights without sleep and without only two meals of victuals and one of them after I got to Baltimore. We had a few crackers to eat but we were not allowed to get off the cars to get anything to eat and we are not allowed to buy any extra victuals here unless we do it at the risk of or lives for there is a great many gets poisoned by eating things that they buy that has been poisoned by secesh. Over one half of the city of Baltimore is secesh today and just out of the city is 13 heavy government guns loaded with shells and are pointed towards the city so that the first move that they—the secesh—make to help the rebels will be rewarded by having their city, their houses, and their property destroyed by fire in less time than it takes to write it.

We are surrounded by revels on all sides. There us an army of them got up as far as Harrisburg within two hundred miles of Binghamton but they are after them and they will have them too before they get where they intend to go. But they have made their brags that they were going to New York and was going to destroy all the property that they could get their hands on. But I guess McClellan will foil them before they accomplish their purpose.

You folks that life in Old Guilford know very little of what is going on here. They say that they have got every secessionist in the Southern army but this is not so, for there is thousands in the City of Baltimore alone that would fight against the Union if they dared to do it. And I almost believe that we have got to turn out almost to a man and have an awful battle between freedom, slavery or secession, and I believe that we shall have to have ten hundred thousand men from the Northern states yet before we can surround and take them.

Our regiment is in first rate health and spirits and we are all ready for a fight. And we shall have one here very soon in all probability. Read this letter to Amelia and tell her that I have not forgotten her and the children. Tell the children to be good and tell Hanky [?] and Augusty that I send my best respects to them. Tell Bill and Fideel that I have got down South and I send my best respects to them and tell Bill to come down some day and see me, Tell him he will have to get his horse the night before if he gets back the same day.

I shall have to take the 2nd sheet to finish my letter. Give my love to all enquiring friends. Tell Alva’s folks that I send my best respects to them and wish them well. Tell Bill to take my splints and make Bill gun [?] one bushel and one half bushel basket and make Uncle Azor one bushel basket and then if he can afford to give anymore, let Meel have it and he may have the rest. Tell him to give Israel Townsend a bushel basket. I like to forgot him. And send Homer up to Azariah Albour’s and get my sythe and snoth and whetstone and take it home and I will pay him for it. And Azariah owes me 3 shillings and I want you to tell Wash Chambers to make him pay it any way and then you can give it to Amelia.

Perhaps you will want to know about the weather here. It is a little warmer here than it is there. There has not been any frost here yet although in some parts of Pennsylvania when we came through I noticed that they had had a harder frost than you had there. But the trees are as green here as they are there the 1st of July. There are peaches here in great abundance. They are brought into the City by the wagon load after load.

We have had some good news here today. If it is true, I am glad. But I fear it is not so. We heard that Stonewall Jackson had been taken with 30,000 prisoners. It is a good thing if it is and will be a good blow towards crushing out this rebellion and we shall soon see better times and be permitted to return to our homes in peace.

I wish that you could all see the City of Baltimore and Harrisburg. The City of Baltimore is seven miles long and five miles wide and there is scarcely a house in it but that is made of brick. The streets are all laid with cobble stone and a wagon makes more noise than the cars do. There is two forts near the city, one on one side and the other on the other side so that it is impossible for the rebels to enter the city without a fight. There is not one minute in 24 hours but what there is a train of cars running through the city and five hundred wagons a going all the time and it makes quite a noise, you may as well think, and negroes by the wholesale. More than half [are] negroes, both white and black. There are negroe wenches here that are lighter skinned than a great many women up there who pretend to be white.

I do not think of much more to write and if I did, I have not got room. Tell Meel to be a good girl and be good to the children and I shall be back as soon as I can. Tell her that my health is good so far and I guess this climate will agree with me first rate. You must write to me as soon as you get this and write for Meel and write all the news for I do not know how long we shall stay here. — Erastus George

Letter 3

Camp Belger, Baltimore, Maryland. 114th New York Volunteers (Library of Congress)

Camp Belger [Baltimore, Maryland]
October 24th 1862

Dear Brother,

I have this morning got through reading a letter from you dated October 20th and I can assure you that I was glad to hear that you were all well. I am well except a bad side. My old side complaint has started up anew and it is a great displeasure to me just at the present time. The doctors try a great many ways to cure it but they only make me the sorer. They have blistered and drawed until they have got my side as sore as a boil but I have hopes that I shall soon get over it. But if it should hang on as long as it did when I had it before, I should have a hard time of it down here. But I hope it will not. It is a week or more since I gave out and I have not done anything since and shall not do a great deal until it gets better.

You wrote that you heard that we were starving to death. We are not as bad off as that but our fare has been hard in the extreme for two weeks back. But it is a shade better now and I guess we shall get along. Perhaps you will ask what we have now. I will tell you. For breakfast I have bread and water. For dinner water and bread. And for supper bread and water again, and so on every day, changing every time so as to have something new. But there are some that take coffee and they change the same as those that take the water. But I have got a little of that tin left that you sent to me and so I get a little butter. I get it cheap. It is only 30 cents a pound, and so I get along very well.

You wrote that my mare was on the gain. I am glad to hear it for if she goes into the winter in good rig, she will do all the better for it and I guess she will do well enough if she is used well. And I think she will be. You wrote that Alvah had got him a horse and got it off Bill. How much did he give and what did he pay in? And what for a horse is it? And did Bill have two? And how come him by them? Write all about it if you will. I suppose. Alve thinks that he can make some man rich by and bye by giving them some old horse. But never mind. He is able. Does Alve ever ask how I get along or anything about me? Or does he ever go to my house a visiting? If he does, tell Mell to ask him for me if he is not ashamed to come there after using me as he did and if he says he is, then use him well. And if he says he is not, tell her that I say she need not ever wait on him again. Tell her to read this letter to him and if you see him, you read it to him for me and tell him that I wish him well but I shall not forget that of him until he has asked me to.

You wanted I should write about the war. I shall have to take some more paper.

I do not hear much about the war lately. But our army is pushing along South as fast as possible and a hard fight is daily expected and some of the men here that that if we can gain the next victory, that secesh will go down. And it is my trust, my hope, and my prayer that the next thirty days will overthrow this unholy rebellion and the war come to an end and we be on our way home. I do not think of much more to write.

Ye;; Hackey and Bill to write to me. Write how much hay is per ton and oats per bushel. Give my love to all enquiring friends. Tell Uncle Avor [?] how I am getting along. Albert is well at present. We had heard of Roxany’s death two or three days ago and it was bad but we had both expected it. Write Henry as soon as you can and when you write, enclose a stamp for return mail for stamps are scarce here with the soldiers. Send this letter on the hill and let them read it and all write to me and write all the news and I shall be very thankful. And now you will have to excuse mer for the present while I remain your affectionate brother, — Erastus Gregory

Uncategorized

1861: Unidentified Soldier to Chris

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I have not yet learned the identity of this soldier who appears to have served in Co. K, Ohio Infantry, but what regiment? There are several names mentioned but I can’t place them and I can’t be certain of the signature either. Likewise, I can’t place the Camp location mentioned except possibly the one mile from the Soldier’s Home near Washington. Perhaps a Spared & Shared follower can look at this with more time than I have available.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Mountains Hills, Washington
October 4, 1861

Dear Sir,

Your letter came to hand in due time. I wrote to you about the same time you wrote to me and have been waiting for an answer and come to the conclusion that that is your fix. Chris, Co. K was out on picket last night. That’s just what I like. If I could go on picket all the time, I would be satisfied.

We left Camp Sholes last Saturday and are encamped now about a mile from the Soldier’s Home. Chris, that is the nicest place I ever saw. It is shaded so that the sun cannot shine in with all kinds of nice trees. Sunday evening the grove is just covered with fine haired folks. All of them have a waiter. It is some of the royal blood if Virginia and Maryland.

Chris, the colored woman out to see our cook shanty last night and showed our boys how to cook.

One of our boys got mad at the Captain the other day and went to the Colonel and told him that if he did not get another captain, he would get transferred into an artillery company. The Colonel told him that he would give the office to Crocket in a little while. Higginbottom is a brave man and he is good to his men, but he stammers, gives wrong commands, gets excited easy, and drinks hard. The Colonel promised Lieutenant the commission last night. The boys will feel rich when they get him for commander. He is going to make a military man if he lives. That one thing is all Company K lacks of being the gayest old company that ever left Ohio. The Colonel is going to send all home that gets sick when the long roll beats. There is about 25 of them lame and cowards. Only two in our company. One of them is blind and the other is afraid to breathe.

None of our boys has got in the guard house yet. There is four in the chain gang for five days, three carrying four muskets apiece for ten days, and two with wooden pockets for five days and enough to carry all the water for all the cooks.

I believe that is all. Write soon and tell me if you got that money I expressed to you. Chris, if Phebe don’t take Cole, she will be as bad off as Sarah Wolf is. Chris, if Foty and the rest of the girls get so wild that you can’t handle them, send them out here and they will soon get cooled off by order of Col. John Cochran.

M. A. Sturges [?], Adjutant Goodbye

California Gold Rush, Terry's Texas Rangers

1849: Benjamin Franklin Terry to John Coffee Hays

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Benjamin Franklin Terry, ca. 1860

Benjamin Franklin Terry (1821-1861) was born in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of Joseph R. and Sarah D. (Smith) Terry. After his parents moved to Mississippi, they divorced and Benjamin moved to Texas with his mother, settling with her brother, Maj. B. F. Smith, in Brazoria county. When he was 20, Benjamin inherited his mother’s Texas estate, consisting of over 2,000 acres of land on the Brazos River along with 18 slaves. In the early 1850s he formed a partnership with William J. Kyle and received a contract to construct the first railroad in Texas—the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway. They used slave labor to construct the road. Later, during the Civil War, Terry organized and led the 8th Texas Cavalry (the legendary “Terry’s Texas Rangers”). He was killed in the first battle fought by the rangers near Woodsonville, Kentucky on 17 December 1861.

The letter was addressed to John Coffee “Jack” Hays (1817-1883), a former Texas Ranger and colonel of the 1st Regiment Texas Mounted Riflemen in the Mexican-American War. His men were scouts for Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. After the war, Hays left Texas, leading a party of Forty Niners from New York that traveled in wagons to California from Texas. This party pioneered a shortcut on Cooke’s Wagon Road that saved a long journey to the south. That improved route became known as the Tucson Cutoff. Hays was elected sheriff of San Francisco County in 1850, and later became active in politics. In 1853, he was appointed US surveyor-general for California.

Terry’s letter of January 1849 to Hays requests the opportunity for himself and several other men and their slaves to travel overland from Texas to California in a party to be led by Hays. It isn’t known if they made the journey with Hays or not. If they did, they did not stay for they were in Texas at the time of the 1850 US Census.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Stampless cover addressed to Col. J. C. Hays, San Antonio, Texas

Oyster Creek, Brazoria county
January 14th, 1849

Col. J. C. Hays,

Sir, having heard it rumored that you are making up an expedition for California, I take the liberty of addressing you on the subject. Col. Kyle, myself and several others here wish to go and are ready to start now. We would have started in a few days via Chagres but having learned that there are a large number of persons (six thousand or more) congregated there and at Panama waiting for passage down—more probably than will find conveyance in the next six months—we have changed our route.

We all know you well from character and would like to go with you and as we have now concluded to go by land, you will do us a favor by writing me on the receipt of this letting me know if you are going, when you start, what route you are going, how many men you wish to start with, and how many you lack of that number, what are the necessary equipments, &c. &c. &c. Col. Kyle and myself will take part of our negroes (fellows of course) with us. 1

If you are not going, will you be kind enough to let me know what route, in your opinion, is the best, the earliest time we would be able to start to find sufficient grass for our horses, &c. Do you know a guide you can recommend? Hoping to hear from you soon, I am very respectfully yours obedient servant, — B. F. Terry

P. S. Please direct your letter to Houston.

85th Pennsylvania Infantry, Battle of Seven Pines

1862: Adam McGill to William H. Crago

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The following letter was written by Adam McGill (1837-1919), the son of Charles and Mary (Bidenger) McGill of Carmichaels, Greene county, Pennsylvania. Adam was working as a cooper, a trade he learned from his father, when he mustered into Co. G, 85th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on 15 October 1861 as a musician (fifer) at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He served three years and mustered out on 22 November 1864 at Pittsburgh.

The profound regret Adam expresses regarding his regiment’s performance in the Battle of Seven Pines permeates his letter. This marked their initial encounter with the harsh realities of combat, and they found themselves unexpectedly vulnerable to the rebel assault, which forced them to shamefully skedaddle. McClellan placed the blame on Casey’s Division, resulting in their exclusion from the Army of the Potomac for the duration of the war. It would take another two years before the regiment could restore its honor in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign.

[Note: This letter is from the collection of Keith Fleckner and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Addressed to William H. Crago, Carmichaels, Green county, Pennsylvania

[Following the Battle of Seven Pines]
June the 10th, 1862

Respected Cousin,

Once more I take the pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well as usual and hope that these few lines may find you in good health. We have had an other battle and our division did not get much praise for its conduct, but I tell you that there was never any set of men that fought better than did [Silas] Casey’s—or a good portion.I will admit that some did not stand up as they ought, but the whole Division is disgraced now and sent to the rear. And now the boys say that they will not fight any more for they have been in three fights and fought till there was hundreds of them killed and wounded and have not got any praise for all that they have endured, and now sent to the rear in disgrace. They swear that they will not go in another battle, but I do not know how it will be.

Some say that we will be sent to Fortress Monroe and some say that we will be sent to Washington City and some to Baltimore. But I do not know where we will go from here. But I hope that it will be one of them places.

It is [not] necessary for me to give you an account of the fight at the Seven Pines as it is called,  for you have had a full account of it before this time I suppose. I heard that all the [Pennsylvania] Reserves has come here to reinforce McClellan but I have not seen any of them yet. But I saw a man from the White House Landing and he said that he seen the Bucktails and all the Reserves. I would like to see the boys if they are here, but I do not know how it will be. We are 14 or 15 miles from Richmond now. A good many of the leading men thinks that this is the last stand that the Rebels will make if they are defeated here. But they will make a desperate stand here before their Capitol. But I think that they will have to cave in if they don’t. Casey will come up and make them skeddadle.

I would like very much to see you and have a long talk with you. It would be much pleasanter than writing, but I hope that it will not be long till we will see each other and spend many happy hours together.

A part of Casey’s Division has just started out on a reconnoitering expedition and the 85th is among them. But I expect that they will run if they see any Rebels. There is a power of sick here now and the whole Division is about played out now or if they ain’t, they will be if they don’t take them away from here. There is about 6 in the hospital that I think won’t live three days. The disease seems to be so fatal that there can’t be anything done by the doctors. They get out of their mind and that is the last that they know about it. They linger that way a few hours and then they go the way of all the world.

This is a very hot day. One day it will be hot enough to roast a man and the next day it will rain and be cold enough to freeze you almost and that is the cause of it being so unhealthy. You will please excuse my bad writing and many mistakes for I can hardly write but will try and do better the next time. I will have to bring my letter to a close by asking you to write soon. No more but remain your cousin, — Adam McGill.

to W. H. Crago, Esq.

53rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Battle of Fredericksburg

1862: Joseph Spang to his Parents

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Joseph Spang (1839-1927), a brick maker and the son of Jeremiah Spang and Catherine Fricker of Pottstown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania lived to be 88 years old, but in his entire life we can be certain that he never forgot the 13th of December 1862 on the heights above Fredericksburg. He was quick to enlist when the war began, offering his services in Co. C of the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment. Later, in September 1861, he mustered into Co. A of the 53rd Pennsylvania Volunteers and was awarded the stripes of a corporal.

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Keith Fleckner and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Falmouth, Virginia
December 18th 1862

Dear Parents & Brother,

Yours of the 1st arrived here and found me in good health. You said you thought Fredericksburg would be taken by the time your letter reached me. It was taken the next day but at a terrible loss of life. On the 11th the bombardment of the city commenced. The cannonading was awful at night. The city was on fire in six places. The pontoon bridge was not laid at dark. The enemy shot at the men from the houses and cellars. That night the bridge was finished but it cost 300 men to lay the bridge.

We crossed next morning the 12th. When we reached the other side, our regiment was thrown out as skirmishers. We skirmished with the enemy til dark when we were relieved. Next morning, the 13th, we maneuvered around the streets til all was ready, the enemy pouring shell into us all the time. French’s Division engaged the enemy first. We next. I cannot tell you the truth of that awful fight. The conflict was terrible. Our regiment was the furthest in advance of any of our troops.  We sheltered ourselves behind some houses and were only 50 yards from the enemy’s rifle pits. Our men were cut down like grass while the enemy could not be touched. All we could see of them was their guns and sometimes a head.

The fight lasted all day. At dark we came back to town. Our regiment stood three hours with fixed bayonets and not a man had a cartridge. I expected every minute the enemy would charge on us but we stood there [and] no one came to relieve us. At dark the lines fell back and we were [finally] relieved. 1

We recrossed the river on the 15th. Our dead lay thick on the field. The enemy’s loss is nothing to ours. On the 17th I was detailed to go along with a flag of truce to help bury our dead.  The rebs had guards around us while we were burying. We buried 700 and did not get half done. Our dead were stripped of everything that was good. Some were naked. Not one man had a pair of shoes on.

They say we can never whip them. I learned that their loss was light to what ours was. They say, “What are you going to do with Burnside now? We had the advantage of you here. This shows what Burnside is. McClellan would never have took them up in this style.” This is the way they talk. They say McClellan is the best general we ever had and I say so too. We have been whipped badly here. You will see in the papers our loss. [ ] will give a correct list in the paper. We have 15 men in our company yet. None of our company were killed, all wounded. I was not touched—only by a splinter that flew from the house when a ball passed through. We are discouraged and hope this war will soon be over.  Sigel has come up with his horses. I will now close. I am near froze the reason my writing is so bad.

My Love to you all. From your son and brother, — Joseph Spang

I send some pictures that I got in Fredericksburg. Don’t lose them. Keep all I send home safe and my memorandum, take care of for me.

1 According to Bates’ History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, “ Early on the morning of Saturday the 13th, under a dense fog the regiment marched into the city and halted for an hour under fire of rebel artillery.  The fight was opened at the front near Marye’s Heights by French’s Division, which was repulsed.  Soon after, the Third Brigade led by the 53rd moved amidst a shower of deadly missiles by the right flank, up St. Charles street and formed in line of battle along the edge of the town.  The rebel infantry, but a few hundred yards in front, was protected by a stonewall along a sunken road while immediately above, the hilltops were bristling with cannon.  At the word of command, Colonel Brooke at the head of his regiment led the charge under a storm of shot and shell that swept the ranks with terrible effect.  But undismayed they closed up and pressed steadily on till they reached a position within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy’s line which was held, despite every effort to dislodge them, even after their ammunition was spent.  At evening, when the battle was over and the day was lost, what remained of the regiment retired silently from its position and returned to the city.”

11th Pennsylvania Reserves, 40th Pennsylvania Infantry, Battle of Antietam, Battle of South Mountain, George B. McClellan, Prisoner of War

1862: Robert Hindman Ray to William Ray

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Robert Hindman Ray (1841-1871) was twenty years old when he enlisted on 10 June 1861 to serve in Co. C (the “Dixon Guards”), 11th Pennsylvania Reserves (40th Pennsylvania Regiment). He was promoted to corporal in April 1863 and mustered out of the regiment in June 1864. He was the son of John Ray (1798-1876) and Ann Smith (who died in 1850). The family residence was in Fairview, Butler county, Pennsylvania. Robert wrote the letter to his older brother, William Ray (1826-1873).

[Note: This letter is from the collection of Keith Fleckner and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

This early-day view of Fairfield, Butler county, Pennsylvania states that the house under the arrow was where Robert’s older brother, Matthew Smith Ray (1830-1908), “went to housekeeping” in 1854.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp at Brooks Station, Virginia
November 25th 1862

Dear brother,

I seat myself to pen you a few lines to let you know that I am well, hoping these lines may find you the same. I should have written to you sooner and will have to ask your pardon for not doing so, but we were always moving and I thought that I would wait until we would stop someplace to stay awhile but it appears that that place will not be found for a while. I do not know where to begin nor where to end this. When I wrote to you last, we were at Fredericksburg, only about ten miles from where we are now. But shortly after that we went to the Peninsula and joined McClellan’s army. We were there about two weeks when we got into a fight [at Gaines’ Mill] and a hard one it was. There was 4 killed and 22 wounded in our company. [Lt.] Newton Redec was killed. The remainder was taken prisoners. We were taken to Richmond and kept there from the 27th of June till the 5th day of August. We got pretty hard usage but I have not time to give you a full account, but we spent some hungry times.

We were exchanged and put right into the service again. We were brought back here and joined Pope’s army. Then came the Battle of Bull Run where we suffered heavy again. Lieutenant [John C.] Kuhn was killed there also your old friend Samuel Christley. Then when the Rebels went into Maryland, McClellan got command and we whipped the Rebs at South Mountain and Antietam. And [just] when he got his army again ready and had commenced to move, he was removed, which was the ruination of our army. But we can’t help it.

I have great reason to be thankful that my life has been preserved.  We are expecting another battle soon. I had a letter from home yesterday. They are all well. I do not know that I have much to write that would be of any interest to you. It appears to me that this is being made a political war. I hope we may be victorious but the war must be a long one—it cannot be otherwise. We need not talk of starving them out. That is “played out.” They have a large army and will fight and are determined to fight as long as there is one of them left. I hope the war may soon be over. All hope this. I have seen enough to satisfy me.  

I saw William Starey yesterday. He is well. I heard that you were talking of coming home. Let me know when. Let me know what you are doing and all the news that you can of. I would write more but I have nothing to write that would interest you. Write soon. Nothing more but remain your brother, — R.H. Ray

William Ray

Direct to R.H. Ray, Co. C, 11th Regt. PRC

The owner of this image says the reverse side identifies one of these Union privates as Robert H. Ray but can’t be certain which. He thinks it to be the one at left but my interpretation suggests it’s the one at right and his facial features more closely align with those of a brother identified on Ancestry.com
Antebellum Mississippi, Cholera Epidemic, Shipwreck

1834: John M. Neal to Ann O. [Neal] Myrick

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John M. Neal wrote the following letter to his sister, Ann O. (Neal) Myrick (1790-1835), the wife of Walter B. Myrick of Hertford county, North Carolina. There are references in the letter to John’s Uncle, Thomas Newsom of Southhampton county, Virginia, which was just across the state line from North Carolina.

John’s letter relates the details of a shipwreck in the middle of the night on July 3rd 1833 in which he and 68 other souls survived though the vessel they were on was raked over a reef in the British West Indies and sank with little but the bow sprit rigging above the surface of the waves and five miles from the nearest island. It’s a riveting account—one that would have John informing his sister, “Tongue can’t express the feelings that existed at that time…I thought it my last breath in this world.”

The Southern Patriot, 7 November 1833

It’s believed the ill-fated vessel John was traveling on was the English brig Lorton commanded by George Duncan. An extract of Capt. Duncan’s account of the incident was widely published in the latter half of 1833 in which he relates that “on the morning of the 2nd July” while en route from St. Domingo to Nassau, his vessel “struck on a sunken rock bearing from Egg Island N. by W. 8 miles.” He clarified that “the rock is about the size of a boat’s bottom, and 6 feet below the surface of the water, with seven or eight fathoms of water on both sides of it,” adding that “the rock is not in any chart which I have seen and the fishermen in the vicinity of the place report that they did not know of it.”

John’s letter concludes with a description of the rest of his journey to Columbus, Mississippi, by way of New Orleans and Vicksburg where he had to avoid residents and passengers suffering from the Cholera Epidemic of 1833.

The house Walter B. Myrick (1795-1870) built in North Carolina, just across the State line from Southampton county, Virginia.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Addressed to Mrs. Ann O. Myrick, Murphrysborough, Hertford county, North Carolina

Columbus, Mississippi
April 19th 1834

Dear Sister,

I am once more landed in the United States which is more than I expected. The 3rd of July we were cast away on that night at midnight on Abbie’s Reef, a solid bed of rock. She knocked her bottom to pieces and filled with water. We remained in the cabin until she filled and then we had to go on deck and take the waves. They ran over us at times ten feet high and all of us hanging on to the rigging. The seas beat her across the reef and went into deep water, a channel deep enough to of swallowed her up. The channel was about 80 feet wide. When she went in, all of her was out of sight except a part of her stern. There came a heavy sea and run her across the channel which hove her in more shoal water and she sunk all under water except part of the bow sprit.

When she entered that channel, I thought it my last breath in this world. Tongue can’t express the feelings that existed at that time. We had four female passengers and some of them were in their night dress [just] as they got out of their berths. I loaned one my cloak to wrap her up for each one had as much to do as he could to hold on to the rigging for they were holding on from the top pf the water. The cook of the brig was washed off and the next sea hove him in again and he was saved. There was a cow that was washed off at the same time and was lost after she sunk. She remained permanent.

Next morning we discovered land about five miles—a small island. The captain took the females and made for the island and there they found one family of fisherman and they has a small boat and with the two boats, they succeeded in saving us all—69 in number. We suffered for water and provisions for one week very much. All the water we drank we had to dig small holes in the sand beach and that was so salty we could hardly make out to swallow it.

We were taken to Nassau, New Providence—one of the British West India islands—and there we were treated most shamefully. I have sent you a paper with the account of our treatment. Write me as soon as you receive this for I expect to remain here all the summer. I lost all my mill stones & a part of my clothes and I only had money enough to get me some clothes and to get me to this place.

I am now working at my trade to raise money enough to get home and that will take me the best part of the summer. I have wrote to Uncle [Thomas] Newsom. If his [letter] should not arrive safe, you will show him this. I wrote him the 13th inst. but there is no certainty in letters going safe on account of the water courses. They sometimes in this country lose the whole of the mail in crossing some streams that they have to ford.

The cholera was raging from New Orleans as high as Vicksburg where I left the Mississippi. I made but little tarry as the cholera was on the farms with my acquaintances. There was two cases on the boat that I was on.

Give my best respects to Mr. Myrick and children, and to Uncle & Aunt. Tell Walter to write me what luck he had fishing & what all the others done on the [paper torn]. If Uncle Newsom hasn’t received his letter, tell him to write me. Also give my best respects to M. & all of your neighbors. I have nothing more to communicate at this time. I now conclude & remain your affectionate brother, — Jno. M. Neal