The following letter was written by Samuel Ware (1835-1864), a 27 year-old farmer from Conway, Massachusetts, when he enlisted and was mustered into service on July 10, 1862 as a private in Co. H, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. Samuel was the son of Willard Ware (1799-1845) and Anna Edson (1811-1891). He was married to Jane Elizabeth Payne (1836-1909) in 1855. At the time of the 1860 US Census, Samuel and his wife were enumerated in Buckland, Franklin county, Massachusetts. The couple had two children—Lucy War, born 19 September 1857, and Mary Ware, born 8 February 1860.

Samuel was taken prisoner at Parker’s Store on the Orange plank Road in western Spotsylvania county, Virginia, on 29 November 1863, Samuel was held a prisoner at Belle Island in Richmond, VA prior to being transferred to Andersonville where he died of diarrhea and scurvy on August 10, 1864 after nine months of captivity.

In the following letter, written from Belle Island where he was being held a prisoner, Samuel lets his brother-in-law, Alonzo Payne (1839-1886) know that he was well and but hungry and requests a box of victuals be sent to him. Confinement on Belle Isle would have been particularly brutal in the wintertime. As was customary with prisoner of war letters, it was limited to one page in length.

[Note: The photocopy of the letter was sent to me for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by Lin Robinson who is Samuel’s g-g-granddaughter.]

Transcription

Belle Island, Richmond, Virginia
January 14, 1864

Dear Brother,

I write to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I am a prisoner. I am used well except I don’t get enough to eat and I want you to send me a small box. Don’t put anything in it that won’t keep one month. Some meal, pork, sugar, tea, salt, dried apple, drief beef, cheese, butter, crackers, &c.

Send to my wife that I am well. Please send the box as soon as you get this. Direct as follows: Samuel Ware, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, Belle Island, Richmond, Virginia.