The following letters were penned by Daniel Osborn (1849-1864), the son of William T. Osborn (1812-1915) and Sarah Ann Underhill (1811-1905) of Newburgh, Orange county, New York. Daniel was only 15 years old when he was recruited into Co. C, 9th New York State Militia (a.k.a. 83rd New York Infantry) on 25 September 1863. At the time that Daniel joined the regiment, most of the original members had only 9 months left to serve on their three-year enlistment. Only seventeen officers and 78 enlisted men would muster out of the service on 11 June 1864. Prior to Daniel’s joining the ranks, the regiment had seen action at 2nd Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg; they were soon to join in the Overland Campaign.
Daniel did not survive the war. He died at Belle Plain Hospital on 10 May 1864 of wounds he received in the fighting at Spottsylvania Court House.
Letter 1
Culpeper, Va.
April 1st, 1864
Dear Father,
I now take my pen….
…the next morning we was in Culpeper. We laid in the street about a half day and then we marched out in the field and camped for the night. The next morning we got orders to pack up and we marched out about a mile and a half west of the town and have got orders to put up winter quarters. The teams is drawing logs for us. You say you would like to visit the army again if you was well but I would not advise you to come out here again right away for I don’t believe the Virginia climate agrees with you anymore… — Daniel Osborn
Letter 2
Culpeper, Va.
April 5th 1864
Dear Father,
I now take my pen in hand to write you a few lines & hope that when they reach you they will find you the same. I received your kind letter last night and one from John Martin. It got a letter from Mr. Lawson that wrote to you for my directions. I worked with him last summer to John Allison. He told me that John had sold his place and all his stock and is a going to Newburgh the 1st of May. You say that Jimmie Osborn says that if I am not well when the regiment goes in battle,that if I am not well enough, they can’t force me to go. If my regiment goes in battle, I want to go with it but I don’t much expect it will ever go in battle. That fortune teller in Co. I says we will be out of the field before we get paid again. He says that he don’t say that the war is ended, nor he says he cannot tell, but he told my tent mate that we would be out of the field before we got paid again.
I wish you would send me a stick of indian ink about as long as your finger. I do not want it for myself. It is for another man. He said he had no friends to write to for it. He told me he would give me one dollar for to get it for him. And I want two boxes of anguinam small fotes. 1 You can send them all in a newspaper. I want one box for myself and one for another man.
It is very stormy here now. It storms every two or three days so there is no danger of moving.
If you will write to Capt. C[yrus] C. Hubbard and ask him, I think that he will have me detailed this spring for the old boys is a going home this spring and there will be a great many details but you know that there is no use for a private to say anything. I must close by sending you & all the rest of my friends my best love. So farewell, my dear Father, W. T. O.
Please direct to Daniel Osborn, 9th [New York] Regt. Co. C., Washington D. C.
1 I’m quite sure I have not transcribed this correctly though it’s clear that Daniel did not know how to spell the product he was requesting be sent to him from home. It appears to have been some type of cream or ointment that was used by soldiers to either kill body lice or stop the itching.
Letter 3
Culpeper, Virginia
April 13, 1864
Dear Father,
I now take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well & hope that this will find you the same. I received your kind letter last night & was glad to hear from you & that you was well. I just got in from the Rapidan night before last & I had a rough time of it too. That work at Culpeper has stopped. Gen. Grant has just got a lot of big siege guns just come in Culpeper last night & it is the report that he is a going out to the Rapidan and shell them off the mountain and follow them up.
I received a pen in your letter and a poor one. I got that paper.
We went out yesterday a target shooting. Each man in the company fired ten shots but the target was so far off, the rifles kicked so that no one could hit it. We are to drill Shot Drill three times a week.
My pens are so poor that I can’t write. Give grandmother my best love. Also Aunt Sally & Uncle Dick. But I must close by sending you my best love. Wish you would send me some stamps.
I got a letter from R. E. Lawson. You speak of him a coming to see my likeness. He could not come there. He lives to Marlborough. So I must close by sending you my best love. Do farewell my dear Father W. T. Osborn
Direct to Daniel Osborn, 9th Regt. N. Y. S. M. , Co. C, Washington D. C.
Letter 4
Culpeper, Va.
April 17, 1864
Dear Father,
I now take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope this will find you the same. I received your kind letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. There is no talk of moving here yet. The Inspector General was here day before yesterday and he said the plans was not made out yet. There is not any fear of moving for it is a raining about every othre day. I wish you would send me some writing paper and envelopes. You said that [ ] put that anguintum on my comb and then comb my head. I want it for to put in the seems of my pantaloons in warm weather. The lice does not trouble the head. There is nothing but body lice. You say that you will write to Lieutenant-Colonel about getting me detailed. I would not want to be cook for I don’t think I can cook for to suit the officrs but I would like to take care of the officers’ horses or to drive an ambulance wagon. You can tell him that I am a good horse man.
I got them eight stamps. The Lieut.-Col. got a letter from you last night and he called me down a little while ago to find out about that box & he is a going to write today and see if he can find out anything about it.
You say that David & Smith is a going to Albany to get a berth on the canal. That is the place where they will make money. I should think that they might write to me. Neither one of them has ever written to me since I have been here but once. David wrote to me when you was sick and could not I guess that they have so much other writing to do that it makes their hands so sore that they cannot write to me. I want you to tell me when you write if that quire of paper that you got them is all gone. I guess it must be.
You wanted to know what I get so fat on. It is nothing but pork with the hair on and rotten potatoes, wormy hardtack, and a little soft bread once and fresh meat & coffee and sugar. That is good. I will never complain if Uncle Sam gives me as much all the time I am in the service.
Dear father, this is the 18th & it is a beautiful day. I have just come in off of drill. I have been thinking of sending for a pair of light boots with heavy soles to march in for it does not pay to wear these shoes for I have to send for a pair of shoes every month & they cost $2.15 cents. But I will wait for to see if the Colonel hears anything about it. I received that ink and Arguinton last night so I must bid you farewell for this time. Capt. [Cyrus C.] Hubbard just got home last night from a furlough. So farewell, my dear father W. T. Osborn
From your true, affectionate son. Direct to D. Osborn, 9th Regt. Co. C, N. Y. S. M.
Spared & Shared 23 