This amazing handwritten letter to President Abraham Lincoln was penned by a distraught father, Joseph Wyckoff (1805-1886), who lost his son as a result of confinement at Andersonville where he was starved to death. The letter was dated 12 April 1865—just three days after Appomattox and two days before Lincoln’s assassination. In his letter, Wyckoff pours out his grief to Lincoln, whom he admits he did not vote for, and, though he asks for the chance to judge those who caused his son’s death, we learn that what he really wants is a chance to vent some anger at—and gain some sympathy from—the Lincoln Administration.

Joseph’s son, Alexander Baldridge Wyckoff (1841-1865), was 21 when he enlisted 4 August 1862 at Varick, New York, as a Private. He was mustered into Co. C, 126th New York Infantry.  On 15 September 1862, just a month after enlisting and before they had hardly been equipped and drilled, Alexander and other members of his regiment were surrendered to Stonewall Jackson’s men at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, during the Antietam campaign, earning them, through no fault of their own, the unfair sobriquet “Harpers Ferry Cowards.” After their release from a parole camp in Chicago, the regiment worked hard to gain back their reputation, especially at Gettysburg where they sustained 57% casualties in capturing five stands of colors. Alexander was wounded on 10 May 1864 at Po River, Virginia, and on 25 August 1864 he was again captured, this time at Reams’ Station, Virginia. He was sent to Andersonville prison in Georgia, from which he was eventually paroled but died on 2 April 1865 at Baltimore, MD, according to his father, from illness sustained during his imprisonment.

From the timing, it is unlikely that the letter ever got to Lincoln, but rather was processed by the President’s staff in the days following the assassination. The letter does, however, appear to have been read by the Secretary of War, Stanton, who Wyckoff, in his letter, implies might have been soft on corruption, though facts do not bear this out. Docketing at the end of the letter reads “W1043 April/65”  (the President’s staff may have recorded correspondence alphabetically according to the last name of the writer). The letter also comes with a folded piece of ledger paper that reads “Romulusville, NY/ April 12, 1865/ Joseph Wyckoff/ Writes with regard to his son, Alex. B. Wyckoff late of Co. C. 126 NY Vol. Held as a Prisoner of War at Andersonville, Ga and offers his services as judge, etc.”  On the back of the ledger paper it reads “Respectfully referred to the Commissioner for the Exchange of Prisoners By order of the Secy of War, War Dept. April 21/65 – L[ewis] H Pelouze/A.A.G.” 

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Richard Weiner and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

State of New York
County of Seneca, Romulusville
April 12th 1865

To Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States,

Dear Sir, I feel sore just now. I can’t help but express my feelings to you. I buried my son Alexander B. Wyckoff (9th inst). He was a member of Co. C ,126 Regt. U. S. Volunteers from the State of New York. The day before he enlisted, at night, he said, Father, what shall I do? I hate to be drafted. I said, Alexander, you are of full age (he was 21 years old in March before). That was under the call for 500,000 men. Our country is good for nothing so, should you go and help save it and live through it, you according to the course of nature will enjoy it longer than me. Should you fall, what is your blood worth more than thousands of others. Could I of got there I would have been there six months before now. That is just what I told him.

Now I wish to say at the time I told him this about six months before I addressed a letter to the Secretary of War. I there gave him my military experience (which was about 12 years) and said, have you any place in any of your camps of instruction, in any of your hospitals, where I can make a man? I am at your service. I also gave him my age which is now 59 last Sept. I could then of took charge of a Company or Regiment as well as many others that never drew a sword but he by silent consent passed by – by a silent nothing. Well, what is the consequence? We are taxed here to pay millions of dollars for some contemptible rouges that was well recommended which he nor you knew nothing of—only the recommend[ation] that accompanied their application.

Now my boy enlisted in the service, t’will be 3 years next August. He was captured in August last 25th. He was starved to death at Andersonville but he got a parole and died at Baltimore, April 2nd instant. His Mother was with him when he died. Now, could I of stooped so low as to ask for any position during the war, I know I could of got all the principle men in our county to of signed a recommend[ation] for me as a suitable person for the position—tis no matter what [position]. But I could not—I would not—and neither would I [even if it] was it to gain the Chief Justiceship of the U. S. But I now say one thing to you, if I had the Judgeship to investigate and try those who starved those poor prisoners to death, if found guilty by evidence, I would hang every soul of them. But to stoop so low as to ask any man or any set of men to recommend me, I will never do it. But I say cursed be the man, or any set of men, that will not hang every soul that had anything to do with starving thousands of our poor boys as they have been.

Now I say further, I ask for nothing myself, but should you want anyone from the little Copperhead County of Seneca to judge those rebels, call on me. I am at your service. But I will not ask no soul to recommend me. I do all on my own hooks. I have been Justice of the Peace here for about 12 years past, am now elected for 4 years more, from 1st of Jan next. I am the oldest voter in the town—born here—everybody knows me in the county that has lived here anytime. Call upon who you please. I only wish to try those who starved the poor boys to death. My boy lived to the day the last decisive battle was fought to decide this cursed rebellion, but the poor boy was unconscious at the time, or he—like me, would of said, Amen.

Now, what I want and ask of you is to answer me and at least sympathize with me in my grief and not say I am a poor cur not worthy of notice as Secretary Stanton did when I tried, through him, to get some place where he has placed thousands of dishonest creatures which cost the laboring class of the country millions of dollars needlessly on account of dishonesty, for you know and I know that this war has cost us many millions more than it ought to if everyone had of been honest. Now I am a humble farmer here. I helped to clear the soil of heavy timber for a mile south of where I now live & over half of my own farm which is about 164 acres in the heart of Seneca County & about the center of our state.

Now, Abraham, I wish to say to you, I have voted against you both times because I supported the other ticket, but there is not a man in the U. S. that have did more according to my means to uphold the President than me because you was elected agreeable to the constitution of the U. S. Now, call me what you please, do with me as you please, but if you have any sympathy for a bereaved Father, I beg of you answer me. I can then say I have a letter from the President of the U. S. I can say no more. I have only wrote you my feelings and do not curse me for it.

Respectfully yours, — Joseph Wyckoff