The following letters were written by Henry Rae Dunne (1834-1864) while serving in Co. I, 140th New York Infantry. Henry was working as a compositor in the New York Evening Express Office where he had worked most of his life when he was drafted and mustered into the service on 17 September 1863 as a private. We learn from the letters that he tried to get himself assigned or transferred into the 6th New York Cavalry so that he could serve with his brother James Dunne but was unsuccessful.
During Grant’s Overland Campaign in 1864, Henry went missing in action in the Wilderness on 5 May 1864. In the opening engagement of that battle, shortly after the noon hour, the 140th New York was ordered to charge across Saunders Field where “the regiment melted away like snow. Men disappeared as if the earth had swallowed them,” according to Capt. Porter Paley. As many as 529 members of the regiment advanced that day, sprinting across the open field where they were cut down by rebels firing from the woods beyond and on the exposed right flank of the regiment. For 30 minutes the 140th New York clung to its foothold in the woods before retreating, leaving nearly half its men shot or captured.
These letters were shared with me by Paul Stokes, the great, great, grandson of Pvt. Dunne. According to Paul, his ancestor “was wounded, shot in the stomach, at the Battle of the Wilderness, taken prisoner and confined at Andersonville. He never returned home.”
According to the “Widow’s Pension” application that Mary Agnes (Higgins) Dunne filed, Henry’s Captain (Samuel McBlain) testified that Henry “was in the engagement on 5 May 1864 and to the best of his knowledge was wounded and died from the effects of said wounds….The widow swears that she has not seen or heard from him since that time.” On the muster out roll of the 140th New York, Henry is reported as “Prisoner of War since May 5, 1864. No evidence of death.” A comrade who claimed to know Henry well told Mary Agnes that “the last he seen of my husband he was laying wounded. He said he was either taken prisoner or died on the battle field.”
Henry and Mary Agness were married on 3 November 1857. Their two children were Catherine (“Katy”) Ann Dunne (b. 27 October 1860) and Joseph Henry Dunne (b. 16 October 1863).
Letter 1
Alexandria, [Virginia]
September 24th 1863
Dear Wife,
I arrived here after a very unpleasant passage of 54 hours by steamer. We had to sleep on deck all the time. We got plenty to eat. It was salt pork, bread, crackers, and something they call “coffee” which was horrid. I wrote to Jim the moment the vessel got near here but could not get it posted yet. They kept us on board in the river all night. I expect him over here every moment. I have not yet been put in any regiment or company. Our officers do not yet know what to do with us so you need not write until you hear from me again.
I see by the Herald that I am entitled to $25 advance pay which I did not yet get. Also that I’m entitled to all other bounties the same as volunteers. I am trying to get in the 6th Cavalry. Jim will do his best to help me.
I hope this will find you, Ellen, Katy, and the baby—if there is one—all well. Give my respects to the friends that you see. As soon as I am in any regiment or company, I will attend to the relief ticket right away. If you wish to write on receiving this, direct your letter to James Dunne (care of Thomas Brooks), Headquarters 6th New York Cavalry, Washington D. C.
Letter 2
Camp near Culpepper, Va.
October 6th 1863
Dear Wife,
Jim came to see me today, the first opportunity he has had since leaving home, having been detained in Washington two weeks longer than he thought he would be. He brought me all you gave him for me and some other things besides what were very acceptable and came in good. He gave me the letters. I am very glad to hear that you, Katy, Ellen, Mother and all are well. Jim came nearly sixteen miles this morning to see me. He said he would come again on Saturday or Sunday, whichever day he had a chance.
He has spoken to the Adjutant General of Buford’s Cavalry about my case and he thinks that I yet [will] be transferred. He had but very little time to spare today. I spoke to him about the Relief Money and I will have it settled soon. I do not want to speak to my Captain or Colonel about [it] now but will soon if I cannot be transferred to the cavalry.
Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
Co. I, 140th New York Volunteers, Washington D. C.
P. S. You will find a note for Mrs. James Dunne enclosed in this letter which I wish you to send to her immediately on receiving it as Jim has not written since leaving home and told me to write one for him. Send it promptly.
— H. R. Dunne
Letter 3
New Baltimore, Virginia
October 23rd [1863]
Dear wife,
I received your letter last night. I wrote one to you and one to Jim the night before. Jim came to see me that night. He had but little time to spare. The cavalry were going to Warrenton. I gave him the letter to post for you, forgetting that I mentioned not seeing him in it.
I got the Relief Ticket. You could get Mr. Moran in 19th Street to help you to get it. I will send all my money when we are paid. We are to be paid every two months. I am glad you get along so well and that Mother is attending to you. I am glad also that Peter and B [paper torn]…godfather and godmother. Make sure and have a good time. If you move, it would be best to move into the 16th Ward but I do not know that it would make any difference. I would call the young one James Henry if I were home but you do as you please. I expect to see him again in a few days.
Enclosed you will find the ticket. You need not send any more stamps till I write for them. I bought 8 for twenty-five cents the other day and there was three in your letter.
Give my love to Mother, Peter, Briidget, Mr. and Mrs. Gills, Pay and [ ] if you see them and all [other friends]. Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
Write soon and let me know what kind of a nurse Katy makes. Let me know how the ticket does. If [you] want a different one, I can get it.
Letter 4
Warrenton Junction, [Virginia[
Tuesday, February 8th [1864]
Dear wife,
In my last I told you that I did not get your letter with the stamps in. It came the evening of the day I posted the letter. It was sent to the 146th Regiment instead of the 140th. You made the “0” so much like a “6” that the difference could not be told. The 146th is in the same Brigade with the 140th. Be more careful in future. What is probably the way the 50 cents worth of stamps were lost some time ago.
It looks now as though we will not be paid until March. One of the officers says it is on account of our pay going to be raised to $20 a month. I hope so but I have not yet seen the Bill for it has [not] become a law—only talk i nCongress so far.
There was a fight out at the Rapidan on Sunday but I do not know anything about it yet. You will know all about it in New York before we will out here. I have not seen Jim since. You need not send any stamps. Give my love to all. Let Laty write. Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
Be careful in making the 0 in 140th.
Letter 5
Warrenton Junction [Virginia]
March 23rd 1864
Dear Wife,
I got paid today and send you $10 in this letter. The rest I will send $10 at a time. I think it will be the safest way [to send you the money.] I got the $25 US Bounty. It is to be taken out of the $100 Bounty at the end of the war.
I cannot get a pass to go see Jim now. I wrote to him today and as soon as I get an answer from him I will go down there. We have not had [illegible].
The rebs did not make the expected attack on the railroad and I do not think they will for a while yet. It commenced snowing here yesterday afternoon and snowed and drifted with great severity all night. It was bitter cold. I was lucky enough to be off duty. It is quite warm today and the snow of which there is about two feet is melting rapidly. In a few days we will have an excellent crop of mud. The Rebs, ladies, Union soldiers, intelligent contraband [illegible]…A number of soldiers of African descent, negro-ous types, &c. will not be inclined to march around much. Virginia mud is a great institution. It is dough, mortar, pitch and tar, all in one. You ought to come down here and take a walk of a few miles in it. You would enjoy it. [illegible] We have a good quality and quantity on hand—some to spare, and we would like to give five or six thousand acres to those at home who ask, “Why don’t the Army move?” About fifty barrels can be scraped up around my tent which I will give to anyone who wants it.
I sent the likeness and a letter to you yesterday. Send me your likenesses as soon as you can. Answer t his the moment you get it. You need not send any stamps. I can buy them for 3 cents apiece here.
Enclosed you will find $10. The rest I will send $10 at a time. Kiss for Katy and the baby. Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
Letter 6
Warrenton Junction
March 30th 1864
Dear Wife,
I received your letter of Sunday together with the likenesses today (Wednesday). I sent you one yesterday without any money in it because I hadn’t received any from you to let me know whether you got the last four I sent you. There are two more on the way with ten dollars in each, making thirty dollars I sent you so far. I send five dollars in this. I will send more in another letter.
I am very glad to get your likenesses. Yours is taken badly. Katy’s is a good one. Of course I cannot judge of the baby’s but he’s a good-looking baby—just like his big sister Katy. Katy looks quite fat.
I do not know where the 164th [Regiment] is. In Tuesday’s Herald you can see all about our Corps, Division, and Brigade. We are in the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th ARmy Corps. The Division General’s name is Griffin. The Brigadier’s name is Ayers. The command of the Corps is Gen. Warren.
We had another heavy rainstorm last night and yesterday in the morning it changed to snow for a while. We have very curious weather out here but it’s not very cold. We have plenty of mud—some to spare if anyone wants it.
Katy must stop letting Josey. Write as soon as you get this. You need not send any stamps.
I have not seen Jim yet. I sent him word by the news agent last week that I would go up there Sunday or Money but passes to go from here to Culpeper must first be signed at headquarters and that is a good deal of trouble for both captain and colonel. There is as much red tape about getting a pass to go 15 miles out here as if it was worth a thousand dollars. But they cannot be blamed for it. If they were not strict, anyone could go to the rebel’s lines with all the news. I expect to go some day this week.
I hope you have got all the letters I sent you. Enclosed you will find five dollars. Will send more in a day or two. Write soon. Kiss for Katy and the baby. Give my respects to all. Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
Letter 7
Warrenton Junction, [Virginia]
April 16th 1864
Dear Wife,
I received your letter this (Saturday) afternoon. I am glad to hear that you are all well. We expected to be away from here before this. We may go at any moment but other regiments will have to take our places. No one can get a pass to go any distance away from the regiment—not even the Major or a Captain. I could not [get] a pass to go about fifteen miles to see Jim. It is against orders from Headquarters for anyone to go away from the line of the railroad around their Brigade.
That Zouave was a he-tail, not a she-mail. I did not meet him since. All the sutlers have left. They went yesterday. The newsmen will be allowed to stay. I got a Sunday Mercury from Peter last Wednesday. I am much obliged to him for it. Let me know if he was a member of the Engine Co, No. 50 or not; also what they (50 and 54) were disbanded for.
I wrote a letter to Patsy yesterday. It will leave here in the mail tomorrow morning. I suppose it will be two weeks before I will get an answer to it if it reaches him at all.
We have plenty of rainy weather again but I am lucky this time. I will not have to go out much, if we stay here for two or three days.
That letter ought to be reported at the General Post Office. He has no business to run away with a letter on Saturday and keep it in his possession until Monday. If he does it again, say nothing much about it to him, but get someone in the house as a witness that you came quickly and send a note complaining of him to the Postmaster. I think the Postmaster’s name is Wakeman but you can easily find that out.
You talk about coming out here to see me. Of course I would be very glad to see you but I would not want you to come out here while we are in the field under any consideration. There are no hotels nor houses. What few houses there are left are taken by commissaries and used as storehouses. A few of our captains had their wives out here this past winter. I would not have you in their places under any circumstances. If we be stationed in Alexandria, Washington, or Baltimore, I would be very glad to have you come but not while we are out here. You can go to Albany or somewhere this summer and let Kate see the river. I think there will be a lively time in Virginia this summer. Every train that passes here is crowded with soldiers going to the front.
Write as soon as you get this. you need not send any stamps. Give my best respects to Ed and Mag. I sent a letter to Bendolina in Katy’s care but did not get time to finish it. Tell her to answer it. I want Katy to be a good girl and take good care of Josey. Katy’s letter is avery good one. Let her write to me again. Give my respects to all. Kiss for Katy and baby. Your affectionate husband, – H. R. Dunne
The man who advertised for a wife got a great many letters. He answered a few. One of them was from a young lady in New Jersey. He represented himself to her as being a sergeant—second enlistment—time near out—quite rich—owned some property in Grand Street—very moral—good looking, &c. Young lady showed his letter to her father—father quite patriotic—approves of her keeping up the correspondence and marrying him. Father and daughter will be disappointed. He has 2 years and 4 months to serve, cannot write but can read. Spends his money as fast as he gets it. Often gives $5 for a canteen of whiskey. Would have no objection to sleeping with young lady but can’t see the marrying part. Has sport out of the letters.
Letter 8
Warrenton Junction [Virginia]
April 29, 1864
Dear Wife,
We are to leave here tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday. We are to be relieved by negro troops. General Burnside with [his] Corps passed here this Friday afternoon. The troops along the railroad did not like the idea of having their places taken by negroes and most of them burned and otherwise destroyed their shanties. I do not think that our camp will be left in very good order for them. The regiment is anything but satisfied at having to make room for negroes. But most of them would rather go to the front with the main army than remain here now as all the cavalry have left this neighborhood. This is one of the worst places for guerrillas along the whole line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The cavalry and some guerrillas had a brush night before last about three miles from here on the Warrenton branch.
The mail has been stopped for the last week in some Corps. The 11th say that they have had not had any mail for over 10 days. I heard some time ago that our mail was to be stopped for 60 days but it has come and gone regularly every day so far. I do not know how long it will continue. It may be stopped soon.
I would have had a pass to Culpeper on Sunday only for this move. The whole regiment is going together. The weather is quite good for marching now. The roads are in good condition and it is not too cold to sleep out doors nights without tents.
We expect to be mustered for pay tomorrow or Sunday but it would be hard to guess when we will be paid. That will depend altogether on the success of this campaign. I will write to you to let you know when I see any sign of it.
Grant is making the most extensive preparations to be successful. Regiments, wagons, artillery, ambulances, and everything to complete an army are passing here all the afternoon. A string of troops were five miles long here already passed and there is no sign of the end yet. For my own part, I would rather go to the front. I think it a great deal safer than to be a target on the railroad for some concealed sharpshooter on the roads at night.
I sent you a letter a few days ago with $1 in it for Katy or yourself as you see fit. Tell Katy I cannot send the leaf yet/ I will bring it when I come home myself. You need not send any stamps. Kiss for Katy and the baby. Give my love to Mother, Jim, Pete and Ellen. I will write again from wherever we stop if the mail goes. Write soon. Your affectionate husband, — H. R. Dunne
I have sent a letter to Jim at the same time that I send this. – H. R. D.
Spared & Shared 23 