The following letter was written by George M. Setszer (1843-1863) of Co. F (“the Farmville Guards”) of the 18th Virginia Infantry. He can be found in the Virginia muster rolls under the name “Setzer” or “Sitszer.” When 18 year-old George enlisted in Capt. Booker’s company in April 1861, his occupation was recorded as “carpenter.”

In March 1862, George was detached from the regiment to report “with his tools” to Lt. W. S. Maury, Indiantown, Fish Hall Station, Y. R. R. R. to work on gunboats. In April 1862 he was promoted from private to corporal. In June 1862 he was listed among the casualties in the engagement at Darbytown, Virginia on 30 June 1862. He was with his regiment at Gettysburg in July 1863 where he went missing on July 3rd. Subsequent muster records state that he was “killed at Gettysburg on July 3rd 1863.” No doubt he was cut down on the field in Pickett’s charge.

George was born in the Shenandoah Valley, the son of Daniel and Amelia (Fisher) Setszer. By 1860, the Setszer family had relocated to Farmville, Prince Edward county, Virginia, where George and his father made their living in the carpenter’s trade.

Transcription

Camp near Greenville
Saturday, April 18th 1863

Dear Father & Mother,

I take this opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hope this may find you all the same. I received your letter and answered it the day before we left Washington. It poured down rain in torrents all day last Wednesday. I never saw it rain harder in my life than it did and that night about ten o’clock we received orders to march and it was a hard night’s march. The rain has raised all the swamps and creeks and we had to march through them all. There was one about a mile wide and it was more than knee deep and we marched right through it without stopping.

We marched about twelve miles that night and camped next morning about day and rested Thursday, and Thursday night and yesterday we came to our old camp at this place. Washington is about 25 miles below here on Tar River. We did not intend to take Washington but all of us thought that we were a going to take it but all of our wagons was a hauling out bacon all the time we was down there. We stayed down there two weeks and D. H. Hill was doing the same thing on the other side of the river.

We got our knapsacks from Greenville yesterday. I don’t know how long we will stay here. Rumor says that we are coming back to Virginia but I don’t know whether it is so or not. We have been living on the country ever since we have been here. We haul the corn to the mill and have men detailed at the mill to grind it and then we have been getting bacon for the army. I expect that we will stay here till we get all the supplies out of this country.

I bought a nice pair of shoes from a citizen down at Washington. I will send them home the first chance I get. I want you to keep them for me till I come home. I paid him eight dollars for them. I don’t know when I will be home as I believe they have stopped giving furloughs but i will be home as soon as possible. There is no news here. I don’t need anything at present. Write soon and direct to me. G. M. Setszer, Company F, 18th Regiment, Greenville, Virginia Volunteers, Garnett’s Brigade, Greenville, North Carolina

P. S. Don’t forget to put the name of the brigade.