1862: William W. Moore to Dwight Moore

The following letter was written by William W. Moore of Randolph, Cattaraugus county, New York, who enlisted on 17 August 1861 as a private in Co. F, 64th New York Infantry. He was promoted a corporal in April 1863 and wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg on 2 July 1863. He mustered out at Petersburg, Virginia, on 9 September 1864.

William wrote the letter to his cousin, Dwight Moore (1841-1864) who enlisted August 1862 in Co. H, 154th New York Infantry, was taken prisoner at Gettysburg on 1 July 1863, and who died in Libby Prison.

Transcription

*The patriotic header on Moore’s stationery*

Headquarters 64th [New York] Regiment
Camp at Fair Oaks
June 15th 1862

Cousin Dwight,

Sir, I received your letter today and proceed at once to answer it. You wanted me to give my experience in the late fight. Being a poor hand at writing anything, I will write a few lines hoping you will excuse my mistakes.

*A Union soldier holding an Austrian Lorenz Rifle*

Our regiment was ordered in at seven in the morning where we were engaged two and a half hours. Our regiment fought well and was highly complimented by General [Oliver O.] Howard who I am sorry to say lost his arm in the engagement after having his horse killed under him. Our brigade fought nobly with the exception of the 61st [New York] commanded by Colonel [Francis C.] Barlow. His men broke and run some, clear back across the Chickahominy. There was only two killed in our company.

There was not one of us that expected that morning to go in any fight until the balls began to whistle. The fight was entirely in the woods. We crept along until we could see them. Then we sent in the balls so thick that they had to retreat. The 64th has the best rifles in the field. They are the Austrian Rifles—a very short gun but good.

Our regiment lost 180 men killed and wounded. The 5th New Hampshire Volunteers fired a whole volley into us doing more damage than all the rebs done. ¹

Write soon. We are ordered to fall in. — W. Moore

[to] D. M.

¹ On page 84 of Pride and Travis’s book, “My Brave Boys, to War with Colonel Cross & the Fighting Fifth,” the authors describe the attack made by the Fifth New Hampshire and the trouble that Captain Barton was having to keep his company in line as they tried to maneuver through “a dense swamp, mud, vines, and underbrush.” When they did fire a volley, “its target proved to be not the enemy but members of the 64th New York, another regiment in the brigade.”