The following letters were written by John Arndt Gundrum (1838-1894), the son of Jacob Gundrum (1812-1876) and Susanna Arndt (1812-1870) of North Annville, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania. John wrote the letters while serving as a private in Co. H, 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. Before and after his enlistment, he was employed as a carpenter/joiner. His term of enlistment was from 23 September 1862 to 19 March 1863 which was 5 months, 23 days.
Letter 1
Camp Ruff, Battery H
Camden, New Jersey
November 29th 1862
Dear wife,
As I have nothing to do this evening, I thought I would take the opportunity to address you with a few lines to let you know how I am getting along at present, and further I will let you know that I expected a letter this evening but I was disappointed by not receiving one. So I thought it my duty to write to you again. I will let you know that I am well at time of writing this to you and further we are all contented. As far as it is with our clothing and eatables, we have plenty of that to make us comfortable altogether. It will be that they should give us money and stoves. We have no stoves yet and we need them badly as it is very cold here. Today we had rain sand snow.
The man that they caught at [ ], they took him to Fort Delaware today so the report is going amongst our men. I will further let you know that I will again be a guard tomorrow—our whole company. I will come to a close for this evening and will wait until tomorrow morning when I hope to give you some more news….
Dear wife, I will let you know that we just came from breakfast and now we are cleaning up our clothes and polishing our buttons and blacking our boots to make a fine appearance at guard mount as we will come on guards at 8 o’clock. It is very cold this morning and a clear sky and tat we are very fond of as we like fine weather to be on guard. Some of our men were put in the guard house last night. I will now again close for this morning and will wait until this evening when I hope to give you more news…
Dear wife,
Sunday evening, November 30th 1862. I will let you know that we just came in from dress parade and there was an immense crowd of citizens present to take a view at our parade. At the least calculation two thousand citizens were present at the dress parade this evening. I will further let you know that one man of our company was court martialed in Philadelphia. His name is James Steven, an Irishman, for running through the guard without a pass and he will be sent to Fort Delaware where he will be put to hard labor. For how long a time, I did not hear….
From your dear husband, — J. Gundrum
Letter 2
Camp Ruff, Battery H
Camden, New Jersey
December 6th 1862
Dear Wife,
Yours of the 3rd and 4th came in my hand this dinner and I was again very glad to hear from you and I read its contents with pleasure and lastly, I was glad to hear that you are all well. I will let you know I am well too at the time of writing this to you. And further I will let you know that we have very disagreeable weather here. Yesterday at dinner time it commenced raining and snowing and at about 1 o’clocxk it commenced snowing as fast as I ever saw it snowing—flakes nearly as big as a goose, that is if the goose is small enough. And it snowed until between 10 and 12 o’clock last night when it again cleared up. This morning there are prospects for a very fine day. But we were greatly disappointed for a 10 o’clock the sky was again overspread with clouds and then a regular snowstorm commenced to rage its fury over us and it lasted about half an hour and the worst of it was I was in it as I am on guard today again.
I came on guard at 10 o’clock and off at 12 o’clock, and now I will come on this evening at 4 o’clock and of at 12 o’clock, and then my last tour will be from 4 to 6 o’clock tomorrow morning when I will be clear again for one week. I will further let you know that it is very cold here and we have no stoves in our room yet.
You had in your letter that you want to know why I take my superior officers for rascals. That I can tell you with ease and a free and sound conscience. It is because they do not get stoves. All the other companies have got stoves in their rooms and live like gentlemen in nice furnished parlors, and we like a drove of hogs in our cold room. And to tell the full truth, we are kept a little worse than hogs. The hogs have straw to lie on which we Boys have not. And another thing, our officers did not keep their promises by half and so that is reason enough to call them not honest. But enough of this for this time.
You also want me to come home on Christmas but I guess that wish I cannot gratify for you as there are too many of our men that want to go home at that time, and another thing is we cannot do as we please here. We have to do as our officers tell us. But that much I will let you know that I will come home as soon as I can. I will now come to a close until this evening when I hope to give you some more news. Good day, my wife. From your husband, — John Gundrum
Saturday evening, December 6th, 1862
Dear wife, to come up to my promise, I will again sit down to drop a few lines to you to let you know how we are getting along this evening. I came off guard at 6 o’clock this evening and then I took supper and after supper I thought it proper to write to you some news again. For the first, I will let you know that it is very cold tonight and a high wind. And next I will let you know this evening I heard the first jingling of bells. The [rest of letter missing]
Letter 3
Camp Ruff, Battery H
Camden, New Jersey
Monday evening, December 8th 1862
Dear wife,
I will sit myself down to write a few lines to you again to let you. know that I am well at the time of writing this to you and to let you know how we get along today. We found out who had lice this morning. Two of our men had them and they had to go out in Copper’s Creek to wash and clean themselves. We made improvements in our room today. We made a partition around the stairs to keep the cold out of our room and now we live likeKings in their palaces in our room now. It is not as cold this evening as it was this morning. The sky is again overspread with clouds and I am coming to the conclusion that it will again snow before tomorrow morning. I will now come to a close for this evening as it is near bed time and I hope to write more in the morning. Good night ,y dear wife. From your true husband, — John Gundrum
Camp Ruff, Battery H
Tuesday morning, December 9th, 1862
Dear wife,
I will again write a few words to you this morning as I have nothing else to do to pass away time. We did not do anything yet since last Friday. We have no drills on account of the snow that is on the ground. All we have to do is to go out on Dress every evening. On last Sunday morning we were inspected in our room. By all appearance, we will have a fair day today. It is not as cold and more as for a few days back. As I have no more to write this morning, I will come to a close until this evening when I will again give you the news of today. Good morning, my dear wife. From your true and affectionate husband, — John Gundrum
Camp Ruff, Battery H, 152nd Reg. P. V.
Tuesday evening, December 9th 1862
Dear wife,
I will again commence writing to you this evening and let you know that I am well. We had a fair day today. Today we had again our regular drills. This evening at Dress Parade another sword presentation took place. It was presented to Captain Blake of Company F by his men. There is again something wrong in the Quartermaster’s Department. They again do not give us the allotment that is allowed to us. As I have to go on provost duty tonight, I must close for this evening and I hope by tomorrow morning I can give you some more news. Goodnight. From your true and affectionate husband, — John Gundrum
Camp Ruff, Camden, N. J.
Wednesday morning, December 10th 1862
Dear wife,
I will again take my pen in hand this morning to let you know that I am well and I hope these lines will find you all in the possession of the same blessing. I was on provost guard last night in Camden City at the Market Street Ferry. We were out from 7 o’clock until 12 o’clock, under the command of Sergeant Glass. It again looks for a fair day. I will further let you know that you can look for a letter every Tuesday and Friday. I will now come to a close as the mail is soon going out. Good morning my dear wife. From your husband, — John Dundrum
Letter 4
Camp Ruff, Battery H
3rd Heavy Artillery, 152nd P. V.
Camden, New Jersey
Friday evening, December 12th 1862
Dear Wife,
Your kind and affectionate letter came to hand this evening and I was very glad to hear from you and more so to hear that you are all well. I am also very glad to hear that you have enough to eat too. I seen in your letter that you got coal. I want you to let me know what you have to pay for coal up there. Everything is dear and scarce in our part of the country. Fresh butter sells at 50 cents per pound, eggs sells at 22 and 25 cents per dozen, and so is everything that we look at.
The weather is very fine here. It is as fine as in the month of May, but how long it will keep on so, I cannot tell. This evening I sent a letter to Grandmother Arnett. I wonder what is the matter with your brother John that he does not write to me anymore. As I have no more to write to you this evening, I will come to a close until tomorrow morning when I hope to give you some more news. Good night my dear wife. From your dear ands loving husband, — John Gundrum
Saturday morning, December 13th, 1862
Dear wife, I will again take pen in hand this morning to let you know that I am well and I slept good last night. It is a very fine morning and middling warm. This morning we are polishing up our boots and our shoes and getting everything in a clean order for Regimental Inspection this afternoon or sometime tomorrow. We are all as busy and gay as larks this morning. Some of the Boys are singing since they are out of bed. I will now agin come to a close for this morning and I hope by this evening I can give you more news. We are all well except Moses Umberger. He has got the ague, and Lieutenant John A. Light—he is sick too. Good morning my dear wife. Your husband, — John Gundrum
Saturday, December 13th, evening. Dear wife, I again sit down to write a few lines to you this evening to let you know how we got along today. We had no drill until this afternoon when we had review and knapsack drill which was very hard work as it was very muddy. The mud is about 5 inches deep at some places. The cause of it is the snow melts so fast. We have not much snow here any more. If the weather keeps so warm a few days yet, the snow will all be gone.
While I am writing this to you, Kochenberger is playing the fiddle and some of the Boys are dancing for him to pass away the time. One of our sergeants, Uriah J. Bumberger, is very sick. He is in the hospital. His complaint is sore throat or Diphtheria—a bad complaint. I will now again come to a close for this evening and I hope by tomorrow morning I can give you some more news. Good night my dear wife.
Sunday morning, December 14th, 1862. Dear wife, this morning I sit myself down with a sorrowful heart to write to you a few lines. The messenger of death paid a visit to our company last night and took one of our men. It is one of our sergeants. His name is Uriah J. Bomberger.
Letter 5
Camp Ruff, Battery H
3rd Heavy Artillery
152nd Regt. P. V.
Camden, New Jersey
Wednesday morning, December 17, 1862
Dear wife,
As I came off guard at 8 o’clock and I now have nothing to do this forenoon, I thought it proper to set me down and take my pen in hand to let you know how I am getting along this morning. I will let you know that it rained on Monday night and yesterday forenoon, and at dinner it cleared off again with a high wind, and it became very cold, and it was very cold last night and this morning. But by all appearance we will have a pleasant warm day again.
Last night I again guarded the prisoners to keep them from breaking out. The man I had a fight with yesterday afternoon in the guard house was thrown out of camp by the Colonel last night. We could not keep him quiet. He was cursing and swearing all the time that he was under arrest. He is an Irishman by the name of Murphy and he was drummed out of camp a few weeks ago and he came back again.
I will also let you know that I slept about four hours last night on a wood pile. That is [not] a very soft bed to sleep on, but we are used to such things as them a good deal. I will further let you know that papers say this morning that our troops were driven with a great loss at Fredericksburg, but I do not believe it yet. I will further let you know that I am well and I hope you are the same.
As I have no more to write to you this morning, I will come to a close by hoping to give you more news this evening. Good morning my dear wife. From your dear husband, — John Gundrum
To Eve Gundrum and to Ellen Gundrum
Camp Ruff,
Wednesday evening, December 17, 1862
Dear wife,
Yours of the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th came to hand tonight and I was glad to hear from you as I was anxious to hear from you before. And I read its contents with pleasure and I was sad to hear that you had a sore throat, but as I read further on in your letter I have seen that you are better which again made me feel more glad. I will let you know that I am well and as hearty as a doe. I am glad to hear that your neighbors do not forget you. I will also let you know that we again have very disagreeable weather here in our part of the country. This morning I thought we would have a fine day but we were disappointed by not having it as the sky commenced to get cloudy this dinner and it snowed a little all afternoon and this evening it commenced snowing in full, hard and fast, and so we again have winter here.
You also had in your letter that I should write you the truth. Do you think I would be dishonest to you and not tell you the truth? If you are of that mind, you are greatly mistaken. If I would not write you the truth, I would not write to you at all. And you also had in your letter that I wrote to you that I like soldiering well, and, that I would not come home if I could, and you want to know whether I would not like it better at home to be with you and Ellen. That, for a truth, I must say to you that I would sooner be at home than in the Army, but you know I have no other way. I must like it better in the Army than at home—especially in the circumstances I am in now. I love you as much as I ever did, but I love my country and my Fatherland too, and as soon as the war is over, and have my “honorable” discharge, I will then come home in a hurry.
Letter 6
Camp Ruff, Battery H
3rd Heavy Artillery or
152nd P. V., Camden, New Jersey
January 26th 1863
My loving and dear wife,
I will again avail some of my time this evening in writing to you to let you know that I am well, and also some other particulars. This morning at 9 o’clock we left camp for Philadelphia to be mustered in, but when we came to the mustering office, Colonel Ruff was not ready to muster us in on account that some of his men neglected the business. The mustering office is in Girard Street, No. 1102. Colonel Ruff is the name our camp goes, is the mustering officer of Philadelphia. When we could not be mustered in, we had then a street parade through 3rd Street to Green Street up to 6th Street and through 6th Street to Vine Street, and down Vine Street to the ferry and back to camp where we arrived at 1 o’clock, very hungry and tired. Now we have to go over to the city next Wednesday again at 9 o’clock to be mustered in.
This afternoon we were called in ranks three times by the Colonel to get our muster rolls right. There is a great deal of trouble with the drafted men and the substitutes on account that they did not get the 50 dollars City bounty of Philadelphia. I will also let you know that a private in our regiment died last night at 12 o’clock. He belonged to Battery. He died in the hospital, Drinking too much liquor was the cause of his death. I did not find out what his name was. We have the largest and best company in camp. We have 120 men present for duty. This is all I know for this evening except the weather—it is cloudy all day and warm. The streets of Philadelphia are very muddy. Good night. Your husband, — John A. Gundrum
Camp Ruff
January 27, 1863
Dear wife,
As I came off guard around 12 o’clock and just had my dinner, and now nothing to do until 4 o’clock when I have to go on guard again, so I thought it proper to acknowledge the receipt of your letter which came in my possession today of which I was very glad as I did not receive any since the forefront of last week and I was glad to see that you are all well. I will let you know that I am well too with the exception of a slight cold and sore throat. I will also let you know that it is raining again since last night but it is warm. But I again have the good luck to have my post that I have to guard in the dry. I again have to guard the prisoners in the guard house so I am again not exposed to the rain. I will also let you know that we got a cannon this morning to practice on. Our company fetched it in the country. They got it from a farmer. It is five feet long and throws a four-inch ball. It is a great curiosity to us as it is the first cannon that we saw since we are in camp. I will now close by leaving you a husband’s respect and I also advise you to give my best respects to all enquiring friends and by hoping in conclusion this letter will find you in the enjoyment of good health and in the best of blessings, and I will ever remain your true and kind husband, — John A. Gundrum
Letter 7
Fort Delaware
February 3rd 1863
Dear wife,
I will again avail some of my time this evening in writing to you to let you know that I am well. I am again over my old spell that I had yesterday. Last night and today it was the coldest that we had yet this winter and it is very cold yet this evening. The sky is cloudy all day. We did not do anything yet since we have been here. I do not know of any more particulars to write this evening so I will come to a close. Your husband, — John A. Gundrum
Fort Delaware
February 4, 1863
Loving wife,
I will again spend part of my time this evening to write a few lines to let you know that I do not feel very well this evening. I got the cold and sore throat. I got it last night. It was too cold for a dog to be out of doors. It was the coldest night that we had this winter and so it was today too cold to be outside. The water froze to ice three feet from the red hot stove.
I was on guard last night four hours from 7 o’clock to 11 o’clock before midnight and from 3 o’clock till 5 o’clock after midnight and it is so cold that we hardly could stand it. It was a high and sharp wind all day yesterday and all last night, and so also today. This evening the wind is not so high and it is also not as cold as it was today.
There was a rumor this morning we will be taken to Fortress Monroe yet this week, but I will sooner see it than believe. We did not do anything yet since we are here except guard duty. Your husband, — John A. Gundrum
Fort Delaware
February 5th 1863
Affectionate wife,
I will again write a few lines to you this evening to let you know that I am not very well. I have a sore throat. I did not eat much since yesterday My throat pains me so. But I hope it will again be [better] by tomorrow. This morning it was again as cold as it easily could be. Indeed, it was nearly too cold to poke out the nose. But this afternoon the cold again abated and commenced snowing at about 1 o’clock and it is snowing all the time. I will also let you know that I received a letter from your brother John and also one from cousin Elizabeth Bowman. She sent me her likeness. As I do not know any more particulars to write, I will come to a close for this time. From your husband, — John A. Gundrum
Fort Delaware
February 6th 1863
Dear wife,
Enclose you will find 10 dollars which I will send with Lieutenant Nelson to Philadelphia to send it by mail from there. — John A. Gundrum
Letter 8
Fort Delaware
February 19, 1863
Dear wife,
I will again set myself down this evening to let you know that we are yet at Fort Delaware and I do not know when we are to leave this place. Some say tonight and some say tomorrow and others again say on Saturday. It rained nearly all day and it is very muddy. I will also let you know that I still have got a bad cold and cough and a sore throat, and if it will not be better until tomorrow, I will go to the doctor.
I do not know what is the reason that I do not get letters from you anymore. It is two weeks now that I received the last letter from you and I was expecting a letter from you last week already to find out whether you got them ten dollars that I sent to you as I am very much troubled about that money.
I will let you know that we got our rifles and accoutrements. We got English Enfield rifles. They were captured from the Rebels as they were coming in from England to break the blockade. They are all brand new and carry a ball one thousand yards.
As I do not know any more to write this evening, I will come to a close and bid you my dear wife a good night, and will ever remain your true and loving husband, — John A. Gundrum
February 19th 1863
After roll call this evening. I will write another few lines to let you know that the rumor is now that we are to leave this place at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning. Your true husband, — John A. Gundrum
Letter 9
[This letter is from the private collection of Greg Herr and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Fort McHenry
March 9, 1863
Dear Wife,
I will again avail myself of the opportunity in writing a few lines to you this evening to let you know that I am well, and I hope this letter may also find you in the enjoyment of the same blessing. Last night it rained heavily all night, but today the weather was fair. I will also let you know that I am on guard today. No more this time, and I will remain your true husband, – John A. Gundrum
March 10th, 1863
Dear and loving wife,
I will again write a few lines to you this evening to let you know that I am well by hoping that you enjoy the same blessing. The weather was again very disagreeable today. It snowed a little all day and [was] very cold, and by the time of writing this to you, it again raining. I will also let you know that I received a letter from cousin Henry Bow___ last night and one from Stephen Boltz this evening. I do not know how it is that I receive more letters and more regular [mail] from Virginia than I do from home. I get every week three and four letters from Virginia and from home it is good if I get one and two. But I guess they do not care much about me at home. If I would know that, I wouyld write very little home. I was again expecting a letter from home since last week and every time that I looked for a letter, my looks were vain. I do not find out whether some of you are dead or alive but my hopes are that you are all living, if I do not get any letters to find it out by them. I am not so far from home that the letters can go astray on their road coming here and there is also no enemy near to capture the mail. I will now close my writing for this evening by remaining your true husband, — John A. Gundrum
March 11th 1863
Dear wife,
I will take my pen in hand to let you know that I received your kind and ever welcome letter this evening and I was very much gratified in perusing its contents and it made me feel the most happy to see that you are getting well again. I am now greatly lightened of my troubles, and sorows again. This morning we had about two inches snow again, but the day was fair so the snow was again until this evening. I also received a letter from your brother John this evening. I am well and I hope you are the same.
March 12, 1863
Dear wife, I will write yet a few lines before closing up this letter to let you know that I had the toothache very bad all last night, and have it yet at the time of writing this to you. This morning is pleasant. I have to go on guard today. No more. Address correct. Mr. John A. Gundrum, Battery H, 1st Penn. Artillery, Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland, In care of Capt. W. D. Rank
Answer this soon.
Letter 10
Fort McHenry
Baltimore, Maryland
March 14, 1863
Dear Wife,
I will again write a few lines to you this evening to let you know that I am well with the exception that my rupture mortifies me. I have an intention to go to the Doctor tomorrow morning to get me excused from duty. We are happy around our warm stove talking about the [war] and other things. The weather is still cold and the sky cloudy nearly all day. It looks like snow. I will now close for this evening by hoping you will sleep good tonight. your true husband, — J. A. Gundrum
March 15, 1863
Dear and loving wife,
I will again write a few lines to you this evening to let you know that I am well with the exception that I had the colic this afternoon. This morning I was up by the doctor to get me excused from doing duty but he did not put me off duty. Today was my day to go on guard but I did not do it. The werather is very disagreeable and cold. It is snowing and raining and storming all afternoon, and there is also thundering heard and lightning seen at a great distance from here towards the west.
There is also a great excitement here since last night among some of the Boys as there are heavy cannon reports heard at a great distance and that is the reason that some of them are so much excited. They are afraid that this place will be attacked but it is no danger for that. I guess we will see more excitement of it should happen that the rebels would come up this way. I will also let you know that I received a letter from Cousin John Mark today. He is well and hearty. I will also let you know that I do not know what is wrong with me. I am getting too lazy sometimes to fetch my grub. As I am writing this to you, I have a little cat sitting aside of me which we have here for a tent pet.
As there has not transpired much today, I will come to a close for this evening by remaining your true husband, — John A. Gundrum
We expect money this week.
Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md.
March 16, 1863
Dear wife,
I will again write a few lines to let you know that I am well and I will also let you know that we had snow all last night and today. And I will let you know that the rumor is that we will get our discharges tomorrow. I will now close for this evening. From your dear husband, — John A. Gundrum
Spared & Shared 23 