These letters were written by Edwin Miller Furry (1833-1862) who enlisted at the age of 28 to serve in Co. G, 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He was appointed 1st Sergeant on 8 March 1862 and died on 23 September 1862 from wounds received at the Second Battle of Bull Run on 30 August 1862.

Edwin was the son of David Montgomery Furry (1809-1875) and Ruth McVay (1812-1893) of Staunton, Fayette county, Ohio. Edwin’s parents eventually moved to Hamilton county, Indiana. Edwain was married in September 1858 to Margaret Jane Rowe (1839-1912) and they had one son, William (“Willie”) A. Furry (1859-1946) before Edwin went into the service.

The 73rd Ohio was organized in the fall of 1861 and had shipped out to fight from Chillicothe on 24 January 1862.  From their initial deployment at Camp Fetterman in Grafton, Virginia (now West Virginia) they began a campaign through the rugged mountains of Virginia where Edwin penned these letters to his wife in March 1862.

Letter 1

Clarksburg, Harrison county, Va.
Headquarters 73rd Regiment OV
March 2, 1862

Well Margy Jane, one more Sabbath has rolled around and I am seated in my tent to write you a few lines. Yesterday was a very fine day, the 1st of March. The General Inspector was here. We all passed through on inspection of arms & knapsacks. This morning it is raining and sleeting & very disagreeable. We are all housed in our tents while it rains.

We received our pay last Wednesday. We was paid up to the first of January, I had to buy a pair of boots which cost me $5. I will not send any of it home unless you need it. If you do, tell me in your next letter & I will send it to you & how much you want. I have went hungry several days since we left Camp Logan because I have not had the money to spare & I went to town yesterday & to get nicknacks for Sunday. All we could get was some molasses & some eggs. We had eggs, molasses & bread this morning for breakfast. This is something new to us here. It is thought that we would be at home by April or May.

We are receiving joyful news every day. There is no doubt but the rebellion will close in a short time. Margy Jane, I have not received but one letter from you since I have been here. The other boys get two or three letters a week & I have not got but two wince we left Tuterman. Margy Jane, I wish you would write oftener. If you write three times a week it [ ] at least. If you have not time in the day time, the nights are long. Write as often as you can. Margy Jane, it is a great satisfaction to get letters from home.

We are all doing the best we can, living on hard crackers and beef. I thought I would give a quarter for as many good light cakes as I could eat. I want to bring a lot of these crackers home to pave our yard. They will be as good as stone for their purpose.

We have not been received into any brigade yet. We had been in Rosecrans’ Division but from some cause, we are not in now. We are here now to guard this point. The 5th Virginia is here but leaves tomorrow. We will stay here some time probably and may come home from here if the rebels run as they have been for some time past. I have no idea that we will ever see any more fighting. We may be kept out some time to guard these points. There is several hundred horses here and wagons. This is headquarters of Rosecrans’ Division.

We have now been to dinner. We had buckwheat cakes, molasses and bread. One of the boys went out yesterday and got them buckwheat flour. Some of us gave him five cents for three cakes. This made a fine dinner for Sunday.

I will have my picture taken this week. Dwire [?] is going to resign on account of health. S. Fellers will take his place. D. L. Griner his place. You would be glad to know who will get Griner’s place. Well, I will tell you. Captain told me the other day that he was going to confer the favor on me. You may think it strange that I can be promoted in the service of the U. S. It is those that perform thir duty that are favored with promotions. This office will bring me $20 per month.

Give my respects to John S___ & Steep. Tell Steep that I have saw a rebel fall at the fire of our arms. You ought to see them turn up their heels before the Buckeye Boys.

This sheet you must keep to yourself. I write this to let you know the situation of our regiment. We have the measles among us. There is about 200 of our men have them at this time. There is as many that have got over them so as to be about but not so as to be on duty. There is but a small squad of us on dress parade to what there was at Camp Logan. Norman Hire has them. He is not bad at all. Mose and Joe went out and got some roots & made him some tea & the measles are out on him as thick as hail.

The rest of us Staunton boys—for this is the name we go by—are all as fat as a bear. Joe is as fat as Old Willis almost. We are all in good heart but think we would like to be at home a short time at least. Say a month. I think sometimes I would like to be at home making rails or boards, picking brush, or something of that kind. But the time will come after a while. Then we can be proud that we have turned out in defense of our lovely homes. We ought to ever be thankful that the sunny soil of Ohio has never been made a battlefield.

I will try to give you some idea of the way the citizens of Virginia have to live. In parts where there is no army station[ed], the Union men have to leave their homes. Them that do not have to lay out of doors at night to keep the rebels from taking them prisoners. There is no woman nor man can go to town with a little marketing without a pass. Just suppose you wanted to go to Staunton & you had to have a pass signed by the Colonel & you would pass along, say about VanPelt’s, and there there would be a guard. He would halt you & you would have to show your pass. That is the reason why there is so little produce brought to town. There is no rebel army near here but there is now and then are secesh [pass] through the country, ready to burn bridges or tear up the railroads or fire some Union man’s house or barn. This is the reason why there have to be guards all through the country.

We have been to supper. Had coffee & had crackers. I shall have to have a new set of teeth or the old ones filled up for they are getting very dull. I think I can appreciate cornbread when I get home. It is dark. I must light a candle.

Did you ever get my overcoat & carpet sack that I sent from Camp Logan? You must not be uneasy when [you] see how many of our boys are sick. You know I have had the measles. You know there is no other disease in the regiment. I have understood since I commenced writing that we wil stay here till the first of April at least. If we do, we will in all probability come home from here. I hear the church bell ringing. It sounds very much like Old Staunton.

I hope this may find you all in good health as it leaves me. I must close. Let no one see how many sick there is in the regiment. It will make uneasiness when there need not be. All the Saunton boys are well. May the Lord bless you and Willey & [take] care of you until I get home.

Give my regards to all enquiring friends, if any such there be. Write soon. Write soon, Margy Jane. I still remain your affectionate husband until death.

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Letter 2

Camp at Weston
Lewis County, Virginia
73rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers
March 21, 1862

Well, Marg. Jane, I received your kind letter of the 17th & was glad to hear from you all, but sorry to hear that your Mother had the sore throat. I hope she is well by this time.

It is almost too dark to write. I will have to light a candle soon. I received your letter today at 4 o’clock. It is time for roll call [and] I will have to stop awhile. I have lit a candle & am writing on a little box. It has been raining almost all day.

We Left Clarksburg on Tuesday & got here on Thursday. We started from camp about ten o’clock with knapsacks & blankets on our backs & our guns & cartridge boxes making a load of about 45 lbs. besides our haversacks & canteens. We traveled 10 miles & halted at night in a meadow, tore down two stacks of hay & made beds of it, tore down a fence & built our fires, made some coffee, eat our super, lay down & slept well till morning when we resumed our march. We traveled until three o’clock when we arrived in town. Col. Smith came on & picked our camp ground. As soon as we got on the ground, we net to work, pitched our tents, floored them, had them ready by night to stay in. This is the best town we have been in in Virginia. It is the county seat of Lewis County. It is situated in a small valley on the west fork of the Monongahela River. The town is surrounded by mountains.

The citizens are very clever. This is the first town I have saw in Virginia that there was not vacant houses. There is several fine churches here. There is a few slaves here but not near as many niggers as there is in Washington. There was twenty-five wagons come with us & did not bring all of our things then. Col. [Jacob] Hyer stayed back to have them brought on. We look for them tomorrow. Col. Hyer is one of the best men in the world, I think.

We left 28 of our men at Clarksburg sick & there was about as many left out of other companies as ours. Henry [M.] Marks was going to start home the next day after we left. I did not get to see him the day that we started. He stayed in town on Monday night. I went to town to see him but was in a hurry & could not find him. Captain [Silas] Irion has gone to town to stay all night. He leaves the company in my care as D[avid] L. Griner is at Clarksburg. S. Fellers has gone to Ohio recruiting for the regiment. The Orderly Sergeant’s position is a very honorable position but a very hard one. There is a great deal of work to do.

You said you would look for my picture. I will send it to you as soon as I can have it taken to look like anything. There is no place in this country that they can take pictures. There is some little one horse artists that will charge one three prices. I would have had it taken before this but thought you would not want it unless it looked like something.

More glorious news for us today. The Burnside Expedition has drove the rebels again in North Carolina. They are fleeing before our troops at every point. It is thought by all of the knowing men that the war will all be over by the middle of April. God speed the time that it may be over with. Soldiering is honorable but hard work. But I am thankful that I have had good health so far. The winter is pretty well over & I think I am going to get home well & hearty. I have not slept in a bed since you was in Chillicothe. I have eat four meals at a table—three I paid for & one I got for nothing.

I have taken my shirts & drawers out to a woman to have them washed. I have so much to do know that I have not time to do any washing myself. The Staunton boys are well… it is now time to blow out the lights. I will finish tomorrow. This is Saturday evening & it has been snowing & raining all day. The camp is all mud. I have just received a letter from you that you wrote the 17th. This was the last one that you wrote that day.

Well, Marg Jane, we have marching orders again to start on morning to go to Beverly, 45 miles distance from here. Then we will go to Cheat Mountain. From there to Staunton, Virginia. This is the supposition of us. There is some 30,000 troops ordered all on the same road. It is about 115 miles from here. It will take us about 4 weeks to get there. I will write again from Beverly & let you know all of the particulars of our travels.

You said you wanted me to be a good boy. I intend to do the best that I can, but it is hard for one to do right in the army. You see & hear all kinds of wickedness. Card playing is carried on all the time. I am thankful that I have never played any yet & never will while I live. You wanted to know if there was any disease in the regiment except the measles. There is none but the measles & mumps. I have had good health ever since I Left home. If I can have my health, it is all that I ask. I[saac J.] Sperry & myself stand it about the best of any of our company. Captain [Silas] Irion has gone to town again tonight. I think the captain will before we get to Cheat Mountain. I will get to see Syl. Davis when we get there. Captain Honeson is there. I saw his nigger the day before we left Clay on his way to Washington Ohio.

You wanted me to tell you when I would be at home. This I cannot tell. But the way things look & the way the rebels & are running, the war will be over this spring I think. By the first of May we will be at home. Keep in good heart Margy Jane. I will be at home e’re long & then. thank God, I can say that I left my home to fight for the flag of our country & our lovely homes. I will tell you what I. Sperry & J had for supper. We had eggs & light bread, molasses & beef. We thought it was bully.

This is Sunday morning. I had not time to finish my letter last night. It is now 9 o’clock. I suppose you are doing up the wash about now. Mose & Bill [Rowe] & Joseph Horseman are in the tent talking about our march, I think Bill would rather be at home. Moses [Rowe] is writing a letter home. I suppose Henry Mark is at home by this time. Margy Jane, I guess now had better direct your letter to Clarksburg as they will follow us. Direct them there then. Make some garden, Margaret, so we will have some when I get home. I have wrote all that I can think of now, I believe. Write soon, Give my respects to all.

Have you drawed any more money? Take no trouble about that letter that you wrote to me about my money. I hope ‘ere long I will see you. You will certainly not think I would get made at you for anything if you know how I feel towards you. When I get home, I intend to do my best to live comfortable the balance of our lives if hard work will do it. I know we can live in our little home. Ohio I want to live and die in. We know nothing of hard times there is you could see the way people live in Virginia.

I must close by saying I ever & ever remain your most sincere & affectionate husband until death. Kiss Willy for me. Bless his life. I would be so glad to see him. Take good care of him, Margy Jane. From E. M. Furry

To M. J. Furry, John & Mother. Write soon. Goodbye for this time. Give my respects to Nancy and everybody else & Jessie Rowe, John Levers.

I hear the church bell ringing. It sounds like Old Staunton. But it is not.