This letter was written by 24 year-old Clark Benjamin Ely (1837-1926) who enlisted, August 26, 1861, at Jamestown, to serve three years in Co. K, 49th New York Infantry. He mustered into the service on September 18, 1861; was wounded in action, September 17,1862, at the Battle of Antietam; and was discharged for his wounds, November 13, 1862, at a hospital in New York City. Records from later in life reveal that Clark received gunshot wounds to the right hip and right ankle.

Clark was the son of Samuel Ely (1786-1886) and Artless Clark (1808-1903) of Chautauqua county, New York. His younger brother, mentioned in the letter, Samuel Ely, Jr. (1839-1923) also served in the same company of the 49th New York. Clark was married in 1859 to Cornelia Adele Mattocks (1837-1912) and was residing in Poland, New York, at the time of the 1860 US Census and employed as a “farm laborer.”

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp Griffin [Langley, Virginia]
January 12, 1862

Dear Cornelia,

I seat myself to write to you again and I hope you are well and happy and the rest of your folks are the same. I am well as usual with the exception of the toothache and I had an old time yesterday having it pulled out and then did not get it. The Doctor tried it and broke the top off and then hitched onto it again and pulled and pulled and broke another piece off and twisted my jaw out of place and I guess he split it. I can’t open my mouth hardly any and can’t chew one bit. Oh Cornelia, I never was in such misery in all my life. The Doctor gave me morphine and laudanum but nothing could affect me one bit. I just raved and tore for two hours and he commenced to give me liquor and that eased it. I took two chunks of opium as big as the end of your thumb but could not sleep one bit until this morning and am so nervous today I can hardly write. I guess you will know it without my telling you of it.

George is well. He and I went and got our pictures taken yesterday morning and are going to send them today. They’re in one case and if Sarah don’t want it in the case, she can take it out. The case is mine and is a good one and you can get yours taken and put it in where his is and beside of me. That box has not come yet. Sam [Ely] is a getting better and is quite smart. I have not got any letter from you since the one with that receipt in. I sent you twenty dollars. It is at the Chautauqua County Bank.

The Boys all say my picture is a good one but I think it is some cross for my tooth ached dreadful hard and as soon as I came back, I let the Doctor at it and he gave me fits and [still] did not get the tooth out. The roots are all in [yet].

Sam [Ely] ¹ was put in Corporal at New York but night before last he and one other corporal got reduced to the ranks and it was old tough for them for the Boys hooted them so. Sam was at the hospital and he did not hear any of it. It was read on Dress Parade before the whole regiment. It was because they were unfaithful to their duty when on guard and on picket. Oh Cornelia, I wouldn’t been in his place for the whole world hardly as I would rather been shot almost than to had it happened to me if I was Corporal.

Give my love to your folks and goodbye my own dear wife. And write often. I must stop for this sheet is full and if you. can read it, you will do well. But you will excuse all bad writing and spelling, won’t you? My love to you forever and ever, and think of your own true and loving husband, — Clark

But if it is the Lord’s will, we will meet again and I hope before long, don’t you?

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¹ Samuel Ely, Jr.—Age, 22 years. Enlisted, August 26,1861, at Jamestown, to serve three years; mustered in as corporal, Co. K, September 18, 1861; returned to ranks, January 10, 1862; promoted corporal, January 14, 1863; re-enlisted as a veteran, December 14, 1863; promoted sergeant, September 1, 1864; transferred to Co. D , September 17, 1S64; mustered out with company, June 27, 1S65, at Washington, D . C.