These letters were written by David Wakefield Haight (1841-1906), the son of Joel Albert Haight (1810-1886) and Rebecca Anne Stewart (1821-1859). David was married in March 1864 to Judy Minerva Horton (1845-1925) and their first child—the baby mentioned in this letter—was Ethel M. G. Haight (1865-1869).

David enlisted as a private in Co. E, 57th Pennsylvania Infantry on 28 July 1864. He was later transferred to Co. K and was mustered out of the service on 29 June 1865. Prior to serving in the 57th Pennsylvania, David served in Co. D, 2nd Battalion Pennsylvania Infantry. It’s noted that his headstone in the Clarington Methodist Cemetery spells his name “Hait.”

Letter 1

Camp of the 57th [Pennsylvania]
Near Burke’s Station
April 24, 1865

My dear wife,

It is with love and pleasure that I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well, hoping that these few lines may find you the same.

It has been one month today since we broke camp and I never had better health in my life although we had some very hard marching and fighting. There was one day that we marched about twelve miles in line of battle and we charged about every half mile till we got them in a tight place and then they stood and tried to fight us but they run from the skirmish line before the line of battle got up. I was in the skirmish line that day and it was fun to see the rebels run. They run and fired back till we took about five hundred prisoners and two hundred wagons and five pieces of artillery and about seven hundred mules and horses. I [think] that the fighting is pretty near done now. If Sherman gets Johnston and his army, the fighting will be done and I will get back to you again in about six months.

This is the third letter that I have wrote since we have been in this camp and have received one and I got one from Ren Haight and he is well. And I got one from George this morning and he is getting along fast. He thinks that he will be back to the company in two or three weeks. Hiram is well.

Well, Judy, I wish that I could get home to see you and the baby. I think about you all the time. I wish you would send me your picture in your next letter. Give my best respects to all the friends and tell them that I would like to hear from some of them. So I guess that I must close for this time. Tell me in your next letter if Andy went to the army and here he is.

So goodbye. Write soon. From your husband, — David Haight

To his wife, Judy M. Haight

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Letter 2

Washington D. C.
June 22, 1865

Dearest Wife & Companion & Love,

It is with pleasure that I seat myself to write you a few [lines] to let you know that I am still alive, hoping that you are enjoying good health. I have had a pretty hard time with the diarrhea till I got very poor. But I am getting well now and feel strong again. The weather is very hot now and the sun send her scorching rays down the near way. Robert went to wash this morning and was alone and I thought that I would write to pass time as the time passes very slowly. One day seems like four when we was after Old Lee. I think that if I was at home with you that the days would pass more natural and I could content myself better.

I expect that we will have to stay till fall if not longer but I would like to get home out of the God damned thing. I would write oftener but I have no stamps. you never told me whether you got that song ballad [on] the Weldon Raid so I have but little write this time and I don’t get a letter from you more than one a month. So I must close till after drill.

Well, we have got done drilling and had some dinner and a good shower of rain and I have got commenced to write again. The showers cooled the air off some. I have very good times here now. They are still mustering out some regiments but we still have to stay. I don’t see why they don’t discharge the drafted men but they are holding on to us yet and damn them, they will I guess.

If you write and let e know where Samuel is, I will go and see him if I can. I want you to give me all the news that is flying up there. So I guess I have wrote all the news. So goodbye. Write soon. — David Haight

To his sweet wife, Mrs. Judy Haight

Company E, 57th Regt. P. V. V. , Washington D. C.

I want you to tell me how Amanda is getting along and the rest of them may go to hell if they don’t think enough of me to write. I have wrote two or three times to them and got no answer.