The following letter was written by Martin Van Buren Waite (1841-1923), the son of Martin Waite (1809-1897) and Lavina Louise Adams (1816-1850) of Ellington, Outagamie, Wisconsin. He wrote the letter to his sister, Esther Waite (b. 1843) while serving in Co. D, 1st Wisconsin Infantry. Muster rolls reveal that he mustered into the company on 5 September 1861 and remained with the company until 19 September 1863 when he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Chickamauga. He mustered out of the regiment at Milwaukee on 14 October 1864.

In his letter, written less than a month before the Battle of Chickamauga where he was taken prisoner. Martin wrote his sister of his hunch that “There is a big battle to come off before long.”

This letter is from the private collection of Evan Hammon and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.

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

Camp near Stevenson, [Alabama]
[Sunday] August 23, 1863

Dear Sister,

Your most welcome letter is at hand and received with the greatest pleasure and finds your brother in first rate health and enjoying himself as well as the times will admit. Esther, I can imagine the sorrowful feeling that a mother must have to depart with a little innocent darling like yours but perhaps it is all for the best. Esther, seeing that it is your request for me to name your little girl, I will have you call her Bertha if it is your will and her Maker’s.

Esther, it is Sunday here today, Gabe [Gabriel Cornish] and me has just been down town. Gabe got a pound of butter for a half dollar and I got a quart of onion for a half a dollar and a peck of potatoes for a dollar. We have had plenty of green corn and ripe peaches till we came in this place and here they are rather scarce.

Esther, I have just received a letter from Allen Potter ¹ and he said the folks are all well except Aunt Bathsheba [Waite Potter] and she has not been very well this summer. Allen says he is the father of a little girl.

Esther, it is quite warm weather here at present. General Rosecrans’ Headquarters are just across the railroad. He keeps right up to the front. Men from Bridgeport say that they are putting the pontoon bridges across the Tennessee [River] today and I heard [ ] bull dogs throwing shells into Chattanooga last night across the river last night. There is a big battle to come off before long.

Esther, I cannot think of anything more to write at present so goodbye for this time. — Martin V. B. Waite

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¹ Allen Potter (1839-1913) was Martin’s cousin, the son of William Potter (1809-1875) ad Bathsheba Waite (1811-1876) of Leon, Cattaraugus county, New York.