The following letter was written by Andrew Louis McFarlane (1822-1898) who initially enlisted in late March 1862 as a private in Co. D, 109th Pennsylvania Infantry and then transferred to Capt. James D. M’Gill’s Light Artillery in Knap’s Independent Battery E. Although Andrew’s letter expresses hope that he will receive a positive response to his application for a commission as officer in the US Colored Troops (USCT), I could find no record that he was even examined, let alone commissioned. It looks as though he did not join the battery until 1 March 1864 and he did not muster out until 14 June 1865.

Andrew was the son of Francis McFarlane (1762-1846) and Mary McWilliam (1777-1859). His first wife, Mary E. Larimer (1826-1863) died in 1863. His second wife—19 years his junior—Jennie A. Davis (1841-1914) lived until 1914. Jennie’s obituary claimed she was the widow of “Col. McFarlane.”

Andrew was born in New Castle, Lawrence county, Pennsylvania. At the time of his enlistment and after the war, he lived in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he was a farmer near Tinker Run.

Back in 2019 I transcribed two letters that were not signed that I knew to have been written by a member of Knap’s Battery. With this letter, based upon the handwriting, I’m able to conclude that these other two letters were also written by Andrew L. McFarlane. See—1864-65: Andrew Louis McFarlane to His Family.

[Note: This letter is from the personal 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

Bridgeport [Alabama]
April 18, 1864

Well I wrote a letter yesterday and I got one this morning. I got provision and hardware that you sent me. The pens were very good ones. Well maybe I will be home before harvest on a furlough at least. I will if I get what I have applied for. I have made application for a commission in a Colored Regiment. I have the application written out and am waiting on the 109th [Pensylvania] Regiment coming back. I want to get Capt. [Alfred] McGittigen’s recommendations for what time I was in the 109th. I have got [a] very good recommendastion from Captain M’gill for what time I have been in the battery, and after I get McGilligen’s, I will get General Geary’s and then I will send it to Nashville and if there is room, they will send me a notice and I will have to appear there before a Board of Examiners. And if I pass, I will get my commission and be discharged from the battery adn get all my bounty and pay.

Thomas Morgan is going to get a commission in a Colored Regiment. His application is sent to Nashville. There are two or three more trying for commissions. I am going to give it a middling hard twist [and] if I don’t get through, it will not be because I do not try. All that get through are entitled to 30 days furlough.

I suppose our trip down the Tennessee will be in the papers soon. I have had one of the infernalest sore necks ever you seen. There was a boil on one side of it as big as a teacup. I had a poltice on it two weeks and had it lanced three times by the doctor. It is getting better. I was sunburnt too. All the skin came off my ears. You would thought to seen my ears that I had been dogged some place.

Well, I will close this letter. This is Sunday evening. I will be on guard tonight. Write soon. Write soon. — A. L. McFarlane

Home

I will send a note that we captured when we took the post office at the town down the Tennessee River. It is not worth anything but you can say you have something that belonged to the rebels.