The following letters were written by 30 year-old William M. Lunn (1832-1863), the son of Joseph Lunn (1785-Bef. 1850) and Sally Dodge (1790-Bef. 1850) of Coos county, New Hampshire. William was married to Catherine (“Cate”) H. Stone (1830-1921) in 1853. They had three children, Rosina (b. 1854), George (b. 1858) and Joseph (b. 1860). In the 1860 US Census, the family took their mail at the Stark Post office in Coos county where William earned his living as a farmer.
William enlisted in Co. E, 14th New Hampshire Infantry on 23 August 1862 and died of disease in Washington D. C. on 9 November 1863. After the regiment was mustered in at Concord, it was sent in October 1862, to Washington, D. C., where it camped on East Capitol Hill before establishing winter quarters at Poolesville, Maryland. From November 1862 to April 1863, the 14th NH served picket duty along the upper Potomac River. In April 1863, the regiment moved its quarters to Camp Adirondack, in northeast Washington D. C. From April 1863 to the end of the year, the 14th NH performed guard duty at Old Capitol Prison, at the Navy Yard Bridge (Benning’s Bridge), and the 6th Street Wharf.
William’s formal education appears to have been limited, as evidenced by his very poor handwriting and composition. I have interpreted his intended meaning as faithfully as possible.
Through the years I have transcribed many letters by members of the 14th New Hampshire. They include:
Alexander Gardiner, F&S, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
John Amsden, Co. A, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Frank Tileston Barker, Co. A, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Alonzo C. Packard, Co. A, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Otis G. Cilley, Co. D, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Henry Calvin Day, Co. D, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
George W. March, Co. D, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Solon Augustus Carter, Co. G, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Austin Abel Spaulding, Co. G, 14th New Hampshire (6 Letters)
Leonard Erastus Spaulding, Co. G, 14th New Hampshire (13 Letters)
John Warner Sturtevant, Co. G, 14th New Hampshire (3 Letters)
John Warner Sturtevant, Co. G, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Thomas L. Scriven, Co. H, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Daniel Colby Currier, Co. I, 14th New Hampshire (3 Letter)
Daniel Colby Currier, Co. I, 14th New Hampshire (1 Letter)
Letter 1
Tuesday, October 28, 1862
Dear Cate,
I have moved from the City of Washington. We started from the city last Friday and marched 4 miles or to Georgetown and lay our knapsacks [down] and then we put them aboard of a small boat and then marched 11 miles and then camped on the blankets on the ground with our blankets. [We] then got up in the morning and marched 20 miles to Seneca and then we was about [ ] 5 miles and we marched 2 and a half only and rode the same, and then we went onto picket guard that night and the next day it rained like thunder and the mud was six inches in depth and [we had] no tents hardly and when we woke up the next…[quarter section of paper where an image that adjoined the words to the Star Spangled Banner was excised]
…ferry. We are now in Maryland. I wrote that you should send the Concord papers to me for I can’t hear no news. There was a man drowned in the [Chesapeake & Ohio] Canal. Only one or two papers for it would not hardly pay.
Tell the youngens that I am a comin’ home by and by. The orders come last night for every man to sleep on their arms for the rebels was on the other side of the Potomac River. We are encamped about 75 rods from the Potomac and the Rebels are on the other side of the river.
Direct your letter to Washington and write soon for we have got about sick of writing. Direct to Washington D. C. Mr. William Lunn, Co. E, 14th Regt. NHV.
Excuse mistakes.
Letter 2
Camp Adirondack [in northeast Washington D. C.]
June 10, 1863
Dear wife,
I now take my pen to let you know how that I am a getting along. I ain’t so well as I was when I wrote to you before but I ain’t sick abed now. That paper that Josh got was for Joseph. There was a mistake made in [addressing] him and I want that you should go over and get it. Take the letter and read it to him so that they won’t think that you lied about it, but it was for Joseph now, sure.
I am a going to send you a 5 dollar bill in this letter for you, You can use it as you want to. You will get a letter this week and a paper. I want that you should write whether the steers are very [ ] about fence or not.
You may give Rosina the picture side of this letter. I want that you should make me a pair of outside woolen shirts and you may color them what you are a mind to and have them so that you can send them this fall.
How does the grass look? Does it look as though there was going to be much hay cut this [summer] or not. I don’t think of much more to write so goodbye for this time. Write soon. Write all the news. This from William M. Lunn
