These letters were written by Pvt. Ephraim L. German (1836-1901) who enlisted in Co. K, 55th Pennsylvania Infantry on 3 October 1863. Ephraim was the son of Jacob and Harriet (Lace) German of Robersonia, Berks county, Pennsylvania. He was married to Isabella (“Belle”) Gruber (1843-1914) and had a daughter named Mary H. German (1862-1933) when he left to join the service.

Aside from witnessing the 1863 bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, the letters don’t reveal much about the war or the movements and duties of the regiment. They give us some indication, however, of the kinds of home troubles that plagued soldiers who were often distracted from their duty.

Letter 1

Port Royal Island, South Carolina
2 November 1863

Dear Father, Mother & Wife and all,

I write a few lines to let you know that we are not in Virginia as was the talk. We left Reading for Philadelphia and from Philadelphia to Port Royal in South Carolina. Beaufort is a very nice town on the island. Dear father, we were on board of a ship for ten days and nothing to eat, I was near starved. I was sick all the time and am not well yet.

We have been at Fort Sumter. I have been in the shelling of Fort Sumter and have been at Charleston. At Sumter there was a terrible cannonading. I never thought of seeing Sumter shelled. We are at Beaufort, Port Royal, South Carolina and we hear heavy cannonading at Charleston or Sumter yet. The time after we left Sumter, the ironclads renewed the fight.

Dear father, you know I am here to fight the battle of our Heavenly Father. Dear father, I beg for you to take my wife Isabella home. Take her and see that she will be cared for and I will send money home as soon as we get our pay. And if you take her home, then get her everything she has need of. And when the money comes home, you take that money and pay off what it costs. Take care of Mary. Father, take my wife home and then I am satisfied and then I can fight the battles of Liberty with pleasure. Father, do that for me and then I am all right as soon as I hear of the change. Send me an answer as soon as you have my wife at home. And then as soon as I get that money or as soon as we get our pay, I will send the money home.

You will please get her what she must have and it will be all right. Father, please do take my wife and child home. You know your son is fighting for our country. I am doing something for you, dear father, and now do something for me for God’s sake. I do not know when I will come home so take care of my family. If God saves me, I send money so that she can live and be supported. Nothing more at present. From your affectionate son, — Ephraim L. German

Directions. Send your letter to Company K, 44th Regiment P. V., Beaufort, Port Royal, South Carolina

If you want to send an answer, go to Samuel Kieser with the directions.

---

Letter 2

[Editor’s note: The following letter was found on Ancestry.com and explains a little better why Ephraim was so insistent that his wife Belle live with his parents rather than hers.]

Beaufort [South Carolina]
December 27, 1863

Dear Parents,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well at present time, hoping you to be in the same state of health. I don’t know what is the reason you don’t write me more letters. I have sent letters home and have not been answered. I would like it very much if you would answer every letter I sent home. Belle ought to sent me some letters.

Father has had no time sometimes to write when I was at home. Belle can go to her brother Harrison. He can write a letter for her. But if the weather is too bad, she shall stay at home. I don’t care for letters if she is with you. You can write me about her. Let me know whether she lives with you or not. It troubles me about it for we have hard times and then [to] have things in the head about home not being settled. I want you to let me know whether she lives with you or not. If she is not with you, I will be God damned if I will not bring this thing to a close. If she stays with her parents, I will not send her a darn cent of money and will not stay with her. If she is not with you, I will be damned if I come home. I will not do a thing for her. I will leave her and take Mary from her.

Her parents are the very devil. They done everything against me they could do. Now I want her to be with you. If she will stay at home with her parents, I will stay from her to when I come home again. Let me know whether she is with you or not. We will have payday in two weeks, or so they say. You shall let me know whether she is with you or not and not say she is if she is not. If she is not, I will not send her money. If she wants to be my wife, she must obey my orders. I will send her the money if she is with you. Your affectionate son, — Ephraim L. German

Dear wife,

I would like to see you with my parents for I know that my father will get you things and then you can stay with him till I come home. You know that I will never make up with your parents and if you will stay at [their] home, we will be separated. Take care of Mary. If you will do what I tell you, you shall have the money. From your affectionate husband, – Ephraim L. German