These letters were written by James Anderson (1840-18xx) who enlisted at Staten Island to serve three years in Co. F, 72nd New York Infantry. He mustered in as a private on 21 June 1861, was promoted to corporal no long after, and won his sergeant’s strips on 20 May 1863 — just after this letter was penned to his sister.
In the letter written just after the Battle of Chancellorsville (Letter 4), James informed his sister of the death of their colonel and of the heavy losses suffered by the 72nd New York Infantry [3rd Excelsior Regiment]. Major Leonard’s after action report claimed that of the 29 officers and 411 enlisted men of the 72nd entering the action at Chancellorsville, 104 were either killed, wounded, or listed as missing—one-fourth of the entire command. While searching the battlefield for missing and wounded under a flag-of-truce days days later, some boys of the 72nd learned the details of their colonel’s death causing the men to weep. Col. Stevens’s body was removed from a temporary burial at the Wilderness Church and sent home to Dunkirk.
Later in the war, Sgt. James Anderson of Co. F served as the Third Excelsior’s regimental color bearer—a dubious honor to be sure as it made him an immediate target in any assault. Indeed, he was twice wounded in action—first on 27 November 1863 at One-Mile Run, Virginia, and second, on 19 June 1864 before Petersburg which effectively ended his service.
Letter 1
Virginia
May 9th 1862
Dear Sister,
I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I received your likeness and letter.
We had a fight. Our loss was great but drove the rebels. I will send my likeness as soon as I can. I will send mother some money in this letter, $10.
Give my respects to all. Goodbye. I’ve no more time to write, Write soon. Direct your letter as before. [unsigned]
Letter 2
[The only time the 72nd New York camped on or near the White Oak Swamp was in late June 1862 during the Seven Days Battles. They fought there on 30 June 1862 in the Battle of White Oak Swamp as the Union Army retreated to the James River.]
Camp near White Oak Swamp, Virginia
May 2?. 1862 [see note above]
Dear Sister,
I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. In regard to my likeness, I cannot send it to you until I can get it taken. The weather is hot. The wheat is headed. The strawberries is ripe. Corn wants hoeing and no-one to do it. The rebels took all—both black and white—from [the fields].
You must excuse me for not finishing this letter. I have not had time. There has been another fight. The losses were great. The rebels were thick as the devil. I counted 18 on half the ground than that of the cow yard above the road. There is lots of men that is not buried. the battlefield is large.
I will send you my likeness as son as I can. There is no one to take it in here. The natives have left here.
I can’t think of anything more to write now. Direct your letter as before. Give my respects to all. Goodbye from your affectionate brother, — James Anderson
to Minerva Collins
Letter 3
Virginia
July 13, 1862
Dear Sister,
I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. You must excuse me for neglecting so long to answer your letter. I should have answered it before if I had time. We have not had time to wash since we left Fair Oaks. The Battle of Fair Oaks was such a sight as you never saw. I hope you never will. It was horrible. But we have left fields that was more horrible that the rebels admit that they lost forty thousand. [They] say that we lost twenty thousand. I haven’t heard from Mary Ann or Genoa since April. I haven’t heard from Margaret in some time.
I can’t think of anything more to wrote. Direct your letter to Co. F, 3rd [Excelsior] Regiment, Sickles Brigade, Washington D. C.
— James Anderson
Letter 4
[This letter is from the private collection of Richard Weiner and is published by express consent.]
May 18, 1863
Dear Sister,
I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. We have had another fight that lasts 10 days. The loss from our small regiment was great — the number I don’t know. Our Colonel [William O. Stevens was] killed — one that never will be replaced. I suppose that the loss is about 120 — 10 officers. The number killed I don’t know — this is the loss in killed, wounded and missing. But I am safe though our loss was heavy. But where we had 1 killed, the rebs had 10. They come out en mass and the lead and iron was poured into them volley after volley. The grape, the canister, the case and the shell swept them away like the dew before the sun in the days of July. They come out brigade after brigade and fell to the ground never to rise again. Yes, fell dead and wounded like the grain before the reaper’s sickle. Those days left many a fatherless child and many a widow to mourn the loss of that dear one that was slain. I will say no more of the war.
The box come all right. The tape was of no use. It was as wide again as I wanted. I thank you for it. I will send you some books that I would like to have you take care of for me. I will send you a dollar to pay the expenses on them. If I could hear from mother, I would send her some money. I think that she might have told me something about her going. I haven’t heard from any of them but you in some time.
Goodbye. From your affectionate brother, — James Anderson
To Minerva Collins. Goodbye. Direct as before.
Spared & Shared 23 