The following letters were written by Hamilton Campbell Rankin (1839-1863) of Farmington, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, who enlisted as a recruit in Co. K, 112th Pennsylvania Infantry (2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery). He mustered into the Battery in early August 1862 and died while in garrison at Fort Saratoga near Washington D. C. on 23 May 1863. His cause of death was recorded as Typhoid Pneumonia.
These letters were found in the Pension Records at the National Archives as evidence that Hamilton’s mother, Margaret Ann (Ritenour) Rankin depended on the money her son sent home to her during the nine months he was in the service. Hamilton’s parents were John Rankin (1803-1880) and Margaret Ann (“Betsy”) Ridenour (1805-1892) who had a small farm on the Alleghany Plateau within the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania, some 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Fort Saratoga was one of the temporary earthen forts constructed in the northeast quadrant of Washington City to protect the Nation’s Capital. It was begun in August 1861 and worked on considerably by the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery during the time they were in garrison there.
Images of these letters were provided to me for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by Brian Rhinehart, a descendant of Hamilton Rankin.
Letter 1
Fort Saratoga
February 17th 1863
My dear beloved mother,
U take this present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am well and doing well and I hope that these few lines may find you well and in good health and enjoying the same God’s blessing. My dear mother, I received your kind and welcome letter today and oh how glad I was to hear from you [and] to hear that they was all well [at home] but I was sorry to hear that you was not well. My dear mother, these few lines is in answer to your kind and welcome letter.
Today, my dear mother, I will send you five dollars in this letter. My dear mother, I will send you another likeness after payday. I will go to the city and get it taken.
My dear mother, I don’t think that there is no danger of this regiment a leaving here any[time] soon. I think that this war will end in four or five months more and then I think that we will all get home once more. My dear mother, I han’t been uneasy yet since I have been in the army but what I would get home. My dear mother, you needn’t to send me no handkerchief. I have one. You needn’t to get that likeness cased for I will send you a better one.
I was very glad to hear that the cattle was getting along as well as they was. I was very [sorry] to hear that one of the hogs was dead. My dear mother, I don’t think that won’t be long till old father will be drowned since he has got in the den of wolves. My dear mother, I sent you four dollars in the other letter and you did not tell me whether you got it or not. And I want you to let me know whether you got it or not. Nothing more but I still remain your affectionate son until death. Goodbye, — H. C. Rankin
To Margaret Rankin
My dear brother,
I take this present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am well and I hope that these lines may find you well and in good health. I was very glad to hear that you got home. My dear brother, I want to know how much you made while you was gone. I want you to travel over to town so that mother needn’t to go to travel through the snow. My dear brother, I want you to send me your likeness that you got taken at Uniontown if you hain’t give it to your girl [already]. Nothing more at this time but I still remain your affectionate brother until death. — H. C. Rankin
to William H. Rankin
Letter 2
Fort Saratoga
February 28th 1863
My dear beloved mother,
I take this present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am well and doing well and I hope that these few lines may find you in good health and enjoying the same God’s blessing. My dear mother, I received your kind and welcome letter today and I was very glad to hear that you was well and doing well. My dear mother I was very sorry that you wasn’t very well nor none of you weren’t very well. But i hope that when these few lines may find you all in good health. My dear mother, you needn’t to save that money for wintering the cattle for I will get paid off the 15th of the month. You can use it when you need anything. You can do just as you please about selling the cattle but you had better not sell them till next summer and then maybe you can get a bigger price for them. But you can do what you think is best for yourself.
My dear mother, I would like to see you and cousin Adeline a coming down where I would like to see you a coming down here if I can’t get off. I will come up some evening and then we will have a big conflab—a big conversation. My dear mother, I want you to do the best you can till I get home and keep in good heart and put your trust in God, our dear Savior, for He is a father to all. My dear mother, I woul like to see you and be at home with you tonight. My dear mother, I want you to let me know where the cattle are. Where are you grazing them around at? And I want you to let me know what colt that you are wintering.
My dear moter, you needn’t to save my money for me when I get home for if I get home, I can do without it and if I don’t get home, I won’t want it and you can use it if you need anything. I want you to let me know whether William is a going to Pittsburgh or not. My dear mother, I hain’t got much to write at this time but I will remain your affectionate son until death. My dear mother, I am going to try and do better that I have been doing for I think that it is full time to turn to the Lord and serve Him. My dear mother, give my love and best respects to all my dear friends and to all the pretty girls. I hain’t got much to write, so nothing more. Goodbye. Write soon. — H. C. Rankin
To Margaret Ann Rankin
Letter 3
Fort Saratoga
May 5th 1863
My dear beloved mother,
I take this present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am well and in good health and I hope that these few lines may find you well and enjoying the same God’s blessing. My dear mother, I received your kind and welcome letter today and oh how glad I was to hear from you to hear that you was all well and in good health and enjoying the good blessing of God.
My dear mother, I would like to see you and be at home with you tonight. Well, mother, I was very sorry to hear that the rebels was there in that part of the country. I wish that we was there to drive them out of the neighborhood. We heard that they was in Fayette county but I guess that they hain’t got there. We heard that they was in Pennsylvania but I guess that they hain’t yet in Pennsylvania and we heard that they had taken Warrington and that the rebel flag [was] on the Court House. We heard that they hadn’t crossed the river. We heard that they went back again and I hope to God that it may be so. But if they got there, I would like to be there if I have to fight. I would like ot fight close at home when there is some of it to do.
My dear mother, I was very sorry to hear that Elic and Hester Ann had such bad luck. Elic’s loss will be pretty hard for him. He will have a hard way to get along and it will be pretty hard on Hester Ann. Her losing her [son?]. He was a good deal of help to her. My dear mother, we got paid last Sunday week ago, It came very unexpected to us. My dear mother, I will send you ten dollars in this letter. I thought it best not to send my money too soon after pay day. You must not think hard of me not sending it any sooner. If you received this money, let me know in the next letter and write soon as this comes to hand.
My dear mother, I am very tired tonight. I have been at work all day hard and have to work every day. We are working at a fort. We are a building a fort that is ot contain one hundred guns. My dear mother, I have plenty of stamps. I will send you some back home. I don’t think this war will last much longer for the rebs is getting much tired of it as well as we are. I think that this summer will close this war. It is much trouble to all people.
My dear mother, I can’t write a very big letter this time. I will send you some more money in the next letter. Don’t let your letters lay in the post office [where someone] might open them. My dear mother, I guess I must close for this time. I send my love to you and all my enquiring friends. Nothing more. Write soon. Goodbye. — Hamilton C. Rankin
To Margaret A. Rankin
My dear friend, I drop a few lines to let you know that I am most well and I hope that these few lines may find you well and in good health. I received a few lines from you some time ago but having no opportunity of answering them, I have got back to camp again. I hain’t much to tell you at this time. Write soon. Nothing more.
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