The following letter was written by George M. Warner (1843-1864) who enlisted at age 18 on 21 August 1861 at Fairhaven, Vermont, to serve three years in Co. F, 2nd New York Cavalry—a.k.a. Harris Light Cavalry. He was captured on 3 November 1863 at Stevensville and eventually taken to Andersonville Prison in Georgia where he died on 27 July 1864.

The Harris Light Cavalry suffered heavy casualties at Beverly Ford and Aldie, Virginia, in the early phase of the Gettysburg campaign while the Army of the Potomac was en route to Pennsylvania. It was not engaged at Gettysburg, being stationed at Westminster, Maryland, instead, so one has to wonder as to the validity of George’s letter which describes his having been momentarily taken a prisoner in the cavalry fight on 3 July 1863 at Gettysburg when his horse was shot out from under him as Kilpatrick’s 2nd New York Cavalry attacked the rear of Lee’s infantry. It was in this attack, where Kilpatrick continuously charged the heavily fortified Confederate right flank, suffering heavy losses, that he earned the nickname “Kill-cavalry.”

Transcription

Headquarters
Harris Light Cavalry
Camp at Warrington Junction
August 3, 1863

Dear Cousin,

I received your letter some time ago and I was very glad to hear from you. I suppose, Eddy, that you expected to hear from me a good while ago but since we came out of Maryland, we could not get any paper nor envelopes and while we was in Maryland, I could not get time to write because we did not stop in one place long enough.

Eddy, I did not tell Mardin in my last letter how I was taken prisoner. I was taken at Gettysburg. We made a charge and I was along Gen. Kilpatrick and we charged onto some rebel infantry and I had my horse shot and they took me prisoner, took my arms away from me, and started to go to their rear when our cavalry came down upon them again and I jumped over a fence and got away from them so I saved myself from going to Richmond, I believe, but that was the hardest fight we ever had. It beats Bulls Run and Fredericksburg all to nothing because we got whipped, I suppose, at both of those places.

Eddy, I have but little news to write to you. Oh, I must tell you one thing. I went yesterday about five miles to get my picture taken and I when I got there, the darned artist had gone and pulled up stakes and left for Washington, I guess, to get more things, and if he did, he will be back and if he does, I will get my face taken. But I want you and Mardin and Frank to get yours taken and send to me.

Tell Frank that I should like to hear from her very much indeed. Give my love to her and to all of your folks. Where is Eugene now? I suppose that he will be drafted, won’t he? Eddy, I suppose you will be out here before a great while, won’t you? I suppose it is pretty dull times in __worth at the present time, is it not?

Well, Ed, I must close now so goodbye. Please write soon. Please accept this from, — George M. Warner, Esq.

Give my love to Father. Ed, send me some stamps please.