Jacksonville, Florida | Spared & Shared 23

The following letter was written by Benjamin Linton (1841-1903), the son Hezekiah Linton (1789-1858) and Elizabeth Hibbard Davis (1805-1886) of West Fallowfield, Chester county, Pennsylvania. Benjamin was working as a school teacher in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, where, at age 20, he enlisted in Co. B, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. He reenlisted as a veteran at Fernandina, Florida on Mar. 15, 1864, to date Jan 1, 1864 and was wounded in the left hip during the action at Petersburg Mine (Battle of the Crater) on July 30, 1864. He was absent at muster out on account of wounds while in the U. S. Hospital at Hampton, Virginia, and was discharged at the hospital to date August 28, 1865.

He was working as a clerk in Philadelphia when he died of Brights disease in 1903. His widow was Rebecca (Roberts) Linton (1842-1933).

To read other letters by member of the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, see: John L. Hosmer, F&S, 97th Pennsylvania (1 Letter)
Harvey Kauffman, Co. C, 97th Pennsylvania (1 Letter)
Isaac Smedley, Co. C, 97th Pennsylvania (1 Letter)

*This image showing Union troops marching down Second Street in Fernandina, was published on March 4, 1862.*

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Jacksonville, Florida
April 7th 1862

Friend Emily,

I received thy welcome and interesting letter some time ago and want of time and dislike for writing I will have to offer as an excuse. I have just finished eating supper of which we had a little extra this evening. It was not such as Uncle Sam provides for his labors, but it was bought by us Soger Boys who have not forgotten what is good. It consisted of fish the size of which thee can judge when I tell thee that two of them was sufficient for 85 men. We had with them buckwheat cakes which were baked by myself and I think I can do it just right. These with butter and molasses and plenty of good coffee formed the supper which to us really tasted good. But to change the subject I will give the same account of where we have been since I wrote before.

I believe we were then on Hilton Head Island. We left there the 21st of January and got on the Steamer Boston where we remained until the 3rd of February, and then owing to our being so crowded, three companies of us, B, C, &F, got onto the Belvedere where we remained until the 10th of February. We then landed on Warsaw Island off the Georgia [coast]. This we found to be the most desolate place we had been. There was not the least vestige of habitation upon it. In fact, none could endure it. We remained here nine days until the 19th. We then got on the Belvedere again where we remained until the 6th ultimo. We then landed in Fernandina on the Amelia Island, so we were on the water most of the time for six weeks and at the end of that time find ourselves within aboyut two hundred miles of the starting point, which journey might have been accomplished in one day. But I guess they want to make sailors as well as soldiers of us.

Amelia Island is separated from the mainland by the St. Mary’s River. Fermandina is a beautiful town. The houses are all frame but well finished and nearly new, as it is only about seven years [since] the construction of the town commenced and it has now (or had before we came) a population of about three thousand inhabitants. But most of them fled before we got there. By the time we got well enough acquainted with the place to begin to feel like home, we were ordered to move for it is not the soldier’s destiny to remain long in one place. So on the 24th ultimo, we again got on the Steamer. This time we were put aboard the Cosmopolitan. We ran out the St. Mary’s River into the great Atlantic. We then took a southern course to the mouth of the St. John’s River. Here we turned in and ran up to Jacksonville. Her we landed about 5 o’clock the same evening—the first time we had been on the mainland for about four months.

Jacksonville is situated on the left bank of the St. John’s River. It is a fine town—about three times as large as Fernandina. We have taken up quarters in the houses vacated by the Secesh. Our company is in a large brick house at the corner of Bay and Laura Streets. It was formerly used as a store under the firm of Bisbee & Canove, but they with many other citizens fled before we came. All who remained now profess to be Unionists. The man is still here who first raised the Secesh flag in this town. He now proclaims as loudly as any for the Stars & Stripes and the Constitution. As I have nothing more to write of our journeying and I can think of nothing more that will be interesting, I will have to conclude. Give my respects to all the folks and all inquiring friends.

Don’t forget to write soon for thee cannot imagine the desire of a soldier to receive letters from his friends and acquaintances from whom he is so far ermoved without the expectation of seeing them for some time. And we do not know that we shall be allowed the privilege of ever returning home to see those we have left behind. We can but hope and pray for the best. And if we are not permitted to meet again on earth, let us meet in heaven where we shall never part again. From your friend, — Benjamin Linton

Camp 97th Reg. P. V. Col. H[enry] R. Guss

P. S. Give my best respects to Abbie and tell her I wish her much happiness in the new position of life in which I understand she has taken upon herself. — Benjamin Linton

N. B. Mr. Nelson Boyer sends his best respects.

*I could not find an image of William but here is Henry C. Lockwood who served in Co. C, 75th OVI (Photo Sleuth)*

This letter was written by William G. Sturges (1845-1878), the son of William Sturges (1818-1899) and Susan Ann Ludlow (1822-1861) of Lockland, Hamilton county, Ohio. He wrote the letter to Mary Ann Stevens (1844-1924) with whom he would marry in December 1865.

William enlisted in Co. A, 75th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) on 23 September 1861 at the age of just 16. He committed to a three-year term of service and was originally scheduled to be discharged in September 1864; however, he was captured on 17 August 1864 during the Battle of Gainesville, Florida, and was not mustered out until 25 May 1865 in Columbus, Ohio. Mary Ann’s brother, James Stevens, who served alongside William in the same company—referred to by William as “my brother too, now”—tragically did not survive the war, having been killed in the same battle on 17 August 1864. Another of her brothers, Albert Stewart, also served in the same company and chose to reenlist, ultimately surviving the conflict while serving in Co. K.

Transcription

Jacksonville, Florida
March 29th 1864

My darling Mary,

It is with te greatest of pleasure that I now sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and do sincerely hope that these few lines will find you enjoying the same good health. I sent you a few lines by Albert and would like to have come home with him but I could not enlist for three years more to get home for thirty days. Indeed, I think too much of some person at home for that and that person is my dear Mary A. I suppose you know the rest of her name. My dear, would willingly reenlist just to spend thirty days with you but then to think of the three years would break my heart and maybe some persons at home.

I am very sorry that Albert enlisted and indeed, I done all I could to keep him out but all in vain. He would not listen to James nor I. At one time he said he would not enlist unless he could get in csavalry but he changed his mind and went in the infantry. My dear, I hope and pray that you will forgive me for keeping it from you so long for it was Albert’s request that I should do so and I think it is the best we cold have done for it would have made you feel a great deal worse if you had heard it before he came home. I suppose, my dear, that you have heard of the death of Michael Butler. He was a good soldier and we don’t yet know the cause of his death. ¹

Our regiment is better drilled and better looking in every way—only in size—than I ever saw it before and I hope it will look as well when our time is out which is less than six months. And oh, dearest Mary, if I ever get to come home, you may be assured that I never shall leave you again for any length of time. I do wish we could meet this very might. I think it would be a joyous meeting as you said in your letter. I don’t think I would be so bashful if I could see you this evening. Oh, I do wish the next six months were past. I feel as though I was a slave under some hard master. If it was not for your letters and your brother James (my brother too now), I don’t know what I would do. And you talk so kind to me that it fairly makes the tears run down my cheeks to read your letters. The folks at home think that soldiering makes a person hard-hearted, but I tell you, they are mightily mistaken for I think it makes a man tender-hearted instead of hard—especially those that have friends at home and have any feeling for them. But this is not interesting to you.

My dear, I don’t know whether any of my letters are interesting to you but there is nothing new going on down here anyhow and I don’t know who could write a good interesting letter. I will now close by telling you to reply soon. James sends his love to you and the family. Give my love to all the family and receive the same yourself, my dear. I will close this from your ever faithful, — William G. Sturges

To Mary A. Stevens

Please excuse my writing. Address William G. Sturges, Co. A, 75th OVI, Ames Brigade, Jacksonville, Florida

This was wrote in haste. Think of Willie. We have missed you.

¹ Michael Butler died on 18 March 1864 in camp. His cause of death was not stated in the regimental roster.