The following unsigned letter was penned in November 1840 from near Moorefield, Hardy county, Virginia [now West Virginia] which the author—a female—describes as the “wild woods.” The content of the letter informs us that the author was from Rappahannock county, Virginia, but was temporarily residing in Hardy county while working as a teacher. She wrote the letter to Miss Gertrude E. Green in Washington—the county seat of Rappahannock county in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley south of Front Royal. It was a major hub for trading and commerce in the area. I was unable to find much of anything on-line for Miss Green except for the mention of a letter that was addressed to her in Washington in 1842 by the Rev. Peter Leo Johnson, D. D. appearing in the Salesianum.

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Near Moorefield [Hardy county, Virginia]
November 5, 1840

Thank you a thousand times dearest Gertrude for your last letter; indeed it does my very soul good to receive such affectionate letters alone here in these wild woods. May you never know from experience how I prize them.

I have been very lonesome since I came from the Spring. Miss Nancy has been at home very little and Aunt Becky ges to bed almost as soon as it is dark. When not engaged with my books, my mind generally wanders to my absent friends, and amuses itself in speculating upon their various employments.

I hope you all had a pleasant time at Synod. Miss Nancy was very much pleased, particularly with the Radd’n company. In returning, they upset about 5 or 6 miles from Moorefield. Phebe was hurt very much. Her eyes were very black for a few days. She is well now—apropos of Phebe. What message was that John sent me? Something about its being reported here that I was engaged to be married to him, and he, “supposed I carried the joke on.” Now please, dear Gertrude, tell him to suppose no such thing; so far from carrying the joke on, I had never heard it before. I cannot imagine how he heard it for I do assure you. there has been no such report in Hardy [county]. Phebe told J. she had heard it, but she told me the only person she ever heard say anything like it was Aunt Betsy who she thought was vexed with me for not being willing to stay here, and in talking about my returning to Rappahannock, Aunt Betsy said she believed that was the reason. Poor Aunt Betsy is a very narrow-minded woman and when out of sorts, does not mind much what she says. All the girls know her so well, they do not regard her words at such times.

Uncle George had promised me to let Catherine go over with me as he would not employ Miss Gregory (of Rahway) but Miss Ewing does employ her without letting me know before spring. I told him and her to tell people that I would stay until spring, but as there was no written contract, their interest alone will be consulted. “Tis a selfish world we live in.”

I wish I had something intersting to write, my dear Gertrude, for I know you weary reading my little grievances. I almost wish I had a heart void of feeling, trifles annoy me so. If Miss E. had not said she would come here, I think my first class would have gone to Rappahannock with me though they did not like to engage for but five months at a time. Why will your ma not receive scholars for less than ten months? I think she will not get so many by it?

We have had a good many weddings since I saw you. I did not go to E[lizabeth] Gamble’s and George [E.] VanMeter’s [wedding] ¹ , but went to dinner at W. D. VanMeters small company for a Hardy wedding. The company left very soon and I was glad when it was time to go to bed. Your beau, the red head Pollock, was there. Ann J. says, “How do you like him?” I believe he is in the neighborhood now. He is trying to get a school but as everybody believes his motive is to follow his cousin’s example and get a Hardy wife, they would not employ him, if he would teach for nothing.

Elizabeth McMechen and Mr. Timberlake ² were to be married this evening but as Mr. A. Scott, her uncle, died yesterday, the wedding wil be put off until Tuesday. As [ ] would say, it seems the fates are against her. At the first, the family was opposed to it. Then Mr. Timberlake lost a brother a week or two ago. And now her uncle. Margaret still talks about you. She intended sending you an invitation.

I went to the election Monday and though I thought very silly to break up the school for it, yet I had to do it as the scholars would have gone anyhow. M. and I, with John Machin & assistance, had the honor of raising one Whig banner. All the merchants had two or three hung out. It was quite a lively day in Moorefield. When I left, Old Tip had about 200 votes, Van Buren 15. Miss Beggz’s father was there, the old Revolutionary soldier, and old Mr. McNeil who had not been in Moorefield before for twenty years.

If Aunt Nancy was here she would send you some message [but] she is at Aunt Polly’s. She was there all the time Mr. Scott was sick. She is an excellent nurse. Aunt Becky and Catherine say your Ma must come to the Presbytery next spring and bring all her children. They send their love. Ann J. and Phene said I must give their love to you all when I wrote.

When M. J. wrote, she said Dr. Leon’s was very ill with the typhoid fever. Has he got well? I hope Miss P. has entirely recovered and all are well at the Hermitage. Savilla’s so much dreaded nomination is over at last. She sent me the New York Advertiser in which it was puffed to the skies. I intended sending the paper but that lost it. Your Ma ought to have examinations and be puffed by the friends. Nothing is like it for keeping up schools. I send Vic the Rosebud with Miss Jacobs’ composition. Does Mr. B open your papers now?

Give my best love to H. S. Green. Tell M. J. it is time she had answered my letter. A great deal of love to her. I shall expect a letter very soon, full of news. To your ever dear Ma, my heart’s best love. You have no idea how much I want to see her and you all. Love to Victorine, Martha, and dear little Estelle. Tell Martha she ought to study French this winter of Susan McMuhen goes over with me. I would like them to be in a class.

Savilla spent the vacation with Miss Hunter of Delaware County, Pa. She thinks the Pennsylvanians very much like the Hardians, but more unpolished. The beaus think themselves very smart. She says they have that air. She was delegated with Philadelphians the short time she was there. The school commenced yesterday. I suppose she has returned. The examination lasted three days. A great many were there. She read Miss Lew’s composition. Her reading was very much praised. And Mr. Phelps told Miss Brown the Mathematical teacher that she had the art of making her propositions plain in demonstrating, which showed she understood what she was about which he thinks is the most essential thing in Geometry, I sent you an account of the examination I cut out of the Rayway paper but it is no so flattering as the one in the New York. Write soon, dear Gertrude. I shall be so happy to hear from you.

I saw your Uncle and Aunt Green in Moorehead a few days ago. your Uncle says he has heard Jack is taken wonderfully with Miss Ann J. C. Your Aunt was complaining of E’s not writing. They made many inquiries after you. They were at E[lizabeth] Gamble’s wedding.

¹ George E. VanMetter (1818-1855) and Elizabeth Williams Gamble (1822-1891) were married on 15 October 1840 in Moorefield, Hard county, Virginia.

² Ann Elizabeth McMechen (1819-1854) was married to Ambrose Cramer Timberlake (1819-1874) in November 1840. He was a merchant in Moorefield, Hardy county, Virginia [now W. Va.]

I have not yet been able to attribute this letter signed by “Oscar” to his sister, “C. J. Emerson” to any particular soldier. It seems apparent that Oscar was serving in the same company with a brother named William and that he possibly had another brother named Joe who served in another regiment. I think there is a strong possibility they enlisted from a Midwestern state because Oscar expresses interest in knowing the names of those killed at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.

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Newmarket, Va.
May 1st 1862

Dear sister,

I received yours of April 16th last night. We have both written since we had any letters from home. I wrote to Pa from Strasburg. We stay only a few weeks in a place but our letters follow along after awhile. I have been unwell for a few days from a severe cold and a slight touch of the jaundice, but I am much better today. William will speak for himself. He is now on drill.

I sent a box of books and clothing home from Strasburg by express thinking they would be worth the expressage at least. If I ever get there, they will be valuable to me. If not, do as you please with them. And if they never get there, they will cost nothing to anyone.

I should enjoy your lectures, society meetings, and public exercises very much and hope soon to be able to be with you once again and enjoy the comforts of friends, home and old associates. You perhaps hear the news and know the progress of the war better than we do. But we hope soon to be no longer needed in the tented field.

Give my love to Libbie in return for hers. I cannot but recur to the time spent at school at H. with pleasure and at times even now my heart longs for liberty to return again to my old associates. You spoke of teaching. Certainly teach even if you get only your board as you will be better prepared to meet life’s stern reality.

I have had no letter from Joe for near two months. I suppose he is at or near Yorktown. We have not yet heard who were killed at Pittsburg Landing. I see I am near the bottom of the page so I must close. Give my best respects to all who inquire and believe me your sincere brother, — Oscar

C. J. Emerson

The following letter was written by Elias Prather Musgrave (1844-1864)m the son of Jacob Eli Musgrave (1805-1857) and Elizabeth Flake (1813-1899) of Martinsville, Morgan county, Indiana. Elias and Mattie Evans were married in May 1863. Elias wrote the letter to his mother and siblings but primarily to his cousin George W. Flake (b. 1840) who lived in Martinsville too.

A relative, Walton Musgrave (1828-1874), is mentioned in the letter. In 1860, Walton was a farmer in Warren township, Marion county, Indiana. He was married to Olive Smith (b. 1841) in 1856.

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Indianapolis [Indiana]
January 23, 1862

Dear cousin, Mother, sister, and brothers,

This is to inform you that I am well and I might say I believe I enjoy the best health now that I ever enjoyed and my wish to is that when these lines come to you, that they may find you all in good health which is one of God’s great blessings. Health is good in the city; there has been a few cases of sickness but most of them have [not] proved fatal.

One of Walton Musgrave’s little twin girls has gone to the spirit land. Its remains were deposited in the graveyard last Lord’s day. All of the rest of the folks are well as far as I know.

The small pox has made its appearance just one square from where I live; the subject is a girl of 18 or 20 years of age. It has been some 5 or 6 days since the pox came out and I suppose she will be well in a few days.

I have not written this to give you uneasiness. I just merely thought I would tell you for there are several houses closer than the one in which I stay and it is certain that if it should spread enough to come to where I am, people would think it could not be checked. But this is not so. It is very easy checked and it is not considered as destructive as the measles. I would say there is no danger and you must not give yourselves any uneasiness for it is certain if I stay away from this disease and let it alone, it will let me alone.

I am better pleased this term than I have been since I entered college. The reason of this is I am out from under the teacher in the preparatory department. He is a good teacher but he cannot make the show as a teacher like those who are employed in the regular class of college teachers those to whom I recite this term have been teachers from five to forty years and their experience of course helps them to a considerable degree.

My happy days as a student are just beginning to dawn and if such pleasures as these are just the dawn of student’s life, who could describe scenes that would decorate his life near the close of his college course. If any life will give one joy and pleasure, it is the life spent in college.

George, many thing would I write had I the time but hope these few will serve for the present. But one thing more—that is I do hope that you and I will be permitted to live out our days in college life so far it goes for I do say with some experience there are more beauties in one year in college than in a dozen on the farm, or if you will let e use a figurative expression, the life of a student is as much more pleasant as a nice garden, all covered with flowers is more beautiful that a field covered with briars.

Time is precious. I must come to a close by asking one favor of you and that is this. Ask Michael if he has forgotten to write and if he has, just remind him of his duty. Yours truly, — E. P. Musgrave

I feel pretty confident this letter was written by Jacob Fisher (1823-1905) who was born in Germany in 1823 and came to Buffalo, New York in 1833 with his parents, and then came to Racine, Wisconsin about 1845. According to his obituary, he worked for many years for the Case T. M. Co. as a machinist. He did serve in the Civil War but did not enter the service until September 1864 as a recruit in Co. D, 16th Wisconsin Infantry. In this letter he claims to have enlisted in the 22nd Wisconsin but says he was “sorry” he enlisted and given that the regiment was urgently mustered in and moved out to Kentucky just a couple days after he wrote this letter, my hunch is that he was never mustered in. At least there is no one by that name appearing in the regimental roster. At the age of 36, Jacob married his first wife, Anna Stecher (1836-1911) in 1859.

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September 12, 1862

Mr. George Hall, dear sir, I now take this opportunity of writing a few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present and I hope these few lines may find you the same. I have enlisted and going to war. I should like to have come out there before I went off but I could not.

In regard to that little matter I have left it with Joeb Fisher and all the rest of my business. I am married and I am sorry that I enlisted but it can’t be helped now. I have bought a house and lot and I don’t know how I can keep it for I shall have to pay it before I can get the money, were it is coming to me. It would accommodate me very much if you would advance the money on those mules. I will throw off the interest which would make it one hundred and thirty-eight dollars. I said accommodate me but I mean my wife for I don’t know but I am past accommodation. But fools for luck, they say, and it may hit me. When you do send it, send it by express and then you will have a receipt to show that you have sent it and it will be all right. Send it to Jacob Fisher, Orfordville T., Rock county, Wisconsin

I hope I shall get a letter from you. You will please answer this at your first leisure time if you please. Direct to Jesse Edgerton, 22nd Regiment Wisconsin Vols. Racine, Wisconsin, in care of Capt. Miles

This unsigned or partial was written by a soldier who most likely served in the 37th Illinois, the 9th Missouri Infantry 9changed to 59th Illinois), the 5th Iowa Infantry, or 1st Kansas Infantry as they were brigaded together in late September 1861 at Boonville, Missouri, under the command of J. C. Kelton.

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Syracuse, Missouri
December 5th 1861

Friend Thompson,

Yours of the 1st inst. was received with pleasure. Was happy to hear that you was well but very anxious about Robert & so am I. I have done all that was in my power to ascertain the truth in regard to his destiny. You have as much information about him as I for all that I know about him is what I learnt from the Sergeant. Our sergeant has used his utmost endeavors to find out about him but cannot learn anything definite.

He was (as you have been informed) left at Humansville ¹ on the 2nd of last month. He was very bad if I can judge. He had been unwell ever since we landed at Boonville with a diarrhea but not very bad. He was able to be about but was not able to do duty & I am sorry to say that he would not listen to my advice until he was very bad & then he would not take my advice.

I wanted him to stop at Smith City but he would not, but he got along very [well] until we left Warsaw & then I done all that I could to have him stay at the hospital & the Doctor wanted him to stay but he was too ambitious for his own good and another thing that he would say that he did not like to stay with strangers, But my advice was that if he was a good boy, he would find friends. But the time come that he got so bad that he could not ride & we was ordered on a forced march. He and all that was not able to go & carry their guns and blankets and go on a quick march all day was left behind with all the knapsacks & other baggage.

He was spitting blood & blood was pooping from his bowels & you may know that he was bad. I could not do enough for him & he was always afraid that he was a burden to me & the last words that he spoke to me was that I was going to fight & he would lose all the glory. Poor fellow. He seems like a brother to me & all that I have to regret [is] that I could not do more for him that I did. And when we came back from Springfield, we did not come back the same way but I offered to go back by Humansville to learn as to what had become of him but things was in such a situation that I could not go.

One of our boys said that he saw a man that he said from the description that he gave of a man that was buried there that it must have been him. The Sergeant that you speak of was here the other day. He said that he saw you in St. Louis . He was making inquiries about Robert but we had not learned anything further.

And as to Price’s forces, there are all sorts of rumors but the half are not true. The word came to camp one day last week that Price was at Sedalia entrenching but when it was investigated, there was nothing of it. But the joke of it is that the whole brigade was ordered to march out there and when we got half way there, our scouts came in and reported all false & consequently we had to return without a chance at Price. And it is a fact that it is hard to find him for his army are so arranged that she he is about to be caught, they will scatter & turn up in some other way. [unsigned or partial]

¹ In the regimental history of the 59th Illinois Infantry, Humansville was described as a “small town in Hickory County, Mo., and is the only place where any demonstrations were made, in honor of the stars and stripes, between Boonville and Springfield. Here the soldiers of the Union were welcomed by the waiving of flags and the smiles of the women, and the kindly greetings of the citizens generally. A portion of Price’s army had passed through this place, some three weeks before, and had carried off all the goods belonging to the merchants, and had mistreated the inhabitants of the town and vicinity to such a degree, that they were heartily tired of their presence, and were rejoiced at the approach of the Federal troops….The sick of the regiment, had been increasing for the last ten days, to such an extent, that now there was no means of conveying them any farther. Thus far, they had been transported in wagons, but it was now necessary to select such as could not, in a measure, provide for themselves, and leave them behind. The Surgeon, therefore, fitted up the Meeting-house in town, in the best possible manner, and removed the sick to it. A cook, some nurses, and several days rations, were left with them. Poor fellows! they all nearly starved to death before they could get away, and three did die from the effects of disease and want of proper nourishment. After the army left, the patriotism of the ladies and gentlemen of the town, oozed out at their fingers ends, and our sick boys could get nothing from them. One man, John Clemens, of Co. H, who was very sick when taken there, died on the 4th of November. Bromwell Kitchen, of Co. F, soon followed, and Nathaniel B. Westbrook, of Co. A, died on the 20th. The others eventually found their way to the regiment.”

I have not yet learned the identity of this soldier whom I believe was probably from Ashtabula county, Ohio, and served in a three-month’s organization early in the Civil War, possibly the 19th OVI. More research is needed.

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Camp Goddard ¹
Zanesville, Ohio
June 12th 1861

Dear Etta,

I received your dear letter last night and at the same time Sam got one from Ellen. I have been waiting all of this week for a letter from our folks but have till this time heard nothing from them. Darling, you must excuse poor writing this time. I have been sick 2 to 3 days last week and although well now, I don’t feel quite so strong as I did before. I won’t be so nervous in a day or two. I hope you are well, darling. I beg of you to take better care of your (dear) self. I know it is carelessness with you. If you are real careful, dearest, and not look so much on the dark side of war, you will surely get well and I hope keep so. Since I heard you was sick, I couldn’t rest well nights not be contented day times. I always thought of you and I knew that your carelessness wouldn’t help you any in your sickness.

Darling, you must not get mad at what I say to you for you know I mean it all well and what I say to you is for your own good and also for mine so if you love me truly, my darling, and want me to feel contented here and keep in good health, then for my sake, take the best care of yourself for my sake and for your good.

We are still in this confounded camp and waiting for marching orders. I do wish they would call us in to action. We all want to go to Virginia but don’t know when we will go. The Government of this fine state is rather misusing us. We have not received our pay yet although our first month has long gone by. Our colonel started to Columbus last night to see about it and if possible get us away from here. The talk today is that all three-months men will be paid off and then sent home—that is, those who won’t go in for three years. I won’t go in for three years under any such mean government as this state has now got. I had thought of going in for three years under the U. S. Navy. It would be a good deal more healthy on the water than on land and although I have not said I would go, I can’t enlist till I get a consent from our folks and tat will be hard work for me to get it, and then further, I won’t go until I am insured that our aid is needed more than it now is.

I want you to advise me, dear one. I won’t go if you, Darling, says no. I don’t know how I can stay away from you, my dearest love, till my first campaign is up. But the next would be so much longer. Well, I will come to see you when my three months are up and then by that time I will know better and then both of us can talk it over. I won’t do anything about enlisting for three years till I see you so you can’t say I done as I wanted to without asking you.

I make awful poor work of this letter but I know you will excuse it considering where it comes from. I will do better next time.

Now about news. I am surely surprised to hear that H[arvey] J. Covell ² has been telling such lies about us. He ought to be ashamed of himself. I had a letter from him day before yesterday and he don’t like it as well there as he did when in our company. They had to build their barracks themselves and in the rain as well. They have a rather poor camp ground.

Dear Etta, kiss little Lilly for me and Fanny and Orson. [unsigned].

1 Camp Goddard in Zanesville. The camp’s first building, a barracks, was finished on May 15, 1861. Just two days later, Camp Goddard already contained nearly two thousand volunteer soldiers. The camp remained in use only during 1861.

² Harvey J. Covell (1835-1883) was the son of Silas Covell (1789-1853) and Eunice Latimer (1796-1865) of Rock Creek, Morgan township, Ashtabula county, Ohio. On June 1, 1861, Harvey joined the 23rd Ohio Infantry as a sergeant in Co. B. He later was commissioned a captain in Co. B, 6th USCT. See 1861: Harvey J. Covell to Louisa Olive Woolsey.

The following letter was written by Robert Stuart Morrison (1822-1902), the son of Thomas and Mary (Jennings) Morrison of Mount Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio. Robert was born in Green county, Pennsylvania, in March 1822. He graduated at Miami University (1852) and the Princeton Theological Seminary (1854), and until 1879 was a teacher and a minister of the gospel at Chicago and Louisville. While at the Miami University, Morrison, with five other students, founded the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

Morrison’s career as a minister, editor of religious publications, and teacher took him to Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri. He edited the Louisville Presbyterian Herald from 1854 to 1860. He was also co-editor of the Louisville True Presbyterian, which was suppressed by Union military authorities in 1863, during the Civil War.

In September 1869, Morrison established Westminster Academy, a co-educational school in Waterford, Ohio, where he was principal for six years. He was also the principal of Poplar Grove Academy in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He combined his teaching duties with regular preaching. From 1879 to 1881 he worked as a financial agent to eliminate the debts of Westminster College and established the Phi Delta Theta Missouri Beta Chapter, in Fulton, Missouri. After this he preached at various locations around Missouri, and founded churches in towns such as Gravois Mills and Tuscumbia.

In his letter, Morrison speaks of the weekly newspaper recently purchased by himself, Andrew Davidson, and Stuart Robinson, which they named The True Presbyterian. The first issue of the publication was 3 April 1862. At the time, Morrison lived fifteen miles south of Louisville.

From Morrison’s letter, we learn that he made a trip out to Camp Chase for the purpose of seeing his friend, Col. Joel Allen Battle, 20th Tennessee Infantry. The colonel was taken captive during the Battle of Shiloh in early April 1862. After being held in Columbus, he was later taken to the prison at Johnson’s Island where he was not exchanged until September 1862. Two of Battle’s son’s were killed at Shiloh—William Searcy Battle (1835-1862) and Joel Allen Battle, Jr. (1838-1862).

The letter was addressed to Mary Helen Voorhees (1833-1908), the daughter of Peter Albert Voorhees (1802-1883) and Maria Suydam (1806-1883). She married John Calvin Hoagland (1827-1894) in January 1868.

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Columbus, Ohio
26 May 1862

Dear Mary,

Your kind letter of May 5th is yet unanswered though since it was written, I have written once or twice. For the variety of news on pages 1 & 2, I thank you. We get the Intelligencer in exchange for the True Presbyterian and have read its fancy remarks. As to controversy for its own sake perhaps a few love it less than Rev. Stuart Robinson. In a small way it is a little curious that each name of each proprietor of our paper have the same number of letters, viz:

Stuart Robinson
Andrew Davidson
Robert Morrison

All sons, one born in Ireland but raised and educated in Virginia, another in Scotland, but trained so far as business is concerned in New York at Carters, and the third, whom you sometimes call your friend born in Pennsylvania but raised partly in Ohio, residing afterward in Dixie’s Land.

I have been here for several days, a looker on in Venice, a listener and a note taker in the court, making out reports for the True Presbyterian. The assembly is large—somewhere between 230 & 240. Of course no delegates south of the Border States. Saturday evening they passed a paper destined, I suppose, to send the Presbyterian Church in Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, and by & by, in some places north of us. It was Dr. Breckinridge’s paper on the State of the Country. The vote was taken by calling the ayes and noes & the vote stood 199 to 20.

The weather has been pleasant & this city is a pleasant, beautiful place. I wish to go out perhaps this p.m. to visit some friends taken prisoner at Pittsburg Landing—some of the first men of their region I have found here on their way as prisoners to Johnson’s Island at Sandusky on Lake Erie. One, and a friend, a Colonel of the 20th Tennessee, was here who had two sons killed in his regiment.

And I may not have the privilege of visiting you. Sorry for it. It is a hard penance to which I am consigned but I am loyal and yield to direction. If “I have not time” I would take it for such a privilege as to see the light of your countenance. May I not call to see you when you are abroad if I may not see you at home? e.g. at your Cousin Rev. Voorhees Gulick’s or at Brooklyn or somewhere else?

The counselor I need is of the kind that God alluded to when he said it was not good for man to be alone. That was the kind I spoke of.

In this wide work, God uses a variety of laborers & whether they should be nuns or not, some should be “mission teachers” but of course before a woman should forsake the natural, normal orbit in which God has placed her, God’s will so signifying should of course be clear, direct and unmistakable, not only to leave the one place but to go to a definite & new place. I am not in any great hurry, though I am not getting younger to marry. For one that I admire & love half so much as I do Mary of the Hermitage, I could afford to wait.

I do not wish to interfere with any arrangements for Ella’s benefit. But I must conclude whether I will or not at this time for “Books” is drawing apace at the Assembly. Whether I am ever permitted to write or see you again, may God bless you, Mary. I am either more or less than your friend, — Robert Morrison

The following letter was sent to me by Mark R. Terry who asked me to confirm his transcription of a record from the Union Provost Marshal’s Papers (see Union Provost Marshals’ File of Papers Relating to Individual Civilians, 1861–1867; Microfilm publication M345, 300 rolls; NAID: 2133278. War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; The National Archives in Washington, D.C.). Mark had a question particularly about the camp name and wondered if I might confirm the author’s identity. While I’m certain the author attempted to write “McLure” as the camp name—the McLure house being the headquarters of Gen. Rosecrans at the time, I am unable to confirm that the author was his g-g-g-grandfather of the same name though I think it’s likely. What’s not clear is whether the author wrote the letter from or to Camp McClure. In other words, was the McLure House used to hold prisoners? I did find some evidence that it was though it may have been only a temporary holding place. The October 19, 1861 edition of the Atlantic Democrat tells the story of a Mrs. Poole who was “placed in confinement at the McLure House, charged with aiding and abetting the escape” of her daughter charged with being a spy.

General William S. Rosecrans established his headquarters at the McLure House—a hotel on the Corner of Market and Monroe (now 12th) Streets in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia in December 1861. Rosecrans, who commanded all Union troops in western Virginia, at the time lived in Wheeling from December 1861 to March 1862.

Terry’s ancestor, Philip Obed Bosley (1818-1909) was born in and lived his entire life in Hardy county, (West) Virginia. Terry has found evidence from newspaper accounts that four men—one named “Bosley”—were arrested subsequent to the attack on the wagons of a Union foraging party not far from were his ancestor lived and it’s logical to conclude that any Confederate militia or guerrillas rounded up by the Union army would have been taken eventually to Wheeling for confinement. Terry’s ancestor was also married and had nine children by the time of his arrest in 1861.

There’s no evidence that Terry’s ancestor ever served officially in the Confederate service prior to or subsequent to his arrest, though he may have engaged in some guerrilla activity if the family bore anti-administration sentiments as Terry claims they did. Whether Rosecrans acted on Bosley’s Christmas Day petition for clemency is unknown but he was undoubtedly released sometime not long after as this part of Virginia fell under strong Union control by the spring of 1862 and most of its citizens lived unmolested.

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Wheeling, Camp McLure
December 25, 1861

To your honor General Rosecrans,

I hope you will forgive me for attempting to state my case to you. I was arrested about a month ago at my home but I had not been there more than a half hour till I was arrested. I was forced into the militia service but got released and returned to my helpless family—wife and nine children—and I have no way to maintain them only by days work and I never intend to take up arms again against the government. I am willing to take the oath.

Your humble servant, — Philip Bosley

The following letter was written by a Union soldier from the state of Pennsylvania and we know that he had a brother named Moses, but beyond that, there are very few clues that would afford us an opportunity to learn his identity. It was unsigned and there is no envelope. The letter was written on stationery of the 84th Pennsylvania but the directions he provides his brother for answering his letter appears to state that he was in Co. C of the 6th Pennsylvania Reserves (35th Penn. Volunteers). Soldiers in Co. C, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves were recruited in Blair and Westmoreland counties.

Transcription

Co. I, 84th Regt. Penn. Volunteer Infantry
Camp near Rappahannock Station. Va.
August 5, 1863

My dear brother Mose,

As it happens as I hain’t got any mail in some time, I thought that I would write a few lines to see if I can get a letter from you. I have not had a letter from you in some time. I want you to answer it as soon as you get it.

Well, Mose, we have had a hard march of it. We left camp the 10th of June and marched till the 1st of August when we arrived at Rappahannock Station where we are now and I expect to stay for some time and would like to hear from you.

We had a fight at Snicker’s Gap. There was but three wounded in our regiment. There was a hard fight yesterday with the cavalry. We seen the shells burst and heard the musketry. They was across the river. We was on picket when the firing commenced. We had to put on our cartridge box and take our gun in our hands and be ready to go in if we was wanted to.

So no more at present. So goodbye. Write soon. I have seen Harve Dishart and he said that he wanted you to write to him. Direct to Washington D. C., 6th [?] Pennsylvania Reserves, Co. C.