The following letter was written on 5 March 1862 from an encampment on Meridian Hill in Washington D. C. The soldier’s name appears to be Charles Jessup but I have not been able to identify his regiment. He must have only just arrived in Washington having passed through Pittsburg and across Pennsylvania to Baltimore before arriving in Washington. He was, therefore, likely to be from a “western” state like Ohio, Illinois, Indiana or Michigan. My hunch would be the latter.

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Washington [D. C.]
March 5, [1862]

William Castle,

It is with much pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well. I should like to see you and all of the rest of the folks that I used to be with around there. Although I am now far from you all, I haven’t forgotten about you all that I used to see when I was there. Do you remember the meeting they had at the log school house the night before I started for the rapids. Ask Enoly is she has forgotten that she has. Tell her to put on her thinking cap. The rest of the folks that I used to know when I was there—tell them that I would like to see them and be there to go to the [ ] with them and you.

I have seen the large mountains that are in Pennsylvania. I have seen where they dug through rocks from one to two hundred feet. I have rode from a quarter of a mile to a mile and a quarter under ground. I have seen some pretty nice cities since I left there and some that weren’t so nice. Pittsburg was the worst looking place that I saw since I left there and Baltimore was the nicest place I did see.

I should like to live in Baltimore. I was in the fort in Baltimore when I was there. I tell you that the large guns looked pretty saucy to point at a man. Our men had to keep the town guarded for fear of the rebels breaking onto them. We stopped in Baltimore one day so I had a good chance to see the city. Miles Filey and myself went downtown while I was here and the lieutenant of our company and we had a pretty nice view of the city.

We are on Meridian Hill. We have a pretty good sight for to look out on the Potomac river and see what’s on there. The Sixth is within the half a mile of us. I am down to the Sixth now. I do like this part of the country very well.

As I find my sheet pretty near full, I will bring my letter to a close. You must excuse my bad writing for I haven’t no place to write but to take my pen and paper on my lap and write. So goodbye to you, — Charles H. Jessup

This letter was written by Elizabeth Fullerton (1822-1899), a native of Country Antrim, Ireland, who married George B. Hill (1818-1895) on 29 May 1850 at Ballycastle, Ireland, and came to the United States shortly afterward. Elizabeth was the daughter of James Fullerton (1790-1841) and Marcella Stewart (1790-1864).

Elizabeth wrote the letter to Alexander Turney Stewart (1803-1876), an Irishman who moved to New York and made his multimillion-dollar fortune in the most extensive and lucrative dry goods store in the world. Stewart was born in Lisburn, Ulster, Ireland, and abandoned his original aspirations of becoming a Presbyterian minister to go to New York City in 1823. He spent a short time teaching before returning to Ireland to receive the money his grandfather had left him, purchase some Belfast linens and laces, and return to New York to open a store.

Stewart had extraordinary skill in business, and by 1848 he had built a large marble-fronted store on Broadway between Chambers Street and Reade Street, which was devoted to the wholesale branch of his business. In 1862 he built a new store covering an entire city block between Broadway and Fourth Avenue and between 9th and 10th streets. It was eight stories tall and attracted the wonder and business of upscale New York. Trainloads of wealthy customers from outlying cities came to shop. Stewart made most of his money through wholesaling and especially New York City real estate. He opened branches of the company in other parts of the world and owned several mills and factories. He had an annual income of US $1,843,637 in 1863 (equivalent to $35.8 million in 2023). His business success is estimated to have made him one of the twenty wealthiest people in history as of 2007, with a fortune equivalent to approximately US$90 billion in 2012.

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Mr. A. T. Stuart,

Dear sir—it is in compliance with a request from Mother that I now write you. She is living at a place called Walkmile Bally Castle, County Antrim, Ireland, about 40 miles from Belfast where you dispatched the brig Jessie Banfield loaded with corn & provisions for the suffering poor. She having seen this announcement in their weekly paper hopes that in you she has a lost nephew, or cousin, she having both of that name in this country, but with the early history of the former. Mother used to make her children more familiar, she having lived in her brother Alex’s house while going to school in Belfast where he was a merchant for some years, I do not recollect how many.

About the year 1811 he with his wife & two children Thomas and Mary Jane left Belfast for New York where they arrived safe, Mother having a letter from them shortly after. The next news she got of them was that her brother & his wife were both deadm leaving their children amongst strangers, On hearing this she wrote at once in hopes of getting them home again. Grandmother Stuart was then living & wished to have the children brought up in her care, but this was not to be for no letter that Mother or her wrote was ever answered so they concluded that someone had taken the children to raise who did not wish them to know their whereabouts.

All Mother’s brothers came to this country and are all dead but one. George who was a merchant in Danville, Kentucky, when we last heard from him. Grandmother lived with us after her last son came to this country. She died in 1826. Mother & one sister is all that is living of that family. Mother is now 70 years of age & Aunt Faris 5 years older. I am Mother’s fourth daughter. Was married in 1850 to George B. Hill, a second cousin of my own who had been in this country for nine years previous & had come home for a few months to visit his native land. He & I came to Illinois where we still live & have a comfortable home. George getting land enough for a large farm though we have none.

Now dear sir, you will excuse me this writing you when I tell you that Mother’s last words to me were “try to find out brother Alex’s children, They were as dear to me as you are.” Should you be her nephew, I will be glad to communicate the news to her not because you are rich & great but because of your benevolence & generosity towards your suffering countrymen for which you will, I trust, realize all the blessings contained in the 49 Psalm, 3 first verses. Please address me, Mrs. E. Hill, Iacusa, Christian county, Illinois. Should you ever visit Illinois, you will receive a hearty welcome from myself, your sincere friend, — E. Hill

I believe this letter was written by Andrew Jackson (“Jack”) Culp of Co. F, 8th Ohio Infantry (3 months). The regiment was organized 29 April through 2 May 1861 at Camp Taylor near Cleveland (and was mustered into service for 3 months on 2 May. Its nine companies were composed of men from northern Ohio, with Co. B representing the Hibernian Guards. The 8th Ohio was transferred on 3 May to Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati where they remained until June 22, 1861. Many of the soldiers in the regiment reenlisted for three years but it doesn’t look like Jack did.

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Camp Dennison
June 20th 1861

In answer to your letter of the 19th, it conveyed very interesting accounts. Now Jim if ever you see that self named sergeant, just give him a sufficient dressing. Every statement he has made was false. The only office he ever had was Officer of the Guard House and the reason of his holding that station was refusing to permit having the Stars & Stripes in his tent. He refused to let it remain in his tent and was marched into the Guard House immediately. And as for the conduct of the soldiers in the town of Milford, it was all a point blank lie unless he was actor because there has been no conduct of such a nature in this camp to my knowledge. Now Jim, just expose him to all the community and let him be respected likewise.

As for your drill officer Mok, just tell him that he has our wishes as to his success but they would be more friendly if he had remained. Tell him to give the boys plenty of fatigue. Now Jim, you should have been here and have seen their escort out of camp. Three groans was about all the expression of feeling toward them. But success to the four fellows now in their different occupations—drilling, lying, &c.

Well Jim, I will close by giving you the most interesting news. We leave tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. We are all right. Answer soon as received. From your friend, — Jack Culp

The following brief letter was written by Daniel Egbert, Surgeon, USN, to Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding respecting the capture of his son, Lt. Tattnall Paulding (1840-1907) during the Gettysburg Campaign and spent time in Libby Prison. [See—1863: Tattnall Paulding to Hiram Paulding].

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46 Saratoga Street, Corner St. Pauls
Baltimore [Maryland]
July 11, 1863

Dear Admiral,

My son, Dr. Harry C. Egbert, 12th U.S. Infantry, Commissary of 1st Army Corps & aide to Gen. Newton, was taken prisoner on the night of Thursday’s battle at Gettysburg. He made his escape in the mountains on the 5th July & wrote me 7th Inst.

He requests me to write to you “and say your son [Lt. Tattnall Paulding] in the 6th U.S. Cavalry is a prisoner and quite well.” I presume you need have no further anxiety in his case, until he is paroled or exchanged. I presume he was among the 3 or 4,000 who refused to be paroled on the field of battle.

I am, dear Sir, yours very truly, — Dan. Egbert, Surgeon U. S. N.

To Rear Admiral Paulding, Commanding US Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York

The following 1861 letter was written by a clerk in the Larrabee & North Military Goods store located at No. 174 Lake Street in Chicago. The 4-page lettersheet displays printed illustrations of military goods for sale on the first page and includes a hand written letter to 24 year-old James Savage, a British-born member of the U. S. garrison at Fort Mackinac, Michigan. This most interesting promotional lettersheet has cuts of 25 different items, including officer’s swords, epaulettes, saddles, hats, and other items to outfit officers in the newly expanding Union army.

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Chicago, [Illinois]
2nd May 1861

Mr. James Savage
Mackinac, Michigan

Dear Sir,

We have delivered your fatigue cap to Messr. A. T. Spence & Co. for shipment to Propeller Sun this evening.

The cap is $1.25. We therefore enclose in stamp 25.00 to balance amount of your remittance.

U. S. Staff button vest we have sold two qualities at 3.00 & 4.50 per gross. At present we are out and find it very difficult to get at any price. We have scarlet cord for trousers at 3/– per of 12 yards. Have no lace except gold & silver.

Yours truly, — Larrabee & North

[ ]
Jas. Savage, care of Toll & Rice, Mackinac

I can’t be certain of the identity of the author of this letter. Only because I recently transcribed a letter by Robert Hill of Osweatchie, New York, who served in the 106th New York do I have a hunch that it may have been written by:

MILLS, FREDERICK H.—Age, 21 years. Enlisted, August 7, 1862, at Oswegatchie, to serve three years; mustered in as corporal, Co. C, August 27, 1S62; mustered out with company, June 22, 1865, near Washington, D. C.

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January 15, 1863

Friend Libbie.

I now take my pen in hand to answer your brief note which I received this evening and was glad to hear from you once more. I am well and I hope these few lines may find you the same. I am at Larel [?] now building barracks for to move in but I do not want to move here for the citizens here has got the small pox and some of our regiment is exposed to it. One man died today and four of our regiment is going tonight to bury him.

I hardly know what to write tonight and if I did, I could not write tonight for Rob and John Hills is here on the floor and you may guess what I have to encounter with so you must excuse my bad spelling. But I am sorry to hear that you have a cold that lasts you so long.

I should like to have been there at New Years for I think I could have enjoyed myself better than I did here though I had a good time here, but you must have had a great time to have afflicted you so. But it is now all over with I hope by this time. I am glad to hear that Diana is well but as for her ever asking me to sleep with her, it’s not so. nor she had better not for she would surely have to. But she got mad at me as I got at her.

The weather is warm and nice here now. It has not been much cold weather here yet but as it is getting late, so I am obliged to close for the time. You must excuse my bad writing and spelling for my pen is good [for] nothing or paper either, but it is the best I can get here.

No more this time. This from your friend Frederick

To Libbie

The following letter was written by a soldier who signed his name “Han” (I think), which might have been short for Hanson or Hanley. He may have had a brother serving with him named “Si” which could be short for Simon or Josiah. In any event, there are too few clues in the letter to give us an clear path forward to their identity.

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Tennessee
May 18, 1862

Dear Father & Mother,

I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you again. I received two letters from you last week. Si[mon] and me writes from two to three [letters] a week and it is curious that our letters do not go through. I am a notion to put in haste on the envelope or in care of D. W. Goddard for I believe that someone by the same name takes them out of the [post] office, I do not know of any other cause and if you get a letter with these directions, you need not not be alarmed till you open it.

I have been having the ague for the past three days but I think that I have got over it now. So is Si and the rest of the boys with the exception of Chris and Eck & Jonah, but Jonah is getting better now, but Eck is bothered with piles very bad. Chris has been having the fever for the past three days but it is better now. Well, all of them, in fact.

The weather here is very beautiful. It is warm and pleasant and the fruit is so forward that it seems to me as though it was July. Strawberries are all gone most. Cherries are ripe and peaches are half grown. Wheat is in bloom and corn has been howed once and peas is big enough to eat but things grow so slow here. I never want to love here for I should get out of patience for it to grow. Corn that was planted the first day of April is not over three inches high but I do not know the reason why without it is because when the niggers go anywhere near it, a black cloud passes between that the sun. As for niggers, there is no end to them in camp. They keep coming and one is in the guard house for stealing 20 dollars off of one of Co. H boys and another old nigger of 61 years came into camp yesterday. His master was in the secesh army but is dead now. His overseer yesterday was a going to whip the slave because he did not quite suit him when the nigger told him that he had done nothing to be whipped for when the overseer drawed a double barrel pistol and fired and missed him. He fired again and put six small shot in his back and shoulder, then swore that he would kill him and started for the house about half a mile to get his rifle when the nigger started and came into camp. The cavalry was going out after him but I have not heard with what success as I have not been out of my tent but very little today. But I have seen enough of slavery and could have shot his overseer if I could have seen him.

Well, I must close for I have got to eat supper and then go on dress parade and then I will write some to Anna. So goodbye. From yours Baby, — Han