The following letter was written by Pvt. Daniel “Warner” Button (1841-1864) of Co. I, 45th Pennsylvania Infantry. This regiment was mustered in at Harrisburg in November 1861 and saw service in South Carolina where they participated in the Battle of Secessionville in June 1862 before returning back to Maryland for the Battles at South Mountain and Antietam. This letter was written shortly after the Battle of Fredericksburg where they were held in reserve and suffered no casualties. Warner would later be wounded in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on 12 May 1864 and died of his wounds on 21 May.

Warner was the son of Hiram Button (1817-1899) and Jane Tuttle (1821-1897) of Middlebury, Tioga county, Pennsylvania.

This letter from the collection of Greg Herr. To read other letters by members of the 45th Pennsylvania that I have transcribed and published on Spared & Shared, see:

Jacob B. Eshleman, Co. B, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)
Lawrence P. Williams, Co. D, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)
William B. Glenn, Co. E, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/3 Letters)
Homer S. Thompson, Co. E, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)
Henry Tyrus Rice, Co. G, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)
Eli Smith, Co. G, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)
William Chase, Co. I, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/2 Letters)
Thomas Layton, Co. I, 45th Pennsylvania (Union/1 Letter)

Transcription

Camp near Fredericksburg, Virginia
January 3, 1862 [should be 1863]

My dear parents,

I now take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I received your kind and welcome letter you wrote to me. Uncle John is at the hospital at Frederick City [Maryland] sick. I have seen Charley and Alpheus Button ¹ the other day. They are well. They would come home if they could. When they have been in [the service] as long as I have, they will wish that they was home for I know that I do for I think that I have done my share of it.

William Gridley ² is dead. He was wounded in the Fredericksburg fight and he died two or three days after.

Mother, I sent you one dollar in a letter for stamps. Did you get it? So I can’t think of nothing more so goodbye. This is from your son, — D. W. Button

to Jane Button. Write soon.

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¹ Charles (1843-1863) and Alpheus Button (1841-1909) were brothers and privates in Co. A, 136th Pennsylvania Infantry. The regiment was mustered into service in August 1862 and it’s first engagement was the Battle of Fredericksburg. Alpheus survived the war but Charles was killed at Gettysburg.

² William M. Gridley was a private in Co. A, 136th Pennsylvania Infantry. He enlisted with Charles and Alpheus Button. William was from Tioga county, Pennsylvania.