[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Private, later Sergeant, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts, currently assigned to the Commissary Dept. on the steamer “Admiral”

January 28
Cloudy this forenoon and most
of the afternoon but cleared off
just before sundown nicely. This forenoon
I staid in the pilot house most of the
time giving them puzzles and talking.
This afternoon the unloaded the vessel
and started her over the bar with a
tug on each side but had to stop on
acct of the S.R. Spaulding being in the
way. They say they are going to start again
at four o’clock to-morrow morning. I
went over to the New York this morning
and saw the commisary, who says he
shall stay there till further orders. Have
felt well to-day. there are reports flying
that Manassas is in possession of our forces
but I think it is not true, though I hope
it may be, for I wish to see the war
brought to a close as soon as possible.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio, currently on furlough]

January 28
Came home from Hannas
this forenoon. Called short
time Scotts and on
my way home a short
time at Jane Andrews
Funeral of Dany Creps
this afternoon who
died yesterday from
scald got on Sunday
rained hard last
night also some to
day. waters high

MSS 10317

[written on patriotic stationery showing Columbia with sword and flag]

Dear Wife

Although not in
perfect healt yet with
emotions such as no one can
know or feel exeped those who,
have near and dear friends at a
distance, I pen to you a few words
hoping when it reches you, you
may enjoye as good health as your
infermetis admits of, I hoping
sone to go through the firest
ordals ever cam to mans lot and
come out counqueror agin to
reduioyn oure fortuns once more
i am very glad to hear your health
is sloly yet stedy improving it
is a comfort to me as wel as it
is a Blessing to you thank God

[page 2]
you can not imagine how poor
Solders feel on the tented fields
espashely sush times as we have now
think stepping out in a bed of
Moarter foot & half deep and cursed
Rabels Before you time passing
on day by day, and not be able
to move on to end sport for
them, Angshious frinds awating
oure return evrything is dispiriting
on evry side, But thanks be to the
Father Almarcyfull for the Courege
inspired in oure men for thire
Country and frinds, this and only
this enables us to hold out aginst
al hardships and triles, dear woman
i have made al possible prapartion
for the future as you will se in bibbys
letter, As for the Payments to Jack
Garnet you have to exersise your
own judegment it will depend
a good deal on future operations
and if i was at home i could tell

[page 3]
batter with my own and the boyses
labour we could ecomplish somthing
in tow 2 or 3 years but let it go for the
pracent, Lydia i am proude
of libbby Staying at home like a
mother doing al she can for you
Shurly the Lord has blassed me–
also i her of Roberts manly Acts
it does me good realy, of Henry i do not
her so much but i spose he has turned
to be as good a boy as anny one could
wish for, George i spose keeps you
warm at night, dont he?

The books that i talked or
subcribd to of Mr Patridge are thre good
books, but unless the are bound in
calfskin you nead not take them
unles you ar a mind to do so, the
are good books of an instruction for
the boys, and if you think you can
spare the Monny, and the Boys wants
to git them, but on the whole doe
as you think best youre judgement
is better now at home then mine

[page 4]
Dear Woman i must now take
leav of you on paper for this time
May God be your Cansoler and his
blessing be with you through life
Your Affectionate Husband
till Death
Francis A Englehart

P/S. i should have wrote to
to Henry and George but as you
see i have alrady written a good
deal, i am glad always to hear
that the boys are making progress
in larning espashely George in
Arathmetick go on george
Henry let me know how you
prosper this Winter can you hold
you row among the rast around
the Rapids, Is Crazy Joe Root there
yit with his Marshel Band
goodnight the Havy Cannons
down the Potomac is a roaring
just now so that farly makes the ground
tramble like a continuouel
earthquake. Dispatshes is comng
in in haste i must close
Yours Francis A Englehart

Francis A. Englehart, private, later sergeant, in Co. H., 16th New York Infantry.

[This letter was collected by the late Atcheson Hench, professor of English at the University of Virginia who was interested in how the phonetic spelling of soldiers was a clue to the sound of the spoken language and regional dialects]

MSS 8474-u

Dear Betsey

After receiving your last let=
ter informing me of Felicies misfortune I
thought I would write to her instead of to
you, I received her last letter a day or
two ago & was much grieved to hear of
her situation, I had felt some uneasi
ness about her, from what you said
about her in your letter to Fran. I hope
she is in no danger, but I feel very
anxious to hear from her again. I hope
you will write & let us know the result
of the examination, if it is was necessary
to have one, which I hope she has found
not necessary to go through. Poor thing! I
think a great deal about her, & sympa
thize most deeply, for she has been indeed
a child of affliction. I was in Lynchburg
a few days ago when I received F’s
letter, I had made quite an effort &
gone in to see Sally & pass a night
with her. she is on a short visit to her fa
=ther, who has had another attack of
paralysis, leaving him in a perfect state
of helplessness, he is completely prostrate

[page 2]
They feed him like an infant & turn him
in bed whenever he wants to do so, & yet
they say he may live on for years. what
a misfortune. he says he wants to die
& I think it would it would be a bles
-sing if it could be so, but Providence orders
all things. Sally is looking very well she
had Katy with her, sucking her thumb all
the time. she left Al[?] with Mr Nelson
who is staying at home this winter, but ex
pects to go to camp in the spring. John & Charles
are still on the Alleghanies, poor fellows,
but are under marching orders, they are very
well, we hear from Tom very often, he is
cook for his mess, he writes to his friend
Mr Ogden very often who is still with us
we all like him very much, he dont
seem to have any idea of leaving, tho his
health seems to be restored, but he will
go whenever there is a prospect of a fight.
Tom will telegraph him, he is a very in
teligent gentleman & pleasant & agreeable
he plays chess a great deal with Bet
& is very fond of it, he has been accustom
=ed to every comfort that wealth can be
stow, & we all think it is right strange
that he should be so well satisfied

[page 3]
with our poor doings, but he seems to
be perfectly happy & contented, & is always
delighted at having bad weather, giving
him an excuse for not going back, he is
very tired of camp life, but is ready for
a fight when the yankees come on. tom
says in a letter to Fan that he had
gotten a letter from Jim say8ing that
his company would disband in may & that
he wanted to join to join his company we were
very glad to hear that & hope that he
will, & in the end hope to have with
us once more. I was caught in Lynchburg
& detained there a day & night longer than
I intended by snow, rain & hail, & when I
came back I never had such a ride in
my life on horseback of course, we have had
any quantity of rain but no snow deep enough
to put up, I am afraid we cant get ice
the weather being very mild. I saw a good
many of our friends, aunt ann, Lucy Z Kate
&c they came to gen R’s. all are very well
none of the girls are at home but Kate.
Lucy is in Richmond, will stay until after
the inauguration. Mag is at Johns teaching
his children. I suppose you have heard of
the death of Uncle John Freelands son

[page 4]
William, Kate says they deeply afflicted
he was his favourite child, he says it is
a blow that he cant get over but will
go with him to his grave. aunt Grace too
is in the depths of grief, more so now a
great deal than at first, Gavin died
suddenly in convulsions, some think from the
effects of drinking….Fan says she will
write to you in a few days, Molly says you
must answer her letter. Tell Felicie I
will write to her before long. I hope
she has gotten quite well by this time
Tell her she must write to me & let
me know how she is. Tell Louise she
ought to have a spanking for treating
poor Leslie so badly, after having gone
so far to see her aunt ann says she
saw him soon after he came back & she
asked him if he saw her & he said he
saw her only twice. Sally Cabel (Mrs
Laidly) is dead. we hear of nothing but
deahts now a days. Good bye my
best love to all & be sure and
write very soon.
your affect sister
L C Steptoe

MSS 6515

MSS 6515

Richmond, Jan 28th 1862

My Dear Phil

I was pained to see
in the paper the other day: the death
of your little girl; the news was so
sudden and unexpected that I hardly
know how to express my feelings
of sympathy with you and Miss
Pink at such a loss; consolation I
know must come to you from a higher
source and holier place than any we
can find on this earth. It must be
a strange feeling Phil, and yet not
without its sweetness, to know you
have a child in heaven, and to
feel sure that there you will find
the “little blossom” again, with a
youth and radiance more beautiful
and perfect than the earth could have

[page 2]
eve given, it always seemed to me
like God in taking away a little
child to himself, was only endeavoring
to lead the parents still more to him
too, and to keep them more con-
stantly in remembrance of the “house
with may mansions” he has ready for
them when the course is finished and
the keeping of the faith in the flesh
is ended. My Father and Mother
send their sincere regrets for the
affliction that saddens you both. Jennie
writes also, but I came off without her
letter this morning so I suppose it
will be mailed separately–I should
write more but my wrist continues so
painful that it is with great diffi
culty I can scribble the words–
Give my love to your wife and believe
me as ever Yours sincerely
A. Q. Holladay

Wednesday morning. I concluded to keep my
letter a mail in case Jennie’s was not
mailed, and finding she had kept hers
for mine, I send them together.

The infant’s name was Betty Blosson Cabell; her father Philip Barraud Cabell, 1836-1904, nephew of General Philip St. George Cocke and grandson of General John Harwell Cocke, was one of the few antebellum students at the University of Virginia to obtain a master’s degree. After the war he was a professor at Urbana University in Ohio, and later a minister of a Swedenborgian church in Wilmington Delaware. His wife Julia Calvert Bolling Cabell known as “Pinkie” or “Miss Pink”, had been a popular Virginia belle before her marriage the previous year.
MSS 38-111

Winchester Jany 28-62
My Darling Wife
I have had no
chill since night before last
and do not think I shall have
another – This morning I eat
three biscuit and a cup of cof
fee for breakfast and I should
hardly know that I am sick
but for the fact that the
warmth & rest of the bed
is so refreshing. I shall lie
quiet until I am satisfied
there is no chance of a
recurrence of the chill
Should I not continue to
improve I will write again
to morrow – Goodbye Dearest
Ever Yours
E F Paxton

[The above letter is not included in Civil War Letter of Frank “Bull Paxton.]

[Transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 2165

[The following undated letter from William H. Locke to his wife also appears to have been written on or around the end of January and may have been enclosed with his letter of January 26]

Camp Jackson Fort Gaines [RD]
My Dear Wife
I sent by Lieut Roberts the
Beet & Radish seed for your Mother Rhodes
& Mrs Billings the balance for you – Mrs Billings
cost 10 c pr Paper you will therefore be
due her 80 Cents – I also send you a
pr Small Shoes which will probably
fit Ella and one of her old pr
will likely do for “Lulu” – I arrived
here [-] in two Hours after I left
Eufaula on the Steamer Jackson –
all well except Jack who is
suffering some from a bad Cough
and Cold – Your affectionate Husband

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13485

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts, currently assigned to the Commissary Dept., on the steamer “Admiral”]

January 27
Another pleasant day. Staid in
the pilot-house most of the time
doing the puzzle I learned last night and
getting the pilot to do it. Nothing new today.

MSS 11293

Dear Father–I received your letters of the 18th & 27th three days ago & should
& should[sic] have answered them before but as we had to go on guard every
other day arround the Camp as the other companies but one had gone on Picket
Guard , & that other that staid in was Captain Browns he took this Companys
place so you can see that I had not much spare time to write but I have rece
ived your letter dated the 23d & in it you said that you had received the money
that I had allotted to you & that you had given Mother that Five dollars I have
been waiting to see wether you got it or not, I had almost Maid up my mind
not to send it that way again it took so long for you to get it but as you have got
it I shall continue to send it so again that young man that you said sent home
twenty six dollars by the name of Jackson is the verry same man that you
spoke to in Camp Preble he is not in the Company now but has got A place
over to the Brigade Quartermaster department as Sergeant of that depart-
ment but he comes to the company to get his regular meals he is what you would
call A nice young man you said in your letter of the 18th that you did not
see how it was that we did not have to drill the reason is this the mud
has been as much as A foot deep for the last week but the going is A
little better & for the first time for A week this afternoon we had A
battalion drill, I think it is kind of strange that I do not get any letters
from George yet I believe Captain Brown is going to resign which I am
sorry to say, you wanted to know whether we was on high or low ground
it is high but I can tell you that this camp Ground is A Muddy hole
when it rains there is nothing now that I can write so I will close
my letter by saying that I will try to answer some of your questions in
my next letter to you tell Frank Crawford that I received his letter & will
try & answer it this week I hope that you will continue in good health
& the rest of the Family give my love to all of Aunt Eliza and all of the
rest of them I am in good health, There is A Postman that goes in the
City every morning & if there is anything due on the Letter I have to pay him
& he pays it over to the Post Master in the Post Office so you see how it is that I
have to pay what is due on them From you affectionate Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865 “because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid.” Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864.

MSS 66

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private, currently on furlough from the 23rd Ohio]

Went to Town this
forenoon with Will Sangar
Took dinner at Mrs Martins
with J. Wright–saw the
Leathers
Went this afternoon to
Scotts. Aft[?] Chichester this
Aft[?]. Hanna and I went to
Mr. Connor[?] this evening
Staying all night
cloudy like snow

MSS 10317