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I dont know, certain, that I can get, leave of absence, next week but I thnk my chances are pretty good
nothing at all, about what they brought us here for, but I rather think I was right in the surmise (in my
I have my log hut partly finished and should have had it completed long ago, but after I had cut the
As soon as he gets back, I shall apply, and if I dont get it I dont know but I will send in my resignation
Walt I think you had better write on to Mother and let her send you (by express) $20 of my money and
it on here to me when you come, for if I go home I shall want it, as I may not have a chance to get my
I was in hopes that you would not hear of our Regts being in the fight untill you got my letter.
How my name came to be in the papers I cant see, as I was very careful not to report myself in the list
of wounded in my company, but I think Colonel Potter who saw the scratch on my face, must have aded
my name to the list little thinking I suppose how much uneasyness it would cause at home.
Jeff write me often, and give my love to all. George W.
Sims, a captain in George Washington Whitman's Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment, had been the
letter to his mother on December 16, 1862: "I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my
jaw slightly scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet."
Hotel, Lexington Ky April 22d/63 Dear Brother Jeff You may think im'e rather putting on style, heading my
Hooker managed things so nicely in crossing the river, and getting a good position, that I about made up my
although the balls rained around me for over two hours, and several of our boys were struck down close to my
651 men when we went into the fight, and lost about 100 in killed and wounded, among whom was some of my
I took off the blanket that I had strapped to my back, laid him on it, got some help and carried him
We had one captain, one lieutenant, 3 orderly sergeants, our Chaplain, and 16 or 18 privates killed.
He was by my side when he was struck and was an intimate friend of mine.
The Captain of our company has a Wife, staying at his Brothers in Burlington Vermont, he has writen
, and if Mac, does the clean thing at Richmond I dont see what hope will be left them I told you in my
Morris Hazard, Jr. was captain of Company D until his discharge from the army on May 7, 1862.
Clock it comenced to rain not very hard but enough to make it very unpleasant I stuck it out until my
Brigade driving the enemy untill we got into a thick swamp where the mud and water was over the top of my
order to charge and away we went the water flying over our heads as we splashed through it I was in my
pickets all day so that we must have some 2500 to night I have seen 1 or 2 Colonels and lots of captain
work yesterday is a little stiffness in my legs from walking George Washington Whitman to Louisa Van
Captain O. Jennings Wise died as a result of wounds on February 9, 1862.
Jeff speaks of my trying for a leave of absence but I hardly think it would be of any use at present,
Give my love to all G. W.
Whitman I am in as good health as ever I was in my life George Washington Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor
from the rebel Artillery and the talk is that the men could not be got forward to the second line, but my
I tried my best, to keep the men from falling back, but Capt Sims was killed just at this time so it
Mother I should like very much to have you send me a dozen of my pictures (those you sent to me at Annapolis
Give my love to Mattie and all. Good night G. W.
Wright wrote: "The Command of the Regiment then devolved upon Captain George W.
I am happy to say he discharged the duties of the responsible position to my entire satisfaction, and
I sleep here in the building (I have a very good room) and take my meals at a Boarding house I pay 6
going to have a sepperate command and that Fortress Monroe is to be the place of rendezvous, and if my
Capts Sims and Wright (from this Regt) are home now, and when they get back I believe it is my turn,
come and see me as it is here, and if I can get a chance to come home I shall want the money to pay my
I had my log house almost finished, when the orders came for us to get ready to move, and was going to
Sims, a captain in George Whitman's Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment, had been the subject in
letter to his mother on December 16, 1862: "I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my
jaw slightly scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet."
I have been out with my Co on Picket but we are now back to Camp, I had charge of the line, for more
than a mile, so that I had to keep my Eyes open, we were posted along the bank of the river which is
Mother you ask if my throat troubles me any now.
Not a bit, I never felt better in my life, one thing I have learned in this war, and that is, that
My morning report this morning (and for the last 8 days has been the same) was I—Capt, 2 Sergts 2 Corpls
I suppose the draft must be through with in New York & Brooklyn by this time, I wonder how many of my
another fine Stroke for our side, and Gillmore to at Charleston seems to be getting along well, but its my
I suppose Walt thinks strange of my not writing to him, but as you send my letters around, writing to
I found my trunk up at Fort Schuyler all right the morning I left home.
The 14th of Brooklyn have lost very heavy among the killed are Captains Davey and Mallery.
Mother do not feel the least uneaisiness about me as I never was heartier or ruggeder in my life.
Davey, Captain of Company H, and George Mallory, Captain of Company B, both of the Eighty-Fourth Regiment
the night a volley of about 20 shots were fired into us and some of the balls passed mighty close to my
men who had been shot and I took 8 or 10 cartridges from some of the wounded and had a few shots on my
Sept 30th 1862 Dear Mother We are still laying quietly at the place from which I dated my last letter
The captain of our company has gone home on a twenty days furlough.
to buisness since I have been sogering, and the regt never went on a march or into a fight without my
Direct my letters Sturgis Division, Ferreros Brigade 9th Army Corps I often think that I can imagine
Morris Hazard, Jr. was captain of Company D until his discharge from the army on May 7, 1862.
I should like for Jeff (some time when he is over in New York) to stop at the place where I had my pictures
I believe I have written all that I can think at present so good bye Mamy, give my love to Mattie, Jeff
May 29th/63 Dear Mother My last letter home, was written from Lancaster and dated somewhere about the
get as far in the State, as Liberty, without our hearing of it. and I dident like the idea of loseing my
Give my love to all, and write soon. G. W.
'61 Camp Brooklyn near Baltimore June 28 My dear Mother Your letter and Walts came all right and glad
and down in the city but after ten O Clock it was as quiet as Brooklyn Well good bye Mother give my
New York I wrote you a letter a couple of weeks since (which I suppose you received) telling you of my
position first rate and am getting along very well indeed, and as the pay is good , I am glad both on my
Well Mother it is getting late and rather chilly writing here in my tent so I must stop and go to bed
written to you in quite a long time, as I have been waiting to find out something deffinite, about my
Good Night Mother give my love to all G. W.
course you knew all about his arrival at Anapolis i saw his name in the times with 500 others arrived) my
about as ugly, and can eat any amount of corn bread, so you see, dear Mother that I am all right, and my
F of our Regt. and tell him to send my things home by Express. Much love to all. G. W.
Waldron, and Captain Charles W. Walton.
had on leaving our trunks here in camp, and two or three times I have went to a pond and took off my
night, and got up at 4 O clock next morning feeling first rate, and I am now as well as ever I was in my
I have just written to Walt, and although it is pretty late, I must write you a few lines while my hand
musent say anything about it Mother or the rebs might hear of it and come over here and eat us all up) my
Well Mother it is getting chilly sitting here in my tent as the fire has gone out, so I must bid you,
I had command of our Company (as the Captain was not well although he was on the field) and I had mighty
dead lay in heaps and in a road for nearly a quarter of a mile they lay so thick that I had to pick my
You speak in your letter of Walts seeing the Captain of our Co at Major LeGendre's office, it was the
I am perfectly well now although I was a little under the weather the first week I came here my eyes
My Pious regards to all the family and good night to all. G.W.
no bed, but I have, and a bedstead too, made with four croched sticks drove in the ground, thus and my
Francis of Buffalo, New York, was promoted to the rank of captain to replace Hazard when the latter left
I lost one man killed and two wounded in my Co out of 11 that I took in the fight.
Give my love to all G W Whitman George Washington Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 20 May 1864
Walt recorded in his diary for May 9, 1865, that Captain Samuel Pooley (see George Whitman's letter to
Babcock of our Regt (who is with the Regt) and tell him to send my things home by express, as I should
John Gibson Wright rose from captain to colonel in the Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment; he was
Made Captain Aug. 1864got a family in Buffalo" (Manuscripts of Walt Whitman in the Collection of American
State Volunteers where he enrolled as first sergeant of Company F (and was eventually promoted to captain
You see Mother I have to date my letters yet from near Petersburg instead of from Richmond We are laying
I hold my own first rate and feel about as well as ever I did.
been kept pretty buisy trying to get things straigtened out, but this morning one of our seniour Captains
Give my love to all. George W.
On March 17, Captain Whitman left Brooklyn to return to Newport News.
George received his promotion to captain on December 12, 1862—with the date of rank retroactive to November
pretty buissy building rifle pitts, cutting roads and throwing up earthworks &c (I believe I told you in my
Mother, give my love to Mattie and the little gals. G. W.
to send letters which may be oftener than I supose as I know nothing about where we shall go Direct my
V. but dont put on the Brigade, Division, or Corps, as I think perhaps the reason of my not hearing from
The whole thing in my opinion is one of the biggest of humbugs.
I lost nearly half of my Co but we won the fight and the rebel loss was pretty heavy.
We have had the best of the fighting so far and its my opinion that Genl Grant has got Lee in a pretty
scratch although the balls fairly rained around me, and several of our boys were struck down close by my
better acount of the fight, than I can give you (from the papers) but I know you will want to hear my
the back of the neck passing out of his cheek, I took off the rubber blanket that I had straped on my
a tent where he now lies in a very critacle condition, The Chaplain of our regt was killed. one Captain
corner the following verses are printed: Bright Banner of Freedom with pride I unfurl thee;Fair Flag of my
be-holdbehold thee,Gleaming above us in freshness and youth,Emblem of Liberty, Symbol of truth;For the Flag of my
Sprague held the rank of captain in Company B of the Thirteenth New York State Militia from April 23,
We have had another battle and I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my jaw slightly
scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet.
enclose you $50.00 and am sorry that I cant send you more, but Mother if you need more before I get my
I have a nice wall tent all alone to myself and if I have some one to look out for my grub, I shall be
Mother I believe I mentioned in my last letter about your haveing some of my pictures taken and sent
Dear Mother, give my love to all and let me hear from you often. Direct Capt G. W. W.
We have not been paid off yet Mother but we expect to be in a very few days, just as soon as I get my
Francis of Buffalo, New York, was promoted to the rank of captain to replace Hazard when the latter left
We have moved our camp since my last letter and are now on the Newbern side of the Trent river, we have
My apointment dates from the 14th of March, the day of the battle of Newberne.
Our Captain is a young man from Buffalo N.Y. named Hazard whose father is very rich and we live in fine
up to the first of March, I received $42 I had to buy lots of new things and have spent nearly all my
Morris Hazard, Jr., captain of Company D until his discharge from the army on May 7, 1862.
Francis of Buffalo, New York, was promoted to the rank of captain to replace Hazard when the latter left
been bothered considerably with some sort of a rash which broke out in blotches nearly as large as my
hand all over my arms and body it burns very bad, the Doctor said it was the effects of the heat, and
My Love to all.
the army is doing, or how the New York election went, so you see we are a long way behind the age Captain
Mother, I must stop writing as my candle is going out, and I hope in a few days we will get where we
Francis, also of Buffalo, New York, was promoted to the rank of captain to replace Hazard when the latter
I was in my tent, washing and geting ready to go on parade, when our Orderly Sergeant came to my tent
I was quite taken aback I tell you as it was done so quietly that I was taken by surprise and my being