ADRIAN FAY 1863 LETTERS
July 1863
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Near Fort Ca... on a hill siting down resting
or wating for orders
July 1st / 63
Mother, We took a transport from Bedloes Island and came around by (fortress Monroe) & up to Washington. We got there Sunday morning. We stade at the Soldiers Retreat untill yesterday at 10 o clock and then we came to the Convlessant Camp just a cross the Chane Bridge. We stade there untill evning and then they orderd us all to fall in & they marched us out & gave us all a musket & 40 rounds of aminition. Then they marched a bout 500 of us up here. I should think we wer a bout 2 miles from the Chane Bridge (up the river from the Bridge) Where we are going to, or what we are a going to do, we cant tell. But I spose they are a fraid the Rebs are a going to try to get into Washington & they dont know exacly where our Regts. are at the present time. So they will set us a guarding around here untill the Big fight [Gettysburg] is over. There is going to be a big old fight soon. Evry one is looking for a fight & arming the Convilessants too. Looks a little like fight. But we shant fight any. Probly we are only for guard I guess.
I saw Bryant Johnson [possibly 1st Lt. Byron Johnston, 154th NY from Ellicottville] yesterday at the Convalessant Camp. I dont know whether he is going to his Regt or not. I saw Wm Davis from my Company. He says the Regt is Consoladated with the 94 & we are Co. I 94 Regt. They are doing Provo duty now so they are having good times & I wish I was with them now & I shall go just as soon as I can. Rogers [Charles F. Rudgers] is our Capt. Adrian R. Root is Col. of the 94th & a Bulley man too. I dont know as there is more news this time. I dont know where you would direct a letter to have it get to me. So you wont write untill I get to a stoping place & I dont know when that will be. I will write after so you can know Where I am (I am Well.I supose [General Joseph] Hooker is rielieved of his comand. I dont know much a bout Meed [General George Meade]. But I think when they have tried Gen Meed, I shall recomend to the President for (... John to take comand of the armey.
Give us little “Mac” [General George McClellan]
if they want me to fight
Add
Near Fort Eathan Allen, Va.
July 2d [1863]
We have taken up our quarters here near this fort & near the Chane Bridge. I should think by the look of things that we should stay here a while now & guard the Bridge & other guard duty. This is a good comfortable place. There is 4 of us in one tent. One from the 104th [New York Infantry] one from the 59th [New York Infantry] one from 4 Ohio & me & I dont know what Regt I do belong to. But I call my self 105 yet. We have riged our tent so that it is quite handy. We have got a place for our guns & cartridge Boxes knapsacks &c. and a place in the corner for our paper Ink Bible Hymn Book & Ucher [Euchre] deck so we have a full kit. I wish I could get a letter from home. But I dont know as I can. I may not stay here long eneough for a letter to come.
But you may write & direct to
Adrian Fay
Camp Distribution
Near Alexandria, Va.
I will get it if I stay here
long eneough
Write soon
Add
Fort Eathan Allen
Fort Eathan Allen Va. July 9th / 63
Dear Father, I thought I would write you a few lines this evning, for fear that you & mother might be worring your selves a bout me and thinking that I was in these fights or in some place gust as bad. But I am not. I am having good times here. We dont have hardly any Duty to do. Not hardly eneough to give us an apitite for war. Bean soop & salt pig. We have a plenty of Armey (grub) here. They have formed us into a Batallion. They call us Co. A. First Union Batallion. There is five Companys of us here & there is five more at the Distribution Camp. I dont know how long they will keep us as a Batallion. Some think till our time of enlist mint is out. But I think as soon as this fight is over & our Regt got to a stoping place they will Brake us up and send us to our Rigt. We are geting good news now evry day. News papers are in great demand here. I am glad to see our Generals all working to gather so nobly. That is the way when they all take hold and pull to gather they will do somethin. We are all surprised at the great General ship of Mead [General George Meade]. He is doing Bulley and we are giveing many harty chears for Gen Grant and the surender of Vixburg.
Genl Lee has got him self into a firm trap. I hope our Boys will suceed in Distrying him & his Armey. The Potomack is verry high. I dont see how he can possably cross it. I was gust down to the Potamack & I never saw so much water in it at once as there is now. We are all so receiving good news from [General William] Rosecrans. He is giving the Rebs ... in Tenn. Genl Keys [Erasmus Keyes] is on the Pinensylia [Peninsula]. Things must look dark for the Poor Rebs now and it is encoureging for us. I feel just as though I would like to be in the Field a gain when I hear how our Fellers are giving them such splendid flayings. I am well and harty as a Buck. My shoalder is all most as good as it was before and I guess after a little will be Better than it ever was. Well I wont write any more this time for I guess you cant read this. I havnt had any letters from home since I lef N.Y. I wish you would write gust as soon as you get this cause I want to hear from the folks
Adrian
Adrian Fay
Fort Eathen Allen Va
Washington DC
care of Capt Birtsell
I wish I was in the land of lasses
shooting Bullets into Rebels asses
Look a way
Look a way to Dixey
Fort Eathen Allen July 20th [1863]
Dear Mother
I should think it was a bout time I had a letter from some of you. I have recived non since I left New York but I am in hopes to get one to night. We are all here yet at the Fort having bulley times a great deal better off here than we could be at our Regts. But after all I want to get to the Regt. I wish I could go to night. But there is no prospects of leaving here verry soon as I can see. We are doing patroll duty & working on the Fort. That is our principal employement. I have nothing of importance to write to day only that I am well and my arm is quite strong the more I use it. The Roter I can use it But it gets awful tired
some times. But I dont have to work any unless I am a mind to. I generly Vollenteer to go on guard or patroll and so get rid of the Fatiague but I havnt done any duty yet of any amount, not so much since I have been here as I would have to do in one Week if I was at the Regt. I dont know hardly what to think a bout geting any pay. I shant get any till an other pay day I guess. But I shall get it some time & when I do get it I shall have a good lot of it. 180 if I am pade next pay day. I wish you & Father would write to me & tell me all a bout the situation of the Place how much more it will take to pay for it & all the paticulars about it & if that road has gon through & how much you got for it & if you are raising
any crops this summer & if Bullard ever dun his gole he took last winter of choping. Answer all of these pitulars will you in your next letter? Discharge has plaid out. I wouldnt take it now if I could get it. I am bound to stay 2 years any way (if I live that long) then I shall get my Bounty if I am discharged & I wouldnt now & if I should get killed or die you could get the Bounty & Back pay. Just bear that in mind will you? In case that some cairless reb would axidently shoot me. But I dont intend to get shot again by no means. There is no fun in it. I should like to hear how Charley [Field] came on in the last fight [Gettysburg]. We got a way from N. Y. gust soon eneough to get out of that battle with the [draft] Rioters didnt we.
I would like to have been there though. I would kill one of them miserable hounds a good deal quicker than I would a Reb soldier. Any man that will resist this draft now while evry thing looks so favorable for us as it does now I say any man that will resist it I would like to help hang & hanging is to good a dith for him to die. Where there is prospects of puting down the rebellion then is the time to strike & down with it if ever. There, the Ordrly gust came & brought me a letter. I thought I would get one to night. Well I will finish this so you write a gain. I wish some of you would write to Piter Davis if you havnt & tell him I am trying to get to the Regt. I have wrote to him. But dont get any answer yet. Tell Mati to write. I havnt had a letter from her in a dogs age.
Add Fort Eathen Allen
Washington D.C.
Evning I gust got your letter. But I will send the one have gust finished in Answer to it although I had began to think I never would get an other letter from you. I would like to have some of you write to Pete Davis & tell him I am on the way to the Regt. I dont know But the Company think strange that I have not writen to some of them. I dont know But they think I have Diserted or died or some mishap or other. Well I have writen all the news so I will close. Write soon. Ask Pa if he thinks he could pay for the place if I should send him $200 dollars between now & the first of next April 1864?
Adrian
Fort Eathen Allen
Washington D. C.
& not in care of any one. Our Capt has gon home & Lieut some Body I dont know ... is in comand
Tell Pa I am much oblige to him for that long letter he wrote. Has Sam got any Ducks? Tell sam I go down to the Potomack a fishing & catch great Bullheads the same I used to catch in Illanois out of the Kishwaukee. Old Lea [Robert E. Lee] is making for Richmond so the Papers say (he got one sweet little flaying). There is any quantity of Reb Gurilas lurking about falls church & about these parts steeling horses cattl & raising the Old hairy
Wall thats all this time
Adrian
Fort Eathen Allen
Washington D.C. July 26th / 63
Dear Dear Sarah
I received your letter a week a go yesterday But have not had a suffisient opertunity to answer it untill now. My duties for the past week have been more than comon so that it has not given me much time to write. But I shall have a rest now for a while. We have been at work on the Fort most evry day last week. & last night I was sent out a bout 3 miles in the direction of Falls Church with a squad of 8 men to look for some sesesh that was lurking around there. But they did not hapen to cross our
path. But our Cavelry brought in 7 of them this after noon. They will verry likely be sent to Washington to night. Sati I was verryverry glad indeed to get your letter. It had been so long since I had heard from you & it seemed a great deal longer to me than it realy was. I suppose too. Realy I had not heard that Iki [possibly Isaac P. Markham] & Frana was married. Shintown must be wonderfully changed since last winter. It must seem so odd to you to go up to your Uncle W. [Weston Flint] now since he is married & taken his wife home. I know it must seem so odd that no wonder you have to laugh when you go there. But then I suppose it is all corect. He is a bout old enough to begin to think about comencing in life. I expect Clark [Foster] & George [Harvey] are having gay old times now since they have served out their term of enlistment & got home
all safe. I suppose the Girls are all fighting to see which are to have the first choise in the two Soaldiers. Then Clark had some inclinations of being mad because you preferd walking with Joe. (“a pity about him”). Sati I never thought you and Joe would become Friends. I know he perfectly hated you. & all ways laughing at me a bout you. & trying to plague me a bout you. But if you have buried the Tomahawk & resolved to be Friendly I suppose it is all forgoten. “Sarah” it is awful hard work for me to write to day. I am all most a sleep now. I didnt sleep a wink last night. So I will lay this one side & wate untill I can keep a wake & then I will finish it. Dear Sadie I wish I could see you to night & find out what you want to tell me. I have got lots to tell you if I can ever see you a gain. & I wish I could see you now.
Add
[July 26, 1863]
“Evning” & I will try and finish this uninteresting letter. Some how or other I cant think of any thing to night that I want to. If I could see you I could tell you a great deal better than I can write it. But there is no use of talking. I cant see you until this cruel war is over. Then if nothing hapen we shall have a chance to talk all we like (“if there is no serious oposition”). What Splendid sucess our Armey had had for the past 3 or 4 weeks. It makes me feel as though I could hardly wate to be sent to the Regt. I want to get there so bad. I havnt heard from them since I first came here. I dont know But half of them are killed. Nor I havnt heard from the 154th in a long time. There is one man here from that regiment. His name is “Washburn” [possibly Isaiah S. Washburn] from “Hinsdale”. He hasnt heard from them since the Battle of Gettysburg. I dont know how long we shall stay here. By all apearances now we shall stay here a good while. But we dont know for sure how soon we shall leave. I would like to go to night if I could go to the Regt.
[July 27, 1863]
Monday Morning
The orderly told me that I was not going on picket to day. So I will finish writing. I am sorry I told you anything a bout what Joe used to say. But I thought you had burried the “Tomahawk” and did not think you would dig it up so quick. I supposed that he had rued up that he had called you “hateful” &c. and all that he had said had been forgiven. Or I never would have told you what I did. But let it all pass. It is not worth quarling about any way. Oh! Sati I had my likness taken Sauterday (Fayett Furman and mine taken to geather). It is the oddest looking thing you ever saw.
I sent it home yesterday. You may look at it if you like. Only don’t make fun of it because it looks so. It is bad eneough to see it with out saying any thing a bout it. I look more like a “Darkey” than any thing els. There was a lot of the Boys came in last night. Abner Marvin came. He was taken prisoner too. Then Mrs. Childs thinks it would be a big thing to go to Richmond does she? May be she would like it. But for my part I had rather not go there. Even if I did not have the honor of telling when I get home that I had been to Richmond. I suppose a good many of the 154th are there & a good many of my regt. are there too.
I dont intend that they will ever get me there although they may. But I shall try hard not to go. There has a squad gust come in from Convalessant Camp and Barney Southwick has come with them. We will have some fun with him. “Erast Wheeler” came last night. Well Sarah I cant write any more this time & I guess you will be glad to have me stop for I dont believe you can read this. If you are sick I know you cant. Write as soon as you get this. Dont wate as long as I have. “please dont”.
Oblige your Adrian
(Sarah)
This is a Reb envellop that one of the Boys got up at Gettys Burg. What do you think of it? That poetry would have been verry appropriate on one certain ocasion, wouldnt it? Well Sati I must stop writing for I shall have to get ready for drill. Good bye Darling Sati.
Yours truly Adrian
Adrian Fay Civil War Letters – Transcribed by Phil Palen
Pages in PINK are transcriptions of Xerox copies of letters sent to Phil Palen by the late Hollis Harvey Reed of Philadelphia, great-granddaughter of Adrian Fay through his daughter, Hollis Fay Fellows.
Pages in GREEN are transcriptions of originals owned by Phil Palen donated to St. Bonaventure University.
Pages in BLACK are transcriptions of originals owned by Patrick Gallagher donated to St. Bonaventure University.
Phil Palen added periods and initial capitals in these transcriptions, but did not change spellings.