ADRIAN FAY 1863 LETTERS
March 1863
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U. S. Hospt
Philada March 2nd [1863]
Mollie
I recd your letter yesterday morning when I was sick a bed. I came verry near having the feaver. I was awful sick for three days. I couldent sit up a bit. But this morning I feel a good deal better. I got up & have been up all day & I am feeling firs rate this after noon. I shall be all right in a day or two. That Duchman has gon back to Washington. Poor fellow. They have sent him to his Regt. But I never was so surprised
in all my life as I was when he got an answer from that letter I wrote for him. I suposed I was writing to some green duch girl, so I wrote it as awkward as he told me what to write. But I was greatly mistakened. She is a tip top smart girl & a school marm at that. She wrote an exclant letter to the greeny. I dont know what thy will do with me. I shall aply for a Discharge in a day or two & thy will examin me & eather Discharge me or put me on guard or send me to the convlescant Camp [Camp Convalescent, near Alexandria, VA] & if I go there I shall get my papers any way.
The Boys have most all gon out on passes this after noon. It is a verry pleasant day. I want to go out too But they wont let me. I think Clark [Wilder, 71st New York Infantry, who later married Adrian’s sister, Mary; or Clark Foster, 37th NY Infantry, Ellicottville] had Beter look out or he will get hit with one of Cupids darts. Thy are so apt to strike a Solder for all any body els. I hope you dont think I got hurt with any thing of that kind while I was home. What do you want of a Duchman? I thought you was a going to make your living by Rob ing the males or cant you see through a mail bag? I am sure you cant see into a Post offace when the door is open.
Well Mati I guess I wont write any more this time. I have been trying to read this But I cant. I think you can.
Add
Oh I had a letter from Chas Field the other day. He is well &c
U. S. Hospt Philada
March 10th 63
Mollie
I got a letter from Pete [probably Peter Davis] the other day. He says the 105 is all broke up & consolodated with the 94 NY & most all the officers have been relieved from duty. Capt [Thomas] Steadman and Lieut Bushnal [James Bushnell] are both gone. They must be a lonsome set of Boys. I pity the poor Devils. I am feeling good now a days. I have got well. I was a going to aply for a Discharge when I got well. But they are a going to send us a way from here to some other place. I think the N.Y. fellers will be sent to N.Y. We shall be sent off today or tomorrow.
It is a hard matter for a N.Y. feller to get a Discharge in Pa. They look out for their own Boys. If they send me away I will write as soon as I get there. Is there any parts in Shintown? What do you think of my great splurge?
Adrian Fay
The hundred and fifth no more
The storm gathering oer our heads Boys
I feel its coming breath
The air is thick and heavy Boys
Our Regiment doomed to death.
That Banner we have born so long Boys
Through many a bloody fight
We must lay for ever one side Boys
Can it be that this is right?
We never have turned our backs Boys
Unless by strict command
And we never would have done it then Boys
Had our Col. just back us stand.
But the storm that’s bursting oer our heads Boys
So dark, so dreary and Cold,
Will cloud our spirits in sadness Boys
We ne r can fight as of old.
Our records are bright as the sun Boys
Dishonerd we never wer yet
But a sadness comes over our harts Boys
That our sun has to sudenly set.
A name by our courage we’ve won Boys
So bright, so proud, and so pure,
That name they never can take Boys
Of that we are certain and sure.
O for the good times coming Boys
When peace oer the land shall reign
When the thunder of cannon shall sease Boys
And all of us home once a gain
There round our fire sides we l gather Boys
And talk of the desperate fight
But we l ever remember the time Boys
When our Regt. they did not use right.
So to our gallant old Col. good bye Boys
Good bye to our brave little band
We l oft think of the dear ones at home Boys
As we still fight for our dear native land
Farewell to the hundred and fifth Boys
Midst a halo of glory she dies
No ___________ we l charge on the far Boys
As time on her onward corse flies.
Mc lelland U.S.A. General Hospital
SIXTEENTH AND FILBERT STREETS.
Nicetown Philadelphia, March 12th 1863.
We have had an over halling at Filbirt 16th Sts and they have sent us about 4 miles out of the City to a Hospt called Mc lelland U.S. Gen. Hospt. It is a new hoptital. We are the first that have ever come here I guess. I think I shall like it better here that I did in the City. I dont know when I shall get my discharge. I have all most got over my hurry a bout it. But I am shure of it some time. But I must wate this time. I cant get it
untill they are a mind to give it to me. You need not worry and fret your selvs about me. I dont feel discontented atall now. I know that I never will be fit for duty any way and they can keep me in the Hospt & pay me 13 dollars a month gust as long as they please. I am willing to take my Discharge any time they are a mind to give it to me. But I shant coax any Docter to give it to me. I am well as can be expected after having a slight run of the feaver that lasted about a week.
I got a letter from Mayesterday. She need not think of sending me any thing. I have evry thing that is nessary and more at times than you have (Il take care of Add Il bet). I have got a little money yet. I guess eneough to last me untill I get my pay. I guess thats all.
Mc Lelland U. S. General
Hospital, Philadelphia
Pa
Write when you mind to
Adrian
Mr Adrian Fay
Mc lelland U. S. Gen.
Hospital Nice town Penna
Ward 12
Nice little town
Nicetown Pa.
March 19th “63”
Dear Sadie
I recd your letter this morning and you better think I was glad to hear from you a gain. It seems to me a great while since I have heard from the folks in Shintown. We have been removed from 16th Filbert to the McClellan Hospital. It is about 5 miles out of the City. It is much pleasanter here than it was in the City. But I cant tell how long I shall stay here. They are a going to discharge a lot in a few days & send
some to their Regts. I dont know which they will do with me. I dont like the Idea of going to my Regt. since they have been broken up and consolidated with the 94th. Old 105 has gon up. & it discomfiddleates my calculations all to gather. But never the less I stand as good a chance for my life as the rest do. Well Sati you and (hut tut) Weston have gay times slay riding dont you. Couldent he keep your face warm? I dont remember of your complaining of your face being cold the night we went down to K’s. Or Mary Willoughby eather. But I believe I did hear Lydia complaining that her nose was cold, did nt you? Sati, when I think of that Hay load it puts me in mind of a nest of young Pigs.
But didnt we have a good time that night? I engoyed myself first rate & hurt my shoalder in the bargin. But Sadie acording to your own acounts you are keeping full as late hours as you did One other time but perhaps it is because your Mother is gone a way. I should advise her if she wants a tihty [tidy] house keeper to choose a good sturdy girl that would see to the Household afairs in her absence & that would retire at a proper hour. Perhaps you would do all this if the oil of Hickory was thoroughly aplied. Sati you wont get mad at my nonsence will you. I spose Clark [Foster] tells good Big stories like all the rest of the Solders. As a matter of corse he is a lucky Boy. He has got only a little while longer to work for Uncle Sam & then he is free.
I am glad to hear that Harrison Markham is doing so well. I wish that John & Ike had 1/16 part of the courage that he has got but I supose they are loafing around Shintown as lazy as ever. I had a letter from Charley Field the other day. He said the Boys wer all well and having pretty good times. They wer at fair fax cort house. He did not mention Nelsons name in particular, but I presume he is well. Then you are just having winter in Catt. [Cattaraugus] are you? It has been Summer weather here until within a few days. There has been a little snow storm but it has a bout all gon off now. We havent had any cold weather here at all yet. It has been just like Spring all Winter. But I will warint you it seems diferent to the Boys that are Camping out this weather than it does to us loafers that are caged up in the Hospital.
Friday Night [20 Mar 1863]
Oh, Dear Sadie you cant guess how lonsome it is here. I like it better here than I did in the City too. But then dont any body come here only once in a great while & when we wer in the City we had lots of company all the time & that is the reason why it seems so awful lonsome to us. Sati, I realy wish you could just call in here this evning to see a poor scampa little while. Id give 17 Chin plasters [Shinplasters, a low-denomination paper currency] if you could come & then I am afraid that I would talk you so Blind before you could get a way that you couldent see to get home a gain.
I dont know but what that was the best way not to say any thing a bout that letter. It must be that it will get worn out after a while if Lydia continues to sing it much longer. But I hope she has got it a bout worn out. Sati I have no objections what ever of you telling your Mother. Of corse that is all right, although she may not approve of such a thing. But it is all perfectly right that she should know your intentions & advise you acordingly. Then Mati is padling or Bobing the mail is she? I think she had better go to the Post Offace like an honest Person and get her mail than to be padling or Bobing. Dont you think so? Then you are a going to stay
at home this summer with your Ma are you? If you do you must be an awful good Girl. Let her know that you can be good if you try hard. I would like to be at home with my Ma too. But I dont expect to this summer. If Uncle Sam thinks it is profitable to keep me a year or two longer he can but I dont believe I shall be of much servace to him this year. Well Sadie they are puting out the lights so I shall be in the dark in a little while if I dont stop writing (good night). Tell Irving it is time for him to Bunk. I am not quite ready yet.
Saturday [21 Mar 1863]. I guess if I have good luck I shall get this letter finished after a while. I am glad that infernal Duchman is gon a way. Wonder if he’l come back any more.
Sati when you get his leter you will say it is the ... & sillyest mess of stuff you ever saw & I will agree with you there. Sara you and those girls must have had awful times that night. What was Irving a bout that night? Did he think it was time to Bunk? I dont think I had such perlious [perilous] times that night I went to the post offace as I might have had. But them morns [morons?] was blind as Bats. They couldent have seen through an open window that night, I do believe. I hope they will get a post offace up in Shintown. It will be so handy for the folks around there. Well Dear I wont worry your poor head any longer with my silly non sence. Please excuse poor writing poor spelling and Black & Blue ink & all the mistakes and write to me soon wont you.
My best love & wishes for you
Adrian
Sadie perhaps you had not better send that liknace untill I know wheather I am a going to be here long enough to get it or not. I expect to be sent away in a few days.
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.