ADRIAN FAY 1863 LETTERS
May 1863
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Adrian Fay Home Page
16th & Filbert
Philada. May 3d 63
Dear Father
I thinking that you would be anxious to hear from me take this opertunity to write you a few lines to let you know where I am & what I am doing. I havent got to N. Y. yet as youwill percive. They sent a squad the day after I came here but they dident have transport ation eneough to send all that wanted to go so I shall have to wate untill they send an other squad & I cant tell when that will be. I have been musterd here for pay & sined the pay roll yesterday
& they say we shall be paid this week. I am glad of it for I have got out of money & want some bad. I shall get 6 months pay I expect & I shall send home the most of it. You can pay it in towards the place if you think that is best. I dont think I shall want it this summer for there is no certinty of me gowing home this summer unless I go to N. Y. & through the influance of some big Catt. [Cattaraugus] man work out a discharge. That is the only way I can see now for they have got so paticular now about discharging men. I am not able to do duty in the field & there is no surtainty that I ever shall be. I cant bear any heft on my shoalder yet
of any amount. It would be usless for me to try to cary an knapsack. But they will be likely to keep me on some light work in or around the hospital & I had rather be with the Regt. than to do any such thing. I have got so that I had rather fight than work. I would rather go to the Regt. now than go to N. Y. if I thought there was no prospects of geting a Discharge. I should like to hear from you to know how you are geting a long. I hav nt had but one letter in a long time. I guess I will go up to Nicetown to day & see if there isnt one there for me. If any of you have any inclinations to write to me you direct your leters here & if I go a way before they get here the ward master will send them to me.
So you may write me a letter as soon as you get this & tell me all that is going on in Gt. Valley. I expect Charley Field has had a chance to see a little fight by this time. Old fighting Joe Hooker will show the rebs a trick this summer if old Abe gives him what he needs & the Abilitionst big Bugs dont get jellos of him & try to root him out. As they did little Mc [Gen. George B. McClellan]
PS Tell Mother if she sends me any more shugar to do it up in the [Cattaraugus] Freeman or some other paper for it turns black after it has been in the Tribune a little while.
from A. Fay
U.S.A Hospital 51st St
N.Y May 27 1863
Well I have got to N.Y. after a long time. I came here last night. I stade on Bedlows island 9 days & of all the darn places I ever was in that is the Darndest. It is enough to starve a Dog to deth such Grub as they had there. This is a good place here. I guess I shall like it first rate here. I want you to write gust as soon as you get this & tell me how Ma is & if you have them handy please send me 2 or 3 stamps will you. I am a going to write to Montrose to day & let him have that coat of mine if
Pa dont want it. & see if he will send me 3 or 4 dollars to last me for spending Money untill I am paid a gain. I dont know when that will be. I am going to see the Docter & have him send for my Discriptive list. I was in hope that I should go to Elmira. But I dont believe I shall now. But I may for all I know yet. It seems good to get back into my own State again. But it would seem better if I had what Money Uncle Sam ows me & my discharge in my pocket (wouldent it hey? Write if you have heard from Charley Field or any of the Boys. I hant
heard a word from the Regt since the fight. Mati write gust as soon as you get this will you.
Direct
U. S. Armey Gen. Hospitall
New York
Lexington avenue Cor. 51st St
U. S. A. Gen Hospital
New York
May 27th “63”
Dear Sarah
This evning finds me once more in my own State & in verry good health so that I am able to write to you. I have had for a few days back a verry severe pain in my side. But I guess it wont amount to any thing verry serious. Havent I been a long time geting to New York? But I have got here at last. I stade at 16th & Filbert three weeks & expecting to go evry day. But after a long while the day came & I went to Bedlows island in N.Y. harbor & stade there 9 days expecting
to come here to the City or to Elmira or to some place. No one knew where. But the 9 days wore a way like 9 years & I have got to the City & it seems a good deal like geting home to get into New York a gain. I came past the old barracks where our Regt stoped when we first came through here. But they looked lonsome I can tell you. I didnt see any of the 105 there. But there is one fellow of Co. D here that is from my Regt. He is the only one I have seen for a long time. I havnt heard from the Regt since the fight [Chancellorsville]. I dont know but they are all killed. Sati I do want to hear from you awful bad. You cant guess how lonsome it has been for four weeks. But I have got where I shall stay a while now I guess & you will write me a good long letter gust as soon as you get this wont you? Dear.
Oh Dear Sati I am geting so tired of the Hospitals that I dont know what to do. I wish if they ant a going to discharge me that they would send me back to my Regt. I dont like this fighting for my Country & being in the Hospital all the while. I find that Uncle Sam dont pay the hospital Solders verry well. At least he dont pay me at all. He is owing me most 8 months pay, & he dont seem to think that I want any money. I shall have to talk to him I guess. Well Sati I shant write much this time for I am one letter a head of you now & it is geting all most dark & I shall have to hurry & scrible this over with what little I can think of & wate untill the next time. Now Dear please dont give me a scolding for not writing more will you?
I havnt heard from any of the Boys since the last Battle [Chancellorsville]. I wish I could hear how they was getting a long. When you write tell me all the News & all a bout how Miss Ward is geting a long with her school. I wish I could be there this summer. Id have some fun Il bet. Oh Sarah you didnt know that I had a birth day last week did you? Well I did. 23. Old eneough to be called a man. Who d think it. 1 ½ more to serve Uncle Sam & then I shall be free to serve Sarah. Do you remember where I was 4 years ago last Tusday? I remember it well. & you gave me a hint that I was a green looking Boy to be 19. Do you remember? I didnt think then that 4 years would find me on Bedlows island “fighting & Bleeding” for my Country in the Hospital. Sati please excuse this short & uninteresting letter & write me a good long letter. Wont you Sati. Remember me as ever & ever yours.
Adrian
Sati if that ring is to small you can swap it if you like for a larger one. Those envelops that Orville gave me last well dont they? I believe this is the last.
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.