ADRIAN FAY 1865 LETTERS
April 1865
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Camp Parole, April 27th [1865]
My Dear Wife
Your eager looked for letter reached here to day and if ever I was glad to get a letter I was glad to get that one. I dont know but you will think I want you to write all the time by my writing so often. But I dont want you to write any oftener than you want to. The time seems so long to me here that I must do something to wear it a way. And when I am talking with you Dere the time doesnt seem half so long and Dreary as it does at other times.
So you must excuse me if I should write a half a dozen times a day. Now Sadie I think you are too bad to blaim me just because you have no Bed fellow. Did you once think that I was just as destitute of one as you was? I dont like to sleep alone any better than you do. And that night I left I didnt sleep at all. I kept a wake and thought or rather Dreamed wide a wake all night. “John” says I dont sleep any now nor wont let him sleep in peace. But it is to bad as you say to get married and then have to sleep with any body But your wife. This terrible “Rebellion” causes a great deal of inconvenience ‘so it does’ and I am sorry for it. But it cant be helped as I see. I will stop for now and finish this some other time. Add.
April 28th
Dear Sarah: - I cant invent any thing to kill time any other way so I will finish this letter. We had a Temperance meeting here last night. The “Chaplin” came over here and invited us to come to the Temperance meeting. Some one spoke and asked the Chaplain if he wasnt a going to have any whiskey at all nothing but cold watter? Well says the Chaplain if you Boys will all come over and show me where Whiskey is any benafit to a man as a Bevrage Il send and get some and treat the Crowd. So we all made a ralley. But in spite of all we could say in favor of Whiskey we could not convince the Chaplain that Whiskey was of any use to us
and he and his party made it apear that it was a damage instead of a Benafit to any man woman or child. Finaly we had to “cave in” and to spite the Old fellow we all sined the Pledge never to use it as any thing of its nature. I will send you mine for safe keeping. You will keep it for me wont you Sadie? Sadie you tell that Brother of ours (Irv) [Irving Flint] that he never has writen to me and I think it is time he did if he is evera gunto. Tell “Esther” and “Mother” to write if they can aford to spend the time. I am so lonsome here that I dont know what to do with my self. It seems as though I had been here more than a month all ready. I went over to Head quarters Wedsday and they let me have my Furlough a gan so I could get my commutation money. I guess I shall get it to morrow. $7 ½.
I will use a little of the Sanitary [U. S. Sanitary Commission] paper as it is thinner than the other and wont take up so much room in the envelop. Thats kute economy isnt it? You must be in great buisness choaking my sister to death. You wouldnt like it if I should use yours so man you had just better stop that. Are they making fun of my ghost. I know how you Girls carrey on. “Whew”. What an awful warm day it is. I almost swet a Stream it is so warm. Wonder if there is snow on the ground in Cattaraugus to day? You say you are a going to be just as good as you can be till I get back. I hope you will. But wont you be good after I get back? I am going to be good too till I get home again and then Il try and be good. “As by the mortal
Gods Im afraid Il be “Killt.” Oh Darling I am in such a hurry to get the notace of our Wedding. I wonder if it is posable that we are marrid. I have a kind of a faint belief that we are after all. I know Darling you didnt say “good bye” But I know you was thinking it so it was just as well as though you said it. I did hate to come a way this time more than I ever did before. But as for my crying all the way to the [Allegheny] River [at Great Valley Station] thats hardly true, though I shant deny but what Father saw tears in my eyes. I couldnt help it no how. I will come and stay with you some night Sadie but I am a fraid you will “scold” if I should rub my whiskers in your face. But no mind if you do scold me. Id Dig right out and come back here a gain “and so I will” or not.
I saw Captin [John C.] Whiteside of my Regt. last night. He was glad to see me and wanted me to come and see him to day. I went down to his room just now but he wasnt there. He has been a Prisoner 20 months. His Wife died while he was in prison and it came near killing him. He dont act abit as he used to. Lieut. Misler [Mesler] has gon back to the Company again. I understand he was verry anxious to have me get back again. I wish I was there. The time would not seem half so long as it does here. Well My Dearest I will bring this letter to a focus and I guess you will be glad too. I dont believe you can read it. But maybe you are used to it eneough so you can pick it out. Give my love to all inquiring Friends, but keep the grater
portion for my Darling good precious Wife. I will take good cair of my self Dear for your sake. And you must take good cair of “Sarah” for me. I want to find when I come back that same good little “Wife” I left and I am sure I shall for I know she loves her Husband. But no better that he loves her. My health is improving verry fast. Uncle “Abraham” will have to take back what he said about me in a few weeks longer if I dont have any serious draw backs. I shall have to stop writing now for it is geting dark. May God Bless you Darling and protect you from all harm and keep you in the path of Virtue is the daily and constant Prair of your afectionate Husband.
Adrian Fay
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.