Browse All Letters (449 total)

Ft. Hamilton Aug. 13. 1861 I find, dear wife, I have raised expectations which are likely to result in disappointment. In conversation with Col. Burke, I was informed that he would approve my application for leave of absence for twenty days, & supposed then that nothing further was to be done but to secure Major Clitz' approval. This I…

Fort Hamilton August 12th 1861 My dear Wife: You may expect me home the last of this week, tho' I may possibly be prevented from coming. I could leave on Wednesday if there were not some prospect of a collision between the civil & military authorities here. I do not think any will occur, but I want to be at my post until the crisis is past. …

Fort Hamilton August 11th 1861 My dear Wife: Yours of the 7th reached me last night. I will answer Friend Bell today. I will attend also to Ricky *Thill*, myself. _ I am not prepared today to give you as specific directions in relation to the route you ought to take, as I wish. Tomorrow or Tuesday I will write to you, and I do not wish you to…

Fort Hamilton Aug. 7 1861 Yours of the 4th came to hand this evening my dear. I suppose you know by this time who is confirmed and who is not. At any rate I shall go to work at my house and try to comfortableize it for your reception. I shall set my "striker" to cleaning up the yard & making things snug. There is a small cook stove in the…

I send you a piece of the Ft Pickens flag Fort Hamilton August 5th 1861 I confidently hoped, my dear one, that I should hear from you tonight, but the mail brought no letter. Better luck tomorrow perhaps. You will find my receipt from the Comly's in the lower left hand pigeon hole of my desk, or in an envelope in one of the pigeon holes in the…

Fort Hamilton August 2, 1861 I took a long letter to you, dear Augusta, to the city & mailed it yesterday morning. You will probably, therefore, have a letter to solace yourself with on Sunday, if not, you will not be expecting any. I called upon Uncle Samuel's assistant treasurer yesterday and drew from him two hundred & six 61/100…

Ft Hamilton July 29th 1861 Yours of Thursday, my dearest, has just come to hand, and tho' I despatched a letter to you by the post this morning, I am commencing another to you already, as you see. You have never said anything before about the Cooper Institute. Sam Craighead has been making some inquiries on behalf of [Lucretra] Dickson, &…

Ft Hamilton July 28th 1861 I suppose my darling little wife, about this time of day, is grumbling because she did not get a letter from me this morning (if she did not) and perhaps seated at her desk heaping coals of fire upon my head by writing a long letter to me. Well if you did not get one, you ought, for one was dispatched for you on…

Ft Hamilton July 24th 1861 My dear Augusta: I saw Sam Craighead today. He spent several days in Washington & has got the run of things pretty well. He tells me that our regiment will be raised, but that all the nominations will not be confirmed. Sherman & Wade he says will vote for me; if they do, I will be confirmed; if they don't I…

Ft Hamilton July 20th 1861 I rec'd yours of the 17th this afternoon, two or three hours ago, and have just taken my seat, my dearest, to begin a long letter to you. _ I called on Belle B. this afternoon, & had no difficulty in finding her. She was looking very well and professes to like Brooklyn very much. The school is growing & their…