Letters from soldier that first name start with M
New York Feb 25th 1871
Mrs [...]
My Dear Friend
I did not learn untill a few day's ago that you and Mr [...] are still one of my remaining friend, or I should have attempt writing to you before, I've often times thought of you & the good times I had while staying at your house, even if I am a married women now I am just as full as fun as ever, and I think I have grown wildor, How are you and all the family? well I hope I have been very sick for the past month with [...], and I am just about able to get around indeed I missed the hand of my dear Mother, as she always [...] during all and many sickness, But Walter was very successful as nurse, house keeper & cook, and indeed I was very much surprised at the way he managed things, I hope some day you may have the pleasure of seeing this man of my choice, He has been greatly slandered and I hope the time may come when his innocence may be proven, and as for me I shall always stand by him, for he is very kind and affectionate to me in all his ways, and I dont think I shall ever regret the stept I have taken I know I have done wrong in the past and I hope the Lord will help me & show me away to make up for the future, I think I see your homestead now looking the same as ever, and when I am fully recovered I should like to run and see you but dear [...] the time it will take, so if I go I can just take a look at you & run back home, I wished I lived nearer, but perhaps it is just as well for then you would be bothered to death with my running, I am house keeping now and feel quite comfortable humble as I live I know judge you will not fail to come and see us, My hand is not quite well now and I hope you will excuse writing, I will now close with much Love for you my Dear Friends Mr & Mrs [...] hoping to have the indefinite pleasure of hearing from or seeing you soon, I remain as Ever
[p. NA]
Your True
Friend
Mary F. Farrar
423 9th Ave 4th house of 34th St
Camp Benton Sept. 21st 1861 [Sat.]
Dear Wife,
I received your letter the 16th and was glad to here from you & to here you was all well. I am very well now we came into camp Benton last Sunday. We are all well rested now, the camp is about 35 or 40 miles from Washington. We marched most all last week we did not think of going so long a distance & started with out any provision. Most of the time we had nothing but hard bread and cold water and slept out in the open air on the ground. When we got through with our march we was very week for the want of food. But now we have plenty of food and feel strong and well except those who are trobled with a diarera. I could write 24 hours and not write all that would be interesting to you & sis perhaps, but I will write what perhaps will be most interesting to you. You wrote about having to chose to keep me comftable. I have a plenty if I had more, it would be burdensome to me. I have 1 Pr draws, 2 Pr wolen shirts, 2 Pr woolen socks, 1 Pr pants 1 knit fatigue coat, 1 thick black coat, 1 heavy over coat, large coat that I can cover over my head when I sleep at night. 1 Inderruber Blanket, 1 heavy woolen blanket. Besides 1 old under shirt and 1 Pr of woolen & one pr of Cotton socks that I brought with me; 1 fatige cap, 2 good black caps. With my knap sack, haversac & canteen you see it makes me a heavy loud. At this moment there is a beautiful Band from Misagan playing. Drect your letter to me Care of Capt. John Launders [Saunders], Sharpshooters. Attached to the 20 Mass. Rigement, vol Washington D.C. I do this for I may be called off to River. We are in camp 2 miles of the River Poetomuck where the rebes want to cross, at least some of them, in the town of Poolsville. Some of our Company went down Tuesday and the rest are a going to releve them. The Pickets are on one side and our troops on the other, they talk to each other. One of the rebel picket said he was hungry and one of the 15 Mass Boys took him up to his camp and gave him a good meal of victuals, then he went back he said he would never shoot at one of that Rig. Before I write any more I would say that I am out of money and if you can send me two dollars, I would like it but do not make your self short. I do not know how I could lived if I had not bought some provision on the Road but I think I shall have more now I have had to let Hixon have some of my money or I should of had more. I saw Albert Irving & Moses Daniels and two or three more from Medway in N.Y. when we was in there. One of the Medfield Boys that belong to the Medway Com. Came to see me last Sunday where we stoped over night 2 miles above here. He came 9 miles horse back. He said the Medway Boys was all well. Hixon wrote home last week.
Sunday afternoon I had to leave letter yesterday. I was called upon to go on gard and my 24 hours was up at 10 o’clock this forenoon. I did not sleep any last night. It was the coldest night we have had this fall. It has been very hot through the day ever since we came to Washington, hotter than it has been any time in Mass. The Company are all together today. Now I think of it, I want you to send
[Sept. 21, 1861]
me a Housewife, that is, something to carry thred & needles Buttons etc. if you can. I nead that more than any thing I can think of. I want you to write me soon for I don’t know as we shall be with the 20 Rig. Much longer. You see I have plenty of close, all I can take care of. You must excuse my writing for I have no conveint place to write on. A part of the Company have been out practicing with our Rifles two days last week. I believe they give me credit of beating the crowd; we shot one hundred Rods and I think I could hit a Turkey twice out of three times. Tell Asahell & William that I have got a good rifle. It weighs about twenty five lbs. and I am well pleased with it. When we marched without our guns, Soldiers asked us when we past them where our guns was & some thought we was prisernes marching with the 20 Rig. But when we march with our guns they say, see that gun, what a gun that fellow has, see that small cannon. At this moment news has come that there was fighting at Chain Bridge near Washington yesterday. There was a fight and the federal los was not very large but they took a good number of Rebel troops and drove them back but they have ralied again today. So reported in Camp today. There is know doubt there will be a great Battle soon and I think the only one that will mount to much. Nobody knows any thing about it; every thing is kept so still, all officers and soldiers are forbid writing so that can get into press. Tell Asabel & William that there is plenty of game here but we are not aloud to shoot at them. We cannot shoot at targets only between the hours of 10 to 12 o’clock. If we should here a gun near the River at any time, the Soldiers would be in arms. There is Hogs all round the fields and woods here into our cookery some times nights. Tell Bub there is a lot of little niger Boys round here where there is a house, but the houses are very scarce here. The negro Boys bring cakes & pies on the camp ground to sell. Write me all the news, how is Sis, Crow and the garden. I suppose you will have to get some more wood soon. I want you to make your self comfortable if you can. If I live I think I shall be with you in the spring. I want Lucina and Hattie to write a few words in your next letter. There is 3,000 troops on this ground. I think we can raise 12,000-15,000 Troops here in one hour time. How are the Rigerments filling up in Mass.? I will leave, for I may want to write a few lines before close this letter.
From your Dearest Husband M Hill
[in margins] My love to all. Kiss bub & Sis & hattie for me. I think of you a great deal & Bub, I dream of him often. Send me a Boston Paper as you can
Camp Benton, Fredrick County Sept. 24th, 1861
Dear Wife,
I wrote a letter to you last Sunday and asked you to send me two dollars of money, but I do not need it now. If you have not sent it you need not now for I have sold my wach and got $5.00 for it. It was nothing but a [morth?]to me and I thought I had better sel it, so you nead not send me any money at present if you have not.
Since I wrote you I have had a turn of Diarear, but I am better now. I felt quite slim yesterday. I think I shall have a good chance to send a letter to you to day, so I improve my moments. I have been out yesterday and today to see the men shoot that did not shoot when I shot. General Landers was there to see them shoot and he wanted the Captain to pick out ten of his best shots tomorrow to go to the River to pick off some of the Rebel Oficers and I hope I shal be one of that number. We are going to practice one half mile to morrow. Charles Greenwood is driving one of his teams in the 20 Rigement. He wants me to write he is well and doing well, and Willey that lived on the Munion place is driving team in the Same Rigement. I wrote you all about my close excepting one Pr. Of draws. Them I just took out since I have been writing this letter. I want you to write to Mother as soon as you can and let her know how I get along. We took one man near the River. We suppose him to be a spy. He gave signals to the Rebels every night by Candles. In his chamber he would lite his lamps and stand before them and give signals across the river.
The officers are very strict with the men here; they are not aloud to drink a drp of spirit or go off the Campground. I feel very well today and I hope you enjoy the same blessing. Write Mr. Russell and let him know where & how I am…The Rhode Island 3d Batery are with us and the Mass. 15th, 19th, 20th & 2 Misigan, 1st Minesota and a number with in a few miles; the 13th & 2d, are within 9 miles of here. We like General Landers first rate. I have been and bought some paper & pen & ink this fore noon. You must excuse my envelopes for they was the best I could get today. I wrote to have you direct your letter to me Care of Capt. John Saunders, Sharpshooters, attached to the 20 Rigement Mass. Vol., Washington D.C.
I think there will be a battle soon and if there is, I think it will be a final Battle, but we do not know but very little about it, only we can guess, that is all.
Corn and Potatoes and vegetables are not so forward as it is in Mass. I think they must have planted very late, but the corn is a later kind than our Corn is. We had some Bake Beenes for Breakfast and roast Beaf for Diner, something we have never had in Camp here before. Tell James I have not had to buy any tobacco until this morning. Tell him I will write to him soon. What is Nathan a doing this fall? Does go a fishing any? Tell Asabel & William I would like to see them out here first rate. All our men seem very anxious to get a shot at the Rebels.
[Sept. 24, 1861]
When I was in Washington City I went into the Capitol and up on the top of it which is very high. The top is not finished yet. It is a very large building…The Hogs are all round in the streets round the Capitol. When we came through Baltimore we had no trouble. The Captain saw one man in a Chamber that was just a going to throw a junk Bottle at him, but he drawed his sourd and he dare not throw it. Captain said if he had, he should have gone up after him.
From Your ever Trew Husband M Hill
Wednesday 25
I put my letter into the office last night and I took it out this morn to write this, and I received one from Nathan and Sis and was very glad to here from him and I cannot stop to answer them as I ought. But I will say we have not killed any Pickets yet, nor no one else that I know of for we have not had any chance. But I think some of us will have in a few days, see in the fore part. Nathan, in regard to McLeland, I have not seen him as I know of. He keeps every thing still. There seems to be a great meny troops all the way up the Potomac. I hope I shall be able to write you some news in a few days. Tell Bub to send me a letter.