Letters from soldier that first name start with H
Letter from Henry Bowen Anthony to Benjamin Franklin Butler, January 11, 1864
From H. B. Anthony to General Butler
Washington, Jan. 11, 1864
Dear General: I received your letter relative to Capt. Lawrence, and called at the War Department, where I saw Mr. Watson, the secretary being absent. I had mislaid the letter, but I stated its contents to Mr. Watson, who said that if you really wanted that or any other appointment on your staff, you had only to intimate it to the department. A note from you to the Secretary would settle it, but I was not sufficiently possessed of your views to be able to say how much of your letter was from a willingness to oblige Capt. Lawrence, and how much was your own wish on the subject.
Yours very respectfully, H. B. Anthony
I am glad to see that while we are discussing questions you are settling them. Besides that, yours is the best way. I think you are generally ahead of us.
Letter from Henry Bowen Anthony to Benjamin Franklin Butler, March 11, 1864
From H. B. Anthony to General Butler
Senate Chamber, Washington, March 11, 1864
General: Accept my thanks for your prompt response to my request. The friends of Lt. Col. Sanderson have welcomed him with great joy, -- indeed every one appears to be well pleased with the success which has attended your practical solution of the question of exchanges. Believe me, General,
In the following letter Henry Marsh, hospital steward of the 19th Indiana, describes the treatment of the wounded Indiana soldiers after the battle of Gettysburg. The 19th was part of the famed Iron Brigade along with the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin and the 24th Michigan.  On September 4, 1861 Henry Marsh enlisted as a private in Company E 19th Indiana Infantry in Indianapolis, Indiana. His mustering in date was November 25, 1861. Marsh remained a private until he was transferred and promoted to the rank of hospital steward on May 11, 1863. Remaining at this rank until the end of the war Marsh stayed with the 19th Indiana until it was combined with the 20th Indiana in 1864.  He mustered out with the 20th on July 12, 1865. Marsh died on March 5, 1933 in Muncie, Indiana.This letter appeared in the Indianapolis Daily Journal on August 1, 1863 on page 3 column 2.  The spelling and punctuation are unchanged from the original publication. Â
Our Wounded At Gettysburg1st Div., 1st Army Corps Hospital,White Church, near Gettysburg, Pa. Ed. Journal-There being no higher officer left with our wounded at this place than myself, I desire, in behalf of our brave soldiers, to return their thanks to our friends in this State and our agent in Washington, for the timely and abundant supplies furnished us after the battle of Gettysburg. Most of the slightly wounded of our division were collected at White Church, three miles from Gettysburg, on the Baltimore pike, and at a neighboring house and barn, and were suffering very much for sanitary supplies and food, as our supply and hospital wagons were twenty-five miles off.  Many of the men had lost their knapsacks and haversacks, and many of them had nearly all their clothing torn off, being covered with blood. When our regimental hospital wagons came up, I took out the hospital tents, put them up together, and laid a floor in them, and made beds of hay and straw.  A few shirts and drawers, which were in the wagon, were given out, still many of the men had shirts on which were quite filthy, as they had not had a chance to change for many days.The next day after our tents were up Mr. Monfort, our State Agent, came up with his assistants, with shirts, drawers, lint, badages [sic] and wine, (Hoosier wine,) which was given out to the men. The soldiers were rejoiced to receive these supplies. “Bully for Indiana!� was the cheerful expression of the men upon receiving these gifts. These were the first donations received from any quarter, either from Agent or Society. The Agent, after getting a list of the killed and wounded, visited the other hospitals.  This work of distributing stores being over, he returned in a few days and poured the supplies on us, bringing almost everything that could be wished for or needed-socks, shoes, drawers, handkerchiefs, towels, jellies, wines, vegetables, fruit, bread, butter, etc.-so that our hospital was abundantly supplied, and this was continued for some six days. I understand other regiments fared the same.  The men in camp would say, “he knows what is needed, he has been in the army.� The soldiers from other States would say wishfully, “why don’t our State treat its soldiers in that way?� There was but one other state (Wisconsin) whose agent came on with supplies. The agents of several states came on, but none passed through the hospital to obtain lists of the killed and wounded. Some who profess friendship for soldiers and an interest in their welfare say, “Well, I would give something for relief, but those stores get into the hands of officers, and are eaten up or used by them.� Could such persons have witnessed the change from blood-clotted, filthy garments to clean and white, from “hard-tack� to fresh light bread, from salt pork to fresh mutton, could they have heard the expression of delight, and seen the countenances of the exhausted soldiers, no other argument would be necessary to bind them to the interest of our State Sanitary Commission. These supplies were all distributed by myself. I believe hundreds of lives were saved by the different relief associations. All of the wounded from Indiana who were able to be moved have been taken to Gettysburg.  Those left behind are well cared for.After the railroad was opened the Sanitary and Christian Commissions brought in large supplies of stores.  Our Indianians are doing well. The cases of amputation are doing remarkably well. Lieut-Colonel Dudley has had his leg amputated a second time and is now improving. The Iron Brigade is still in the front, ready to give the rebs. their accustomed warm reception. I will close, hoping that I have not occupied too much room in your paper. Yours, truly,Henry C. Marsh,
Hospital Steward 19th Ind
Camp of the 29th Mass Vets
Blicks Station
Dear Friend Sam,
I will now take the time to write you a letter. I received a letter from you a week or two ago and wrote one to you a few days before I received yours. I should have written again ere this but I tell you I have had my hands full lately since we received the recruits & being the only old member of the company present I need to be Corporal, Sergeant and Captain. I don’t know as you have heard that Co. E has been growing some lately. One regiment received eighty odd recruits, and they were all put into the consolidated companies. Our company has fifteen “seventeen & merry” and one of them, Otto Denger has been promoted to Corporal he has served in the French and German armies we have a first rate lot of men, although they are about all Germans. I have need to drill the company most every day , but Nat has joined the company so he takes command he is Captain and I am First Lieutenant now We have ten companies in the regiment now and there has been a lot of promotions lately made. Co A, Scully Orderly Sergeant, Gammen Corporal and transferred to Co. D. Co. B, O. Dell Sergeant, Mat. Leonard to Corporal in Co. I, Co. C, Harlow Orderly Sergeant, Ripley to Corporal and Dyer to Corporal. Co. D, Hoxie to Orderly Serg’t and a recruit to Corporal. Co. E, Denger and Holmes to Corporal, Co. F, Burns to Corporal transferred to Co. I. Co. H, Thomas to Serg’t transferred to Co. D. Co. I, Gooding to Serg’t. Co. K, Blackhall and Ewart to Sergeants. Billy Howe to Corporal. I believe that is all now, but I expect their will be more promotions soon. Col. Barnes commands the regiment now. Col. McLaughlin of the 5-7th Mass took his place as Brigade Commander. McLaughlin is a regular old tyrant, but he don’t trouble us much now as our regiment is detached from the Brigade now. Our whole Corps has gone into camp some miles back from here leaving us alone to garrison Fort Howard. Our regiment received orders from Headquarters Army of the Potomac last Sunday to remain here as a permanent garrison for Fort Howard. The Corps can go where it chooses but we can’t leave here without orders from Grant The Fifth Corps joins us on the left and the ni****s on the right of the fort. The 11th Mass Battery are in the fort, it is quite a strong fort and has been named after Gen. Howard. Our regiment has no picket duty to do now but has a camp guard. I am Corporal of the Guard today. We have to be right on our military now, have drills, camp guards, dress parades and inspections the same as we used to at Newport News. The Sergeants of companies have their tents pitched the same as if they were Captains and Lieutenants of companies Nat and myself are together. We have logged up our tent and have five pieces of tent up and corduroy beds and are living in style. The Commissioned officers now with the regiment are Barnes, Tripp, Richardson, Dean and Cap’t Taylor. He joined us Sunday. He is Cap’t now. Joseph Madigan has been promoted to Sergt Major. I expect a number of the Sergeants will be made commissioned officers soon as I understand we are to receive more recruits. We have an Orderly Sergeant every day for Officer of the Day. Barnes is learning some of them how to perform the duty of an Officer. I expect Barnes will resign as soon as three years of Lieutenant Colonelry expires. He is bound to do all he can for the old members of the regiment before he leaves. I wish you were well and with us and Shannon (?) and Nick. I hope and trust we shall all come together again sometime. Sooner or later I am afraid we shall not see Shannon again very soon. I would like to look in upon him now and see how he is getting along.
I saw by the Washington Chronicle that Curt Rand was dead. We were surprised to hear of his death as he only got a slight wound in the hand. No bones were touched. I can’t believe that he died of his wounds. I am glad to hear that you are getting along so well and are enjoying yourself. I am afraid your head will trouble you out here in hot weather. but I hope we will finish this war up before another Summer I think things look favorable for our side Sheridan is doing a good thing in the Valley the news from Sheridan was received with cheers along our line and a salute was fired I guess about all the regiments cheered excepting(?) the 29th, I think these victories will help us a great deal towards putting Lincoln in for our next President. I received some papers from you yesterday and among the rest a secesh paper I hope you don’t think I am an McClellonite I am not. If I have a chance to vote I shall vote for Old Abe. I used to like Mack well enough but I don’t think much now of the party that supports him. It is the opinion of many that Mack would get the largest majority in the army but I think the majority would be on the other leg. Our regiment would go strong for McClellan but our regiment is only a small part of the army. Well it will be but a few weeks now to election. I suppose you will be at home to vote. If they don’t allow us fellows to vote, you will please vote twice, once for me. I would like to be at home a few days with you. We would take our guns and go out hunting copperhead. I suppose we would not have to hunt far to find them. I suppose you are having some good times now adays. I think you deserve good times if any body does. If a fellow that has fought bled and died for his country don’t deserve a rest and good times I don’t know who does. I have got to go on guard duty so bye bye
Later We have had guard mounting and I am Corporal of the 3rd Relief so I will have a chance now to finish this scribbling. We drill now three hours a day and the guard that goes on in the morning has to drill in the forenoon.
All is quiet here now. It is reported that Butler was attacked at Bermuda Hundred and got drove back, but I don’t believe it yet I guess it is only a camp yarn. We received a letter from you this morning directed to Nick and we knew it was from you and wishing to hear from you very much. I took the responsibility of opening the letter. Nick has not returned yet from the hospital. I will write to Nick to day and send the letter and photographs. Please excuse me for opening it.
We got paid off yesterday two months pay and Burgess has just come in with a bottle of pickles, two boxes Sardines, 1 box Peas 1 can Plums, 1 bottle _____ Ginger &c.. Nat sends his very best respects to you and the rest and says you must hurry up and come out here as we want some more sergeants in the company and their is a sight for some thing higher. I expect I am looking for a commission. I will take nothing short of a Brigadier General. I don’t know of much more news to write you from this department. The cook has just come in with a kettle of fresh beef and onion stew. A good one it is to. We have a firstrate cook, one of the recruits. We don’t get much _____ now. Not one sixth _____ as much as we did last summer. I never saw the old members of the 29th looking better then they do now. What few their is left are tough. Con. Homan is round as usual he says remember him to Lam. Perhaps you would like to know who your Co. E brothers are now, well as I have got a plenty of room on this paper I will give you the list of recruits Gerhard Briggerman, Morris Collin, Otto Denger, Martin Eck, Frederick Gradholf, William Klinkler, Thomas Mooney, Herman Meier, Ruter Moritz, Leopold O’Breiter, Manual Portello, Frank A. Roberts, James Robbins, Henry J. Swett, Peter Van Hagen, Jacob Wagner and Hezekiah Sargent some join ____kers. I can call the roll now without the names on paper. The rebels killed one of our regiments recruits on picket last week and wounded another so that he had to have his arm amputated and to day a n****r was killed on picket in our front, all on the same post. Co. I has one Plymouth man, William Barret, he is quite an old man. About all our recruits are drafted men and substitutes. We never will have as good a regiment as we have had.
Well I have posted my men and will now continue. Nat is out drilling the company. Some of our company don’t understand much of English, but we get along very well with them. I expect I shall be a Dutchman in a few months. The worst of it with these chaps they might be calling me all sorts of names and I wouldn’t know the difference. I know of no more news to write to you I am enjoying the best of health and so is Burgess. I wonder where Bates is now. I should think he would write to some of the company and let them know his whereabouts. I guess he don’t care much where the company is as long as he is in snug quarters. I guess he don’t know we are doing garrison duty.
I want you to give my very best respects to Walter and Phinnery (?) also to Packard and remember me to all enquiring friends. I want one of your photographs.
Don’t direct any more of my letters to the 3rd Division that is the nigger Division. There are but three divisions in the Corps now and ours is as before the 1st so you will please direct letters accordingly I wish you would call in to night and take supper with us but I suppose you have most as good a supper as we have I wouldn’t mind dining with you to night I guess you would see that I had full ratios of eatables but could I get full rations of after supper.
Well enough of this. I don’t know what I have written but I believe I have written about all the news I know off. I hope this letter will find you enjoying yourself hugely and if you should happen to be awake during the small hours of the night think how you would like to be with your peaceful Holmes in the army. My kind regards to all your folks. Hoping to hear from you again soon I Remain Ever Your True Friend Orrin D. Holmes