209th Pennsylvania Infantry - Killed at Petersburg

Item LTR-6145

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages written in period ink.


February the 12th 1865
Camp in front of Petersburg

Dear Cousin,

It is with great pleasure that I take up my pen this afternoon in answer to your letter of Jan. 8th. I received it about one week ago but as we were just going to make a march, I had not time to write any sooner to you. But I hope that you will excuse me for not writing to you sooner. I must tell you that your letter was laying on the way a long [tenure]. I received a note one day some time ago that there was a letter at Old Point, Va. and I returned the note and told them to forward the letter and they did, and it happened to have been your letter and so I did not get the letter for a long time and that is the reason that I didn’t.

But I must tell you that we were out and on expedition for six days on the left of Petersburg along the Hatchers Run. There was some hard fighting done but we did not get into any fight. We were all the time in the reserve. We left our camp on the 5th day of February, on Sunday, and marched about 12 miles and then we reached our days march till about 10 o’clock after night and fell to work and threw up breast works and finished our line of work till about one o’clock that night, on Sunday night, and there laid down to sleep for the night. But our sleep was not very much for the night was too cold and we had no shelter along. It is not necessary for me to tell you all about our march for I haven’t got time to write very much this time. I have several more letters to write, and I haven’t time to write much. We are again under marching orders and I don’t know how soon we may leave again. And so I will close for this time. Tell Sarah that I will write to her as soon as I got time. I will now close for this time. Bye. Sending my love and best wishes to you. Give my love and best wishes to all the friends, and to all that may enquire about me. No more.

But still remain respectfully your friend, Jacob Strine. Catherine Strine. Direct yours to Jacob Strine, Comp. D, 209th Regt Pa. Vol., City Point, Va.

No more a present, but still remain respectfully yours.