3rd Maryland Infantry Group- Captured at Gainesville, VA

Item LTR-9906

Description

Two original Civil War soldier letters and a CDV of Corporal John F. Helfrey. Total of 4 pages, written in period ink.

Letter #1

Headquarters, Williamsport
1st Regiment Company A
Camp General Lauman

November 8, 1861

Dear Wife,

I will send you a few lines by Hiram Souders to let you know that I got to the camp at seven o’clock last night and it was as I expected about the Pay Master. He has not been here yet, but they expect him here next week and I will write to you when he comes.

I will make my letter short. I wrote a letter to Julia for I directed the letter I wrote to you to Mary Hefright. I sent her another letter to go to the office and left the letter I directed wrong.

Hiram Souders was very tired before we got to the camp. Give my best respects to your Aunt Mary and Misses Snively and the balance of the family. You need not answer this letter for it is too troublesome for you to write. I will write soon again. No more at present but remain your true husband until death.

J. F. Helfrey

I would like to have some buttermilk. Some of the men went to Hancock and have not returned yet. Silas Berry sends his best respects to you.


Letter #2

Shenandoah County, Virginia
Camp in the Field near Little Washington

July 26, 1862

Dear Miss Mary Harman,

While I am writing for Rufus Souders, I will drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope you are enjoying the same good blessing.

I have been in excellent health since I have been in Virginia. I have escaped all sickness so far and I hope to keep in good health while I am in the service. We are not at home to have our wives or relations to wait upon us nor friends to come to see us. When we get sick here, we are put in the hospital until we are well.

Miss Mary, I cannot write as much as I wish to write this time. But I will write to you some other time. For I have not letter stamps. I have written to my wife to send me stamps. We have plenty money to pay postage but we cannot pay postage with money, we must have stamps.

I have been very anxious to hear from my wife. I have not heard from her for three weeks. And I have sent on 16th July, twenty dollars and I have not got no answer if she got it or not. She may have written to me and the letter may be on the way. But we have been marching so much that it is a hard matter to get a letter on a march. But now the mail will come to us regular. I would like to send twenty more dollars to my wife this week. But I will not send it until I hear from her to know if she got the twenty, I have sent.

I will bring my letter to a close this time and you must write soon.

From your true friend,

John F. Helfrey

Give my love to Misses Snyvely and the family. And if I ever get back safe, I will come to see you.