Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1805.044.06.01 |
Collection |
Moore Letters |
Object Name |
Letter |
Title |
Letter from William W. Moore to his Brother Charley Moore |
Scope & Content |
William W. Moore writes home to his brother Charley. He has the day to himself after being relieved from guard duty and will devote it to cleaning, washing himself, and letter writing. He writes of working on the railroad and attending church in the middle of the street. He saw the Confederates at Fredericksburg, stating they had fierce fortifications that the Union could not take from the front. The wounded were horrible looking, and his regiment took 30 casualties killed and wounded. William missed home over the Holy days, writing about his Christmas dinner of coffee and a hard cracker. He asks Charley to send him an 1863 diary that can fit in a pocket. Due to faded pencil and math, the last part of the letter is mostly illegible, however it appears that he sends his love to his mother and father and asks them to write very soon. |
Dates of Creation |
January 4, 1863 |
Date |
January 4, 1863 |
Notes |
The full transcription for this letter as follows: Rec'd [Received] Jan [January] 13th 1863 Aquica Creek Sunday January 4th 1864 My dear Bro [Brother], As it has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of hearing from home. I thought that I would once again write to you. I wrote home two weeks ago to day [today] and to Augustus last Monday since hearing from you. Among all of you, you should endeavor to write [serlanty] as often as I do. I am kept busy all of the time and have know [no] time except when I am [detailed] for guard duty then I have the next day to myself which I devote to Cleaning up, Washing, writing + c [etc.]. I was ordred [ordered] out with a ditailed [detailed] this morning we went out after breakfast to work on the Rail Road which we are building here and the Superintendent did not set us to work. So we sent word to the Liet [Lieutenant] Col. [Colonel] and he ordred [ordered] us back to [page break] Camp. I have just came in from church or what we call Church. We have know [no] house to collect in so we seat ourselves as best we can upon eather [either] side of a street some upon stools others upon the ground. The Chaplain took his Sermon from those words Put on the armor of Light he spoke very well indeed, better than he generally does. The Boys do not think much of him. I wish we did have a good and interesting Chaplain. he hardly ever visits the Tents. Charley have [you] your corn [husked s] if not I wish you could have such [fine] we [?] as we have here. it is just about [sy] oh weather as we have home the first of [?]. [except] the nights which are very cold. to day [today] it is very warm and fine. I have been up to Fredericksburgh [Fredericksburg] where I had a chance to see the Rebs. [Rebels], they are very strongly fortified up the Hills that I could see lack of the City. Our forces can never drive them [page break] from there by fighting them from the front. I hope they will get a strong force in the rear and drive them into the river. You ought to of seen the wounded that passed through here at the time of the fight. some of them looked horrible. Our Company expects to be called upon to help lay the bridges but fortinately [fortunately] [excuple] it. Our Regiment lost some Thirty an [and] Killed and Wounded. How did you enjoy yourselves during the Holy days. For Christmas dinner I had a cup of Coffee and a Hard Crackers for New Years I had some Beans quite a contrast betwene [between] [this] can Turkeys. you better believe I thought of home [about] Dinner time. Charley do not forget to purchase me a Diary (1863) worth about 5 or 6 and send by mail. Lucius received one on New-yearsday [New year's day]. (very nice). have it good proportion so that it will carry easy in pocket. and I will make it well with you some day or other. I continue in splendid health and am gaining [page break] in… every day I… and … in some Twenty five [portions] move them when I left [home]… great on the [?] [Question]… Gill… [come] [down] [we] [will] [see] cash week … Gill and as … will have stories …Georgie if I ever… tell Mother … [American] Messenger … [Evangelisr] as … love to Father, Mother … + all with a good … yourself… write very soon … [?] Bro [Brother], Wm. [William] W. Moore To C. C. Moore Esq. [Esquire] Geneva, N.Y. [New York] P.S. Gill wanted to know why mother does not write him In haste W W M Chal. [Charley] Moore 146th Geneva [NY] Norfolk 147 VA [Virginia] |
Extent of Description |
1 leaf, 10.5" x 8.4" |
Relation |
Show Related Records... |
Condition |
Fair |
Condition Notes |
Letter written in pencil. One vertical fold divides the paper in 2, however, there is an additional vertical fold presumably done to fit the letter in an envelope. There are three horizontal folds. There are a few small holes in the paper, one on the last page where the vortical crease intersects with the horizontal crease, one along the middle crease of the paper near the center bottom, and 2 small tears on the top of the paper. 1 along the middle vertical crease, and 1 along the left vertical crease. On page 4 of the letter, the pencil ink is so faded that the text is nearly completely ineligible. The text was transcribed as much as possible, though no full sentences were able to be transcribed from page 4. The last page also features several sums and other math equations written in pen over the faded pencil text of the letter. |
Legal Status |
On loan from the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. |
Multimedia Files |
Click here to view the full transcription of the Moore Letters Collection. |
People |
Moore, William Moore, Charley |
Search Terms |
Moore Letters Geneva, NY Aquia Creek, VA Fredericksburg, VA |