Archive Record

Images

1 of 1977

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Metadata

Catalog Number

1805.025.16

Collection

Carlton Birch Letters

Object Name

Letter

Title

Letter from James Birch to his Wife Amanda Birch

Scope & Content

A letter from James Birch to his wife Amanda about his life as an American soldier in the Mexican War. James wrote this letter on January 25, 1857, on the battle ground. James described his journey from Pittsburgh to the battle ground, life with his fellow soldiers, and the honor of his service to protect the flag.

Date

January 25, 1847

Notes

The full transcription of the letter is as follows:

Jany [January] 15th 1847 Battle Ground
My Dearest Wife

We start at Last although we thought that ["Last" crossed out] Monday was to be the day but the Stores were Delayed [word crossed out] to Morrow (Saturday) we start as the Order has been given to strike tents our musquets [muskets] all packed 8 in half an hour time we will be Ready for the Sail much pleased am I to think that I shall have a taste of sea Life our Destination is Brazos Santiago there to wait for Orders there Little Doubt but the impression that I had when I left your City was correct and that Vera Cruz is our destination and that we shall have what we all Desire that is a fight my Station is one of Danger and therefore of Honor and god Grant that I may hold it with Honor to You My Country and Myself I have 4 Corporals as guards no greater Disgrace could attend them Myself than to Desert the flag in the Hour of Danger I shall Receive 22$ per Month & 4 Rations instead of 7$ which will be quite acceptable You may tell Thomas that I Left Philada [Philadelphia] with about 8$ in cash this was absolutely used up in Necessaries in our passage to Pittsburgh for on two thirds of the journey I was obliged to pay my own expenses on our arrival at Pittsburg Nothing had been done for our Accommodation therefore I put up at the U.S Hotel which I would have Done under any circumstances Rather than have put up with the Accommodations that the Companies which preceeded [preceded] us had I can stand any Hardship except that of Breathing and Atmospheres made Pestilent by Breaths of a hundred men in a Close Room Laying Like so many Hogs Cursing swearing and Drunk such was it on Board the Canal Boat and such would have been the Case in Pittsburgh which I had made [word crossed out] my mind up not to submit to if money could procure comfort

I have just Returned from Morning parade and the Orders are given to be Ready in one hour instead of to Morrow therefore I have but Brief time to say much more but you will Receive a full account as I promised from our next Stopping place Although this may be the Last you may hear of Me for Some time I had permission from the Capt [Captain] to Spend [page break] a couple of Days in N [New] Orleans which I made the most of I met Mr Murdock at the St Charles Hotel he was Kind Enough to Present with an order for Lieutenant [word crossed out] Bryant & Lewis & Myself to the St Charles Theatre Murdock played the Stranger most Admireably [Admirably] the Hotel St Charles is the most splendid in the U.States the [word crossed out] Architecture is pure Corinthian and surmounted with a Large and High Dome which is quite a Prominent Landmark the Calaboose or Prison is a vast pile and the Architecture purely French that is it Looks Like nothing but itself I Believe upon a fair calculation that their [there] is Nearly 2 taverns in every House in N. [New] Orleans I went to the Globe Masked Ball and the Quateroon do and they are without any exception the Vilest places I ever was in although they are quite fashionable and the Citizens and Strangers of N. [New] Orleans may feel proud of having fashionable Assemblies composed of the Refuse of a certain clap from all the great northern Cities I seen Mr Hill and he had just Received the News of his Brothers [Brother's] Death which he told me he had every Reason to expect from the manner in which he Lived Mr Hill Receives me very Kindly and I paid him several visits I [word crossed out] walked over the Battle ground and the embankments Still Remain and I feel satisfied that Myself with others have never given Gen [General] Jackson the Credit for that great Victory that was his due when we take into consideration that he fought the Veterans of the Peninsular war and the Flower of Wellingtons army with a Vastly inferior force Defeat would have been no Disgrace and victory the Evidence of the Superiority of the Citizens Soldier of this Free Republic

Tempes Fuget [Tempus Fugit] Time Flies we may probably stop at Pensacola if so I shall make it my business to find Mrs Russel my Worthy 4 [?] Cousin Tell [word crossed out] Father that I have a good many invaluable and Correct Drawing by Myself for him the Perspective in them is grand

tell mother to take good care of you in my absence and I shall Love her much for it and not to worry the Least for me as the more Labor is put on me and the more privations I have to bear the stronger I get I have not had No sickness yet and never felt better in my Life although numbers in the Camp are very unwell Soldiering agrees with me and I Look to the future Cheerily hoping there may be in it my [word crossed out] Redemption of the past [page break]

To the Whole family [word crossed out] Collectively and individually give My Love tell George that a Campaign would do him good and as he Bears the name so he Likewise ought to imitate the good & Brave Deeds of our worthy uncle

To Mrs Wootter Susan and Friend Charles give my best Respects

To Longmire and Ned do Likewise tell Ned to give them to Clements and the whole crowd of My Friends

tell Ned that we have lots of Corn Pork & Beef Hard Biscuit & Beans but can have no Cabbage dont [don't] fail to give any Respects to Mrs Caiender Grandmother Charity and all the Rest Tell Dick it is time for him to sing if it is only to please you

So Good By My Dear Little Wife
James Birch

I want to get my new uniform and sword before I get my Likeness there will be an Artist I guess with the Army you should see my Mustacheos [Mustachios] but I think I shall have them cut off they are very troublesome although they improve my looks I only wear them at the Particular Request of My Capt [Captain]
Do Not fail to wright [write] often Directed to the Care of Mr A Hill
1st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers Letter G
care of Capt. [Captain] Morehead
they will then be shipped to me

Extent of Description

1 leaf, 12.75" x 15"

Relation

Show Related Records...

Condition

Excellent

Condition Notes

Noted as "poor" on 10/05/2005, as the letters were in a scrapbook titled, "Record in War." However, the collection was conserved by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), Philadelphia, PA, in 2010. Each item was removed from the scrapbook and placed in individual folders.

Legal Status

On loan from The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia.