Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1805.025.15 |
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 at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans on January 12, 1847. James described his promotion to First Sergeant of the Regiment and suspicion of his wife engaging in adulterous behavior. |
Date |
January 12, 1847 |
Notes |
The full transcription of the letter is as follows: St Charles Hotel N [New] Orleans Jany [January] 12th 1847 My Dearest Little Wife I Received your two Letters and the [they] were as Refreshing to me as water upon the Desert Rejoice with me for I have been promoted [word crossed out] to the Most honerable [honorable] position that of Standard Bearer of the Regiment and first Seargeant [Sergeant] of the Regiment I carry the Sword instead of the Musquet [Musket] and it is my Duty to defend the flag of my Country we Start tomorrow with Sealed Orders and along with the pleasure I feel at your being Happy and comfortable I Rejoice in the Idea that we Shall have a fight tell Thomas who I have wrote to that I do not wish any advice my thoughts were Never more about me than at Present the Drummer Boy says that if he gets home again and you are no Bigger than I Represent you to he he will give you a Kiss [page break] My Best Respects to all my Friends and tell Mother that the more she comes to see you the better I shall Like her tell tell Father that I have a whole Lot of Sketches of the Many Beautiful places I have seen and that I have improved wonderfully in the art of Drawing how much he will be able to judge any Love to Eliza and tell her that space obliterates all that she has ever said against me you will Receive by Sea my likeness and about 20 pages of Writing which I intend for you and my friends So God Bless You My Dear Wife While I Remain Your Affectionate Husband James Birch [page break] Mrs. James Birch Care of N Longmire Bank Street Philada [Philadelphia] Pa |
Extent of Description |
1 leaf, 9.875" x 15.375" |
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. |
Multimedia Files |
Click here to view the full transcription of the Carlton Birch Letters Collection. |
People |
Birch, Amanda Birch, James |
Search Terms |
1st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Mexican-American War Carlton Birch Letters Collection New Orleans, Louisiana |