|
|
|
|
|
Postcard sent in by Creig Crippen The Civil War Letters of Russell Haswell to his family in Rutland Transcribed by Todd FARMERIE
|
|
|
David Russel Haswell, 2nd, was born 4 Jul. 1836 at Columbia Twp., Bradford Co., Pa. to Anthony and Martha Seeley Haswell. His father being disabled by a familial premature arthritis, he provided most of the labor on the family farm in Rutland Twp., Tioga Co., Pa. On 10 Sep. 1862, he enlisted for three years as a Corporal in Co. D, 16th Pa. Cavalry, being 26 years old, 5 ft. 11 in. tall, with light complexion, blue eyes and black hair. He served until 16 Jul. 1863, when in the pursuit following the battle of Gettysburg, he was captured at Shepherdstown, Va. (now WV). He was confined at Richmond, Va., and on 21 Aug. 1863 was released on parole. A week later he was admitted to a hospital in Annapolis with chronic diarrhea. On 12 Oct. 1863, he was furloughed from the General Hospital in Philadelphia to return to Rutland. At the expiration of his furlough, he attempted to return to the service, but made it only as far as the home of his cousin Susan (Webber) Preston in Troy Twp., where he again fell ill. His father finally retrieved him and returned him to Rutland, where he died 12 Feb. 1864, being buried at Columbia Crossroads. His father was forced to sell the farm, and applied for a pension on the basis of the loss of his only son, who had been his sole means of support. As part of this application, he sent to the pension office those letters in which his son mentioned forwarding money. These letters are the only ones which survive of ‘Russel’ Haswell, and provide the sole window into this life lost in service to the Union.
Nov. 25th /62
Dear Father.
having a good opportunity of sending a letter I thought I would write a few lines to you Mr. Russell came here yesterday morning said you talked of coming down with him wish you had for we are going to start for washington tomorrow morning I wanted to see you before I left here but you can come down there and it wont cost you but a little more I suppose you have got the letter with the receipt for twenty dollars before this time I am sorry I did not know that Mr. Russell was coming down for I could send the money by him and saved you the trouble of gowing to Troy after it I am well as usual except a bile on my leg which makes me verry lame I have had three or four biles since I have been down here it is snowing some now but it melts as fast as it comes but I shall have to stop writing and gow to packing up our things and get rady to gow we have got to strike our tents and pack them to night and be ready to start to morrow morning at day light. give my love to Sigh and all the rest of the folks and tell them to be good children.
This from your son
Russel
Nov. 26th Wednesday Morning
Dear Father
Lew Soper returned yesterday morning with a letter for me I was glad
to hear you were well I am also well I got a letter from Uncle David yesterday
they are well we are under marching orders now and shall start for Washington
to morrow mor-ning. part of our Regt’ went this morning I am glad we going
there at they are going to detail us as provost guard
to guard the city. am sorry we could not stayed until you could come down
here I should like to have had you come first rate and seen how soldiers
live we have got our horses and saddles. got them last Saturday I have
got a verry nice horse six years old smart and fat. like him first rate
I am glad you like your horse teade. you did not tell me how you traded.
I had heard about Uncle Beamans folks before you rote I have got no news
in particular to write I am glad you get along with the work so well is
Sigh with you yet you need not answer until I write again. no more this
time from your son
Russel
Wednesday evening Nov 26th
I wrote so far and did not intend to write any more but I concluded to send some money and send it by express so I would have to send a check and I thought I would send it in this letter and you will have to gow to Troy to get the money. Twenty dollars and you will have to go to the depot at express office and present the check and you will get the money, gow as soon as you get this letter for I mailed the money this afternoon. there will be about fifty cents charges on it you will have to pay. I think that this is the safest way, to send it we shall not leave hereuntill Saturday or Sunday I think. write as soon as you get the money and let me know about it write at troy when you gow after the money I will get it sooner if you get this letter before John Durfee or Albert Armstrong comes back send a pair of socks or two by them to me uncle sams socks dont wear verry Good no more this time you need not write to me after all until you hear from me again for I cant tell you where to direct
they wrote my ) so much
name rufus ) from a
instead of russel) Soldier
it wont make )
any difference )
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia
March 30’ / 63.
Monday
Dear Father I recie(..........) a letter from you last night mailed
march 24’ was glad to hear from you at and that you was
all well your letter found me well and hearty I received a letter from
Susan Preston last night also. they were well we are expecting to move
soon but dont know where we will go but suppose across the river
rappahannack the will verry soon I think I have rote you the particulars
about the last fight so there is not much use of saying any thing about
it now the weather is warm the farmers what few there is here are plowing
and soing a little I have not been on picket since the last battle have
been drilling it the most of the time lately I have not
much news to write this time and shall not write much of a letter
I saw George Shepherd the other day he was up to our camp the boys are
well except Tom Sturdivant he is going to get his discharge he will be
home in short time verry likely Lieut Backer is quite unwel also. Capt
Robinson is under arrest for staying over his time when he went home on
a furlow we do not like him verry there well there is
not a man in the company that like him both Leut’s we like firstrate I
have recieved twenty two postage stamps in all from you am verry much obliged
to you for them as for money I do not need any we have plenty
to eat and have no use for money all I need is stamps and money
paper but I have twelve stamps and some paper yet and a little money
left yet. I would like to have you send me a little black thread in the
next letter I ca(.....) get it even with the money. I do not know when
we will get our pay we expeded it before now have not got it yet but hope
we shall soon I shall send it all home as soon as I get it
we have got to drill this afte-rnoon and I shall have to close you must write as soon as you get this and write all the news you can think os I want to hear often very often. Goodbye.
D.R. Haswell
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia
Apr’ 8th / 63
Wednesday Afternoon
Dear Father
I recieved a letter from you last evening mailed April 2 was verry
glad to hear from you and that you were all well it found me well as usual.
we have not had any trouble with the rebels since I wrote last. I have
been out on picket once since I wrote. we was also up at bank’s ford we
saw severals rebs but they was on the other side of the river
they had a large camp in sight opposite the ford I should think
there was as much as three thousand of them but none of them troubled us
I thought we should move before this time but have not yet but think we
shall soon. I have not got much news to write this time there is a good
many sick in the Regt now a funeral almost every day none died in our company
yet but one or two verry sick we have been drilling this forenoon but there
is no drill this afternoon I am verry much obliged to you for the stamps
you sent me twelve of them in the letter last night you must get along
the best you can this sime summer I felt in hopes I should
get home this summer but I do not see much prospect of it inside of the
three years any how I am sorry your hay is getting so (....) wish I could
get my pay to send you I think we will in course of a month.. tell Sigh
to be a (......) good boy I wish I could see him and all the rest of you
is he a good boy or not have you drove the other colt yet and how does
your stags look and how well do you like them you do not say much about
them how is Stepeens Stephens folks getting along. do
you think they will draft any more or not. write all about every thing
you can think of the weather is cold and raw now it snows every few days
but it dont lay on long. I gues I will write a few lines to Frankie so
I will close write soon as you get this and write all the news you can
think of.
Goodbye
Your son D.R. Haswell
P.S. our Col’s name is John Erwin Gregg. he has been Captain of a
company of united states regulars for a good while he formerly lived in
Williamsport.
My good little sister Frankie I thought I would write af
few lines to you to how do you do by this time you are well I hope enjoy
yourself pretty good I got a letter from Susan Preston the other day she
sent me little Mamie’s likeness in it I wish you would send me yours. why
cant you get it taken and send me tell father the President was down to
see us the other day we had a grand review all the cavalry
was reviewed by him there was about thirty thousand cavalry in a body I wish you could have seen them you must get Pa to write you a letter to me be a good girl and keep your nose clean Goodbye Frankie
your brother Russel
Dumfries. Virginia. May the 3th / 63.
Sunday morning
Father.
I take my pen in hand again to write a few lines to you to let you
know how I am getting along. I am not verry well as I wrote before have
got the jaunders pretty bad. but am not sick a bed able to be around but
I cant do any thing I got my pay yesterday up to the first of march. seventy
nine dollars and eighty cents. I shall send it to you all but ten dollars
but dont know how I shall send it now. there is no express office nearer
than washington and I annot get there myself but Wace Gurnsey is going
to washington next week and I can get him to express it for me. or I can
get Chester Stuart to carry it to Uncle Davids he is going to have his
discharge and lives close by Uncle Davids I dont knowwhich way I shall
send it now. but I will write you when I do send it so you will know where
to gow after it I dont know as you will get this verry soon for all mail
ommunications are stoped at washington now for they are having a heavy
battle at fredericksb -urg or near there have been fiting three days have
heard constant firing since daylight our boys are all there I suppose.
it is verry hot here now but there is no sick sevrelly here. I feel some
better than I did early last night gues I will be able
for duty n a fews days. write as soon as you get this and let me know how
you are getting along. I will write again in a day or two. Goodbye.
D.R. Haswell
Dumfried Va. May the 8th / 63
Friday afternoon
Dear Father
I sit down now to write a few lines to you to let you know how I
am getting along I am not verry well. have been quite unwell for nearly
three weeks. have got the ganters pretty f bad. I have
sent you sixty dollars. sent it to Alexandria by Capt. Day of our Regt’
he expressed it for me. but it is addressed to D. R. Haswell in the room
of Anthony Haswell he lost the paper that he wrote down your name on so
he addressed it to in my name so you will have to call
for it in my name it is sent to Elmira express office. I have got the receipt
for the money but I guess I will not send it for fear the money and receipt
both might get lost then I would have nothing to show the money had been
expressed. you can get it just the same only I suppose you will have to
prove than you are the man that it was sent to now go to Elmira just as
soon as you get this and find if the money is there and if you
cant get it without the receipt write and I will send you the receipt to
you. some says I ought to keep the receipt and some says I ought to send
it so I will keep anyhow untill I find out now go to Elmira just as soon
as you get this and write back immediately and let me know. just call for
the money in my name and you can get it with out any trouble
I guess. they have had a battle near Fredericksburg
a great many has been killed on the both sides I do not know how
it has terminted so I will not attempt to write any thing about it you
will get the particulars before you will get this. now if they wont let
you have the money at the express office just take some good responsible
man that they know and it to prove you are the man that
it belongs to and it will be all right. it is getting late I guess I wont
write any more now. good night.
From D.R. Haswell
to Anthony Haswell
Dumfries Virginia May 12/63.
Tuesday afternoon
My good little sister Frankie,
I thought I would write a few lines to you this afternoon to let
you know how I am getting along I am not verry well yet though I am better
than I have been but not able to do any thing. I hope you are well and
all the rest of you. it is verry warm down here now so hot I cant hardly
stand it. has school commenced up there yet if it has tell me who is going
to teach. you must be a good girl and learn all you can and learn to write
so you can write to me. I wrote to Pa the other day saying I had sent him
some money he must go to Elmira and get it first as soon as he gets the
money
letter I wish I was home until I get well for it is lonesome to be sick
down here. the rest of the regt that went to the front is back to the old
camp near falmouth. all right they had two or three skirmishes with the
rebs while they was gone but came out all right. I guess I had better not
finish writing untill morning for John Durfee has gone to the regt’ and
will be back to night and I will wait and see if he has any news in partic
-ular. so I will close till morning.
Wednesday morning May 13
well Frankie. I dont know as I have any more news to write only that I got a letter from Father last night saying you were all well I was glad to hear that of course it was mailed May the 5. I am better this morning I have had some Johny cake and milk for breakfast this morning. it is just as warm as ever this morning the boys are scouting and on picket all the while I have not been able. is Sigh going to stay there this summer you must get Pa answer this soon as you get it I guess I wont write any more now so goodbye
from your brother
Russel
Camp at Dumfries, Va. Dumfries landing.
May 17/63’ sunday morning
Dear Father
I thought I would write a few lines to you this morning for I have
nothing else to do but write I am not able to do any thing yet have not
done any thing in about four weeks I dont hardly know what does ail me
I am around all the time feel dull and stupid no appetite much lame and
sore all through my body headache we I have not got much
news to write now things appear to be rather dull nothing going on but
scouting they fetch in somebody about every time last night a party was
out and they captured ten rebs twenty horses and four or five wagons It
is warm have showers frequently the grass is six or eight inches high where
there is any to grow and the snakes are thick as hair on a dog all kinds
of them rattle snakes copperheads black snakes and all kinds you can think
of. we have plenty of hay and grain for our horses and plenty ourselves
we have plenty of coffe and sugar beans rice and crackers and pork much
more than we can eat and we get soft bread two day out of five
afew potatoes and dried apples. I feel very anxious to hear if that money
went through safe I think you must have got the letter before this time
we do not get letters regular here now they gow to Regt’ at the old camp
near falmouth and we only get them as some are going there or coming from
there here I want you to write son as you get this for I want to hear from
you often and how you are getting along just now a dispatce came to head
quarter that our scouts were attacked about eight miles out. immediately
every man was ordered to arms and ordered into the rifle pits. they are
laying there yet but no enemy make their appearance and I guess there wont
be. now if you get that money all right I want you pay it where you owe
if you have not paid little John Benson all up for that colt pay him and
pay the allance on that note to Troy if you have not already paid it. I
ment to have sent ten dollars more but being I was sick thought I had better
keep it. you need be uneasy about me for I am not much sick so dont worry.
now write soon, Goodbye
from you son D R, Haswell
Camp near Falmouth Va.
May 28/63 Thursday Afternoon
Dear Father
I wrote a letter day before yesterday to you but did not send it
we had orders to march yesterday morn-ing so I thought I would not send
it until we got through . well we have got through to the old camp near
falmouth just got here. we started yesterday morning. All that had horses
went to warrenton and the rest come on the boat fr
to alluie creek landing then had to foot it up here. it is about six miles
from the landing to where we camp. I came on the boat for I thought I want
able to go to the front so I turned over my arms and let foster Garrison
have my horse to ride. but before I got up here I wished I had my horse
again I tell you I got pretty tired before I got up here. I guess I should
have bushed if I had not got on to the cars and rode the two last miles
we are camped by the side of the railroad. when I got here the mail had
just come and had a letter from you mailed at elmira I was glad to get
it for I wanted to hear from that money. I am verry glad you have got it
I was afraid it w would not go through right. I am better
I have had my dinner and I feel quite well. able to duty I guess. I do
not expect we will stay long here I have heard since I have been writing
that some of us was going on to warrenton in the morning I dont know wheather
I shall go or not nor don’t know wheather any of us will go. write as soon
as you get this and direct to Washington, DC, as usuall. I shall send you
a little more money in a few days. five or ten dollars. Send it in a letter
I have nothing else to write in particular and am pretty tired so I will
close. Goodbye.
D.R. Haswell
|
||||
|
