14 June 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Asks her to write and apologizes for brevity; discusses preparations for a dance and picnic, including ladies from Norfolk whom he hopes will be respectable. Claims that "over five hundred" women in Norfolk are "registered as professionally bad" (i.e., prostitutes). Concerning a soldier who drowned trying to swim the river "Sixty rounds of ammunition and the accoutrements of a soldier makes [sic] a bad life preserver." Sends five dollars and wishes she could attend the dance next Wednesday.

GLC04558.098

18 June 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued on June 19. Yesterday's festival or dance was attended by 35 ladies "of the showey kind." Teasingly says his "gal" was not there and says he sat-out the dances. Describes dancing platform, etc. Asks about crops and livestock. Mentions Lee's invasion and jocularly advises wife to "grind up your 'old sythes and bush-hooks' to defend yourself." Mentions other men promoted who had "influential friends at home" Sending twenty dollars.

GLC04558.099

3 August 1822

Hagner, Peter, 1772-1850

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Hobart

Indicates that pension monies ($240) owed to Nabby Gardner, the widow of Zachary Gardner, will be paid. Written from the Third Auditor's office of the Treasury Department.

GLC06313.04.188

27 April 1822

Gordon, William, 1783-1851

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Hobart

Dr. Gordon writes on behalf of Ebed Stockton, a Revolutionary War soldier who lost his pension due to a new law and was petitioning to have it restored. Describes some of Stockton's ailments.

GLC06313.04.185

24 November 1862

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents and sister

Writes that he and Darius have received money by way of Mrs. Warner, their captain's wife. He reports that General Dumont is issuing a notice in the papers identifying men who have deserted and offering a reward for their return. In response, the regiment voted that "it was justice to proceed in this manner." Wheeler writes that he and Darius are elated that they have their families support.

GLC07460.006

2 April 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

He thanks his family for the letters and food they've sent. Complains that Uncle Sam owes him eighty dollars but thinks that he will get paid some of the amount tomorrow. Mentions to his family that they should set out an orchard on which they could live and still keep a place in the village. Reports that Companies A and I have been sent down the railroad towards Nashville after hearing that rebels were tearing up the railroad tracks. Addresses Darius (his brother-in-law) specifically and tells him that he will be moving to better quarters. Writes that he had been sick but is now better.

GLC07460.023

21 November 1860

McSherry, Richard M., 1792-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry F. McSherry

Written by Richard to his son Henry as an assistant surgeon in the U.S. Navy. References receiving Henry's letter the day before. Says he is in negotiations with John Janney(?) to purchase his farm "as you were so anxious I should buy land." Claims "The affairs in the South look very threatening - But when action comes they will find more difficulties in the way than they expect." Thinks they will reconsider and not break from the Union. Is worried he has too many temptations to spend his money where he is and will not send it home. Letter is fragile and has a partial tear along a fold.

GLC03523.21.02

2 March 1862

Smith, William Wallace, fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Asa Smith

Written by William Wallace Smith to his brother Asa Smith. Mentions high winds that blew through camp recently. Says in less than a half hour half the tents in camp were down, and by evening there were only 10 left standing. Says they were ordered to pick up and march to Harper's Ferry, Virginia to assist General Banks, but another division was sent and the order was countermanded. Says they were mustered in for pay recently and might get it soon. Says they might move soon and all the men who could not carry knapsacks were carried off today, emptying the hospitals. Says they buried a German…

GLC03742.09

13 September 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Received letter; sends $30. Recovered health and back on duty. Rumors of capture of Fort Sumter, and complete capture of Bragg's army by Rosecrans and Burnside. Relates news that he hopes to be discharged April 1, 1864 with the other 3-year troops.

GLC04558.114

15 November 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

He has put on more weight; has gotten used to constant firing on Charleston; encloses a "greenback" for Dolly.

GLC04558.123

11 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Describes skirmishes and battle near the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond, where "lots of the men were sunstruck." Has not been able to "draw money for rations and I don't know when we shall"; mentions a letter from Urial, a need for stamps and a lack of whole sheets of paper.

GLC04558.133

17 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Has not heard from his wife since he left New York. Lengthy decription of the back and forth fighting around Richmond and the heavy losses by both sides. Cross writing questions whether money sent from Elmira was received.

GLC04558.134

27 May 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Details the health of friends, including one who has measles, and acknowledges a pay raise. "This dearest is an awful campaign. Rivers of blood have already been shed but still the story is not half told yet."

GLC04558.136

24 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Farm business, mainly the price of wool, leads into a discussion of the value of paper money versus gold. "You will probably notice that as gold goes up (and consequently paper down) that "prices" also "go up" so as just to keep pace with gold, so you see gold, and not paper is, and must be the basis." Hopes to get paid soon. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.149

29 July 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Advises his wife on how to cope with a long drought and offers some remedies for her illness. Details a letter from Louisa, encloses a recipe for condensed milk with a request for a sample. Still has not been paid. Written in a camp near Petersburg, Virginia

GLC04558.150

25 September 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Cross written. Receives 10 months pay ($150) in "Green Backs": "four [months] of which I had drawn once before . . . . " Can not use the dollar his wife sent him because it is state money. Fever & ague strike the regiment; drawing clothes rations; expects to be mustered out on November 11th.

GLC04558.163

16 October 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Travels to Point of Rocks to make out Muster Out rolls and to the hospital to visit friends. Sent money to wife. Written on U.S. Christian Commission stationery.

GLC04558.167

January 17, 1888

Milroy, Robert Huston, 1816-1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph W. Keifer

Complains of the inequities in pension payments between volunteer officers and officers in the regular army, and hopes to change the system. Informs Keifer, who also served as a General in the Volunteer Army, that any officer who received a commission in the Regular army receives a large pension, regardless of their merit, while every volunteer officer receives a very tiny pension, regardless of their merit. Milroy proposes a plan where all those who served meritoriously, whether in the regular or volunteer army, are rewarded with a good pension. He believes that Congress can be convinced…

GLC03215.01

February 14, 1822

Cutting, Nathaniel, 1774-?

Letter signed

Title: to Aaron Hobart

Discusses a memorial petition requesting a military land bounty for Stephen Raymond, the heir to Revolutionary War veteran Solomon Raymond, which had again come to his office. Indicates that his feelings about its merits have not changed and that he is sending it to the "Guardians of the Public Patrimony." He previously contended that the memorial had been dismissed because Raymond deserted in 1778 (see GLC06313.123). Written from the War Department's Section of Bounty Lands.

GLC06313.04.153

February 4, 1862

Tittle, George A., fl. 1862-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Writes to his sister and says that he is enclosing 50 dollars in treasury notes. Would have sent more but did not anticipate being at the Portsmouth Navy Yard for so long. Says he has an allotment of 10 dollars a month for 2 years beginning on 31 March being saved at the Navy Agent's office in Boston. The allotment is payable to their father. Wants their father to get Uncle Prescott to collect it. Thanks his mother for the "Puff, Pillow, &c" but that they would not be of use to him. Will sail today or tomorrow and their first destination will be Cadiz, Spain. Tells her to watch the…

GLC02828.01

February 21, 1864

Tittle, George A., fl. 1862-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Tells her he is now steaming up the English Channel and that he will send this letter by the first port they land in, either Calais or Dover. Left the waters around Brest on 17 January to go to Cadiz in order to reprovision, get coal, and have the ship repaired. Arrived in Cadiz on 23 January. Having taken care of the ship, they left Cadiz on 13 February and arrived at Brest again on 18 February. Reports the CSS "Florida" left Brest while they were away. Also, on 16 February, the CSS "Georgia" left Cherbourg. Says the "rebel Pirates" are probably sailing together. Will not be surprised if…

GLC02828.13

31 October 1864

Chillan, E.W., fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles Morgan Coit

This bill from the U.S. General Hospital charges Coit for $3 for 3 days stay at the hospital.

GLC03603.332

7 January 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Payday of $24.26, sees Vice President but has not seen Lincoln or McClellan. Rumors about their expedition. The letter is continued the next day. Written aboard the "Arracan"

GLC04558.006

28 March 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued on separate sheet. Wish to come home, regular inspections and drills, farm business, late pay, cost of food.

GLC04558.016

1 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mails, frying (and living-off) doughnuts, payday early because the Colonel has "the best brandy of any regiment." Written at Camp Dickinson.

GLC04558.021