More Levi McCormick Letters
July 21st 1863
Fairfax Coarthouse Virginia
Dear
wife this is tusday afternoon
we hav bin on the march ever since the 10th of June and we hav travled
over a greadeal of country sence that time
we come to Washington on last munday night weak and we left their on
friday and come to Alexandria whear we staid until Sun after noon when we
received marching orders we was paid on Sunday about noon and we started on our march
about 3 oclock I was sent to
Alexander D P for our provisions and they sent for me to come to camp as soon as
posible to get my money and we marched about 9 miles that evning and we put up
for the night in a open plain got
our supers and laid down for the night with our gum blankets and over coats and
we landed hear yester day at noon but I think we are not going to stay hear only
for a day or to we are about 20 or
25 miles from Washington and we exspect to go to Senter Ville whitch is about 30
miles from hear I think we are
going to guard the rail road for we want rest
this is the way Generel Meed is to get his suplies over this railroad
their is a wagon train pasing hear to day and it beats all I hav ever
sean they began to pas hear at 8
oclock and they are stil pasing at 1 oclock
we hav bin verry busey ever sence we
left our old camp but I hope it wont last mutch longer
Washington was a verry fine place we
boarded at the large eating Salune while we was their
it is for soldiers onley I
was in and through the Capitel it
is verry fine I sean more than I hav ever sean before but I glad we are out of
it as town dont sute me their is plenty of every thing
their we come off prety safe when we left the White house but we had 2 of
our wagons burnt that was loaded with napsacks but they did not belong to our
company they had to burn them to
keep the rebs from geting them the
wagons got broak and so deap in the mud that they had to leave them
Wee are now in Western
Virginia and if the people has eney thing to sel we can buy it but the rebels
wont sel to us if they can help it but their is onley afew of them that have
eney thing to sel I hav sean
severel men of my old acquaintence and John Fouracar come to see us in
Washington he was going to the
Hospitel their their is nothing of
him but skin and bone he thinks he
has the consumpsion he asked for
you all and asked what become of (
? ) his father and him come to see us last Sunday
the old man cant use his sholder yet
he will be a cripel in it I
have dreams 2 nights that I was at home and you was milking and that ant Deby
was maried I heard that they hav arested severel rebels in Newark and
they ought to hang that old rebel preacher
him and his brother ought to be hung
togather I riting under a
aple tree and this orchard is prety full of aples and the pears is geting ripe
we had one hour yester day to get our diner and it hapened that the old
field was covered with blackburies and I picked a quart cup ful and eat them for
my diner they are verry ripe and
plenty hear but we cant go far after them for the bush whackers
I sent you a little money yesterday with the Chaplin and the letter will
be left at W H Pearces for you you
hav nothing to pay I paid him
I must bring my letter to a close for I was out on picket last night and
we hav inspection this evening at 5 oclock and we all hav a speshel invertation
to be at it we are all wel and I
hope this will find you the same I
send my love to you all Josey mite
rite me a letter
from your afectinate Husband
Levi McCormick write
soon
good by
August 22 1863
Fairfax Station Virginia
Dear wife I hav received 2 letters from you this weak I got one this eve I got my hat yesterday and I had just drawed a new cap we was drawing new clothes for the regment but we hav not got enough yet but we will get them we are all wel I was looking for you down until I got your letter but I glad you didnot come for the rebes is about hear we have to sleep with our harnes on every night and our guns by our sides and this is no place for a wife but I would like to see you but I think times will soon be better and we will be paid about the first of the month and if we don’t move I think I will try and come home to see you if eney thing would hapen hear you would hav to take care of your self and they may take us but we are not afraid of them it has bin cold hear at night this weak and hot in the day time but is is very dry hear our Cavalry cought 15 rebes Cavalry this weak they belonged to whites Cavalry they got them in the mountains It would not doe to tel you all we see hear everyday or the drafted men would durty their pants before they start but you can tel them for me that I dont pity them and they can come along their is one lady told me that she had heard me talk before and she will find that some things has come to pass but it dont hurt me I take notise that my name is not on the list I would never ask aman to go for me but I would go for no man I have had a chance to the conscripes coming down hear and they are drove like oxens but the oxen would not hav the guards that it takes to guard them I verry much obliged for my hat and it fites me verry wel and as you have not started to Dixey yet you had better rest easey it is no use to come hear and pay so mutch and hav no sadisfaction if we moove I hope we will be better fixed I think Charlston will soon be taken and then it will be soon over
our boys is all on picket to day and I hav all to attend to we hav a few in camp that is sick J S Mote and E A Finley is not wel but it is nothing searious I sent my tactict book home when I was up the panenchila did it get home and I sent my surtificate home with Albun Buckingham did it ever get their he was to give it to you with out their is some gouge game if you get it take caire of it for I may want it some time we hav plenty to doe hear and we will soon hav some of the Drafted Delaware boys with us if nothing hapens whear did old Lee buy this time and what neighbour hood did he locate I want to see Delaware draftees from one end to the other I dont care if it dont leave 2 men in Wilmington they showed their tails to us and we will never for give them we are from that state but that is all we have to say for them I care one and all and then they can tel how they like it I would not trade with them for all the money they can find wel we hav got a Captin for Co E at last and he is from about Dover Del his name is James Burnet and he looks like aman he dont put on so meney airs as the other one done he is sober quiet man I verry well sadistied with him he has bin apointed for some time but he has bin in the Hospital in Washington and his wife was to see him he had a geathered jaw it was cosed by a tooth but he is a harty man and I think he will stay with us and we need him for we hav never had a Captin yet if we ask him he can tel us what we want to know he is a Scotchman and a smart fellow and that is what we want hear you must excuse me for not writing sooner for I was looking for you down but I hope wil will soon meat again for this war cant last mutch longer I must stop this I send my love to you and children doe they grow eney or not or doe you think I will know them good by from your Husband
Levi McCormick
You ask me if their eney women down hear their is plenty of them in town Cachlen told me that he sean one milk with gloves on and a vail over hur face
Sept
5th 1863
Fairfax Station Virginia
Dear
wife this is Saturday eve I
recieved a letter from you this eve and find you all wel and it finds us the
same but some of our men is sick Mitchener
is not wel and looks bad but he is stil on duty yet
William Mackeneel was buried to day
he was buried at Alexandria he
once lived with Jos Eastburn he
leaves a wife & family he
looked as stout an eney man in the Reg but he died verry sudent some of our boys has got furlows to go home
Lee Pusey got one last munday & Charles Yong got one yesterday
Yong has bin sick in the Hospitel for some time and I will try my luck prety soon if
nothing hapens we will be paid this nex weak and then I will be ready to come as
soon as I get my pepers for when I come I want to travel whear I please
I hav heard that we are not to get eney substutes for our Regmt and I
will be glad if we get none of them for they are bad felows Samuel got a letter
from Westley today and they are all well but Joseph Pogue has got in a scrape
it may take some of his change and I dont caire if it does when he finds
how they are treated he will more uneasy I
would not be a substitute for a thousand dollars of eney mans money but the rich
thinks they can get a poar man to doe eney thing for their money but it aint me
I have sean men down hear that was verry rich that cant hardley live now
and som of our Delawarians may see that time yet when their money may not be so
plenty with them but let it be so this
war will be setled some of thes daysand then we will tend to them
they cant blaggord us then or down goes their meet house
the coperheads has put out a book about our last election but if they cut
a shine a gain we will come and see them again and they will have to sing dum
and dig out they are traitors and
they are nothing else I dont
want to write about this for I have travled in the dark and in mud to my knees
when they hav bin laing in their beds and enjoying the conferts of home and then
they will curs us for what we are doeing but their dog is dead and they leaders
know it if we live to get back they will find a change for we will never
patronize a reb they will never get
a dollar of my money if I know it if
I cant get things from our one mem I will doe with out it
we hav nothing new hear but they brought six hundred rebels past hear
that come in to our lines frome Lees armey and they say that their is plenty
more will come the first
chance for they say they wont fight eney more but they are going home to their
family and this is the way it is going on Some
of the big bugs comes in to our camps and gets what ever they can get to live on
boys come in and asks us for bread well
the hour is growing late and my letter may not interest you as mutch as it might
but this is what is going on hear we hav got our camp laid out and we ar going to put up
our tents this nex weak J Chambers
got a box to day and got some knew shirts and he is a pleased boy wel you need not look for me until you see me but if I dont
come you can come and see me and I keep my money to see if I get home if not I
will send for you but I hav found that I can come home cheaper than you can come
hear it will cost you about 12 or
fifteen dollors to come to Alexander your
boarding and all and it will cost
me about 5 Dollors to go and come back but you must not think that I dont want
to see you for that is all that I have in this world that is worth living
for my family and my country I
stop by sending my love to you all from afectinate and true Husband
Serg Levi McCormick
I dont need eney more shirts
give my love to the children
good by
Oct 10 1863
Fairfax Station Virginia
Dear wife I received you letter on Thursday I was glad to hear from home you write that Nathan is verry bad sick I would like to see him I hav not had a letter from him for so long I could not tel what was the mater we are as wel as comon and I hope this will find you the same it is quite cool hear Mitchener is verry weak yet he is not able to set up he has got a furlow to go home for 30 days he is going to Philadelphia to his sisters if he gets able to be mooved he has bin verry bad he has had the direar he is nothing but skin and bone he has no apatite I see by the Delaware paper that the Chaplin got to Wilmington safe but he has not got back hear yet we heard that N. B. Smithers is nominated for Congres I think we will get home for the election but is is hard to tel what will turn up yet we are stil geting some of our deserters of the 4th Del reg they hav got Edward Woliston in prison at Georgetown near Washington and he writes that he wants to come to our regment and I think Bart Loyd will be got some of thes times yet it looks like rain hear this morning I must bring my letter to a close this Saturday and I hav to draw rations for ten days and our men is all out on picket Mr Pusey is in the Hospital in Wilmington but he wil be sent out as soon as he is fit but the 2 Delaware claims him as a deserter from them but you need not tel eney body but time will tel the tale I send my love to you
all
from your afectinate Husband
Levi McCormick
good by
this ink is verry bad
January 16th 1864
Fairfax Coart House
Dear
wife this is Saturday eve and we
some of us in our new homes and some on the road
we got hear about noon to day we
are all wel but our Capten Burnet and he is verry sick and I hope this will find
you all wel we are all tiard to
night we come to the fairfax
Station this morning on the 7 oclock train and saived us a long march we only marched 4 miles
we will hav verry good quarters when we get fixed up
our tents are stockaded whitch makes a soldier a good home and we feel
thankful to get them I now
writing on a peace of cracker box our
company is on picket to night but this is a Soldiers life this was a cold day hear but this is a better camp than the
one we left we are uner Generel
Tilar they say he is a good generel
we are stil in defence of Washington yet but we are on the out post
they want us hear to tend to Mosbey and we will doe it
the wagons has just come and I must stop this 3 times
I hav tried to write this letter but we hav to look for our selves on a
moove or we are be hind the lite house I
hav not heard from home sence las Saturday
it is more troble to move in winter than it is in Summer for we are at
home wheare ever we stop I hav not
had time to wash or come my hair to day we
staid in the Soldiers rest last night in Alexandria and we had our brekfast at 5
oclock this morning and their was about one thousand soldiers to wash before we
could get a chance to get to the water and their is the best place to wash that
I hav ever sean for soldiers we
always wash and keep our selves clean when we can for that is the best Doctor we
in the armey the people hear is
glad to see us come back hear I
sean Mr Brooks to day and he told me he was glad to see us back
there is more wagons coming and i caled, this is Sunday morning and the
Captain is better this morning. I
must stop writing I send my
love to all from your afectenate Husband
Levi McCormick
good by
January 23 1864
Fairfax Coarthouse Va
Saturday morning Dear wife
I received your letter on wensday I
was glad to hear from home We are
all wel and I hope this will find you the same Burnet has got wel again
Spencer Moor is verry sick and we sent him to the Hospitel last evning
we like our new home but we hav to do picket duty by Mosbey has not got
eney of our boys yet but he took 18 Cavalry men prisoners & 17 head of
horses that belonged to the 3 Pensylvania Cavalry
the Irish has all bin mooved from hear & it wont be so bad this time
Cornel H. Grimshaw has comand he
is acting brigadear generel this is
a verry fine morning and feel lik a frosty morning in Spring
we cant tel whear this winter has gon to
for it will soon be spring the
time goes better this winter than it did last
we have not bin paid yet and I dont think we will be this time
I hav heard that our pay has bin raised so you will hav to doe the best
you can until the first of march and then I think we will be paid
Mitchener is hear with us and he is not fit for duty
he dont get strong yet Harkness
an myself is writing on one table we
hav no news Samuel got a letter
from Lizzie yesterday and I told him that you wanted him to write to you
we are now incamped on the north side of the Coart House and our boys
picket line is north of our camp on the viena road and out side of the picket
line is nothing but woden cuntry we
get fresh bread hear we get 2 &
three days at a time but the buter is not verry good for we dont get eney
my stamps has run out and my money to but this is nothing down hear
I sean a peace of rebel bread the other day and it takes down eney thing
I hav ever sean I must stop writing
as the mail is about to start
I send my love to you all from your afectinate Husband
Levi McCormick
4th reg Del Vol
Feb 28th 1864
Fairfax C. H. Virginia
Dear wife
this is Sunday eve I
received you welcom letter that you sent by Samuel
he got hear the next day after he left home
he arived hear safe and in good time but 2 of the boys was 1 day over
their time and was marked absent without leave
we are all wel and I hope this will find you enjoying the same blesing
wel we hav no knews hear but I will tel you how we hav put in the day
we had inspection this morning and review this afternoon and then
dresperade this evning it has bin a
fine day hear and quite warm I went
to market yester day for Buckingham and I sean some of the largest turkeys that
I hav ever sean and they sold for $1.75 cts
cabage seles for 15.20 cts per head
it would take 6 of them to make 1/2 peck
I hav just lit a candel the
rebels comes to market but they look at us Soldiers side ways but we dont caire
for that we will be musterd for pay
tomorow it only spoils boys to get
a furlow for ten days I was verry
lonesom for some time after I come back but it is geting woor off again the rest of the boys is as mutch afected as I was
we hav not got the order yet to inlist over again
the men has to be in service 2 years and that will suite me for I dont
want to make my money by soldering I
hav got my mind maid up on this question but for some days I was on the fence I
thought if the reg went home I thought I would like to be with them but they
told us if we would not inlist we would loose our places and we told them to go
ahead for we had maid good N. C. and we thought we would make good privats and
they tel us now that they had no notion of doeing it but we dont believe everry
thing we hear but we stood up to what we thought was right and we thought we
would not go twice for one bounty if Delaware is not worth their thanks to the
Soldiers they can turn out them selves
they are not wiling to give suport to widoes and orphans after their only
suport has lost his life in defence of their Cuntry
Samuel tels me to write that he got back all right but he thinks
Soldiering is plaid out but I think the day is near at hand but they will hold
out as long as they can your letter
was verry interresting to me you can ges at the rest
I glad to hear that Josey can walk again once more I must stop writing I
would like you to write how Lynams is geting no more this time
from your loving Husband
Levi McCormick
Good by I
send my love to you all but I had for got to put it in this time
March
12th 1864
Fairfax
C. House Virginia
Dear
wife this is Saturday morning
we are all wel and I hope that this will find you the same
I havnot received a letter from you since Samuel come back
I hav bin looking for one every day but it has not come yet
their is nothing knew hear
their was 3 women come to our picket lines the other day and had a pass from the
Sectary of war but we took them up they
had a 2 horse carage & a 2 horse wagon and they had 11 large trunks and
severel valeases with them part of
their bagage was Caintuckey jean for clothing and they had medacins
the Cornel had them surched and found a rebel mail with them
they had letters sowed up in their dreses
they was so paded with letters about their under clothing that the
oficers had to cal on a lady friend to examen them and they was sent back to
Washington under guard this is a
fine morning hear and looks like Spring their
was one of our Majjors maried a rebel hear at the Coart House on thursday and on
their way to Alexander the rebels come verry near geting him but the driver told
that it was a reb that he had kept consealed in his house for some time and he
was taking hime and his sister to Washington
that the girl had bin sick for a long time so they got clear of them but
they got a sutler that had the Majjors trunks and then they asked the sutler
whitch one of his horses was the fastes but they could not catch the live yankey
with his rebel bride but they got 30 dollars in grean backs our Captin is bad with his throat a gain
the weather is verry chaingable hear this spring
I must stop writing for I hav nothing to write a bout and it is nearly
mail time and the pickets is coming in and then we cant write
the pay master has not got hear yet but we think he will come this way
their was 3 wenches come in the other day
I think that I will get a letter from home to day
I stop by sending my love to you all
from your afectinate Husband
Levi McCormick
good by
March 26th 1864
Fairfax C. House Virginia
Dear wife
this is Saturday afternoon and I hav just received your letter that was
riten the 23 and I was glad to hear from home
we are all wel hear and I hope this will find you the same it has bin verry stormey hear this weak we hav had snow and rain boath but the snow has all gon
I sent you a letter by A. Steward and he said he would get it to you
I thought you could get it sooner by him
I sent 35 Dollars with D. E. Buckingham for you
you can send me word if it come allrite
their is nothing new hear but I think we will hav good knews before long
our armey will moove some of this days and the rebs will hav to go to
bead all that cant clime for this spring will be the worst times that they hav
ever sean yet but I would like to hav the rebels of the north whear they could
see a little of it but they will hav to keep quiet for their dog is dead
I going to get my likenes taken some of thes days but I wont get them on
paper for they cost nearly as mutch as the tin wones does I will send Julia ans soome time in april that will be time
plenty we had 2 desirters sent hear
last eve C. Lum & old Hanson
and T. Hasen from the envelead Coar
he has bin doeing duty in Baltimore for some time but he is glad to get back to
his regment he has never bin home
sence he left Delaware for Dixey he
is a verry cleaver fellow but he is not stout
we are all glad to see each other as if we was one family but we hav our
one friends in the armey as wel as people doe at home but I think this fall
election will deside the war it is
raining this afternoon but I want it to be wet on Sundays for I think we ought
to hav it for our selvs when you rite be shure and direct your letters to 4th
Reg Del Vol if you doe this and
send it to Washington or elsewear I will be shure to get them some time
I send my love to you all from your loving Husband Levi McCormick
Good by
April 3th 1864
Fairfax Coarthouse Verginia
Dear wife this is
Sunday morning I hav not had a
letter from you sence last Saturday we
are all prety wel but A. Morison and he is a good peace from being wel and I
hope this will find you all wel I
hav just come off of guard and I feel sleepy but I must try and pen you a fiew
lines I was down to Washington this
weak for the Captin and I got my ambertipes
and I going to send
you one and Julia the other the
armey is geting ready to moove but we dont know wheather we will hav to go or
not but all of the old tropes from about Washington has gon front Grant is making great preperration for this moove and I hope
it will come out all right I think
he will take Richmond this time I
sean Pogue on the cars as I come up and he told me that he was sutler in the
first Del reg and he had bin geting his lisence
I sean in the paper yesterday that Grant gives all sutlers to the 4th of
April to leav the armey of the Potomach so he can go home and go to work or else
try the musket on his sholder all
of the maryland soldiers is to go home this weak on ten days furlow to the
election to say weather that state shal be fred of hur slaves or not
our compney went on picket this morning
it has bin verry stormy hear for 2 weaks
it has bin snowing and raining hear for 2 day & 2 nights but it is
drying some today but ( ? ) Buckingham has got back again but I hav not asked him what he did
with money for I think I wll get a letter to day Samuel sais that he told Lizzie that she could hav the coat
for Tom so you can let hur hav it I
told him to write to you and tel you know what to doe Harkness to a box this weak and the things was verry nice
you can tel Morisons that Andy has not got a letter for some time and I
think that they ought to write as soon as they can for he thinks that some of
them is sick and they wont write I
think he has sisters enough to write once a weak at least but he feels bad and
he wants to hear from home I
will send you my likness in this and I want you to write every weak and when
write please send me two dollars for I will hav to hav a little about me
I wont seal this letter until the mail comes
This is munday morning
I received you letter in yester days mail Samuel got some letters
he sais he will rite the last of the weak he sais to give them folks that coat Lea Pusey profesed to
loose his money out of his pocket but it is hard to tel it he got a pass to go to Washington on thursday last and
the pass was out on friday but he is not back yet
I would like to hear how Josey is geting if he can walk eney better or not I sean Grant the other day
he is a fine looking man but I dont think he is verry proud
he sais that the soldiers shall hav Sunday
the reviews must be stoped I
must bring my letter to close I
send my love to you all no
more at present from your loving Husband
Levi McCormick
good
bye
please make your Co E on the letter so they can tel it from Co. C for my last letter went to Co. C
