An auction house has a Civil War letter (at the appalling cost of $3,500) written by Frederick M. Crandal (1831-1911), a Union colonel who was in command of the 48th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops during the Battle of Fort Blakely (April 9, 1865). Partial Transcript” “I recd your letter as this craft was sailing from Mobile. I was glad to hear that you still survive & that the ‘Bloody…

Camp 4 miles south of Strasburg, Va. March 29th, 1862 My dearest Eliza, Time continues with its changes, of which we are at times its subjects. Since last I wrote we have had a battle, gained a victory and advanced 24 miles further to the south. I think I told you of an intended advance soon to take place but it came sooner than intended. On Saturday afternoon last the…

On April 9, 1865, just hours after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant and for all practical purposes ended the Civil War, the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment charged across a hellish field of abatis, snarled debris, and ravines loaded with landmines. Their target was Fort Blakely, Alabama. A needless assault (20,000 against less than 2,000) that took only minutes to complete, cost the Eleventh Wisconsin 61 casualties,…

Another letter we were not able to ID the soldier and also a good letter: In Camp twelve miles from Richmond May 25 Dear Mother, I last wrote from West Point. I mentioned this so you may know whether you received all. The papers probably keep you better posted concerning our movement than is possible for me to do as I can know but little of what takes place outside…

We were not able to enter this into the database without a soldier ID, but it is an interesting letter from home to a soldier from his wife. Dear Husband, I mailed a letter to you the morn before I received yours of the 24th but I was so bothered with the baby and the neighbors running in that I did not think of half that I wanted to write…

Charles J.C. Hutson was with the South Carolina 1st Infantry serving with Major General William Pender of Hill’s Corps, and as they entered Pennsylvania, they traveled on the Turnpike towards Harrisburg. Listening to Hutson describe the march, one would think the Confederates were doing an early version of Sherman’s March: We entered Penn. with as fine an army as was ever enlisted, lived for some time upon the bounty of…

A letter sent from a man on the front lines to his wife back home.

No name or unit and unable to log into the database. Thomas is the last name, probably a member of a Maine unit: Buds Ferry Camp Hooker Feb. lst Brother George, I now have got a chance to write you a few lines and I will improve it I am well as usual & I had a letter from Ed the other day and he was also well. It has…

Letter written to Lieutenant Oscar F. Samis, by his sister. Dear brother Oscar, I was glad to hear from you and that you was well, but very sorry you was in such a fix now. If you will send your pants home I will mend them all nice. I suppose you think by this time you can sew as well as anybody. You must have considerable to do these times….