211th Pennsylvania Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER - Wounded Soldier Died Month Later
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:138244 |
CIVIL WAR LETTERNelson Statler enlisted in Co. E, 211th Pennsylvania Infantry on 6 September 1864. His enlistment papers tell us that he stood 5′ 5″ tall, had a fair complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. He was mustered out of the regiment on the date of his death, 2 June 1865. Nelson was struck in the right arm by a minié ball on 2 April 1865 during the final assault on Petersburg. He was transported to Alexandria, Virginia, and admitted into the Washington Street Hosp...ital on 6 April 1865. Due to the severe inflammation in his arm, Nelson’s arm was not amputated until 24 April 1865 (3 weeks after the wound). Two days later he was transported to the Sickle’s Barracks Hospital west of Alexandria where he died on 2 June 1865. Ironically, this was the exact same date on which all of his comrades in the 211th Pennsylvania were also discharged from the service at Pittsburg.NOTE - This letter was written on Statler's behalf by Cpl. David P. Wray (1841-1910) of Co. B, 118th Pennsylvania Infantry. We know Wray wrote the letter based on others that were in the archive.David does not say in his letters how he knew Statler nor how he was called upon to write the letter to Statler’s wife informing her of his death. Wray was wounded in action on 20 September 1862. Following his injury he may have been detailed as a nurse. He did not muster out of the service until 5 June 1865—three days after this letter was written. After he returned from the war, Wray married Sallie Hunter (1866) and worked as a “Moulder” in Philadelphia.
TRANSCRIPTIONSickel’s Barracks Hospital west of Alexandria, Va. (1865)Sickel’s Barracks Hospital
Alexandria, Virginia
May 19, 1865Dear Wife, I received your welcome letter this morning dated 15th and I am very glad to hear that you and Minnie are well and enjoying good health. I have been a little under the weather for two or three days but I hope it won’t amount to anything. My arm is getting along first rate. I have not wrote to Mother so you can write and let her know how I am getting [along]. I would like to write oftener but I don’t like to trouble other people to write for me but I will try and get my letters wrote more regularly. I will try and write one every week.You speak about mr coming home but I don’t think I can get home for some time yet. That is, I think, about 4 or 5 weeks [yet]. The doctors won’t let a patient leave here until they are near well.I will close as I have not much to say. Give my love to Mother and all my friends and neighbors. Hoping this will find you all enjoying good health and spirits. Write soon to your affectionate husband, — Nelson StatlerTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
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TRANSCRIPTIONSickel’s Barracks Hospital west of Alexandria, Va. (1865)Sickel’s Barracks Hospital
Alexandria, Virginia
May 19, 1865Dear Wife, I received your welcome letter this morning dated 15th and I am very glad to hear that you and Minnie are well and enjoying good health. I have been a little under the weather for two or three days but I hope it won’t amount to anything. My arm is getting along first rate. I have not wrote to Mother so you can write and let her know how I am getting [along]. I would like to write oftener but I don’t like to trouble other people to write for me but I will try and get my letters wrote more regularly. I will try and write one every week.You speak about mr coming home but I don’t think I can get home for some time yet. That is, I think, about 4 or 5 weeks [yet]. The doctors won’t let a patient leave here until they are near well.I will close as I have not much to say. Give my love to Mother and all my friends and neighbors. Hoping this will find you all enjoying good health and spirits. Write soon to your affectionate husband, — Nelson StatlerTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
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