CIVIL WAR LETTER - 143rd Ohio Infantry Along James River VA - Died Month Later
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:16263576 |
CIVIL WAR LETTER
This Civil War letter was written by 40 year-old Pvt. Henry Barcus (1824-1864) of Salineville, Columbiana county, Ohio, while serving in Co. A., 143rd Ohio National Guard (O. N. G.). Henry was married to Elizabeth Kirk (1821-1911) on 27 June 1844 in Jefferson county, Ohio. In the 1850 US Census, Henry was identified as a miner. In the summer of 1864, during Grant’s Overland campaign, the 143rd Ohio National Guard was placed into active service for 100 da...ys started on 2 May. Most of that time the 143rd O. N. G. garrisoned the Union fortifications at Wilson’s Landing on the James river, which is where this letter was written.Though they were never in battle, they suffered several deaths from dysentery and other diseases—poor Henry Barcus among them. Henry died at the very end of his term of service suffering from dysentery. He kept the deteriorating condition of his disease from his wife as long as he could but finally revealed his true condition in the last couple of letters he wrote home. The register of military deaths reports that he died of diarrhea at Patterson Park General Hospital in Baltimore on 31 August 1864, leaving a wife and six children born between 1844 and 1858. His wife applied for a pension on 18 November 1864.TRANSCRIPTIONWilson’s Landing
July 20, 1864Dear Wife, I this morning take my pencil in hand to send you a few more lines although I get no word from you. I am all right and I d sincerely hope that you are all well. I have a great deal I would like to tell but it is no use. Maybe you will not get it. But the time is getting short now and I will be home. The last minute they can hold us is the nineteenth of August. That will be one hundred days that we was sworn into the United States service. We was sworn in on the twelfth of May. But I think we will be home before that time. I think we will start for home on the first day of August and then we will make home about the 10th or 12th of August. But don’t get discouraged if I don’t get there at that time for I will come as soon as I can.This is the last letter I expect you will get from me for it is the last stamp I have and the last envelope. An envelope I might get but a stamp—I can’t get. But if I can get a stamp, I will write as often as I can. But if I can’t, don’t get discouraged.I have had what the doctor calls delirium—a change of the climate. I han’t been one day sick—one hour sick—since I left home. I had the headache and was very weak for two or three weeks but now I am all right. We have had a great deal of rain here. It rained all day yesterday and last night as hard as it could pour down and the air is changed and it is very pleasant.I must stop. I must say a few words about John Goddard, He is very low and is in the hospital but has all the attention that can be given. I don’t say anymore, My love to all. — HenryTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal.Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise you will pay a higher rate.For International buyers, we utilize eBay’s Global ShippingProgram. We had too many packages sentvia the post office go missing. So webelieve this program will be safer for us and for you.We are members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S.Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the IllinoisPostal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies orreproductions). Some of our letters havebeen transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffson the Spared & Shared blog.We have been selling on eBay since 1998. BID WITH CONFIDENCE !
00135
This Civil War letter was written by 40 year-old Pvt. Henry Barcus (1824-1864) of Salineville, Columbiana county, Ohio, while serving in Co. A., 143rd Ohio National Guard (O. N. G.). Henry was married to Elizabeth Kirk (1821-1911) on 27 June 1844 in Jefferson county, Ohio. In the 1850 US Census, Henry was identified as a miner. In the summer of 1864, during Grant’s Overland campaign, the 143rd Ohio National Guard was placed into active service for 100 da...ys started on 2 May. Most of that time the 143rd O. N. G. garrisoned the Union fortifications at Wilson’s Landing on the James river, which is where this letter was written.Though they were never in battle, they suffered several deaths from dysentery and other diseases—poor Henry Barcus among them. Henry died at the very end of his term of service suffering from dysentery. He kept the deteriorating condition of his disease from his wife as long as he could but finally revealed his true condition in the last couple of letters he wrote home. The register of military deaths reports that he died of diarrhea at Patterson Park General Hospital in Baltimore on 31 August 1864, leaving a wife and six children born between 1844 and 1858. His wife applied for a pension on 18 November 1864.TRANSCRIPTIONWilson’s Landing
July 20, 1864Dear Wife, I this morning take my pencil in hand to send you a few more lines although I get no word from you. I am all right and I d sincerely hope that you are all well. I have a great deal I would like to tell but it is no use. Maybe you will not get it. But the time is getting short now and I will be home. The last minute they can hold us is the nineteenth of August. That will be one hundred days that we was sworn into the United States service. We was sworn in on the twelfth of May. But I think we will be home before that time. I think we will start for home on the first day of August and then we will make home about the 10th or 12th of August. But don’t get discouraged if I don’t get there at that time for I will come as soon as I can.This is the last letter I expect you will get from me for it is the last stamp I have and the last envelope. An envelope I might get but a stamp—I can’t get. But if I can get a stamp, I will write as often as I can. But if I can’t, don’t get discouraged.I have had what the doctor calls delirium—a change of the climate. I han’t been one day sick—one hour sick—since I left home. I had the headache and was very weak for two or three weeks but now I am all right. We have had a great deal of rain here. It rained all day yesterday and last night as hard as it could pour down and the air is changed and it is very pleasant.I must stop. I must say a few words about John Goddard, He is very low and is in the hospital but has all the attention that can be given. I don’t say anymore, My love to all. — HenryTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal.Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise you will pay a higher rate.For International buyers, we utilize eBay’s Global ShippingProgram. We had too many packages sentvia the post office go missing. So webelieve this program will be safer for us and for you.We are members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S.Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the IllinoisPostal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies orreproductions). Some of our letters havebeen transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffson the Spared & Shared blog.We have been selling on eBay since 1998. BID WITH CONFIDENCE !
00135
