Editor’s Note: This item is part of a collection of letters from New York engineers written while their units were at the Siege of Petersburg. Researcher and Engineer enthusiast Dan O’Connell generously donated all of the items in this collection for use at The Siege of Petersburg Online. These transcriptions are copyrighted by Brett Schulte and may not be used without my express written consent. I do not have images of these letters so some errors could be from transcription or in the original.
Camp Near City Point
September 18, 1864Dear Sister,
I take this opportunity to write to you. I am as well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same . I have received a letter from you the 13 of this month and did neglect to answer it. I have also did receive a letter from Ma today stating that you was all well. That is the best news that I can hear from home. Ma writes that the boys has left for the seat of war. I have not heard of a great many of them a coming and then that I have heard of have hired a substitute. They are brave fellows. Please write in your next what Regiment they are a coming in and the letter of the Company might be that I will have a chance to see them. Hies has gone to the hospital. He has got the fever he says that he is a little better today. He is out of his head by spells. I can’t think of no news to write about. There was another scare here day before yesterday. They rebs come and captured the herd that was about 25 head of cattle but the report is that we have captured them back and some prisoners.1 So good by for this time this is from your brother. Is sister at home.
[Daniel V. Personius]2
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Other Letters Written By Daniel Personius at the Siege of Petersburg:
- LT: September ??, 1864 Daniel Personius
- LT: Prior to September 11, 1864 Daniel Personius
- LT: September 25, 1864 Daniel Personius
Source:
- SOPO editor’s Note: Daniel is referring to Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid of mid-September 1864. Unfortunately for the Federals, Hampton and his men captured something like ten times the number Daniel believes they captured in this letter. ↩
- Personius, Daniel. (1864, September 18). (Letter to his parents). Personius Brothers Letters (CL 105, Box B, Folder 38). Booth Library, Chemung Valley (NY) Historical Society, Elmira, NY. ↩