griffing@fnal.gov
The
Civil War Letters of William Beynon Phillips
Fort
Delaware
November 5, 1862
Dear
I am very happy to say that I have received your very kind and welcome letter. You see I hasten to reply so I can claim your forgiveness for my past sins. [I am] hoping you will be lenient. I throw myself at your mercy. I hope dear Annie that you are well, as healthy as I am, for I am as healthy as any being can wish. Plenty to eat, but rather rough. Enough (water) to drink. Abundance of exercise & enough sleep. No care & clean conscience. Who would not be healthy?
I have no news for you this time, nothing at all. I am sorry but can’t help it, but here again we have no great cause to be glad for there is no bad news, such as the death of one of our comrades.
You
must have had an exciting time up there the day of
drafting.
I was very sorry to hear of Carbondale
being subject to a draft. It was a heart
rending scene to see your relatives and & acquaintance volunteer to fight,
but I should think being forced to it must be awful to the family of the drafted
man. They have gone but they have left
behind their families which are entitled to your warmest sympathy and support,
and we hope that the citizens of
Dear Annie, I had a pass last Monday to go across the river and spend a day in Delaware City. I felt glad of it. I can assure you to be free for a day once more to roam at will, to run, jump, eat, and drink as you please without being restricted to the rigid rules of war. I can assure you that it is a “big thing” to be free without being subjected or dictated to by nobody but your own conscious and your God.
I returned to the fort in the eve to put myself under the obligations of eating so much, and such like drinking so much, work so much, go to sleep at such an hour, & get up at such a minute. But there’s the good time dawning in the future, when I shall be free and easy once more. I would not have referred to this if it was not for that day in Delaware City to see the young fellows free, roaming about in their civilian clothes while I was in my blue and brass and leather with my pass & authority to dare to appear there. I send it to you so you can see the autograph of the Sergeant, Captain, & Major of the 2nd Artillery, Regular Army & commander of the fort.
I was very sorry to hear of the illness of your father. I hope he is better by this time.
Dear
Annie, I could write from this till “Retreat” but I am afraid I shall try your
patience too much. I shall therefore
conclude with respects to all the folks & accept dear Annie
of the best wishes & love of yours ever – William
B.
Write soon a b------i-----g, L-----o----n-----g letter.
Footnotes
The
organized resistance to the draft
in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties of Pennsylvania was considered so
formidable by Governor Curtin that he wrote a letter to the Secretary of War
requesting that federal troops be sent into those counties to maintain law and
order.
William B. Phillips' pass signed by First Sergeant A.
P. Barber, Capt. Schooley, and the fort's commander appears in the banner of
this page. Also appearing is a sketch drawn by William Phillips which humorously
depicts President Abraham Lincoln ("Old Abe") personally granting Pvt.
Phillips a furlough.
griffing@fnal.gov