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The Civil War Letters of William Davis

          [click on each image to enlarge]

Fort Delaware
[Delaware City, Delaware]
November 7, 1862

Dear Friend [Mr.] Richards,

Your very welcome letter of the 4th instant came duly to hand. I was pleased to hear from you and hope for the future to keep you posted on matters and things at Ft. Delaware. I feel sorry for not writing to you before this from this place, but for some unaccountable reason I have neglected doing so. I wrote you a few lines from Harrisburg under minor difficulties which was rather a short scrawl of non-importance, save the list of officers in the renowned Schooley’s Battery, and felt sorry as it was not what it might have been of interest. The particulars of this noted place have been fully explained to you by friend [William] Phillips ‘ere this, so of course it is useless to dwell in past history. Well we are hear at Fort Delaware and so far as a general thing we all manage to dispose of our rations with good grace, consisting of pork, beans, rice, beef & bread. It goes a little tough sometimes, especially when we think of home. But there is one consolation – we hope it is all for the good of Uncle Sam and that we may soon return to the land of steady habits safe & sound to enjoy the benefits of peace. We have not seen the hardships of some of our fellow beings but I believe if we were brought into active service, we would prove worthy of our names and keep the honor of our native state.

There is one thing certain, we are at the disposal of [the] U.S. and if we are to be kept in a state of inactivity, it is not what we expected. I assure [you] there is nothing causes such uneasiness and dissatisfaction as confinement to one particular post. We have not yet been drilled in our branch of service such as artillery but I expect we will have a time of it this winter. Nevertheless, we have become accustomed to the heavy infantry drill and make exceedingly good progress in the Manual of Arms, which is essential to the branch of service.

We feel the loss of our First Lieutenant U. S. Cook – rather a severe blow in so short a time. I think he would have proven himself the man in the right place. Noted for his strict morals and the discipline of the men, he often warned them of the bad habits in camp and a strict observance of the Sabbath. Our Captain [Schooley] is rather behind the boys and it keeps him running to be in a common sharp with them. There is many laughable incidents from time to time and all the pranks under the sun is no doubt well represented in this company.

As I now write I can give you some idea of what’s going on in this room now. [It’s] 7:30 P.M. [and] there is about eighty in this room. By glancing over this tier of bunks, I see some reading, some singing songs – generally very comic and sometimes tough, some using up their leisure moments – as my humble self, others in groups of 8 to 10 are playing Old Sledge and Euchre, while our friends E. R. Ford and the right honorable Samuel C. Brobst have opened what they call “church” and have, I assure you, quite a audience. They are joining in very fast putting in long faces and Methodistik Airs, while in another part of the room I hear the violin playing the old tune of the “Girl I left Behind [Me].” And turning to the left, some are trying there physical [page 5 missing].

[Your friend, -- William Davis]

Footnotes

Urbane S. Cook was the First Lieutenant of "Schooley's Battery" -- later Company M, 2nd Heavy Artillery Pennsylvania Volunteers. Urbane was born in 1839, the son of Griffin Cook, a farmer in Jackson Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

According to Wikipedia, Old Sledge, or Seven Up, is the American name of an old card game called "All-Fours" in England. It is usually played by four players, with the full pack of fifty-two cards.

Sergeant Edward R. Ford drowned in the Potomac River on 27 May 1864.

Private Samuel C. Brobst died at Fort Saratoga, Washington D. C., on 6 June 1863.

Go to http://www.contemplator.com/england/girl.html for an audio playing of "The Girl I Left Behind Me."

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