CIVIL WAR LETTER - 61st PA Infantry - Wind Storm Damages Baltimore, Drilling Etc

Description

Civil War Letter
Civil War Letter written by Samuel Fell of Company D, 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers.  He writes of a big wind storm that has damaged Baltimore, drilling (without their guns, which they appreciate) and more good content
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This Civil War soldier letter was written by Samuel C. Fell (1839-1870), the son of Samuel Fell (1801-1839) and Mary Dingman Kyte (1802-1864) of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Samuel had at least five siblings who are mentioned in these letters: Hannah (b. 1825), Sally Ann (b. 1827), Charles (b. 1830), Theodore (b. 1832), and Mary (b. 1837).
First Sergeant Samuel C. Fell of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, served in the 8th Pennsylvania (3 months), 23rd Pennsylvania, and 61st Pennsylvania Regiments. The letters cover the period from May 1861 through February 1863.
The 8th Pennsylvania mustered out in July, and with the war continuing Fell reenlisted, this time in the 23rd Pennsylvania (“Birney’s Zouaves”), which was posted at Washington. Two of the archive’s letters were written during Fell’s time with the Zouaves.
The next letter was written February 26, 1862, right after Fell’s company was transferred to the 61st Pennsylvania (the 23rd had too many companies and four of these were transferred to the 61st).
This letter was written in February 1863, while the regiment was in camp near Bell Plain. The 61st had been transferred to the 6th Corps, where they joined other regiments to form Pratt’s Light Division.
Samuel Fell survived the war. He was promoted to second lieutenant in June 1865 and mustered out with the regiment three weeks later.
TRANSCRIPTION
[Note: This letter was written while Samuel served in Co. D, 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers.]
Camp Birney
February 26, 1862
Dear Mother,
I received your letter a few days ago and was glad to hear that you was well. We are all well here. There was a very heavy wind here on Monday. It blew a good many of the tents down in camp. In the city, it done a good deal of damage. I will put the account of it in the letter.
Our new Colonel has put us back to drilling without our guns. That is what we like. It is fun to drill without the gun.
Well, Mother, I don’t know of anything new to write but you wanted to know what was the reason that some boys sent so much money home and I did not. I will tell you the reason why it is. In the first place, I buy my tobacco and don’t beg it. In the next place, I bought a pair of boots for six dollars and a gum coat to stand guard with for six dollars and a half, besides paper, ink and stamps, so you may know the reason why I don’t send any home. But it will soon be pay day again and if I have enough to pay my debts that I had ought to have paid a year ago, I will try and send some home.
Well, Mother, it is getting along towards 9 o’clock and I will have to put out the light so you must excuse this short letter and also your spendthrift of a son. But this war is coming to a close very fast and I hope to make reckamends [amends] for my bad behavior when I get home.
Now Mother, there is no use spoiling another sheet of paper to answer Mary’s for it will be the same thing that I have wrote in this if I should so I will finish this sheet out with a few words to her.
From Sam to Mother
Dear Sister,
You must not think that I don’t care about writing to you because I don’t use another sheet of paper but dear sister Mary, if you had seen me a balling over that letter of yours like a calf, you would a thought that it was news that some of my folks was dead. But thank God, it was not, and I hope it will never be while I am in the army.
Well sister, I suppose that you will think this a big baby’s letter but I can’t help it for I write just as I feel and there is nothing else to write so I must close remaining as ever your affectionate brother, — Samuel Fell
Write soon.
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