These letters were written by Irish emigrant Andrew Given (1835-1913) who mustered in as a Private in Co. C, 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on 25 May 1861. Andrew deserted on 7 September 7, 1862 at Washington, D. C. and then mustered in as a Private in Co. L, 1st New York Veteran Cavalry on September 20, 1863 or 1864 under alias of Andrew “Dugan”—his mother’s maiden name. He mustered out of the service on July 20, 1865.
Andrew and his wife, Elizabeth Forsyth Given (1832-1905) were married in County Atrim, Ireland, in 1853 and came to the United States the following year on board the ship Towanda. Just prior to the Civil War, the couple had two children: James A. Given (1855-1916) and Jane Given (1857-1913). In the 1860 US Census, Andrew was enumerated in Philadelphia’s 17th Ward, working as a carpet weaver. Andrew declared his intent to seek citizenship in the United States on 3 May 1858 and he took the oath of allegiance on 29 September 1860.
Andrew Given Family Correspondence, Ms2019-035, Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.
Letter 1
Trenton, New Jersey
June 10, 1861
Dear Wife,
I think it most time I had wrote to you but we cannot get paper just when we want it nor envelopes, nor stamps, nor anything. We are all hard up and will be until we get some money and I don’t think that will be soon. We expect to be equipped this week and indeed, it is most time, when we may get a furlough for 48 hours and then for marching off soon to face the tiger.
I am well and in good spirits at present and all the boys are pretty much the same way. A band of music is playing while I am writing and the music is sweet—“the Star Spangled Banner.” We have just had breakfast—bread, meat and coffee, and a pretty good one. Were those lines I got from the 2d Lieutenant [of] any use to you? Let me know if you write. Let me know how you and the children are getting along for if there is anything worries me, it is how you are situated. And if you are comfortable, I am sure I shall be so. I send my love to Miss Oliver and Lizzie. John Lilly and family…
Washington D. C.
July 8, 1861
Dear Wife,
We arrived safe in Washington after 24 hours travel and are now encamped within a mile of Washington at Camp Stockton and expect to move away soon as things are rather hot now both as respects war and the weather—the latter bringing out the sweat and the former the spunk.
The boys are all well and feel as if they would like to get a sight at the rebels, muskets in good order and plenty of ammunition, and intend to entertain them with a few balls so as to perfect them in dancing. You can hear of our movements by the papers. Water is not plenty here which makes it very bad as we don’t touch whiskey. We are marched every day to the river side where we may take a swim and wash our things.
My love to the children. I hope you keep James at school as it is the only thing to make a man of him. My love to Lizzie, Oliver, and mother and to John Lilly and family and let me know how McConnery and sisters are getting along. I conclude by sending you my love and may God bless you all is the prayer of, — Andrew Given
P. S. When you write, send your letter to the Company C, Third Regiment of New Jersey, Capt. Rowland, Washington D. C.
Letter 3
Camp Cloud’s Mills, Virginia
July 14, 1861
Dear Wife,
I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear you were well and the children also, and the only comfort I have is hearing from you now and then as we are kept constantly on the go day after day, either marching, drill, or guard duty. I have just this moment come to camp with the rest of the company, being out since yesterday on picket guard, which is tiresome as well as dangerous. The enemy are not a great ways from us, and may pay us a visit at any moment but in the present case, they would rather meet with a cold instead of a warm reception, bullets not being as palatable as ice water. Our men occasionally get a sight of a few of them on a scout, but no sooner so they see us than they run home to get something they forgot, and stay when they get there to save “getting their coats ventilated with some of our bullets; and dropping their tails like frightened pullets.” Into their holes they run like rats. When they get a sight of the “Northern cats.”
I am glad to hear James attends school as the children’s welfare is one of my first wishes and I know that my wishes will be attended to by you with all your heart, and if I should not get back till our term expires, I shall be proud to find everything as I desired, and thank God that He has been kind enough to permit you and I to live…
[Note: the portion of the transcript that follows comes from the internet and I cannot vouch for its accuracy.]
I believe we have been taken in about the Jersey money six dollars, and we have not even received a cent of our wages yet, and do not know when we shall, things are so uncertain and as to your asking them I believe you could shake more guts than money out of them, and empty ones at that too, and a heart no bigger than a used-up ground nut.
You shall have plenty to eat if you enlist
Says our friend with the baited hook
And money in plenty as he brought down his fist
On the counter; while under his arm he carried a book
When once we had signed and taken the oath
Things vanished like smoke or so much vapor
And promises of clothes and money both
Could be carried in a very small piece of paper.
Enclosed I send you back the dollar as I have no way of spending it here and it will be of more use to you and also a five-cent piece for the young ones to get them an orange apiece. I will conclude by sending my love to you and a prayer for your’s and the children’s welfare, and may he bless and protect you all, is the wish of one who thinks of you. — Andrew Given.
Letter 4
Virginia
August 31, 1861
Dear Wife,
I take this opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you that I am well and hope you are enjoying the same blessing. Dear wife, I was disappointed when I received your kind letter at finding you had not received the money that I sent to you but it has gone and I guess you have got it before now. As Getty was writing I thought it was not necessary that I should write to inform you of it as I could let you know through his. We expect to get our pay on next Thursday and I will not put you to so much trouble as I will send it through Adams Express and then you get it all in gold—the real genuine stuff.
Dear wife, you was speaking about sending me a blanket but I don’ think it is necessary for I think my load is as much as I want to carry for we are not never over three or four…
[missing two inside pages]
…Tom Boyle has got any word from his brother-in-law William Henderson. Also please let Billy McClang [know] that John Spense sends his respects to him and when he gets home he will bring him some clams. I should have mentioned Tom Boyle long ago but we have so much to think on that I can hardly get writing to everybody. Give my love to enquiring friends. No more but remain your dear husband. — Andrew Givens
P. S. As my little boy said when he got a new pair of shoes he would come as a drummer, please buy them both a pair—the boy and the girl—and tell him that I will send him a secessionist’s horse to come on for they are plenty of them down here. — Andrew Given
Letter 5
Camp Seminary
September 7, 1861
Dear Wife,
I received your letter last night and was pleased to hear you were all well. We got paid yesterday and I had just got back from Alexandria where I had gone for a bit of spree, and the first thing that was put into my hand when I got into the tent was your letter and with all the pleasure I had there that piece of paper topped it off and made it complete. We still remain at the old encampment and may do so for some time. The rebels give us no trouble and our good General is ready and prepared for them, and some of these days will singe coattails for them with some Union powder and ball.
We are strongly fortified all around where we are encamped and a large number of heavy guns mounted that will sprinkle the dust around them if they give us any annoyance. They had better not touch the hornet’s nest if they wish to avoid being stung, bad luck to ’em. We have the pills in our cartridge boxes that will cure a rebellious stomach and give a healthy tone to people who are bilious to our form of government. God bless it.
I have again sent you 20 dollars which you will receive almost as soon as this. Give my love to the children and tell Janey when I forget here, I shall heave ceased to move, but one generally thinks of the boys first but it would break the heart to part with the girls. God bless both of my children. I shall send [ ] horse in my next letter if I can get him in without kicking the postmaster. I have some little books that we got in a Secession meeting house that the parson thought safe to vacate and the place that once gave forth the sound of grace was left in silence to be broken only by the rough tread of the soldiers and the pulpit whose steps were trod by the holy foot of its pastor was given up to the rude inspection of men of blood. Oh war—war—desolation, follows in thy track and makes the noisy house quiet with its terrors, and these books that have often been perused by the offspring of Rebellion and received their little tickets of blue and red as a reward of merit with happy faces and ready hands, I shall send home if I possibly can send them to my little boy and girl.
I am getting very cross lately. I suppose it is occasioned by smelling gunpowder all the time and sleeping alone, and if there is any fault to be found with soldiering, it is because one cannot have the old woman along with them all the time. O petticoats, thy folds encircle the jewel that makes man’s fingers end tingle. Enclosed I send a ten pence to the young ones and I should like them to enjoy themselves, and if they save anything they can put it towards buying a suit of clothes. I conclude by sending my love to you all and a prayer for your safety and happiness.
— Andrew Given
P. S. Upon the envelope is a likeness of our good General who commands the division we are in. And may his dear face never be rubbed out by secession bullets. Probably you may have to go to Burlington for the money but you might wait till you see if they send it to you.
Letter 6
[Note: The following transcript was lifted from the internet and I cannot vouch for its accuracy. I believe the letter is part of the collection Virginia Tech.]
Fort Worth Va.
December 19, 1861
My Dear Wife,
I have received your letter bearing date Decr. 17th & I have got what you sent me with John Gettey & I tell you that this evening we all in our tent had a good boiler of tea which I with the rest of our boys all drank hearty of as a pot of good tea is something of a rarity in camp. As you mentioned in your letter that you would send me a box I wish you to not mind it for I am going to try for a furlough about New Years as I am expecting to get it about that time when I am expecting to have a pretty good time with you and the rest of my friends about New Years—that is, if I am spared.
I also return you my thanks for the likeness that you sent which gives me a great deal of pleasure to look at as I had made up my mind that I would not write for six months but I have changed it & you see I have wrote…& another thing I have to be obliged for my letters wrote & I don’t like to trouble them as little as possible.
I have little to mention here in camp—only that we have a scouting party out of our regiment. They are away to catch some of the secessish boys if they can get hold on them. Our party is about 200 strong & I believe that they will not return until they have some prisoners or something of that kind for they never go out but the bloody third boys makes out pretty well, but not without the loss of some men for they are none of these kind of boys that only goes outside of our lines, for the last time that they went out, they went so far as they could hear the traitors beating their reveille.
I have little more to say—only give my love & best respects to all inquiring friends & neighbors from your affectionate husband to death, —Andrew Given
Letter 7
Fort Worth, Virginia
[December] 26, 1861
My dear wife,
I received your letter this day which I was sorry to hear that Janey was so sick and me so far away from seeing her but with the help of God, I hope to see you all before long. My dear wife, I received a letter from you yesterday—Christmas Day—with one dollar in it and I was glad to hear that you were all well at the time I received it but sorry when I got the letter today and heard that Janey was so bad.
I was thinking about getting a furlough at pay day but when you get this, if the child is no better, let me know and I will try and get one sooner…
[Note: Scans of the remainder of this letter have no been sent to me for transcription yet.]
Letter 8
Fort Worth, Virginia
[February 22d 1862]
“Eliza,” my dear wife,
Your letter dated the 18th was duly received. I was very glad to hear that you was well. I see you got my last letter.
Just as I commenced to write this, I was called from my tent by James Hallsworth who brought my bundle which you sent me. Many thanks, my dear wife, for its contents. I shall find its contents very useful & acceptable. Already I have tried the merits of the oranges & have a cup of tea in prospect for tonight.
You wish to know if we have tents. We have good strong, tight warm ones. In addition, we have a nice stove which effectually keeps out Jack Frost.
You need not send the boots of which you write. The season has so far advanced it would not pay to send them now. Many thanks to you.
I put in a “furloe” (as it is called) to get leave to come home & see you but it is very uncertain when I shall get it. It may not be at all. But you must not feel badly for I hope & believe that the day is not far distant when I shall come back to you and Old Camden, never more ot leave you—at least not to return to the war.
Kiss the dear children for me. I am glad they miss me. Tell them to be good children & God willing, I will soon be home to see them.
This leaves me in good health & spirits as I trust it will find you. Give my love to all enquiring friends & believe me your affectionate husband, — Andrew Given
Saturday, February 22, 1862
Letter 9
Fort Worth, Virginia
March 4, 1862
My dear wife and children,
I take this favorable opportunity of writing these few lines to let you know that I received your letter this day which I was glad to hear that you and the children is well but I was sorry to hear of my father’s death. I got a letter from my brother James yesterday letting me know that the word came in Mary Conry’s letter. He also told me that he was a going to send for Matilda and I wrote to him that if he would send for her, that I would send for Elizabeth as she stayed with my father till his death [and] that I would not like to separate them now. And if you can hear if he is going to send for her, let me know, but I don’t want you to go other there.
We are going to leave here tomorrow, I believe, for Warrenton Station. That is about 14 miles below Manassas and you need not think it strange if you don’t get word regular from me as the mail might be detained by the road. I think that we will be paid tonight and if I do, I will send you 25 dollars. You need not mention Getty any more.
I was very glad to get that dollar that you sent me in this letter and I am very much obliged to you for it. But I remain your affectionate husband till death, — Andrew Given
Give my respects to Mr. and Mrs. Conry in the kindest manner. I am happy to think that James and Janey did not forget me and I hope that I will soon be home with them.
Letter 10
Fort Worth, Virginia
March 18, 1862
My dear wife,
I take the opportunity of writing these few lines to let you know that I am well at present—thank God for His kind mercies to me—[and] hoping this will find you all enjoying of the same. I wrote to you the week before last. Did you get it or not? I got one from you last weekend. I was glad to hear that you was all well.
I guess you heard about our success at Manassas and also of our regiment being the first to raise the Stars & Stripes on the rebel’s fortifications. I see in this day’s Philadelphia Enquirer that it was the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry that got in there first but that is not so. There was none of [their] soldiers there for five hours after our regiment got there and pulled down the rebel flag and raised the Stars & Stripes and brought severn secession flags with us which are now at this present time in New Jersey with Governor [Charles Smith] Olden, and I think that is enough to let them know that it was the first there and not amongst us for we had to go on double quick from Centreville—that is about nine miles. The rebels run away when they saw our approach leaving everything behind them which they had plenty of. There seemed to be no want for anything with them. Our army is now thirty miles below Manassas and don’t see the enemy appearing to make any kind of a stand there.
My dear wife, you need not some down here to see me for we are to go off, I believe, tomorrow, The steamers are lying now at Alexandria to take us off. I don’t know where we are going to. We won’t get our pay before the first of April and if you can, I would like you would send me one dollar.
I send my love to you all. No more at present. I remain your affectionate husband till death, — Andrew Given
James Hollensworth is well. John Getty is well and in the hospital. James Dillon is well. Give my respects to all. My well wishes.
Letter 11
Camp 5 miles from Richmond
June 22, 1862
Dear wife,
I sit down to let you know that I am well and hoping these few lines will find you and the children the same. I received your letters—one the 10th and the other the 16th—and I was very glad to hear from you. I need have written before but had no time so tonight I take the time to write.
We have some pretty hard marching to do but we have got so close to the rebels capitol that we don’t mind the hard marching or the hard work for we feel sure that we can settle this rebellion in a short time. Then we will al come home and live in peace and happiness.
Dear wife, we were in camp right by the last battleground 1 and the other day I took a walk over it and had a good look at it. It is the horriblest place that I ever seen. I went to the woods where the rebels is buried. There is about 3 hundred buried in one place and that laid so long that we had to just throw dirt over them. Our men is buried very nice.
Dear wife, I hope that you don’t hold any correspondence with John Getty—or with his wife neither one—for he is a deserter and he is wanted as one down here. And another thing, he borrowed 5 dollars of Captain Buckley and never paid him. He means to cheat him out of it. We hear his [ ] that he got up in Philadelphia.
Dear wife, let Billy Meacley’s wife know that I seen him yesterday and he is well and Hames Hollsworth is well and also James Dillon is well. Dear wife, I see in your letter that you head that our regiment would be the first to attack Richmond. I only hope…
[Last page of letter not scanned & sent to me.]
1 Andrew is probably referring to the battlefield at Fair Oaks. That battle took place near the Seven Pines crossroads, seven miles from Richmond, on 31 May 1862.
Letter 12
Camp near City Point, Va.
July 9th 1862
Dear Wife,
I received your kind and welcome letter of the 29th on yesterday and was very glad to find by it that you and the children were well. I have bee a little sick lately myself but thank God I am now quite well. But the weather is very warm here now through the day which makes it bad for us. Our regiment was in the battle of Gaines’s Hill [Mill] on 27th of June and got cut up badly losing half our number. But thank God, I escaped unhurt and I don’t think there is a rebel ball made to kill me. I don’t think there will be such hard fighting again as we are now near the [James] river under cover of the gunboats which the rebels are greatly afraid of and it is thought General McClellan intends keeping us here until the 300,000 fresh troops are raised which will put it out of the rebels power to stand before us at all.
We are now about 17 miles distant from Richmond and had a tough time getting here but we had not enough of men to take Richmond as the rebels had 3 times as many there, but we will soon have them here now. The Monitor and Galena are near us here in the river and I expect they will go at Fort Darling soon. With that taken, we could go into Richmond without any trouble and then we might be thinking of getting home again for this will be the last fight the rebels will make. I am longing to be back with you and the children once more and hope the time is not far distant.
I wish when you write to me again you would let me know where John Getty is and how he is getting along but you need not direct it in care of Captain Buckley as we lost him in the battle and 14 men out of our company.
Give my love to little James and Janey and tell them I will send them a present soon. Remember me to all the folks and write soon and when you do, let me know all the news you…
[Do not have scan of final page]
I remain your affectionate Husband till death,— Andrew Given.
Direct [to] A. Given, Co. C, 3rd Regt N. J. Vols. Taylor’s Brigade, Slocum’s Division (via Washington D. C.)
Letter 13
Camp near Harrison’s Landing, Va.
July 26, 1862
Dear Wife,
I received your welcome letter of the 21st inst. and was very glad to find by it that you and the children were well which I am glad to say I am also, thank God.
We are still in the same camp and are getting along nicely although the weather is very warm. But we have planted shade trees all along it now and have it fixed nicely. I would be very anxious to see you and would give a good deal to see you as it would give me a good deal of pleasure but sooner than see you here exposed to the hardships which you could not help being exposed to here, I would sooner never see you for it is no place for a woman, nor is there none here that think anything of themselves. But I hope that I will soon have an opportunity of seeing you at home and the sooner the better for I am just as anxious to get home as you are. If it was not for Getty’s wife, I would have him arrested to keep him from blowing around the corners. But the punishment is hard and don’t like to leave her a widow. But I hope as Capt. Buckley is dead., he will have honesty enough to pay his father the 5 dollars he borrowed of him.
I hope all the folks well and give my love to the children and tell them to be good till I get home and I will give them a nice present and write to me soon and as I have no more to say at present, I will conclude by sending you my love. Hoping this will find you well and soon to see you and the children, believe me your affectionate husband, — Andrew Given
Write soon.
Letter 14
Camp near Harrison’s Landing, Virginia
August 2, 1862
Dear Wife,
I take this opportunity of letting you know that I am still in good health and hope this will find you and the children the same. I send you enclosed 10 dollars and will send you ten more when you write to me again mentioning the receipt of this. The reason I sent it this way is that you may get the money I send you for if I would send it any other way you would have to take any kind of bills that had a mind to give you and I don’t want to give them that much satisfaction.
John Getty is here now and is in good health. He looks quite fresh and good. You mentioned that tea &c. was very dear but no matter how dear things are, as long as you have the means or that I can get it for, you never want for anything that you may think you want. We had to pay for all the surplus clothes that we got last year on this pay and there was a good deal of gouging done in it for although I did not draw quite all my share, I had to pay near 4 dollars. But they can do just as they like with a poor private here and he can’t say one word in his own defense no matter how much he is wronged. I wish you would let me know in your next letter how you get that state pay, what kind of money you get, and if they deduct anything out of it for their trouble as some say they do. But they have no right to do so and I want you to let me know all about it in your next letter.
As to John Getty soft soaping me, it is more than he or any other man could ever do as I was always able to take care of myself. I have heard a good deal about the women at home gathering at one an other’s places and getting drunk while their husbands were away but although I do think there is a good deal of it done, I have more confidence than to think that of you. I saw Billy Nealy yesterday. He is quite well and send his best respects. Give my love to the children and tell them to be good until I see them again and give them a kiss for me. Remember me to all the folks and write to me as soon as you receive this and believe me your affectionate husband, — Andrew Given
Spared & Shared 22 