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.
Note: All of the Ostrye brothers’ letters were transcribed by Charlotte Smith.
CAMP CITY POINT VA 29 Sept 1864
Dear Friends:
I seat myself to write a few lines to you to let you know that we are well. I have sent five letters since I left home and have no answers. I have lost some money and have sent some home and I am now all out. I would be very thankful for you to send me five or six dollars and send a dozen postage stamps and what money you send it in greenbacks for they won’t take any other here.
I send my best respects to you and all the folks around. I don’t have much time to write, so goodbye.
Write as soon as you get this.
Luke Ostrye.
Direct to Co A 50th Regiment, New York Volunteers Engineers Corp, Washington DC in care of Lieut. Burdin [Charlotte Smith: “Burton?”]1
***
Other Letters Written By Luke and Charles Ostrye at the Siege of Petersburg:
- LT: September 15, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: September 21, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: October 16, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: October 23, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: November 5, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: November 20, 1864 Luke Ostrye
- LT: December 15, 1864 Luke and Charles Ostrye
- LT: December 16-23, 1864 Luke and Charles Ostrye
Source:
- Ostrye, Luke. “Camp City Point Va 29 Sept 1864.” Letter to Friends. 29 Sept. 1864. 15th Engineer Regiment: The Civil War Letters Of Luke And Charles Ostrye. New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/other/15thEng/15thEng_Letters_Ostrye.htm>. ↩