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.
Camp Near Petersburg, Va.
July 18th, 1864Dear Parents,
We received a letter from you last evening dated the 10th and was glad to hear that you were all well.
Our mail seems to be quite irregular so we don’t receive our mail as often nor as soon as formerly.
Daniel’s health and mine is good and we have plenty have to eat and to wear so what more could be asked for long as everything passes of pleasantly as it now does. James Besmer enjoys good health. The boys of the Capt’s command are busy a making gabions everyday yet. I think some of going up to see them today if I can be spared long enough. I heard the other day that the old boys and the capt would not be mustered out of the service until the sixteenth of September so they will have to stay nearly two months longer if this be true. The weather is some cooler than it has been but we had no rain here yet though there have been showers nearly all around us. I saw Eliazer Perry yesterday. He is well. John has been promoted to corporal. Eliazer says Jimmy Boise was wounded in the wrist and the doctor tried to save his arm and the mortification set in which killed him. The Hanford boys are both well. In your next letter please inform me of the whereabouts of H.B. London and Wm. Carnes two as big bobies as ever lived in the town of Caroline.
Last Friday I witnessed the execution of two men on the gallows near this place. They belonged to the 72nd NY Vol. And their crime was to infamous and degrading to put on paper. Both of them passe from earth at the same moment. One of them was I should judge 19 or twenty and the other nearly thirty years of age.
Monday afternoon.
I have just come back from the other camp. The folks there are all well. The Capt and I tok dinner together. I think it is the first time since we was home last winter. We had biscuit, butter pickles, beef and young potatoes. Pretty good assortment don’t you think so. I have not time to write more so good bye.
From your son
Chas W. Personious1
***
Other Letters Written By Charles Personius at the Siege of Petersburg:
- LT: June 10, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: June 18, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: July 24, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: August 8, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: November 7, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: November 18, 1864 Charles Personius
- LT: January 12, 1865 Charles Personius
- LT: January 15, 1865 Charles Personius
- LT: February 17, 1865 Charles Personius
- LT: February 19, 1865 Charles Personius
- LT: March 16, 1865 Charles Personius
Source:
- Personius, Charles. (1864, July 18). (Letter to his parents). Personius Brothers Letters (CL 105, Box B, Folder 36). Booth Library, Chemung Valley (NY) Historical Society, Elmira, NY. ↩