StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Alright, today, as a joke, I wrote a mock letter-home from the Civil War to my friend. Upon showing it to another friend, I was told it was pretty good. So, I decided I'd try it out. If they're liked, I can easily make a series out of them.

Please note that in the letters, all spelling/grammar mistakes are intentional.

Also, to those of you who are going to whine about any historical/military errors: please don't, that's not really what I'm going for. Major flaws, okay, but nitpicky stuff, please don't bother. Thanks

Also note that characters writing home are purely fictional. Though I may have borrowed some names.

EDIT: I have changed the name of the first letter-writer, just slightly, to mollify the self-involvement.


Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
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Letters from 1st Bull Run—21 July 1861
Written by: Jonathan Roger
Edited by: Keegan Anderson


My dearest Lauren,

My love, I write you for the first time from the battlefield, here at the site of the bloody Battle of Bull Run. As we fought here yesterday, my commanding Captain, Captain Ronald, was shot thru the head with a musket ball, and even as his blood ran, I took command of our unit and led them against the enemy. I have since been promoted to Captain, and am very young for such rank.

We also are supposed to have killed the traitor General Bee from the Confederates, but we were defeated today. Rumors say that Gen. McDowell is to be replaced.

But such does not interest you.

Keegan, my dearest friend since our academy days sits here next to me now writing too to his home. He sends his best regards to you, and wishes your family all the best.

Even after all of the bloody misery of Bull Run, I still love and think of you constantly. I pray this bloody war to be short work, so that I may return and be with you, and see all of our friends again, and know true happiness, as happiness cannot be found on a battlefield. Think of me often, dear, and write to me.

Lovingly yours,
Capt. J.D. Daniels
-------------------------------

Loving parents,

Our Union suffered a great defeat and humiliation here at Bull Run today. The command abilities of General McDonald and the other Generals has been called into question, and I am not sure as to what will happen. Rumor has it that the General will be replaced. We shall see.

I hope that this letter finds you both in good health, and Captain Daniels wishes you to know that he sends his regards. We are currently serving alongside one another and hope to do so in the future of this conflict. The rumors spreading through the camp say that the war will be short and easily won by the Union. Again, we shall see.

Please give my best to everyone there, and send a return letter upon receipt of this one. My love to you, mother and father.

Your son,
Capt. Keegan Anderson
-------------------------------

Dear Rosie,

Hello, dearest sister. I hope you, mother and father are well. I write you to tell of the thrilling experience of being a soldier.

Today we did do battle against the sessessionists. They did fight hard, and they did win the battle, taking liter losses than our own army. I do long for more combat in which to avenge my fallen comrads. The deaths on both sides of this battle did result from mass confushon on both sides of the battle. Our flags were shaded by the heavy smoke that did spue from the cannon, and we did almost fire upon our own soldiers. We did manage to avoid this falt however when they did shout at us that they were of the Union.

The sessessionists did kill a man who was just to the rite of me and he did fall upon me and bleed upon my uniform coat. Well I was horrified I was able to push his boddy off of my own and did continue to fight for our cause. I did fire and did kill the sessessionist who killed the man and the men around me did cheer when they saw him fall.

Rosie, I do think that being a soldier is one of the best things a man can do. If you do know any young strapping boys back home who are considring fighting for our cause, please do tell them to inlist in our army and fight the sessessionists.

My regards to you and mother and father, and I do hope that you will be sending me a letter in the futur. All my loveing.

Truly,
Cpl. David William Bresnahan


[Edited to add credits]

I for one would like to read more of this.

Uraniun235 wrote:I for one would like to read more of this.

You alright over there U? Not a single macro? are you ill?

As for the letters JD, after your explantion for the spelling mistakes, they are indeed very good, nice insight into various plebs outlook on the whole Independence movement on both sides.

Alright, just for you, Uraniun

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Letters from Williamsburg—5 May 1862
Written by: Jonathan Roger
Edited by: Keegan Anderson


My dearest Lauren,

It has indeed been awhile since last I wrote to you, and for this I apologize. I took receipt of your letter of February the 8th; though it took quite a bit of time to reach me, with all of the moving around our units have been doing.

I sit here writing to you from Williamsburg, Virginia, after another bloody and great battle has been fought. Today we have lost more than two thousand men and the Confederates lost approximately fifteen hundred of their own under General Longstreet. Our own commander, General McClellan, will not say whether we were victorious or whether we were defeated. I suspect, after seeing the casualty numbers, that we have been defeated here today.

I beg your apology for dwelling on the dreary monotony of the battlefield. When one lives here, day after dreary day seeing his comrades die, and hearing the explosions of cannon and muskets, one cannot help but to dwell on it.

My Lauren, I still love you deeply, and I think that nothing shall ever change that. I hope to see you again very soon, although with each passing day this war is expected to grow longer. I beg you to continue writing me dear; your last letter was a ray of sunlight into the darkness of the bloody battlefields here. All of my best to you and everyone back home.

Lovingly yours,
Capt. J. D. Daniels
-------------------

Mother and Father,

I write you, my loving parents, again from the scene of a battle in which more than three thousand people have died. Though we lost more than our enemy, the results of the battle here appear to be inconclusive. That is at least the impression the officers were given from General McClellan.

My friend Capt. Daniels and I were both required to write condolence letters home after brave young soldiers in our units were killed in the bloody combat here at Williamsburg. Comparatively few letters, albeit, but it is still a painful experience to write to someone’s parents, like yourselves, mother and father, to tell them that their son was cut down by a musket ball before reaching his best years, and after dedicating his youngest years to our great nation.

As I write to you tonight, the Confederate army retreats back towards the mainland, as we are now fighting on a Peninsula of land, leaving our own army precious little room to retreat, should we ever need to. We shall see.

I thank you for the letter you were able to send. Receiving mail, regardless who from, seems always to bolster the spirit of the fighting soldier. I once again ask you to send me more mail, as often as you can, and tell me how things are back home. I hope to return there soon, but this war will not end soon enough.

Your son,
Capt. Keegan Anderson

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Dear Rosie,

I write to you agan, dearest sister, and agan hope that you and mother and father are in the best of healths. I write to you agan from the site of a great battle, where we did fight the sessessionists, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The sessessionists did again fight hard and did again, or so I think, take home with victory. I say this because they did take liter casualties than our own army did take. The sessessionist General Longstreet does seem to be an excellent fighter. I do hope that we do not have to do battle against him much more. However my Captain does say that the battle had no winner and no loser, as the sessessionists were forced to retreet.

Today I did have another man fighting beside me die, thow this time not from a musket ball, but from a shell from a cannon. He was killed by what is called a cannister shot, which is a can full of musket balls that opens and fires them everywhere. The man next to me, Pvt. Hanson, did receive several wounds from the cannister shot and was mortally wounded. I myself was only niked by one ball on my shoulder, which is healing nicely.

I do long for more combat, Rosie, to fight and kill and avenge my comrads who have died fighting the sessessionists. I do hope you have told the young men back home about the Army and that they should inlist with us, to fight and maintain the Union.

My regards agan to you and mother and father, and please send to me another letter. Thank you, dearest sister.

Truly,
Cpl. David William Bresnahan


[Edited to add credits]

Wow, those are really good. Almost tempted to write a WWI or II letter.

Alright, next installment. Enjoy!
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Letters from camp—22 May 1862
Written by: Jonathan Roger
Edited by: Keegan Anderson


My dearest Lauren,

My love, I awoke this morning, the twenty-second of May, thinking of you, and longing to return home and be with you. Also, if you shall indulge me, I should like to regale you with a tale of our travels through this Confederate land.

Yesterday, as we marched, one of the men of my company fell out of step and out of the block formation we use to travel. I fell out, prepared to reprimand him, but I then as I did I recognized him as one of the men who had been wounded at Williamsburg. He proceeded to collapse by the side of the road upon which we marched and then began to moan in a bone-chilling manner. My love, had it not been for my knowledge of infections, I would have thought him possessed by a demon. Upon rolling up the cuff of his right pant leg, the leg upon which he had received his wound, I noticed the large black sores of gangrene on the man’s leg, all around his wound.

I proceeded to ask the man, Private Lager, his name is, why he had not mentioned the infection to any of the medical staff or to me myself. His answer, my love, is one of the most patriotic things I have heard in my career as an officer. The Private said to me, “Sir, I did not want to lose my leg, and I want to continue to fight for my country.” Despite his brave words, my dear, I sent the private with another man to the medical staff, who will treat him with the utmost care. In all probability, my love, his leg will have to be removed by surgery.

As always, my love, I beg apology for dwelling upon the dreary boorishness of the war. It is so pervasive that I find myself thinking and even dreaming about it.

I hope to return to you soon, sweet Lauren, so that we may be married and so that we may raise a family of our own. But as you know, my angel, I cannot return to you until my own duty here is done. Please forgive me for requiring so much time away from you. You know that your love and your happiness matters more deeply than anything to me. I love you more than anything I have ever loved, and I wish to be with you more deeply than I have ever wished.

I hope that you and your family are well, my love, and that all is well back home. As I always ask, please write me a return letter, as they always bring a smile to my face here on this battlefield.

Lovingly yours,
Capt. J.D. Daniels

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My dear parents,

For once I do not write you after a battle. It is early morning here in the marching camp, and as we are preparing to go, many men, including Capt. Roger, are writing letters, so I thought that I should do the same.

There is not much news to report here. One of Captain Daniels' men fell out of the march yesterday. J.D. tells me that he is suffering from gangrene, and will probably have to have his leg amputated. Two of my own men have already lost limbs to gangrene, and one of my Lieutenants lost two limbs after being hit with a canister round from a cannon. He has since returned home and is attempting to return to his former life as a blacksmith.

I do hope I find you in good health. I recall that in your letter of March you mentioned that Mrs. Aglionby down the street was in poor health. Any news on her condition would be appreciated.

I miss you, mother and father. Please write me back when you are able, and tell me of how things are back home.

Your son,
Keegan Anderson

-------------------


Dear Rosie,

My sister, I do have exciting news!

As yesterday we marched thru this sessessionist land, a young nurse with our yunit did approach me with a pitcher of water and did give me a drink. And as she did give me the drink she did wisper into my ear that she loves me! I do think that this must seem very forward to you, my sister, but here in the war, forwardnes is how things are done.

So later that night as I did recline outside of my tent this same nurse did approach me and we did have a long conversation, and I did dicovver that her name is Miss Ruth Archangelo. Ruth did say to me during our conversahun that she would like to talk with me whenever we are able.

My sister, I do think that I have falen in love. Miss Archangelo is pretty and smart, and I do very much like her. I have never felt this kind of love in my life, sister. Miss Archangelo is like an angel, and I do hope that after this war is over she and I will be able to get maried and have childrens and to be a family. I think that these feelings that I feel for her are true, my sister, and I think that her feelings for me are true.

Oh sister, now I know what the men who speek of love reely mean! It is a wonderful feeling, Rosie, and I do hope that I do not lose it. I do plan to write more about her when I do have an oportunity but for now I must keep moving.

I do send to you all of my loveing and I do beg that you send to me another letter.

Truly,
Cpl. David William Bresnahan

*snicker* "Nurse" or "CampFollower" (aka "Hooker's Women", later shortened to just 'hookers')?

She'll love him long time.

Jason von Evil wrote:She'll love him long time.

That's what you think

Fleet Admiral JD wrote:

Jason von Evil wrote:She'll love him long time.

That's what you think

Of course, his money would run out eventually.

Letters from Seven Pines/Fair Oaks—2 June 1862
Written by: Jonathan Roger
Edited by: Keegan Anderson

My dearest Lauren,

My love, after a period of light action, we, my unit and I, have fought fiercely for the past two days in the outskirts of the Confederate capitol of Richmond. The battle was one of the largest and bloodiest battles I have ever witnessed in my career as a soldier. Men fell to the right and left of me, I watched several of my comrades die from cannon and musket fire. The experience, my sweet, is one that I shall never in my life forget, nor shall it ever fail to impact me in the strongest way possible.

The commanding generals believe that we have taken away the victory from this battle, sustaining lighter casualties than the Confederates did, however, I remain unsure of the outcome of this battle. Even as I write to you our army begins to retreat into the defensive works of Richmond and it appears that our advance to the capitol has been halted. To moralize my men, however, I retain the strong façade of victory.

As always, my love, I must apologize for my constant talk of the battlefield. I am sure it does you not a bit of good to hear of it, and might horrify you to hear of some of the things that I am forced to witness on this battlefield. I do feel some incessant urge to put pen to paper about what happens here on the battlefields of this war.

How are our families, my love? I hope your parents are well, please give them my fondest regards. As well, please tell them of how I am, should they desire to know. And to your dear sisters and brothers, I send my regards as well, my sweet.

Captain Anderson also wishes to send you and your family his regards as well, dearest.

I do love you, my dear, and I promise that I will return to you as soon as is possible. You know that to an army officer duty comes first and love second, as it is with me. However as soon as this war is over, I shall not be an army officer any longer, and I shall return to you with a loving heart and a happy mind. Write me, love, please.

Lovingly yours,
Capt. J. D. Daniels

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My parents,

Another disgustingly inconclusive battle took place here today, just outside of Richmond, no less. Should we have taken a decisive victory here, we may have proceeded to the enemy’s capitol, but instead we begin our retreat.

As last time, Capt. Daniels and myself were forced to write condolence letters for several of the brave young fighting men under us as they were mortally wounded or killed in battle. It is the most painful thing I have ever personally experienced, and I pray that I will not have to write many more parents informing them of the death of their first, or only, or one of their sons. I do not think I can write many more without going completely mad.

What are the goings-on back home, mother and father? I was sorry to hear of Mrs. Aglionby’s death. Please let her family know that I regret being unable to attend the funeral and that I send my sincerest and fondest condolences.

Mother, father, I must confess to you that I am glad to have someone to write to back home. Writing about what happens here is an excellent way to soothe my mental state and receiving letters is a remarkable way of feeling as though I have a little bit of home here with me. Please, as ever, write to me, as those little bits of home help to keep me on solid ground. Thank you both.

Your loving son,
Capt. Keegan Anderson.

------------------------

Dear Rosie,

Miss Archangelo and I have not ceased in loveing each other and have spoken of marriage after the war. I do truely love her and I do believe that she does truely love me. I now cannot wait for this war to be over and for us to be married. Will you tell mother and father of this, my sister? Please do.

Yesterday we did do battle with the sessessionists and we did claim victory. Yet for some reason sister we are now retreeting. I do not understand why we are doing this because we did win the battle and we are so close to the sessessionist capital. I do think that we should move towards the capital, not away.

One of my closesest friends did die today, sister. He was shot in the battle and did get an infection in the wound he receeved. The doctors did tell me that he may not live, and he did die today. I was much saddened by his death but I do live to fight another day, and to love my dear Ruth. We have promised each other that we will survive this war so that we may be married.

I do love you dear sister, and please tell mother and father that I do love them also. I do wish to thank you for your love and support of me, and for your letters. Please due keep writing to me.

Truly,
Cpl. David William Bresnahan

Those letters only get better hon... especially the Cpl.'s.
Just like a poor farm boy, head over heels in love with a camp follower, cause its' the first sex he's had that wasn't with a sheep.

Keegan wasn't around this week.

Letters from Gaines’ Mill—27 June 1862
Written by: Jonathan Roger

My dearest Lauren,

Not much to write to you about today, my love, aside from a devastating defeat at the hands of our enemies. Today at a place called Gaines’ Mill, our forces, though taking lighter casualties than the enemy’s, were defeated and forced back, even though we are so close to Richmond that we are nearly able to taste it.

My dear, I wish I could write more letters like this, and less of the condolence letters that I am required to send to parents, brothers, sisters, wives, and fiancées. I realize as I write each letter that someone’s heart will be crushed like a flower under a soldier’s boot, and that their lives will be forever changed by the loss of their beloved young man. It is heartbreaking to write a letter and think these things, my love.

But now I write to you to maintain my happiness and courage in the face of this bloody war. My love for you sustains me against the harshness of the battlefields, and against the cruelty of death. I swear I shall return to you, love, and that we shall be married to one another.

Please give all of my love to your family, and please write me back, dearest. As I said, your letters and your love sustain me in this bloody mess.

Lovingly yours,
Capt. J. D. Daniels

----------------

My devoted parents,

Yet another humiliating defeat on the battlefield today. Even with the multiple mistakes on the part of the Confederates, we still were able to lose while taking lighter losses than our enemy.

I was required to write another round of condolence letters for a few of my soldiers, mother and father. While most of the deaths were, and I hesitate to use the term, commonplace, a few were exceptional. I hope you shall indulge me as I put pen to paper about one of them. It is not exceptional in the way he died, but simply to illustrate how awful this war is in putting talented men to death.

Sgt. Elijah Montgomery was fighting in the front, bravely leading his men in firing upon an enemy artillery position. Eli was one of the most experienced sergeants in the unit, and one of the bravest men I personally have ever met. He has won several commendations for his conduct in the field, and many of the men under him have made comments to me about his strength as a leader. To put it simply, a man who would have been very soon promoted.

As Eli and his unit were firing on this Confederate cannon, Eli was shot through the leg with a musket ball. Even though he must have been in excruciating pain, he insisted on being left without medical attention. Almost as soon as he had reloaded his musket, another round struck him fatally in the neck, and exited through the back of his head, killing him nearly instantly.

As I talked to men about him to find out about his background so that I could write to his next-of-kin, I found out that Eli was not only an excellent leader on the battlefield, but a talented silversmith, and an older brother to three siblings.

This war has put pain into far too many people’s lives. We must end it soon, mother and father. Please forgive the tangent I found myself on, I simply must write about the horrors I’ve seen and heard. Thank you, parents. Write to me.

Your loving son,
Capt. Keegan Anderson

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Miss Rosie Bresnahan,

Miss Bresnahan, it is my sad duty to inform you today that your brother, Cpl. William D. Bresnahan, was killed in action at Gaines’ Mill on 27 June, 1862.

Cpl. Bresnahan was bravely defending his unit from a Confederate onslaught when he was fatally wounded by a musket ball in his chest, which punctured his heart, killing him nearly instantly. For his brave work, I am personally recommending your brother for a commendation.

Miss Bresnahan, your brother was a good soldier, and according to the people around him, very brave and loyal to the Union. You should be proud of him, as I am.

As you may or may not have known, Cpl. Bresnahan was deeply in love with an army nurse here on the march. Find enclosed in this envelope a lock of your brother’s hair and a short letter from Miss Ruth Archangelo, the nurse.

Again, Miss Bresnahan, my sincerest condolences to you and your family, and please know that my prayers are with you.

Signed,
Maj. Earnest O. Jepson

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miss bresnahan,

i am very sory for yor loss of yor brother. i hope that yu and yor family r prowd of yor brave yung man. i am sory i never got to meet yu, but plees no that i loved william very much. i no i am not a good riter, so i am sory this leter is so short. william did try to teech me how. if yu ever want to contakt me i liv in williamsport pennsilvania. thank yu.

love,
ruth archangelo