3rd York Artillery CIVIL WAR LETTER At Fort Anderson Newbern North Carolina
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:138150 |
CIVIL WAR LETTERPvt. James Fox (1841-1917) was born on 13 July 1841 in Camillus, Onondaga county, New York. At the time of his enlistment in Co. G, 3rd New York Light Artillery on 3 September 1864, he was a resident of Memphis, Onondaga county, New York. His parents were John Fox (1795-Aft1855) and Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1810-Aft1865), both natives of Ireland who came to New York State by way of Canada. James’ military records indicates he was a participant in the Battle at Kinston. H...e was discharged from the Battery on 20 July 1865. James was married in 1891 to Louisa Emeline Littig (1860-1910).Mentioned throughout these letters are James’ siblings, Gerald D. Fox (1830-1916), Richard (“Dick”) Fox (1840-Aft1910), Ellen Fox (1844-1932) and Thomas Fox (1847-Aft1965). These letters were all sent to Helen M. (Oderkirk) Fox (1837-1921), the wife of Gerald Fox. Helen was the daughter of Lyman B. Oderkirk (1813-1895) and Philinda Rema (1816-1902). Though most of the letters were written by James Fox of Battery G, 3rd N. Y. Artillery, a handful of them were written by Helen’s brother, Perry H. Oderkirk (1836-1906) of Battery D, 3rd New York Artillery.Ellen Fox married Allen Wright (1838-1904) on the 4th of July 1863. Richard Fox married Julia Almeda Timmerman in 1870.TRANSCRIPTIONFort Anderson
[New Bern, North Carolina]
October 14, 1864Dear Sister Hellen—I received your kind letter this evening and am very happy to hear from home and that all the folks are well about the yellow fever. It is almost over here. The weather has been quite cool the past week and if it keeps cool another week, it will be over. There is no sickness in this fort but the ague. There are a good many of the boys got it. I feel bully. I have not seen Perry in just two weeks. His company was sent out of the city as soon as the fever broke out. There were not many soldiers died of the fever. They would not let them go out of their camps. The town is most all niggers.We have quite heavy frosts every night for a week past. It is rather cold sleeping some nights but that is nothing. Alonson was sent over to the city to help cut wood and run errands at the hospital. The first of the week yesterday, Hank & Reuben were sent over to take care of our horses. We expect to be relieved here the first of the week. Then we go into winter quarters just out of the city. I have been on guard once since I have been here but have not had to drill any. Give my respects to my new sister and I should be very happy to hear from her & him if they can spend time to write.What is Dick doing? Tell Mother that she need not be scared about the fever because it is nearly all over. As soon as it is, I am going to see Perry. Flour is 10 cents per lb., and pork 35 & milk 20 cents a quart, sugar 35 cents at sutlers, and everything in proportion. Molasses $1.60 per gallon. We get our grub at little cleaner than we did. We made a row about it. It was not fit for a dog to eat it. Made all the boys sick. The cooks were so lazy they would not wash the meat but take it right out of the barrel and put it in the kettles so you can tell about how it was. After we made a row, they put some new men in the cook house. Now it is very good.I have written about 20 letters and yours is the first answered. I tell you, it does a fellow good to get a letter here. The mail does not come but once or twice a week here. I heard that there is another mail come this evening. If it is so, I will get some more letters. I expect Irvin got a letter by the same mail [ ] Perry does not come to our company so I don’t know whether he got his or not. Tell Mother if I get sick, I will let her know. I wrote to Nelly before I did to Gerald and have not heard from her. Tell her is she wants to hear from me, she must answer prompt. I wrote to Len but have not heard from her. If you see her, tell her that I am bully.I hope Gerald will not have to go to Elmira for it is the worst place I have been in yet. It would make a well man sick to eat what the boys get there. I did not eat there while I was there. I went to the cook house once and it stunk so that it almost made me vomit.If you see Mary Camp, just ask her how she does for me. Ask Cleo if she has got lost lately. Tell Mr. Freeman’s folks that Hank is well and likes the army first rate. I do not know whether we can vote or not. If we can, here is one for Little Mac. I wish you would send a newspaper for we do not know what the army is doing anymore than if we were out of the world. We get soft bread most of the time here and it is good too. How is Allen and when did he hear from John. Is Tom a Johnny cake farmer or not> My love to all and mother in particular. Write as soon as you get this. Direct as before.— James FoxTell Mother to get me two pairs of woolen socks. Their army socks didn’t amount to much and when you send the box, you can send them.TERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
00060
[New Bern, North Carolina]
October 14, 1864Dear Sister Hellen—I received your kind letter this evening and am very happy to hear from home and that all the folks are well about the yellow fever. It is almost over here. The weather has been quite cool the past week and if it keeps cool another week, it will be over. There is no sickness in this fort but the ague. There are a good many of the boys got it. I feel bully. I have not seen Perry in just two weeks. His company was sent out of the city as soon as the fever broke out. There were not many soldiers died of the fever. They would not let them go out of their camps. The town is most all niggers.We have quite heavy frosts every night for a week past. It is rather cold sleeping some nights but that is nothing. Alonson was sent over to the city to help cut wood and run errands at the hospital. The first of the week yesterday, Hank & Reuben were sent over to take care of our horses. We expect to be relieved here the first of the week. Then we go into winter quarters just out of the city. I have been on guard once since I have been here but have not had to drill any. Give my respects to my new sister and I should be very happy to hear from her & him if they can spend time to write.What is Dick doing? Tell Mother that she need not be scared about the fever because it is nearly all over. As soon as it is, I am going to see Perry. Flour is 10 cents per lb., and pork 35 & milk 20 cents a quart, sugar 35 cents at sutlers, and everything in proportion. Molasses $1.60 per gallon. We get our grub at little cleaner than we did. We made a row about it. It was not fit for a dog to eat it. Made all the boys sick. The cooks were so lazy they would not wash the meat but take it right out of the barrel and put it in the kettles so you can tell about how it was. After we made a row, they put some new men in the cook house. Now it is very good.I have written about 20 letters and yours is the first answered. I tell you, it does a fellow good to get a letter here. The mail does not come but once or twice a week here. I heard that there is another mail come this evening. If it is so, I will get some more letters. I expect Irvin got a letter by the same mail [ ] Perry does not come to our company so I don’t know whether he got his or not. Tell Mother if I get sick, I will let her know. I wrote to Nelly before I did to Gerald and have not heard from her. Tell her is she wants to hear from me, she must answer prompt. I wrote to Len but have not heard from her. If you see her, tell her that I am bully.I hope Gerald will not have to go to Elmira for it is the worst place I have been in yet. It would make a well man sick to eat what the boys get there. I did not eat there while I was there. I went to the cook house once and it stunk so that it almost made me vomit.If you see Mary Camp, just ask her how she does for me. Ask Cleo if she has got lost lately. Tell Mr. Freeman’s folks that Hank is well and likes the army first rate. I do not know whether we can vote or not. If we can, here is one for Little Mac. I wish you would send a newspaper for we do not know what the army is doing anymore than if we were out of the world. We get soft bread most of the time here and it is good too. How is Allen and when did he hear from John. Is Tom a Johnny cake farmer or not> My love to all and mother in particular. Write as soon as you get this. Direct as before.— James FoxTell Mother to get me two pairs of woolen socks. Their army socks didn’t amount to much and when you send the box, you can send them.TERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
00060
