30th Illinois Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER - Descriptive Content From Cairo, IL
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:156689 |
CIVIL WAR LETTERThis Civil War soldier letter was written by David Watson Poak (1842-1879) of the 30th Illinois Infantry. Some of Poak's letters were used by Matthew Anderson in editing his book, “Dear Sister Sadie—the letters of David W. Poak, 30th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War, ” published in 2013. To quote the abstract on this title, “David W. Poak was well educated and quite literate…. [He] was born and raised in Mt. Jackson, Lawrence Co., Pennsylvania,... which was a small farming community in the mid-nineteenth century. He and his sister Sadie were the only children born to John Poak and Sarah Duff Poak. Their mother died in 1847. and the father married Emeline McCurley and they had two daughters, Ella and Nancy. His sister Sadie was born in 1841, David was born 1842, Ella in 1854 and Nancy 1859. Sometime around 1858-9 David W. Poak moved to Millersburg, Mercer County, Illinois along with another dozen or so residents of Lawrence County, PA. Mercer County was a thriving area of Illinois at the time, and towns like Aledo, the county seat, Millersburg, Keithsburg, New Boston, Viola and others were growing In Millersburg his occupation was a teacher, and he did this until the call came for volunteers from the state of Illinois to suppress the rebellion.“So on August 12, 1861 David W. Poak enlisted into Co. A, 30th Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a Sergeant. The enlistment record says Poak was twenty years old, five foot five and a quarter inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, and had sandy colored hair. During the conflict on January 33, 1863 he would rise to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. During the Battle of Atlanta on July 22nd, 1864 he became acting adjutant and received the Seventeenth Corp Silver Medal of Honor for bravery. After the war, David Poak returned to Millersburg, IL, then moved to the newly incorporated town of Pleasanton, Linn County, Kansas. There he became a school director on February 19, 1870 and was elected Pleasanton’s first mayor on October 25th, 1870. In 1872 he is listed as cashier for the Fannin County Bank in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. In the 1876-77 City Directory for Sherman, TX his occupation is listed as vice-president of the Bank of Sherman, Grayson Co., TX. Sometime afterwards he went back to his home in Mt. Jackson, PA. His obituary on page one of the New Castle Courant, dated April 4th, 1879, stated that David W. Poak died “last week” (March 27th, 1879) at his home of consumption and is buried at the Westfield Presbyterian Church Cemetery. As for his sister Sarah J Polk, she married James Hayes October 26th, 1893. She died in 1919 and is also buried at the Westfield Presbyterian Church Cemetery.”TRANSCRIPTIONCamp McClernand
Near Cairo, [Illinois]
October 30th 1861Dear Sister, It is several days since I received your last letter but this is the first opportunity I have had to answer it. We have had brigade induction today from half past nine till about one o’clock. Inspection appears to be the order of the day as this is the third time during the week. We had our knapsacks on packed with everything we could get in them and had to take them off and open them out and then repack them again, I suppose to see how quickly we could do it. We put in most of our time in drilling in order to get pretty well drilled before cold weather. They are commencing to be stricter about drilling. There is a man goes around to all the tents after every drill and if there are any not out on drill that have not a reasonable excuse, he takes them to the Guard House. I think it is a first rate law, only not enforced soon enough for there are some that will slip all the time if they can and when they do come out, they don’t know what to do and consequently bother all the rest.Our Colonel gave our company great praise today. He said us did the best marching that was done on the ground. This afternoon we had inspection of tents, cooking utensils, and so forth. The Colonel came round and went into each tent to see how they kept things. He then went down to the cook tent and examined the provisions.The boys are all amusing themselves in some way. Some are playing checkers and some are pitching horseshoes, and I forgot to tell you that some of them were washing. I have not washed any yet nor do I intend to as long as I can get them—my shirts—-washed for five cents apiece.This is decidedly the driest place that I ever saw. I cannot think of anything to write. I was a little surprised to hear of Danforth handing in his resignation. Walt Fullerton wrote to me that he had said he would resign unless they would let him have Co. B but I thought it was merely a flying report. I think they will give him that company before they will let him resign. There is one thing about that company that I cannot understand—that is how Cadwalader and Nesbit and Fullerton are all lieutenants. Please explain. If you know all of them (that is all the officers), tell me their names. I am expecting a letter from Walt everyday.Tell Milt that I will excuse him for the past but will certainly expect one in the future as he won’t have to visit the squires so often. You need not think strange of Mrs. Winters thinking him the bets man out for you know she always thinks anything best that she is connected with.We went out on dress parade this evening and before we were dismissed, Gen. McClernand and General McDougal and Col. Taylor came up. After parade, we were formed in a hollow square and they addressed us till after dark. We were then dismissed by giving three cheers for the General commanding and three for the Union undivided and the band playing Yankee Doodle for us to march in by.There is 6 or 7 boys in the tent and they are so noisy that I cannot write. We have been having a general big time. Sade, you must excuse me for not writing long letters for I have nothing to write and have a very poor chance besides. Nothing more but remain, your affectionate brother, — D. W. PoukTERMS$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.
00117
Near Cairo, [Illinois]
October 30th 1861Dear Sister, It is several days since I received your last letter but this is the first opportunity I have had to answer it. We have had brigade induction today from half past nine till about one o’clock. Inspection appears to be the order of the day as this is the third time during the week. We had our knapsacks on packed with everything we could get in them and had to take them off and open them out and then repack them again, I suppose to see how quickly we could do it. We put in most of our time in drilling in order to get pretty well drilled before cold weather. They are commencing to be stricter about drilling. There is a man goes around to all the tents after every drill and if there are any not out on drill that have not a reasonable excuse, he takes them to the Guard House. I think it is a first rate law, only not enforced soon enough for there are some that will slip all the time if they can and when they do come out, they don’t know what to do and consequently bother all the rest.Our Colonel gave our company great praise today. He said us did the best marching that was done on the ground. This afternoon we had inspection of tents, cooking utensils, and so forth. The Colonel came round and went into each tent to see how they kept things. He then went down to the cook tent and examined the provisions.The boys are all amusing themselves in some way. Some are playing checkers and some are pitching horseshoes, and I forgot to tell you that some of them were washing. I have not washed any yet nor do I intend to as long as I can get them—my shirts—-washed for five cents apiece.This is decidedly the driest place that I ever saw. I cannot think of anything to write. I was a little surprised to hear of Danforth handing in his resignation. Walt Fullerton wrote to me that he had said he would resign unless they would let him have Co. B but I thought it was merely a flying report. I think they will give him that company before they will let him resign. There is one thing about that company that I cannot understand—that is how Cadwalader and Nesbit and Fullerton are all lieutenants. Please explain. If you know all of them (that is all the officers), tell me their names. I am expecting a letter from Walt everyday.Tell Milt that I will excuse him for the past but will certainly expect one in the future as he won’t have to visit the squires so often. You need not think strange of Mrs. Winters thinking him the bets man out for you know she always thinks anything best that she is connected with.We went out on dress parade this evening and before we were dismissed, Gen. McClernand and General McDougal and Col. Taylor came up. After parade, we were formed in a hollow square and they addressed us till after dark. We were then dismissed by giving three cheers for the General commanding and three for the Union undivided and the band playing Yankee Doodle for us to march in by.There is 6 or 7 boys in the tent and they are so noisy that I cannot write. We have been having a general big time. Sade, you must excuse me for not writing long letters for I have nothing to write and have a very poor chance besides. Nothing more but remain, your affectionate brother, — D. W. PoukTERMS$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.
00117
