85th York Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER From Newbern, North Carolina FIND
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:205708 |
CIVIL WAR LETTER
This Civil War letter was written by Albert Henry Bancroft (1840-1864) who served as a private and later as a corporal in Co. B, 85th New York State Volunteers during the American Civil War. Albert enlisted at Bristol on 26 September 1861 and served with his regiment throughout the war until he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina, on 20 April 1864, and imprisoned at Andersonville (Georgia) where he died on 11 August 1864. In add...ition to the letters (see list below), Albert kept a diary during the war; see “Diary of Corporal of Co. B., Eighty-fifth regiment, N. Y. S. V.” published in the Fifth annual report of the New York state Bureau of military statistics, 1868, p. 575-612.]TRANSCRIPTION
Newbern, North Carolina
February 18th 1863Dear sister Myra, As it is a long time since I have received a letter from you and not knowing whether you were in the land of the living or not, I thought I would write and see if you would answer it. There is no regularity here about the mail. I have not heard from you by letter in near two months but today there is a notice posted up saying the mail leaves for the North at 4 p.m. so perhaps this will go through.I am well and tough at present and hope to remain so while the war lasts. We are now in good quarters—the best we have been in since we left home so we are quite comfortable. The weather has been warm and pleasant here most of the time. The birds sing around and seem well satisfied. The birds sing the same as they used to in the old oak and who knows but they are the same ones come down here to pay me a visit and watch over me.Yesterday I was on guard and it rained most of the time and today it is the same old rain. It is most time for us to have wet weather and this looks like it. But as they say, we are here first and let it come. It does not seem very bad to hear the rain patter against the roof but when we are out in it, it does not seem so good. We are all enjoying ourselves finely here. We have got a violin, boxing gloves, jews harp, and 3 niggers so you see we are in our high heel shoes and some of us carry rings under our eyes and makes me think of the black eye I gave Father coming from Manchester.What are you doing this winter to pass time? Do the little ones go to school and do they learn fast? You must let Jack go with them sometimes to take care of them. But I was busy all the forenoon cleaning my gun and was awake all night and am some sleepy. Can think of nothing but nonsense. Want this to be in mail in time and if that is not reason enough for not writing, why I will try and write more the next time. Please excuse all mistakes and my foolishness. Remember me to all and write sooooooon. — A. H. BancroftCo. B, 85th N. Y. Vols., Care of Capt W. W. C., Newbern, N. C.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.
00092
This Civil War letter was written by Albert Henry Bancroft (1840-1864) who served as a private and later as a corporal in Co. B, 85th New York State Volunteers during the American Civil War. Albert enlisted at Bristol on 26 September 1861 and served with his regiment throughout the war until he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina, on 20 April 1864, and imprisoned at Andersonville (Georgia) where he died on 11 August 1864. In add...ition to the letters (see list below), Albert kept a diary during the war; see “Diary of Corporal of Co. B., Eighty-fifth regiment, N. Y. S. V.” published in the Fifth annual report of the New York state Bureau of military statistics, 1868, p. 575-612.]TRANSCRIPTION
Newbern, North Carolina
February 18th 1863Dear sister Myra, As it is a long time since I have received a letter from you and not knowing whether you were in the land of the living or not, I thought I would write and see if you would answer it. There is no regularity here about the mail. I have not heard from you by letter in near two months but today there is a notice posted up saying the mail leaves for the North at 4 p.m. so perhaps this will go through.I am well and tough at present and hope to remain so while the war lasts. We are now in good quarters—the best we have been in since we left home so we are quite comfortable. The weather has been warm and pleasant here most of the time. The birds sing around and seem well satisfied. The birds sing the same as they used to in the old oak and who knows but they are the same ones come down here to pay me a visit and watch over me.Yesterday I was on guard and it rained most of the time and today it is the same old rain. It is most time for us to have wet weather and this looks like it. But as they say, we are here first and let it come. It does not seem very bad to hear the rain patter against the roof but when we are out in it, it does not seem so good. We are all enjoying ourselves finely here. We have got a violin, boxing gloves, jews harp, and 3 niggers so you see we are in our high heel shoes and some of us carry rings under our eyes and makes me think of the black eye I gave Father coming from Manchester.What are you doing this winter to pass time? Do the little ones go to school and do they learn fast? You must let Jack go with them sometimes to take care of them. But I was busy all the forenoon cleaning my gun and was awake all night and am some sleepy. Can think of nothing but nonsense. Want this to be in mail in time and if that is not reason enough for not writing, why I will try and write more the next time. Please excuse all mistakes and my foolishness. Remember me to all and write sooooooon. — A. H. BancroftCo. B, 85th N. Y. Vols., Care of Capt W. W. C., Newbern, N. C.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.
00092
