| Title: | Wm. McFarland, Virginia, to John McFarland, Philadelphia. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1712 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | McFarland, William/6 |
| Year | 1864 |
| Sender | McFarland, Willian |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | soldier |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | McFarland, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D.732: Presented By Mrs T.J. McLaren, Ballykeel, Sixmilecross, County Tyrone. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9605044 |
| Date | 07/03/1864 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 29:04:96. |
| Word Count | 682 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from William McFarland, Virginia, to John McFarland, Philadelphia, U.S.A. March 7th 1864 Camp near Portsmouth Virginia Dear Wm. [William?] I got your letter and was happy to know you wear [were?] all well as I am at present thanks be to God Give my Love to my father and Mother and all my Brothers and Sister and all friends - above all my dear Grandmother McFarland. Dear Wm. [William?] Give my love to my dear Brother Francis- James - and Ellen tell him to write me a letter I am sorey [sorry?] to hear that he thinks so much of the Confederates and the South you say you have some notions of going to Australia also of going to New York. May God direct you my Brother to do what is best this is a good country if a man cannot do well in america he will not in any Country New York City and Philadelphia are both good cities I have been in [-----?] Dear Wm. [William?] You want me to tell you all my adventures up to this time - well I sent you a paper called the United States-Army -and- Navy-Journal and Suppliment [Supplement?] with General McClellands report of the army of the Potomac and the battles fought on the [Chickahoming?] in front of Richmond the Rebel Capitol [Capital?] I was thear [there?] during the Seige [Siege?] under McClelland that forms a part of my adventures on the Chickahoming River. I shall mention a few of the battle fields. First the Battle of M[--Torn]haniasvill - second Fair Oaks - third Savages Station-forth white oak swamp - fifth Gaines Mill - and sixth Malvern Hill battle fought on the first - 1st of July [--Torn] Dear Brother I faiced [faced?] death on the edge of all those battle fields and God saved me from wouends [wounds?] and death it is only a few days since I met the enemy again on the first 1st day of this month a part of any Company on pickid [picket?] at Deep Creek about ten miles from Norfolk we had about one hundred 100 men (sic) while the Rebels had about Seven Hundred 700 Cavalry (sic) after a few houres [hours?] fighting we drove them off the field we had one man killed and one wounded the [they?] loosed [lost?] a Number estimated at some 10 or 15 men killed and wounded we expect a fight every day now we have about five thousand 5 1000 [5,000?] Cavalry and ten 10 infantry ten thousant [thousand?] [garpiatry?] and about one hundred pieces of cannon 100 pieces of cannon hear [here?] on their way to Sufolk [Suffolk?] where we expect to meet the Rebels in force Dear Wm. [William?] I was [----Torn] dispatch [despatch?] bearer During the Seige [Siege?] of Richmond I was first at the Head-quarters [Headquarters?] of General Smith second with general Harker [?] then at the Headquarters of General Grover Commanding Brigade I had the Honor [------Torn] [of?] Riding with General Smith on the [----Torn] [front?] of battle I was detailed for detached Service Dear Wm [William?] I got the papers that you sent me two in return The Philadelphia Enquirer and the New York Herald if you get those papers please let me know write as soon as you can - my time is up in August I have only a few months [w---?] to serv [serve?] if I live. I am your loving brother John McFarland - To Mr. Wm. [William?] McFarland Dear Wm [William?] You ask me if I am in the army of the Potomac under Meed [Mead?] or in that of Corcoran - and what I think of the Rebels of Virginia well some of them are very good men but in general the [they?] are Cowards I have met them over one hundred times and almost every time [Torn] Repulsed them and held the field our Cavalry is better equiped [equipped?] and mounted we are all well mounted [with?] [---torn] and swords and pistols our pistols [---torn] Revolvers [---?] [--?] Carries six balls Dear Wm. [William?] I am under General Buttler [Butler?] |
