Madison, May 28 (year

Camp Tillinghast, VA

November 17, 1861

 Dear Sister,

 I received your letter this evening and was glad to hear from you to hear that you were all well.  I am well and as fat as a hog.  We have fine times here only it is rather cold sleeping in our tents but we are a going to have tents with stoves in.  Governor Randall was here and reviewed our regiment today.  He says that he has talked with some of the most experienced of the Union generals and he says that they say that this regiment is the best regiment in the service.  I think that is saying considerable for the Second.  Tell Mr. and Mrs. Butterfield that I wish them all the joy in the world and tell Blanch Butterfield if he don’t write to me that I shall give him a call with my old musket and that is as large as a small cannon.  That was a sad thing that drowning of Mrs. Cob.  Tell mother that I am much pleased with her likeness and that I had rather have it than one thousand dollars.  It looks as natural as life it is the best picture that I ever saw.  I showed it to Oliver and Abe and they said it was as natural as life.  God bless you mother for this picture for it is worth more to me than anything else in the world.  Give my love mother and father tell that I sent my likeness to them in another letter.  Write whether you get it.  I am agoing to send the likeness of Jefferson Davis and his wife to father to let him see the president of the Southern Confederacy the one that caused this war.  Give my love to Ad and my _____ regards to Lee.  Give my love to Sarah and tell her that Abe is alright.  Oliver is well. 

good by this from your brother, 

Charles Fletcher, to his sister Emma Fletcher….write soon.

(Co. A, 2nd Regt., Wisconsin Volunteers)

Camp Tillinghast, VA

November 30th, 1861

Dear Sister,

I received your letter this evening and was glad to hear from you to hear that you was well.  We are all well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same.  The Lemonweir boys are all well but Gene Rose, he is very sick with the typhoid fever.  I do not think that he will ever will see home again but you need not say anything to Rose’s folks about it for he may get well yet.  I hope so for Gene Rose is as good a boy as ever trod the Lemonweir Valley.  He is as smart as the general run of the boys of the 6th are as to military is concerned and if he has his health he will be captain of that company before the end of this war.  Harry Edwards is dead.  He died the 25th.  He was sick with the typhoid fever.  I am agoing to send you a set of earrings and mother a pearl pin and father a set of studs for his shirt and if he don’t want to wear them tell him to give them to Gene.  Give my love to mother and father and Sarah.  It is getting late and I must stop so good by.  Write as soon as you get this.  This is from your brother Charles Fletcher to Miss Emma Fletcher

I am going to send father a book called the history of Bull Run and it is about as correct an account as you can get

Good by, Write soon

Camp Tillinghast, VA 

January 27, 1862

Dear parents,

I received your letter of the 17 and was glad to hear from you to hear that you was well.  I was over to see Abe today.  He was writing to his wife.  He keeps a journal of his life as you say and he is cross if Sarah don’t write as long a letter as he does.  Abram and Oliver and _____ and Charles Crawford are well.  Oliver got a pass to go to the city this morning.  I mean to Washington so he will have a chance to see the city which is quite a sight for a soldier is allowed to go where he pleases over the public buildings and the museums free of charge.  Give my love to Aunt and tell her that Charles is well.  Give my love to mother and Sarah and the children.  I have sent you home five dollars and paid my debts so that next payday I am in hopes to be able to send more money home.  I have spent more money than I had ought to the thing of it is there is so many peddlers around and when a person has to pay a double price for everything and a man buys this thing and that his money slips off pretty fast but there’s is a good chance for making money and I intend to improve it after this.  But if you want any money write on before you sacrifice anything and I will send you some.  I must bring my letter to a close. Give my love to mother and yourself   I think that when this war closes I shall be contented to settle down in life.  Good by from your son Charles Fletcher to his parents.

(Continued on the same letter)…..

Dear sister,

I received your letter and was glad to hear from you.  I am glad to hear that you are agoing to school.  Try and learn all that you can.  I should like to see that pretty school marm of yours.  _______write unless we happen to have a battle and I get an arm or a leg broke and I believe that under them conditions I had rather be ________.  So thank you very much for your compliment about Johns baby and he says he is agoing to marry so you may get ready EM.  Good by_____

From Charles.  (Co. A, 2nd Regt., Wisconsin Volunteers)

Camp Tillinghast, VA

March the 1st 1862 

(Co. A, 2nd Regt., Wisconsin Volunteers)

Dear Sister,

I received you letter of the 21st last eve and was very glad to hear from you to hear that you was well and learning so fast.  I am well and so is Abram and Oliver.  I am sorry that you cannot get postage stamps and I am sorry that I have not got the money to send to you but never mind I shall be paid so expect in the course of a week as it is now March and time for us to get two months pay and when I get paid I will send you a dollars worth of postage stamps so you must keep up good spirits and write as often as you can.  I will send my likeness if I can get it and I can if we do not move but I expect that we shall move before long we have got orders to be ready to march at two hours notice.  Em I notice that you improve quite fast you must try and learn as fast as you can and if you can’t get books I will send you money to get them with  so Em try and learn as fast as you can you must not mind anything that Ada Smith says or does about me for you must recollect that she does it on purpose to plague you therefore she is not worth minding.  Give my love to Sarah and Ett and Electia and little Ira and save a good share for your self and Eugene.  Good by for this time this from you loving brother.  Donkey.

From Charles to Emma,   

Oh, I forgot tell mother that Capt. Stevens is our Capt yet he has not resigned nor he will not.

Madison, Wisconsin

May 28 (year? Probably 1862)

Dear parents and sister and brother and all other friends greetings. 

Well people I am here yet but expect to leave the first of the coming week.  I am tired of laying here and wish to go to the Regt. as soon as possible.  General Dana has bin here today and ordered all the troops to the front so some of these chaps that have bin laying here for the last six months will have to travel and I am glad of it.  You will not hear from (me) again until I join the Regt.

I will send you my lovely face and the next time I get it taken it will be in the old style long hair and beard. 

This is a rough picture but perhaps it is more like me than any other for I am a rough man.  Give my kind regards to Mr. Smith’s folks.  When I get to the Regt. I will write again and give all the news.

Your son,

Oliver Fletcher (Co. K, 6th Regt. Wisconsin Volunteers)

Madison, Wis.

Berlin

October 30th 1862

Kind parents your letter has come to me and I was glad to hear from you also very glad to get the stamps for if I had not got them I could not have written to you.  I am in good health and hope this will find you the same.

We have again began to travel the army is crossing the river and we shall soon be in Virginia and have another brush with the rebels.  It is reported that they are on the retreat and we are trying to help them out of the country.  We have a very large force here plenty to whip them.  Tell mommy and sis to write to me.  Father write all the news.  We shall soon get our pay it is four months since we had it so we will have fifty two dollars.  How do you get along for money for taxes tell me. 

Write soon,

Oliver  (Co. K, 6th Regt. Wisconsin Volunteers)

Rappahannock Ford

Sept. 14th, 1863

Dear Sister,

It is with pleasure that I ____myself to pen you a few lines in reply to kind and welcome letter which is recd a few days ago.  I am in the best of health and trust this will find you the same all the boys from there are well.

Well Em I haven’t any news to tell you. We had a little excitement yesterday some of our troops went out and stirred up the rebs and had a little fight but we didn’t get in to it.  We are laying here on duty most of the time. I get letters from uncle Johns girls regularly I have not heard from Tish Plummer.  Give my regards to all the folks and write soon your brother,

Oliver Fletcher  Co. (K, 6th Regt. Wisconsin Volunteers)

Contributed by Larry Onsager