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Bailey, Orra B. Letters from Beaufort and Morris Island, SC, Fernandina, FL, and Washington,
DC. Bailey enlisted and was mustered-in a Private on 23 August 1862. He
was transferred to the Sixth Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, Company
A, on 27 January 1864 and was discharged 3 December 1864. |
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Excerpts |
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7 December 1862, Beaufort, SC: "I miss butter more than anything else." 25 March 1863, Fernandina, FL: "the citizens are feasting on green
peas and new potatoes. . ." and ". . . this reg. hasn't been
paid in almost seven months. . ." Letter of 22 November 1863 from Beaufort, SC, asks his wife to speak to Governor Buckingham about obtaining his discharge, the result of a medical complaint. Letter of 27 December 1863 from Beaufort, SC, finds Bailey still ailing. Letter of 6 January 1864, from Beaufort Hospital, SC: reports the mails being robbed, as it is thought, by some of the regimental conscripts: "one was caught in stealing a watch last week his punishment was to run the gantulent [gauntlet] between two files of soldiers some to have bayonetts the other to have sticks and switch him as he run down the line I dont think such punishment as that would do much good makes a man revengeful to be disgraced in that way and if he should live to get out of the army he would have his revenge on the one that orderd that punishment I am thinking their will be a good many fights at home amongst the Officers and privates in consequence of punishments received in the army as I have never been punished cant speak from my own feelings but judge from what I have heard others say about it their seems to be a good deel of feeling that way amongst the boys and I dont know as one can blame them much for it ether always seems to me as if a good many were punished out of spite to punish a man when you feel that way will do about as much good as twill to punish a child when you are in a passion" Letter of 3 March 1864 from New York finds Bailey confined at the Provost Marshal's office. Orra asks his wife to "Go & see Frank Cheeny [Cheney] see if he wont use his influence towards getting me furlowed." Letter of 22 May 1864 from Washington, DC, finds Bailey disgruntled at not having heard from his wife for several weeks: "what is the matter I have now been in Washington three weeks without receiveing one letter are you sick or gone off with some other soldier I begin to think something unusal has happend . . . dont wait so long after receiveing a letter before you ansewer it" Letter of 25 June 1864 from the office of the Provost Marshal in Washington, DC. Obviously Bailey had accepted a job there in lieu of field service and was earning seventy or eighty dollars a month. He sent a $3.00 pair of boots home to "Eddie" and wishes his wife to visit more often. Letter Note: original letter contains no punctuation or paragraph formatting Morris Island S. C. August 25th/63 My Dear Wife Your letters of July 5th and 26th have come to hand also one of August 9th By your last I perceive it was written out to Bigs did you have a good visit you must go amongst our friends more it will help divert your mind from our troubles which of course will do no good for either of us to keep brooding over especily when it was his gain I believe with you that he is in better hand[s], and at the same time it seems that death never should place his seal uppon such little inocent beings but if it is his gain we should rejoice and not mourn we must think of Gods promises to such little inocent ones that die before they become contaminated with the sins of this world he has promised that they should be clothed in white raiments with harps of gold in their hands to sing and play Gods praises forever more think of his fair brow with its diadem of light of that no years can make that memory old an eternal guileless child waiting about the threshold of paradise for the comeing friends from home what think you would not this be his gain on the other hand if he were permited to grow up to man estate it would not be long before the glad lips would quiver with anguish the bright curls grow grizzled and gray the yong heart weary and old but up in heaven changeless as the stars and yong as the last new morning How many of these little ones there must be in heaven gathered up from all climes even from heathen shores Grieve no more over our loss for it may be (if God spares our lives) prove to be a great blessing to us as well his gain as I said in my other letter that whom the Lord loved he chastned if he takes our little ones to himself it will cause us to think more of him while we are thinking of our little ones that have gone before us if it leads us to seek our souls salvation with all our hearts and we receive our pardon it will truly be a great blessing to us I should like to write what is going on here but as I told you before it is strictely forbiden we are slowly but surely gaining on the rebs no one here expect to fail this time it is however a hard place to take I have been in plain sight of Charlestown and still getting a little nearrer every day our casualties since we come (now three weeks) have been very slight three killed and two wonded and out of the three killed two were the result of carelessness expose themselves when their is no need of it want to see to much and to appear brave I dont have much curiosity especialy when the shot and shell are flying through the air shall cover my head when I can if it dont seem quite so brave as it would to stand out from under cover and watch the shells we have places to get into that will protect us if we are not to far from them or do not watch to long to see where it is a going you can tell after being a little while where the shell is going whether it is dangerous or not if it is comeing straight over our heads then we must get into these places in double quick time if it goes to the right or left their is no danger from it you would be surprised to see how indifferent some of the boys get dont mind any more than some boys would a pop gun I believe its every one duty to cover his head when he can I for one will whether it looks brave or not Genl Gillmore says the rebs will have to fire fifty tons of Iron at us for every man they kill in the batteries rather expensive work on their part to kill any of us I have not been detailed yet for any particular job and perhaps will not be but our other duties are much harder than ever before but as yet I stand it first rate we all think the job will not be a very long one so all take hold with a will and should Providence spare me I should never regret being here and takeing part in the capture of this strong hold of rebeldom it seems strange to me sometimes when I am thinking about the war how we can content ourselves and put up with such inconveneces and hardships with so little complaint people at home think sometimes that the papers tell large stories but as far as my experience goes they dont tell half now what is it that makes us so patient and say as little about what we go through and how is it we are able to go through so much without being sick it surely must be by the hand of providence that we are enable to endure so many hardships and escape the unseen dangers that besett us every day if the Lord will protect us no one can harm us let your pr[a]yer be for the continuence of his protecting care with his blessing it will not now be long before we will have peace within our borders again I wrote you sometime ago about Noras going to school you have never mentioned anything about what the result of my proppisition was it is my earnest wish that she should go to school at the least three terms we cannot give her much of this worlds goods but if we can enable her to get a good solid edication it will be worth far more in the long run than gold it is a duty she owes herself as well as her entended or any others that are or may be connected with her we both of us now see the want of a better edication and wish when it is to late that we had gone to school more she will regret it if she does not take up with our advise Perhaps Watson will renew his offer of an immediate union but my advise is not to be in any hurry the cares that will follow had better be postponed until she is better able to bear them her health has not been very good for the last year and I dont think she aught to get married just yet she is to yong and to speak as I think she is not phisicaly strong enough to bear up under the cares that will soon come uppon her put it off one year and in the meantime go to school and my word for it she will never regret it nor Watson ether Enclosed are two pen holders made from that old treasure chest in Fort Marrion I suppose the wood is more than two Hundred years old I wish you to get some silver holders made and fitted on them tight and if you feel able get two Gold pens and put in them and then present them to your brothers I think aside from the history of the wood of the chest your brothers will prize them very much I also send my bounty check of ten dollars the papers you send me lately none of them come to hand have not receive one since last may I wish they would cut the fingers of those that steel them Yours Truly |
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