Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, October 7, 1864
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Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, October 7, 1864
transcriberTranscriber:spp:obm
student editorTranscriber:spp:msr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1864-10-07
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Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, October 7, 1864
action: sent
sender:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
Person
location:
Martinsburg WV
Place
Name: City: Martinsburg
County: Berkeley
State: WV
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
UnknownUnknown
transcription: obm
revision: crb 2016-09-02
<>
Page 1
Martinsburgh Va Oct 7/ 64
My dear Father
I arrived here & assumed
command Wednesday noon having stopped over
at Harpers Ferry
Name: City: Harper's Ferry
County: Jefferson
State: WV
Country: US
Ferry
^one train to see Genl Stevenson^
I find a large field
for labor at present & am doing my best to put
matter in good shape, this is now the base
of Genl Sheridans
Name: Philip Sheridan
Birth: 1831-03-06
Death: 1888-08-05
supplies & we are continually
making up & sending forward large train, cattle,
communication &c. There is also here a dismounted
camp for Cavalry in which Cavalry men are mount-
-ed equiped & sent forward. My garrison here consists
of five regiments of infantry & one Battery of Artillery
this entire force is occupied loading & unloading stores
grounding supplies trains & c so that I have not an
idle man or hardly enough for picket duty. I have
recommended to Genl Stevenson that he send a regt
to Bunker Hill
Name: City: Fort Bunker Hill
County:
State: DC
Country: US
if possible which would render the
road from here to Winchester
Name: Winchester, VA City: Winchester
County: Frederick
State: VA
Country: US
much safer & our trains
require less guard, at present we are oblige to
send very heavy guard as the guerillas are very
active. We are much in need of a regiment
Page 2
of Cavalry here, not only to use as escorts
pbut for scouts, I think if had one I could
do much toward stopping the depredation of guerillas
I shall tomorrow make application to the War
Dept through Gen Stevenson for one of the old
Cavalry regiments which have been stationed here
before. The time of two of regiments of
Infantry expire shortly & I am very much in
hopes that my regiment may be sent here before
they leave.
Since I took command here Genl Stevenson has
ordered one regiment at Hedgesville
Name: Hedgesville, WV City: Hedgesville
County: Berkeley
State: WV
Country: US
& one at Kearneys-
ville
Name: Kearneysville, WV City: Kearneysville
County: Jefferson
State: WV
Country: US
to report to me so that my line on the Balt
Name: City: Baltimore
County:
State: MD
Country: US
O
Name: City:
County:
State:
Country:
R.R extends from one of those places to the
other, I find much contraband trade going on
& shall use every effort to suppress it, I have issued
An order closing unauthorized traders stores &c until
I can ascertain who are loyal & who are rebel
I hope to be able to do my duty here satisfactorily
here but am not sure that I shall be able to
accomplish it. Gen Neill
Name: Thomas Neill
Birth: 1826-04-09
Death: 1885-03-12
I found quite unwell
when I arrived but he has sufficiently recovered
to start for Washington to day. He was exceedingly
polite to me & rendered me every assistance in
Page 3
his power
The trains on the RR are running regular
now & you or Fred
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
could come at any
time.
Your affectionate son
W H Seward Jr
Page 4
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Will
Martinsburg
Oct 11th —
1864
Martinsburgh Va Oct 7/ 64
My dear Father
I arrived here & assumed
command Wednesday noon having stopped over
at Harpers Ferry
Place
for labor at present & am doing my best to put
matter in good shape, this is now the base
of Genl Sheridans
Person
making up & sending forward large train, cattle,
communication &c. There is also here a dismounted
camp for Cavalry in which Cavalry men are mount-
-ed equiped & sent forward. My garrison here consists
of five regiments of infantry & one Battery of Artillery
this entire force is occupied loading & unloading stores
grounding supplies trains & c so that I have not an
idle man or hardly enough for picket duty. I have
recommended to Genl Stevenson that he send a regt
to Bunker Hill
Place
road from here to Winchester
Place
require less guard, at present we are oblige to
send very heavy guard as the guerillas are very
active. We are much in need of a regiment
of Cavalry here, not only to use as escorts
pbut for scouts, I think if had one I could
do much toward stopping the depredation of guerillas
I shall tomorrow make application to the War
Dept through Gen Stevenson for one of the old
Cavalry regiments which have been stationed here
before. The time of two of regiments of
Infantry expire shortly & I am very much in
hopes that my regiment may be sent here before
they leave.
Since I took command here Genl Stevenson has
ordered one regiment at Hedgesville
Place
Place
Place
O
Place
other, I find much contraband trade going on
& shall use every effort to suppress it, I have issued
An order closing unauthorized traders stores &c until
I can ascertain who are loyal & who are rebel
I hope to be able to do my duty here satisfactorily
here but am not sure that I shall be able to
accomplish it. Gen Neill
Person
when I arrived but he has sufficiently recovered
to start for Washington to day. He was exceedingly
polite to me & rendered me every assistance in
his power
The trains on the RR are running regular
now & you or Fred
Person
time.
Your affectionate son
W H Seward Jr
Person
Martinsburg
Oct 11th —
1864
date:
Friday, October 7, 1864
receiver:
sender:
year: