ADRIAN FAY 1863 LETTERS
February 1863
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O.F. Hall Washington
Feb 1st 63
Sarah
To night is Sonday night the same that last Sonday was Sonday night in Shintown. But I am not engoying my self half as well this evning as I was then. Sati I am so lonesome to night. It seems as though I had no friends or any one to care for me. But what a fool I am. I know better than that. I have got a Sister that loves me havnt I Sati? I am not half as bad off as I imagin I am. But after all I do feel sollam colley [melancholy] to night. I dont know why I need to. The Boys are all feeling first rate. There is no verry sick ones here now. I got here Friday night about 5 o’clock all safe & sound. Had a good journey. I came a crost some soldiers that was coming to Washington so I had company all the way.
I spose Mr Rider is feeling much better now isnt he? I have gon perhaps he thinks his school will increase now. I should like to go to him a week or two. He would be better naturd or a great deal crosser I’ll bet or I would get confoundedly whiped. But I wouldent advise you to be ugly. It is best to get along with as little trouble as possible isnt it? Even if one has to put up inconveniances. I hope his school dont dislike him as I do.
There is no snow here now. It is warm pleasant weather. It looks like spring. But there was about as much snow here Friday as there was in Shintown when I left. But it has all gon now. Sati I got hold of a paper to day that had a great long love story in it and I was dreaming away over it when the preacher came in with a lot of Tracks [tracts]. I didnt mind him, but kept dosing away at the story and the old fellow took notace that I was verry buisyly engaged and he come along and handed me a Track that oposed novel reading verry strong. I spose the old fellow thought I was a bad boy to be reading such stories on the Sabath.
Well Sarah it isnt quite 3 o clock yet but it is good honest bed time so I must be thinking about going to the land of (how do you spell) nod, knod? For it wouldent be right for me to keep late hours here in Va would it Sati? In Shintown it is diferent. I supose Mother Mrs Harvey thinks I am a verry un gratfull boy. But I cant help it. I dont like to cry. Well Dear I must bid you good night. Please write soon and tell me all the news. Evry thing. Dont be a fraid to write what you think. I am your true Friend.
Adrian
U.S. Gen Hospital Phila
Febuary 11th 63
Dear Sarah
I have been trying to find something to buisy my self with to day. But I couldnt so I am tired of trying any more. And I thought I would try and write you a few lines just to keep my self out of mischief & to give you a kind of an idea of where I am so that if you do take a notion to write to me you will know where to direct to.
I left Washington last Saturday & got here Sonday morning. I like it better here in Philadelphia than I did in Washington all except one thing. They dont give us half the libertys here that they did at the O.F. Hall. They wont let us go out into the City only once in 3 or 4 days and that isnt half often enough. These warm pleasant days I want to be out all the time. I cant bear to stay here cooped up in this old brick cage all the time. It is worse than States prison is to a guiltless man. Sati I havnt had any letter from you yet. I presume you have sent one to Washington but it is doubtfull wheather I get it or not. I wish I could get a letter to day for I am anxious to hear from Shintown. To know if the inhabitance of that sacred town are all in good health, and anxious to know what their mane topic of conversation is. I hope Mrs Harvey (and the rest of her nation) is in as good umor as they was when I left. I think the old lady would have been glad to have had me come there so that she could have seen me cry again.
Well Sadie it has got to be evning and the Hall is ilumed with gass so it is as light as day. There is 216 beds in this room and as many more up stairs and I dont know how many there is in the ward below. Sati the Ward Master come along just now & says I may go to the Concert to night so good night.
Thursday Morning [12 Feb 1863]
Sati I had a first rate time last night. I tell you we had fun enough. I wish you could have seen the performance. They have somthing a going on evry night here. But they wont let us go only once in a while. I went to the Academy of Music last Monday night and had a pretty good time there. It is the most splendid building I ever saw. It was trimmed off with red white & blue and the glorious Old Stars & Stripes wer hanging on eather side. It looked much better to me than Fredericksburg does. Well I guess I have scrawled nonsense enough for this time. Write soon for you dont know how bad I want to hear from you.
Direct to
U.S. Hospital
16th and Filbert Sts.
Philadelphia & oblige Add
U. S. gen Hospital Philadelphia
Febuary 16th 1863
Molley Dear
I recd your letter to day & was glad to get it for it is the first I have heard from Shintown since I left. I have been so all killing lon some since I came here I dont know what to do with my darn self. It is a good place eneough only they dont give us a chance to go out into the City eneough. They dont give passes only evry other day my way
and some times not in four or 5 days. I have been here 9 days and I have had 3 passes. But was out alone evnings. One night I went to a Concert and the other night I went to the Acadamy of musick. Had tip top times too (I did) If they would let me go out gust where I wanted to I would be as hapy as a Skunk. I havent got those letters yet But I am looking for them evry day. I dont see how in thunder in ther promotion of Col. that they can get me up as high as Second Corpl (there is some shicanry there
I guess. But let them work. Add wont belong to the 105 two months from now Il bet you. Il see them Be darned before Il go back again. Il serve my time and in the regular Cavelry first before Il go and toat a knapsack around Va any more. I hope I shall get Pa’s letter. I must write to hi to morrow. My arm is so that I can use it some But the darn thing where the Ball went in has Broke out again & keeps sore yet. It has comenced to heal up again & it will be all well in a few days. It healed up to soon before.
Mati I wish the next time you write you would write so that a feller could read it. It took me more than 3 hours to read the darn thing it was wors than my writing ... I hope you dont write to poor when you write to ... the male ... if I should get a letter written as poor as that was & took me as long to read it as it did me to read that I should write Back that I preferd print. Oh mati there is a Dutch man here from Pa that gets me to write his letters and you may bet I have fun. I have writen a 3 to his girl & youd laugh if you could read one of them.
[Written upside down on top of first page:]
he says) you may write to her that I dreams bout her evry night and I wants to sees her so bad I cant wate till I get my Discharge no how. And it runs on after that sort (youd grin Il bet
That Duchman is a good Boy. I like him first rate. He wants me to go home with him if We both gets our Discharge here and hel show me his fr... He was wounded at Fredricks Burg in the arm and he got a furlow and went home and got more fataly wounded with one of Cupids darts so I guess he is sure of a Discharge. I wrote a letter to Chas Field & one to Montrose the other day. To day is a awful pleasant day. It is as pleasant as summer.
evning
I did get out a little while this after noon. I got a pass of one of the Boys. He had been out and seen all he wanted to and then he came in and let me take it and I went out a little while. I Bumed around a while and then came Back. There I think I have writen all I can think of and more too so I guess I wont write any more this time. Write soon and tell me all the ...
from Add
Oh yes you think I had a Serious time of it when I went to the P O do you? Well I dident. I had a first rate good time and you may Blow as much as you please. But I think you would do well to dry up about the
P O (We hear eneough)
Give my respicts
to all the folks
and galls &c
U. S. Hospt. Philidelphia
Feb 28 [1863]
Mammy
I have been here 3 weeks now and I have got only one letter from home. I never have got those letters Mary sent to Washington. I am sorry for I do want to hear from the Regt. Well what I was a going to tell you was that I am sick a litter bit (& not for fun)
I was taken verry suden Thursday night with dizy ness and sick at the Stomach. I made for Bed as fast as I could & I have been there ever since But I am a little better to day. I guess I shall get over it in a few days. You need not make your self any unessary trouble by worrying your self about me for I shall have as good are here as I could have
at home or any where els. Well I wont write any more this time. If I get any wors I will let you know.
Add
I was mustered to day for pay. If I get any money here I shall send it home as soon as I get it
I shall aply for a Discharge as soon as I get well eneough to come home
Adrian Fay Civil War Letters – Transcribed by Phil Palen
Pages in PINK are transcriptions of Xerox copies of letters sent to Phil Palen by the late Hollis Harvey Reed of Philadelphia, great-granddaughter of Adrian Fay through his daughter, Hollis Fay Fellows.
Pages in GREEN are transcriptions of originals owned by Phil Palen donated to St. Bonaventure University.
Pages in BLACK are transcriptions of originals owned by Patrick Gallagher donated to St. Bonaventure University.
Phil Palen added periods and initial capitals in these transcriptions, but did not change spellings.
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