Civil War Letters
of
Theodore M. Davis,
Co. H, 9th NY Heavy Artillery

                                                              
                                                               

                         Virginia  June 4, 1864
My Dear Wife,
      I am spared to write you once more.  You 
think it a long time I am sure but you must know 
that I have not much time to write.  We marched 
and counter marched 14 days and part of the nights 
without any rest and last Wednesday the first day 
of June commenced our first real battle. We charged 
through a swamp drove the Rebs from three lines of 
rifle pits and now hold them under a tremendous 
fire all the time.  They have tried to retake them but
we are bound to hold them.  I have been right under 
their fire all the time until today when I came down 
here to the with Lieut. Harmon and C. Duele who are 
sick.  The balls flew around me thick and fast but 
not one has touched me yet.  You no doubt have heard 
before this Gen. Meade complemented us on our charge.  
But all this was not done without loss.  A good many 
of our brave boys fell all around me.  I expect to 
go back to the Regiment today. We have not had any 
pay yet.  You must keep up courage as I do rely on 
providence for the future.  I am safe so far and 
will be as careful as I can and do my duty.  How 
I am going to come out yet as to my papers I do not 
know. I am going to try to find out today.  They are 
so busy with wounded you have scarce can get anything 
done.  I hope it won't last this way long.  I have 
written you a number of letters.  Whether you received 
them or not I do not know.  We have not much chance to 
send them.  I have received but one from you since I 
left the battery the one I directed.  I have written 
you since that.  Have not received any from Charley 
but we expect a mail every day.  You must tell Charley 
I will write him soon as I can.  You all know this is 
a terrible time but I put my trust in providence.  The 
Lord will provide.  You must do the best you can.  I 
think you can keep from suffering.  I have 100(dollars) 
coming to me.  I will send as soon as I can.  It is 
pretty dry weather now here.  Meade says we are going 
through certain.  We had 7 siege guns come up last 
night called the 7 sisters.  They mean to open on them
today.  Give my compliments to Mr. Rice and Charley.  
We are now in the Third Division 2nd Brigade 6th Army
Corps (formerly Gen. Sedgwicks) now under Gen. Wright.  
You must direct 9th N.Y.V. artillery by the way of
Washington D.C.
                                    Write soon,

                          I remain your affectionate     
					T.M.D.




                           6th Corps. Hospital, 
				City Point, Va.

				August 6th, 1864
Dear Father,
      I wrote you the 27th and then did not think 
I would be here at present but I am about well 
again and don't have it as hard here as I would 
at the regiment.  I am doing guard duty now 
guarding prisoners but want to go to the regiment.  
It is almost impossible to find out if we are going 
or not.  There has got to be enough kept here for duty. 
The weather is extremely warm and dry, scarcely a green 
herb to be seen.  I see by the papers that lists of prices
at the north.  It must be pretty close times and the crops 
can't be much according to accounts of the drought.  But
what will the end be.  I have made up my mind not to 
write home much war news or have anything to say about
politics.  I read the newspaper reports about the 
battles and it only is the best part.  9 times out of 
10 there is not much truth about them.  I know this 
to be a fact nor will the government let them tell 
it as it is.  Now for instance, the blowing up of 
that Ft. (Fort).  They partly succeeded on the start 
but the end was a most disastrous defeat. Burnside lost 
4000 killed and wounded, one whole brigade made prisoners, 
a lot of artillery and his first 2 lines of works.  Why 
don't the papers tell it so.  I firmly believe that 
fighting never will end this war and the quicker our
northern people open their eyes the sooner they will 
see.  This Army is dwindling away fast and here where I am
is a good chance to see it.  You can hear the dead march 
played all times of the day and strings of ambulances
coming in daily.  The 6th Corps. Artillery and Wagon 
Train are leaving for Washington today.  Part of the Corps.
is at Frederick City and my regiment is at Ft. Reno 6 miles 
from Washington.  The Johnneys appear to have a good
time around Maryland and Pennsylvania.  I'll bet they 
live high.  It is auful warm.  I could not get out at 
all if I was a fat as I used to be.  I will tell you 
a little story what happened me after I had been sick 
about 3 weeks.  I was laying on my bed and it so 
happened I looked down and saw my leg and I actually 
had to raise up and feel before I could make myself 
believe it was mine.  I thought someone had put a 
leg in my bed.  I did not know it.  I received
a letter from Add yesterday and must say I feel 
greatly rejoiced to hear from home and that they 
are well.  I thought the children would get sick 
but she says they stand the warm weather well and 
haint been sick a day.  I feel glad about that but 
if provisions keeps raising which I think they will 
I don't know about feeding them.  I guess the north
will starve out first.  I can't think or imagine 
what the consequence is going to be.  It will be 
bad enough for it is that now and I don't see any 
signs of their being any nearer whipped than they
was 3 years ago and I think Grant ought to have 
more sense than to think of driving them to 
Richmond by charging.  They are very strongly 
entrenched and can fall back from one line to 
the other which are not very far apart and the
distance is 22 miles and they can cut us down 
about as fast as we can walk up to their front 
charging on a line of strong breast works.  In 
my opinion is regular murder and what Grant has 
gained he has gained in that way but look
at his loss.  I hope the end will soon come 
or this country is ruined and look at the 
suffering.  I would like to know if there 
is going to be a draft.  I have sent to 
the regiment for my letters.  Please write 
soon.  Give my compliments to Mother and 
all inquiring.
                                From yours truly,
				     T.M. Davis
    


        I am better.  I am coming right up again.  
You hardly ever saw anybody gain as fast as I do.  
I am nearly as well as I was when I started to 
come home from N.Y. last winter.  The doctors 
here have been most uncommonly good to me.  
They have done all in their power to fetch me 
through.  They say I have been very patient
and they are going to give me plenty of time 
to recuperate before I go on duty again.  I 
have 2 spoonfuls of wine 3 times a day for 
the last 3 days and don't take anything but 
cough medicine now.  I am all right now until 
I get cold again which I shall be as careful 
as I can be of.  I think all will come out 
right yet.  But here is not a bit of a chance
to get out of the service here.  But I find 
enough to busy myself with.  I wrote a letter 
for a man this forenoon that wanted me to write 
for him and have been asked to write another 
this afternoon which I will do if I am not 
too tired when I get this done.  If I am I 
will write it tomorrow.  The boys here are 
mostly all good to each other.  They are
all good and clever to me.  Some of them 
rangle a little.  I don't feel like resenting 
an insult if I should get one which I have not 
had nor have I give any reason. 
   My good woman, I believe if I were at home 
now we could know what comfort was.  I would
appreciate as a great favor, the greatest 
that could be given me to talk with you if 
it was but one hour now.  But I
may have the privilege yet.
    God doith all

  


	        	Va. Sept. 25, 1864
Mrs Davis,
      Dear friend, I am very sorry to have to inform you
that it was impossible for me to go to Lincoln Hospital while
I was at Washington although are but one mile from it.  We 
only stayed in the city one night and then we were not
allowed to go out of the building at all.  And when we
were at Arlington Heights there was only one pass given in
a day and there were so many ahead of me that I could not 
get one.  I am very sorry that has happened so for I
wanted to go and find out something about my friend. 
I saw a fellow here yesterday that belongs to the same
company that Theo did, he knew him well and all of the 
boys that were from around Fulton.  He was cook for the
company.  He had heard that Theo was dead.  He said that 
Theo was a first rate soldier, always ready and willing
to do anything he was told to do and never tried to shirk
from duty.  He was very sorry to hear that he was dead. 
He said that Theo was not well for sometime before he left
the company but the Dr. thought he was playing sick
and would not excuse him from duty but the Captain would.
  I have been sick for 2 or 3 days but am some better
now,  I was so sick that I could not go with the company
yesterday morning as they came through this place on their
way to Winchester and so I had to fall out.  Uncle Eber is 
with me.  The doctor has given me some medicine and
I am in hopes I shall be able to join the company in
a day or two.  I am in a large factory of some kind
but it is used for a guard house now.  It is on an 
island called Glens Island.  The Shenandoah River runs
right up close to the buildings.  It is very hilly and 
rocky about the ferry.  The most and better part of the 
buildings here have been burned by the Rebels.  The place
was surrendered to them by Colonel Miles a year or more 
ago but is held by our forces now.  Citizens say that for
a week past it has been the only time since the war but 
what there has been Rebels in sight but General Sheridan 
has drove them out of the Valley pretty near by this time.
He has been at them for a week past and has had a victory
most every day.  There is a good many of the prisoners that
he has taken here in this building.  They are a pretty 
tough looking lot of fellows.  I would like to have you 
write me and let me know all about how you do and if you 
have heard anything from that Dr. at the hospital and so on.  
      If you see our folks, any of them, you can tell them how
and where I am. Tell Bailey I would like to see him
very much, but he must be a good boy for he has got 
no Pa now and he must a good boy and then he will make
a good man and can take care of Ma when she gets old. 
Kiss Fred for me.  I suppose he walks by this time, does
he not?  If you see Vi give my respects to her and tell 
her I will write her when I get to the company.  I don't know
as you will be able to read this. 
                          I remain as ever your friend,
                          Sergt. Charlie C. Rice
                          Co. A. 184 Regt.  N.Y.S.C.