This is a thick book that appears to have been hand prepared entitled, "Copies of Civil War Letters written by Edward W. Whitaker of Ashford, CT to his sister Adaline (later Mrs. George L. James).  The book contains transcriptions of many interesting letters that Edward wrote. Edward was born June 5, 1841 in Ashford and died June 30, 1922 in Washington, DC. He rose from private to Brigadier General during the life of the War.  The book was prepared and compiled by Willard Whitaker James and Alice James Stearns, children of Adaline. The original letters were placed in the CT State Library in Hartford, CT around 1934.  The photo show of Edward is not a part of the offering but can be easily found on the internet.

 

Interestingly, his first letter to his sister was to assure her of his safety, "It is natural and common that you should wish eme to keep still at this time but if the men should all listen to such entreaties from friends and relatives we should have no free government longer. Washington would be taken by the Revolutionists and our President assassinated. Perhaps thousands of troops will discourage them in doing further wrong at last. Was is not now what it was in days past - now no Indians, no scalping, no burning - the mater will be settled by the possession of Forts - and by the papers you will see they fought 40 hours with shot and shell and no one killed. Art and science have done away with the horrors of wars of old times."

 

This letter was written about 2 months before the first Battle of Bull Run.  Without completely reading the book, I can safely guess that his conclusion was wrong on that issue.

 

Other names seen in the transcription include:

 

Hattie

Orleans Lyon

Mrs. Trowbridge, Elisha and Amasa

Dr. Morrell

Albert Richards

Annah

Horace

George

William

E. Lyon

Miss Angier Davidson Rice

De Becuise (Rhode Island)

Dr. Stearns

Gideon Wells

General Scott

Daniel (close friend or relative)

Col. Elsworth (NY)

Rufus Leathe (tentmate taken with bleeding of the lungs)

Adda L. Whitaker (from Hartford, aged 20, died)

Dr. Butler

Nathan Burnham (of Eastford, associated with Mary, in State Dept., making $4.00 a day!)

Charles Colegrove (19 from Hartford, brother of William)

Charles Dean

Bottell

T.C. Weld (accidentally shot himself)

Dr. Simmons

Geo. Bugbee (wounded)

General McDowell

Capt. Mallory

Edwin L. Lyons (killed in Railroad accident)

Harvey Copeland (Edwin's cousin)

Mr. Snell (cook - later, "in the hospital somewhere")

Mr. Davidson

Harry Copeland

Corporal Bailey (killed by a kick from a horse)

Col. Wyndham

Mrs. Coleridge

Senator Harris

Judge Davies

Mrs. Pebbles

Bridget

Miss Marshall

Miss Perigo

Chaplain (Episcopal) Stone from Conn. - "He has stolen a horse and drinks whiskey in quantities and in public too. Great Chaplain that."

Bayard Taylor

Lieut. Decker

George P. Bissell - banker and paymaster of bounty

Col. Drake

Capt. Hawley

I.D. Gaylord

Lt.Col. Kilpatrick

Gen'l. Gibbons

Harvey Copeland

Mr. Lockwood

Capt. Coon

H.W. Halleck

Colonel Jones (Pa. Cav.)

Mattie

Bertha

Mrs. Whitaker

Anna 

Emma 

Ellelar

Lt. Estes - bearer of dispatches

Miss Parsons

Mr. Griffith

Dr. Porter

Mrs. & Miss Holliday Weaver

Miss Pebbles

 

On page 24 of the book, Edward mentions a piece of Jefferson Davis' chair from the Senate he is sending to his sister. Turns out he collected such souvenirs throughout his service and sent them to Adeline.

 

Written June 29, 1961, "Our time is out in three months and I hope in that time to see the Stars and Stripes waving over Richmond."

 

He wrote much about the free negroes and slaves he met along the way including this on July 9th, 1861 in Falls Church, VA. "Runaway slaves come into camp every day. All are smart and the happyest beings you ever saw to get free from oppression and threats of being carried to the trenches to protect the "sogers" from "Mr. Linkuns army". They have trouble to get all their brothers and sisters safe with them, because they are owned by different masters...Some have an idea we came expressly to free them, which they get from their masters, as none are allowed to read."

 

Oct., 1861 - Reviewed by Major General McClelland

 

Nov. 8th, 1861, "I am sorry for Miss Rice's Brother. I'll have vengeance on the first "Secesher" I meet."

 

Nov. 14th, 1851 "We have frequent reviews and visits by our Gen., whose quarters are in Gen. Lee's house near at hand."

 

On December 10th, 1861 he met President Lincoln and wrote a few paragraphs about it and his impressions of Mary Todd Lincoln, "...a round red-cheeked lady...."

 

Feb. 24th, 1862 - Writes home about the death of Willie Lincoln who had picked flowers for him the previous summer. Many more interesting details.

 

March 19th, 1862, "The Rebels in the West are melting as snow under Uncle Sam's foot..."

 

 April, May, 1862 - Much about the Battles of Manassas & Fredericksburg & others

 

June 26, 1862 - "I have got a Slave boy about 16 years old who ran away from his master and offered to work for me for his rations and a small compensation a month. He takes care of my horse and equipments, blacks my boots etc. always stays with me ready to do anything I want him to. He has grey eyes and light skin."

 

July 31st, 1862 Fredericksburg "For three days at a time we have had our horses saddled and been in the immediate vicinity of strong forces..."

 

Sept. 9th, 1862, "We have been in a battle or skirmish every day and could write volumes in describing them, had I only time. You know enough of the horrors of war already and I know will be satisfied to wait for details till another day..."

 

Horrible detail about the Battle of Bull Run

 

Nov. 29th, 1862 "I wish you would treasure my letters, as in some future day they might be of value to me or some one...I will make you a call about one year from now...The war must end before then.

 

Dec. 8th, 1862 "It is the coldest weather I ever saw..."

 

Dec. 29th, 1862 (At an Episcopal Church in Falmouth? - "Every officer of the 1st PA cavalry should be dismissed from service for what has transpired here. They were all drunk Christmas...Horses were hitched to head posts of graves ...and soldiers have had fires and slept on the graves burning the yard fence, etc. Its a wrong way to reunite the states to allow such officers to hold command and commissions. The Rebs will look on us as barbarians."

 

Jan. 8, 1863 - "The slaves are all going to Washington, leaving the brutal masters and overseers and lazy mistresses to raise their own crops and dress themselves. One mand had 53 all go in one night... - Emancipation!! How the darkies rejoice."

 

April 7th, 1863 - Again reviewed by President Lincoln

 

July 26th, 1863 - "The Secesh ladies do all they can for the sick and wounded." (Edward was wounded and it would get worse.)

 

Nov. 6th, 1863 - "You think my wages etc. high-so it sounds to you, but you have not the least idea how great my necessary expenses are on account of the style and living with the frightful prices that are forced upon us. I have to apay a negro more than your wages just to take care of my horses and keep boots and brasses clean beside feeding him which costs as much more. Then I have and must have a white man to always ride with me and to take care of my things and boss the negro. (?)"

 

April 9th, 1864 - "The glorious victory over the Copperheads in CT is cheering to us and discouraging to the rebels. They don't sing "My Maryland" as much as they did."

 

July 29th, 1864 - "I go ever on 2 p.m. boat tomorrow with Genl. Custer..."

 

There is much, much more. I picked up the above notes as I was scanning for names. At the end of the book is a transcription that Edward wrote to General Chamberlain at the end of the war regarding the surrender and a breakdown of his service from Private to Major. There is also a map of the theatre of war in which he participated.

 

This is a great diary book, a great read. The book is in very good vintage condition. To purchase, please contact Joy at Joy@JustaJoy.com