Lieutenant William James Fisher, Civil War Soldier

I. M. Fisher, Esq., Dear Sir:

I am afraid I can give but little information at all satisfactory, in answer to the questions you proposed to me in you letter of the 4th Instant.

I did not know anything of William’s having left his trunk at Willard’s. I imagine, however, that the trunk he carried home last spring was the one he left there, as he could hardly have carried it with him during the campaign.

Then in getting the valise you speak of, I imagine you have secured about all his baggage of that description that he had with him.

I did not join the Regt until it had been in the field sometime and did not store my baggage as most of the officers did. Most of the officers in our Regt. and I think of all the Regular Regiments, stored their luggage in a warehouse at the foot of G. Street in Washington. It has since been removed and stored in a warehouse known, I believe, as the “Whiting Warehouse.” This warehouse, if I recollect all right, is in the 19th or 20th St, between E & F Streets. Jenkins or James Bell could ascertain for you whether any trunk was left at Willard’s or in the warehouse I spoke of, by calling at the Quartermaster’s Office, corner of 18th & G Sts. They could ascertain where the warehouse is and what articles were stored in it by the 10th Infantry as our inventory of all the property in the warehouse is right there.

Lt. Hamilton was speaking to me of the dressing case you mention. I said he had looked for it but could not find it or hear anything of it. He seemed to think William’s servant* had stolen it. I did not hear him say any thing of the diary, or of any other papers.

I do not know where any of the officers are that you inquired for but you can ascertain where they are by addressing the Commanding Officers of the 10th Infantry at Fort Lafayette, New York Harbor. As I know it and the Regt. is stationed there at this time.

Capt. William Clinton was in command so long as we remained together. I cannot say in what battles William was engaged before I joined the Army of the Potomac. He was at the battle of Gains Mill, but whether in any other during the seven days fight I do not know. After that he was in the battle at Manassas or 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He was also I think in our affair at Blackburn’s Ford on the 20th of Sept 1862 and in a reconnaissance made to Leetown, [Leesburg] Va. in the middle of Oct. of that year.

I do not know in which of these battles he commanded a company. Though I think, from the scarcity of officers in his Regt., he did so in most of them.

In reference to this and in answer to nearly all your questions, Lieut. Lauman or Hamilton could answer you much more explicitly.

Lauman was in the Regiment from the time it first entered the field. Lt. Hamilton may have been too – though I am not sure that he was.

There being nothing improper of course in inquiring of Lt. Lauman if he had William’s pistol and requesting him to send to you if in his possession.

Remember me to Mrs. Fisher.

Yours truly; Capt. Rodney Layton

[caption id="attachment_409" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Rodney Layton to Isaac Fisher"][/caption][caption id="attachment_411" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Rodney Layton to Isaac Fisher"][/caption]

Mr. Fisher,

Dear Sir,

Your letter of the 30th [Oct] was duly received.

In reply to your request, regarding the inscription of your son’s name on the monument to be erected in the National Cemetery at this place, I would say that only the names of those buried here will be inscribed on the monument.

Respectfully yours, David Wills

My Dear Mr. Fisher:

I have been prevented from acknowledging the receipt of your kind letter of Nov 13th—-by sickness, and absence from home.

My brother Robert was able to be with us on Thanksgiving Day, and he said that I had added much to the satisfaction of his visit to have the photographs of his last friend—-which came a few days previous. He thought I have no photograph of myself just now—but, as you expressed a desire for one, I will try to send you a Carte de Visite from Washington.

They were excellent likenesses, and said he should write you very soon to tell you what a comfort it was to have them.

We too, shall prize them—for we have a precious memory of them through Robert, and have become to feel interested in you all.

Robert is in New York recruiting, had two offices, one 115 Cedar St, the other I have forgotten.

He said, when here, that Lt. Hamilton had a Pistol belonging to your son—and if you would send the proper address—he would express it to you.

I shall be in Washington most of the Winter after Christmas—If you, or any of your family should be there, I hope you would not fail to call upon me at my Uncle’s, 312 H. St. —or if you every come to Conn., it would give all of us great pleasure to meet you——

All the family joins with me in kindest remembrances for yourself, Mrs. Fisher, and other members of your household—

Very sincerely your friend, Anna M. Wells

Mr. Fisher Sir:

I will, with the greatest of pleasure, give you all the information in my power in answer to your letter.

First, your son had a trunk in Washington but, he being with the 8th US Infantry during duty at the time that we was stationed in Washington, I am unable to say where he left it. I think it most likely that he left it where he boarded in one Mr. Queen’s on Massachusetts Avenue, betwixed Sixth and Seventh Street, Washington City.

As to the property he had in the field with him, such as his valise, watch, and bedding, all was turned over to Capt. Edward G. Bush, 10th US Infantry, who is now in St. Louis; To him I give your address, having received it previous to this, from Capt. Caleb Rodney Layton, 11th US Infantry. So, that is all that I know of his property. Only I am positive he had a trunk somewhere, for when he came back from leave of absence, he brought a uniform coat on him which he later told me he took out of his trunk in Washington, D.C. but he did not say to me where he had left it.

So now I will let you know all the particulars of the engagement that your son took part in. We left Washington, D.C. on the 10th day of March, 1862 and crossed the Potomac into Virginia, where we remained a few days.

And then we shipped for the Peninsula where we had no trouble until we got to Yorktown. There we had to work sometime in the trenches. Your son had command of a Company of the Second US Infantry in the same Brigade with us. This company he had command of in all of the Peninsular Campaign; that is through the Siege of Yorktown and battle of Gaines Mill and all the Seven Days fights.

And he was spoken of by both officers and men as a brave Officer and soldier.

At the second Bull Run and the battle of Antietam he still had command of the same company. I do not exactly remember the exact time that he came to his own regt.; But all the fall and winter of sixty two and up to last July. We (that is your son and I) was always together. We was engaged in the battle of Fredericksburg, VA and had to lay under the enemy’s works for 24 hours, so close, that the enemy could be heard quite plain. Opposite one another, your son, Wm. J. Fisher, was out in front of the line of battle in command of a party of skirmishers for the above mentioned time. Next we was engaged in the Battle of Chancellors Ville, Va., where I believe that your son Wm. J. Fisher was spoken of in the Commanding Officer’s report very highly.

After that we had a long rest and nothing was done by the Army worth of notice until the march to Gettysburg, Pa., which was a very hard march, for many very strong men was left behind on the way, not able to keep up with their commands, but as to your son, he was still with his company through all the difficulties for a few days before the battle.

On the fatal day that deprived you of a son, me of a comrade, and last but not least, this country of a valuable officer, your son complained to me that he was not feeling very well and that he had a very sore foot. I advised him to go to the ambulance but he told me that he would not go for fear that the command would be engaged with the enemy and him not there, for that he would rather suffer a great deal than not to be with his Company if they should be engaged.

And on the fatal day he was in his place in the rear of His Company (he was acting as lieut. of the company. Lt., now Capt. Lauman, was acting Capt. of the Company) and as the order came for the Brigade to fall back, your son received his death wound and as he received it, he turned round to the left, and me being close beside him, he placed his left arm around my neck. He would have fallen to the ground had I not placed my arm around his back. At the same time asking him, “was he wounded?” He did not answer me. I called for help to carry Mr. Fisher off the field as we were all falling back. Lt. Welles, 10th Infantry, and Sergt. McCabe came to my assistance. We had got him about 200 yards from the place where he was struck when Sergt. McCabe was wounded in the back, so Lt. Welles and I carried him some distance further, when Lt. Welles was wounded in the leg. So, I had to lug his body down as I mentioned in my previous letter.

So, I think, that is about all the particulars that I am able to remember at this time. But, if there is any information that you think I have omitted in this, I will be most happy in answer to your letters.

Yours with respect, Geo. Hamilton,10th US Infantry

PS: I am not able to say when Lt. Fisher received his last pay or whether there is anything due him or not.