Lieutenant William James Fisher, Civil War Soldier

My Dear Father:

So far I’m all right. The principal reason of my not writing before was that I have been sick and another reason was that I have no chance since I last wrote.

We have had two fights, or rather one fight and a truce. Yesterday our Brigade was sent over the river but came upon the Rebel skirmishers. We had a skirmish in which we lost four men of 10th Infantry and then retired across the river.

I haven’t received a letter since leaving Washington.

I captured a nice little hunting rifle yesterday. If I live, and can have a chance, I would have it fixed up and will send it home to you to keep for me.

I am very well now. Write often. I don’t have a chance to write. I have got a poor chance to write.

Give my love to all. Your son W.J.F.

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My Dear Father:

Since leaving Halls Hill near Washington, I haven’t had but one chance to write and I didn’t take advantage of that because I was very unwell at the time.

The day after I wrote to you from Halls Hill, our Division was moved over the River to Tannelly Town, a little place about three miles from Georgetown, D. C. I, being sick, was put in an ambulance. Our ambulance, instead of following the Regt. Got mixed up in another train and I was carried to a Hospital near Alexandria. Of course I didn’t want to go in a Hospital so I got in anther ambulance and went into Alexandria. There I got on the boat and went across to Washington and went to Willard’s Hotel and was taken with a serious chill. I got a room and went to bed.

I staid in Washington until the next day. At 10 o’clock, I got a carriage and joined my Regt., which was then at Rockville, about twenty miles from the Capital. The day after I rejoined the Regt., which had moved for Frederick, which was at that time occupied by Rebels.

Frederick is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. It is about twice the size of Milford and the best of it is that nearly all the inhabitants are strong Union people. Well we staid here one night and next day moved to a South Mountain Pass where McClellan gave the Rebels one of the soundest whippings that they ever received.

When we passed, the road was completely filled with dead Rebels. Men and Officers were piled on one another lying in every way; some on their back, some on their faces. Some were lying on the fence (it was a stone fence) where they were shot while getting over. Old men of sixty and boys of twelve were piled on one another. I never saw such a sight in my life and I hope I may never see such a one again. Two days after, we met them again at Sharpsburg where they were completely [illegible] out and driven across the river. This is badly blotted but I am in a hurry and haven’t time to write another so please excuse it. What do you think of McClellan and what does that contemptible [illegible] think of him?

The man is all ready to start, so I must close.

I am well and please write soon. My love to all.

Your son, WJ Fisher

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Isaac M. Fisher, Esteemed friend:

Your letter came duly to hand, and I have been making inquiry all around Washington for your Son Wm., with the assistance of Mr. Wm. H. Jones and others of the committee. But as to the present, have not been able to hear from him. I hope he is well and has written to you before this.

There are now 70 sick men of the Delaware Regiments about 2 or 3 miles from this city. Destitute in a great measure; the committee has just learned this, and have gone out this afternoon to see to them.

The good people of Wilmington sent on a box of refreshments for them; and none of us knew of their whereabouts. Mrs. Halloway, wife of the Commissioner of Patents, got the box and distributed the contents amongst the sick and wounded Indiana soldiers of her state.

This I regret very much as our men now want just such articles.

I am informed that Mr. [] from Wilmington has been amongst them. He has just telegraphed to Wilmington to have ready by next Tuesday, 70 pairs of pants, and 70 pairs of drawers, shirts, and socks for their immediate use.

The committee will report this evening, when I shall know more of their condition.

James H. Bell is a prisoner in Richmond with about 150 others. He went down to Bull Run to assist the wounded and help to bury the dead.

If you hear from William; let me hear from you. And as soon as I hear from him, I will inform you,

Your friend, G Luff

My Dear Father:

I received a letter from you yesterday in which you wrote that you had heard, through G. P. Fisher, that I had been taken prisoner. I suppose the one he took for me was Oscar Fisher of the 8th Infantry, who was taken prisoner at the Battle of Cedar Mountain and I believe was afterwards put in Irons for trying to escape or write to his friends or some such offense.

I see that there has been a man appointed to the 10th from Delaware by the name of Hopkins. But he hasn’t reported yet and I haven’t had a chance to find out who he is.

Why don’t John Francis try and get an appointment in the Regular Army? I think he could get one and I’m sure he could enjoy himself a great deal better, even if he resigns as soon as the war is over, which will not be soon, if the bothering Governors don’t let the President and McClellan alone.

The President’s Proclamation may be a very good thing but I can’t see it.

I hope we shall get back somewhere near Washington this winter before going into quarters.

You must excuse my bad writing as I have nothing better to write upon than a camp stool.

We go on Pickett the other day on the banks of the Potomac.

Please write soon. Give my love to all, W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

Since being in this camp, I have written, I’m sure, on an average, twice per week, but haven’t received an answer from one letter yet. I don’t know how it is. Whether you don’t get the letters I write, or whether I don’t get the letters you write.

We go on Pickett every 4th day. The last time we were on, the enemy sent over three flags of truce. One was to bring some prisoners. Four officers of Stuart’s cavalry came over with them. We had a long talk. They would acknowledge when they whipped.

While we were conversing, a man came up with the New York Herald and sang out, “New York Herald; Jeff Davis suing for peace.” This of course, caused a great laugh at his expense.

How does William Cannon get on with his cavalry company? Is John F. Allen recruiting anywhere and what is his rank to be, 1st or 2nd Lieut.?

I suppose you are done and saving fodder by this time. I should like to be home for a few days to go squirreling. Tell George that I will give him my right to my gun.

What do you think of the chance of making peace now? There are great many rumors going the rounds now about propositions which have been and are going to be made by commissioners from the South. I hope they will fix it up before there is any more fighting done, but before they should dissolve the Union I would rather fight two years yet.

Please write soon.

Give my love to all the family and tell Ma to write. I wrote to Sis the other day. Your Son, William

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My Dear Father:

I have written no less than four letters this month and haven’t received an answer to one of them yet. I can’t tell what the reason is whether you can’t write or whether it is in the fault of the mail. I wish you would make it a practice of writing at least twice per week and then I should always know what to expect.

What is Georgetown Bank Stock selling at per share now? And if you know please tell me what Smyrna Bank Stock is selling at. I will enclose a check for two hundred dollars. I want you to take eight out, which I owe you, and invest the rest in some kind of stock that you think is safe and will pay.

My ambition is to get to own a farm. How do the corn crops look through Kent and Sussex Counties?

Does Mr. Sullivan still own the farm in Kent? When did you hear from Uncle John’s boys last? What does the dirty Tribune think of McClellan?

I tell you, candidly, that I should like to help hang the contemptible man that publishes that paper. Think of all that McClellan has done; to commence abusing him immediately, as soon as the enemy is driven from Maryland. If he had carried a musket from Harrison’s Landing to this place, I don’t think he would feel like going forward. If he can’t like the way things are carried on why don’t he come out himself and fight a while.

Greeley’s nigger brigade, I believe, hasn’t been organized. Well I guess I have said more than I ought to about him. But I can’t help but hate a man that abuses McClellan all the time; whether he is successful or not.

Your affectionate son. W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

I received a letter of 14th last from you this morning.

I suppose from what you say of the Tribune that you haven’t seen some of the daily issues lately at least some that I have seen. One copy I remember of seeing in which he urged the President to give General Fremont an important command. A man, in my opinion, was more unfit to command an army of forty thousand men than I am of commanding a Brigade.

I want to ask you a plain question: If General Fremont could resign his command only, and get to New York and before when the country needed him in the field, why couldn’t I resign my command of my company and go home and stay as long as I please?

You say that it is your opinion that McClellan and his officers caused Pope to lose the Battle of Bull Run. If you had been there and seen how the latter fought, you would have thought differently. In the first place McClellan had no command at all. And in the second, the Army of the Potomac and Burnsides Army fought the Battle of Bull Run unaided, almost entirely, by either Pope’s or Siegel’s armies. Pope had his army of nearly thirty thousand men and, in my opinion, if he had put them in at the right time, we would have been entirely successful, but he didn’t do it. He wanted us to whip the Rebels and then he was going to put his army in pursuit. And it’s my honest and candid opinion and also of nearly all the officers, that I have seen that were there, that we were whipped with about one man to our three, and all by Pope’s blundering.

The Army of the Potomac lost in proportion in numbers ten men where Pope’s army lost one. Out of our little battalion, of two hundred and about twenty five men, we lost nearly one hundred in killed and wounded, besides two officers killed and one so badly wounded that it is thought he will die.

And at Antietam, in which you seem to think that Porter’s Corps was not engaged, we lost fifty-four men and one officer in the second Infantry in which I have been serving. There has been out of twenty that started, five officers killed and four badly wounded. One was shot in the mouth and his jaw is paralyzed for life. Another lost his leg, another was shot in the groin and it is doubtful very much whether he will live or not. The other one is shot in the breast and when last heard from was not doing very well. Besides them, three have been cashiered for cowardice before the enemy. Two have been retired and one dismissed, reducing the officers down to three that intended the field at first. Out of the whole 2nd Infantry there are not men enough left to make three full companies.

When we crossed over the River it was not by General McClellan’s order, but General Porter’s and, if you remember, none worth mentioning were lost with the exception of the 118th Pennsylvania, Corn Exchange Regiment. That was owed actively to their repugnance to wetting their feet. It they had gone two hundred yards farther down the river and waded across, I believe, they would have all got across safe but instead of that they tried to cross a little dam that would almost of put one man at a time and consequently was that it took them as long to cross that the enemy came up and literally cut them to pieces. For that dam, we took one man killed and four wounded, in all the fight’s that have been taken place, I suppose, you haven’t seen one where the Regulars have been in.

Please write soon. Give my love to all,

Your son W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

I received a letter from you dated Oct 31st while on the march and this is the first opportunity that I have had to answer it.

I am sure if John Francis was to go to the President and apply for a commission he could get it. Two thirds of the appointments in the army are made in that way. Go first to the Secretary of War and get, if he could, his recommendation and then direct to the President and I am sure he could get it. If he tries it he had better go to Lt. Col. Garesche of the Adjutant General’s department; He being from Delaware, I think, would interest himself in John’s case. He had better get a letter of recommendation from George P. Fisher. There are vacancies in almost every Regiment in the Army. In the 10th there are two.

General McClellan has been superseded and no officer or soldier, that I have seen, so far has any confidence in anybody else. It would not at all surprise me if we get whipped in the next fight. I believe they are trying to get Fremont to head the army again. If they do, I shall resign and go to South America and try something else; for I don’t like the idea of being killed under such man as Fremont.

I don’t feel like writing any more at present, so I’ll close.

Give my love to all. Your son, Will

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My Dear Father:

I received you letter of the 21st last this morning and was very sorry to learn that you had misconstrued the words or meaning of some of the sentences of my last letter.

I never meant to say that I would leave the service without an honorable discharge for I tell you truly that I had rather be killed dead than be dishonorably dismissed from the service of the United States.

The meaning I tried to convey was that if Major General John C. Fremont was put in command, that rather than lose my life by his bungling, I would resign and leave the country all together.

I sincerely hope that General Burnside may be successful and next to General McClellan I had rather General Burnside should command than any other general of the United States.

I suppose you saw Halleck’s letter in regards to the furnishing of supplies to the Army and, let me tell you, he wrote a great many things that was not true. Our command is now not even supplied with winter clothing, tents, blankets or shoes and they are suffering extremely in consequence. You have no idea how cold and disagreeable it is to sleep or rather try to sleep these cold nights without a blanket. I know, for I have had reason to try it several times lately. There is one other thing you don’t know and can hardly imagine; what a damper the removal of McClellan has upon the spirits of everybody. We thought that we were almost running a race with Lee for the possession of Richmond and I believe if they had let McClellan alone, that before this, if I had lived, I should have written from Richmond.

I never saw anything work better. Every one seemed to be in the best of spirits. We marched rapidly and underwent hardships without complaining but the thing is done now. It’s no use to complain.

I hope if we go into winter quarters this winter that I shall be able to obtain a leave of absence for a few days to visit home. I should like very much to see you all once more.

I got a letter from Sis a few days ago and also one from W. Frances Callaway.

The tenth infantry will be united in a few days and I hope I shall be able to join my own Regt. Very soon.

I wish you would give my proper address to the Peninsular News and Advertiser for I don’t get one paper out of five and it’s all wrong to the address. Give my love to all. Your son, Will.

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My Dear Father:

Since I last wrote we have been at our old trade again, that is, fighting for about a week and then retreating.

We left our camp (the same we now occupy) December 10th, about 5 o’clock in the morning and marched to within a quarter mile of Fredericksburg and halted our Regiment. The tenth was then detailed as skirmishers for the Brigade. And we were divided off by our Commanding Officer (Capt. Maynadier) accordingly. Our instructions were to march to the bridge (which, I suppose, was already laid), rush across and immediately deploy on the other side and cover the advance of the rest of the Brigade. But some unforeseen difficulties being in the way, the order was changed and we were for once properly speaking in the Reserves.

We lay when we first halted all the day and bivouacked at night in the same spot next day (Saturday). We lay still until about two o’clock when we were ordered to and did move over the river to relieve some other Division (I think Couche’s). But, we got over too late so took no action part in the fight. We lost an officer (Capt. Machlenburg, 17th Infantry), and several men of different Regiments. We were thrown out as picketts, our Regiment occupying the advance.

Lieut. Welles and myself, with twenty men, were thrown out as an advance Pickett, about one hundred yards in front of the rest, behind a small frame house. While we occupied one side of the house, they did the other, and every few moments you could catch a glimpse of one of them peeping around the corner. But if one of our men would miss, he would quickly withdraw. This went on until morning when their sharpshooters opened upon our men, who were about one hundred yards in our rear. We were within yards of their rifle pits and couldn’t move an inch for fear of being shot. Well, we lay in this predicament until dark. We withdrew with a loss of only one man killed. One brigade, in rear of us, lost heavily; and all this without firing a shot.

On Sunday night we were relieved and marched to Fredericksburg and bivouacked for the night in the streets. But the most dangerous place I ever was in my life was before Fredericksburg, on Saturday night and Sunday, for twenty-four hours. Where we were, the ground was perfectly black with our killed. I firmly believe that our loss was 1000 to one in killed and wounded.

We crossed over to this side of the river yesterday and marched to our old camp today.

The call for tattoo has just blown so I must close.

By the way my paper comes all right with the exception that they address me as belonging to 11th Infantry instead of the 10th. I wish you would give them my address such as you write on your letters.

Your Son, Will

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