Image of 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry Monument at Antietam
[William Silveus enlisted as a private in Company I, 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry on August 25, 1862. Captured at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, Silveus was confined in a prison in Richmond on December 17, 1862 until he was paroled at City Point, Virginia, on January 9, 1863. He reported to Camp Parole, Maryland, on January 11, 1863 and died of typhoid fever at the military hospital on the steamboat "New York" on January 12, 1863. The following letters are addressed to his wife, Mary, and his brother, Joseph Silveus. Albert is his brother-in-law, Albert Mildred, who enlisted on June 20, 1861. Basic information about the 8th Pennsylvania Reserves can be found in The History of Pennsylvania Volunteersby Samuel P. Bates. A recent book on the 8th Pennsylvania Reserves is Bouquets from the Cannon's Mouth: Soldiering with the Eighth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reservesby Robert E. Eberly, Jr.and published by White Mane Books in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, in 2005]
"September 5th AD 1862
Dear Mary,
I am now in Pittsburg put up at an old dutch inn where I am treated like an own son. We expect to stay here until next Monday as we can’t get transportation until then. I will now tell you a little of our journey. We arrived at Newtown [now Kirby, PA] the same evening that we left home and were addressed by Mr. Wise and Mr. Clophus and [illegible] Fordyce and Mr. Oliphant and then paraded the streets awhile and then we went to supper at the widow Monroe’s stand where we put up for the night. She enquired all about you and the rest. Sarah Moores is a coming to see you in about two weeks, but I must return to my journey. The next morning we had prayer by the rev. Mr. Baird and then we got in wagons and got to the river [the Monongahela] again not ex a block where we took dinner and then we took the boat and arrived here this morning where we are all in good spirits.
Now Mary I will close for this time as I have nothing more to write at this time. Keep in good spirits for I heard today that the 8th regiment will be placed to guard the City and some thinks that we will have to pass the examination before we leave here.
No more at present. May God bless you.
W. Silveus
Sep. 19th AD 1862
Dear Mary,
I would like to tell you all that I have seen since we left the City, but tongue cannot tell, but I will try and tell you some things. We left the City last Saturday and marched every day about 10 miles and camped out wherever we could catch it and whatever we wanted to eat we took. Last Sunday night one of our squad shot a pig and made a roast of it, although I didn’t eat any of it. I won’t eat anything that is stolen. Last Tuesday night, Albert Chaplin and Rine Fordyce and myself stayed with an old sesech. He give us our supper and breakfast. Yesterday we met 800 rebel prisoners. They drove them like a lot of sheep. Today we crossed two battlefields and I tell you that it was a hard sight. We also stopped at a hospital and that was the hardest sight I ever saw. Some had their legs off and some their arms and some their hands and one rebel had both legs off above the knee. If you was here you could see as high as 100 or 200 ambulances all in one train a hauling the wounded the hospital. We have not got to the regiment yet. They are about 10 miles off yet. We expect to get to them tomorrow. There is a great fight a going on now. They think they have Jackson surrounded. One of the rebel lieutenants told us that Jackson and Lee was killed at which we gave three loud cheers. I have saw nothing but soldiers since I left the City. They are strung all along the sod road. We are encamped in a fine orchard. We will have a good supper tonight. We drawed some rations today.
I have 25 dollars that I will send home as soon as I get to the regiment. I will have to get an order from the Captain to have the County bounty. As soon as I get it I will send it home and then you can draw it out of the County treasure. Well I will close for this time. This leaves us all well hoping you may be enjoying the same blessing. Tell Jo I will write to him as soon as I get to the regiment. Give my love to Mother and all the rest.
Pray for me.
Wm. Silveus
Write soon and direct the same as you would to Albert.
Sep. 20th AD 1862
Dear Mary,
We are now with the regiment on the banks of the Potomac. The first two men that met me was Albert and Meny and you had better believe that they were glad to see me. They are both well and hardy. They were both in two battles this week and both escaped unharmed. I went over the battlefield this morning and O what a sight it was. I saw as high as 13 rebels all in one pile and they are scattered for two or three miles any amount of them. I never want to witness another such a sight. They are fighting now some distant from here.
I cannot tell whether we will be called or not but if we are I am going to try and do my duty and if I fall I feel that I am prepared to go. I am now setting by the side of Albert a writing this letter to you while he is writing to Mother. I will now close and write to Jo. So no more at this time but my best to you and mother.
May God bless you all.
Wm Silveus
Dear Brother,
I begin to know what it is to be a soldier although I like it far better than I expected to. Although we saw some hard times since we left home we had to bare our own experiences. Since we left the city which I had to spend three dollars I have 25 dollars that I want to send home as soon as I can. My County bounty I can’t get until I get an order from our Captain and when I get it I will send it to you and then you can draw it out of the County treasure for me and I will reward you for it.
Dear Brother I want you to remember me in your prayers for I am now in a place where it takes all that one knows to keep him in the right track. There are all kinds of people here and everything to lead him away. I mean to do what is right as near as I can and let others do as they may. We encamped in a battlefield last night and it was the awfullest sight that I ever saw and God forbid that I ever should see another such sight. Well Jo I will now close for this time and I will try and write more the next time as I am pretty much tired out. So farewell.
Wm Silveus
[Undated]
Dear Mary,
Once more I will write to you but it is going to be the last time until I get one from you. I do think a little hard of you that you don’t write to me. I have not got but one little sheet of you yet you don’t know how I feel when the mail comes in and all the other boys get to hear from home and I have to stand back and look on. Now Mary do write if it ain’t more than two lines. We have had some very hard marching of late. I stood it tolerable well. I am not so very well at this time but hope I may be well ere this reaches you and hope you may be well. Tell Mother and Joe that I want them to write.
So no more at this time but my love to you.
Wm Silveus"
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