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Text
2013.70.51
Fort Donaldson July 21st 1862
Dear Father
Drs Richings & Strong are here and to return tomorrow & kindly volunteered to take
mail matter for us. I have no additional news. since Monday to tell you, except that George & I
are both well, & ready for another March just so soon as we get orders if you can see them they
will give you more acurate [sic] accounts of the Battlefield then [sic] I can by writting [sic] we
recd letter from Home to day [sic] or George did I recd two from Nell, she says she will be
Home at Rockford about the 8th of March. does not like it up there very much. she says she has
not heard from Rockford yet. if you dont [sic] know how to direct, it is Wyocena, Columbia
County Wis I wish Mate would write her as she feels as though that is her home & feels anxious
to here [sic] from there
We dont [sic] know where our next move will be. probably Nashville Clarksville is
evacuated so Nashville is the next stand point for the Rebels. We are all anxious to have the
War ended since this battle
Page 2
I have had enough of it God grant I may never see another such o sight and I certainly do not
wish to participate in one although at the time I did not fear or have a feeling of any kind excep
[sic] anxiety for the good behavior of my company & when the trial came they were not found
wanting, they are a brave band, and will follow me to the Cannon Mouth if need be. I shall never
feer [sic] if called on again in battle
Have no fears for your two Boys, for I feel confident that we shall come out of
this safe and if it is the will of the Almighty that we shall fall in our county defence [sic] let his
will not ours be done we will try and keep you posted as to our movements, though Mail
facilities are doubtfull [sic] with us. write us often for letters from home are great comforts to
the Soldier in the field. Direct to Cairo & forward untill [sic] we inform you to change
Good Bye & May God Bless us all is the Prayer of Your Devoted Son
Capt R.P.Sealy, Co G 45th Ill vol
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
The Bittle Civil War Letter Collection includes letters written between 1861 and 1865 by brothers Robert (Bert), George and Charles Sealy, their sister Mary, and another relative, Christopher T. Dunham.
The Sealy siblings - Charles, George, Robert, and Mary Ann - were all born in Castle Cary, Somersetshire, England to Richard Sealy and Maria Louisa Champion Sealy. The family moved to Rochester, New York around 1843, finally settling in Rockford, Illinois in 1855.
When the Civil War arrived, Charles Sealy enlisted in the Company G 44th Regiment of the Illinois Infantry from Winnebago County. Meanwhile George and Robert Sealy each enlisted in the Company G 45th Illinois Volunteers. Charles was injured and eventually captured during the battle of Chickamauga. He was taken to Andersonville Prison where he died June 10, 1864.
Robert and George Sealy were present at the Battle and Fall of Vicksburg and survived to see the end of the war and beyond. George returned to Rockford, Illinois and worked for Emerson, Talcott & Co. He died in 1909. Robert moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1868. He died in 1888.
Christopher T. Dunham (connected to the Sealy family through his daughter’s marriage), lived in Freeport, Illinois starting in 1856 and worked as county surveyor. He enlisted in the 11th Illinois Regiment of the Union Army and served on and off throughout the Civil War. He and Sarah Cummings married in 1862. After the war he returned to his surveying work in Freeport, but was admitted to the Elgin Insane Asylum in 1872 where he died 6 years later.
The letters speak of their experiences serving in the army, of their camp sites, and plans, and are a record of the confusion and stress families back home felt during this time.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1861-1865
Rights
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Midway Village Museum
Title
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Bittle Civil War Letter Collection
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
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Letter
Text
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2013.70.51
Fort Donaldson July 21st 1862
Dear Father
Drs Richings & Strong are here and to return tomorrow & kindly volunteered to take mail matter for us. I have no additional news. since Monday to tell you, except that George & I are both well, & ready for another March just so soon as we get orders if you can see them they will give you more acurate [sic] accounts of the Battlefield then [sic] I can by writting [sic] we recd letter from Home to day [sic] or George did I recd two from Nell, she says she will be Home at Rockford about the 8th of March. does not like it up there very much. she says she has not heard from Rockford yet. if you dont [sic] know how to direct, it is Wyocena, Columbia County Wis I wish Mate would write her as she feels as though that is her home & feels anxious to here [sic] from there
We dont [sic] know where our next move will be. probably Nashville Clarksville is evacuated so Nashville is the next stand point for the Rebels. We are all anxious to have the War ended since this battle
Page 2
I have had enough of it God grant I may never see another such o sight and I certainly do not wish to participate in one although at the time I did not fear or have a feeling of any kind excep [sic] anxiety for the good behavior of my company & when the trial came they were not found wanting, they are a brave band, and will follow me to the Cannon Mouth if need be. I shall never feer [sic] if called on again in battle
Have no fears for your two Boys, for I feel confident that we shall come out of this safe and if it is the will of the Almighty that we shall fall in our county defence [sic] let his will not ours be done we will try and keep you posted as to our movements, though Mail facilities are doubtfull [sic] with us. write us often for letters from home are great comforts to the Soldier in the field. Direct to Cairo & forward untill [sic] we inform you to change
Good Bye & May God Bless us all is the Prayer of Your Devoted Son
Capt R.P.Sealy, Co G 45th Ill vol
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Robert Sealy to his father Richard Sealy on February 21, 1862 from Fort Donaldson.
Description
An account of the resource
Robert “Bert” P. Sealy was born in the town Castle Cary, Somersetshire, England, on January 13, 1835 to Richard Sealy (born c. 1804 in South Welton, England) and Maria Louisa Champion Sealy (born c. 1803 in Wells, England). His family (including 2 brothers & 1 sister) moved to Rochester, New York around 1843. They later moved to Geneva, NY and final settled in Rockford, IL in 1855. He enlisted (along with brother George) in Company G, 45th Illinois Volunteers and entered the army as a 1st Lieutenant. Since Robert was an officer, he was able to have his wife Helen (referred to as “Nellie” or “Nelly”) with him in the camps, away from the battles. He was involved in the siege of Vicksburg, and as a commander led the first regiment into the city. After the fall of Vicksburg he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He moved away from Rockford to Council Bluffs, IA in 1868, and at some point he and his wife adopted a daughter, May Sealy. He died March 14, 1888.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
February 21, 1862
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Midway Village Museum
Format
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jpeg
pdf
Identifier
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2013.70.51
Civil War 1861-1865
Correspondence
Fort Donaldson
Midway Village Museum
Richard Sealy
Robert Sealy
Rockford, Illinois -- History