"Your Son is Dangerously Wounded..."

Sunday, May 3, 1863

Surgeon Samuel A. Richardson of the Thirteenth New Hampshire drafted a letter to John S. Caverly, step-father of Nathaniel Caverly Jr. The letter read:

In the Field Near Suffolk Va.
Sabbath day, May 3rd, 1863

Mr. John S. Caverly.
Dear sir, It becomes my painful duty to write you that your Son is dangerously wounded ...

It is not likely that he will live long as his spine is injured by a musket shot.

I asked him if he had any friends to send word to ... & he said write to my father and tell him that "I die trusting in the Lord"

We then asked the Chaplain to pray for him and was sent immediately to the Methodist Church Hospital in Suffolk ...

You receive my deepest sympathy and yet I can but congratulate you that you have been the father of so noble a son who could die for his country blessing God.

I am Sir,
Very truly,
S. A. Richardson
Surgeon, 13th N.H. Reg.

[P.S.]We have had about 60 wounded in our division today. Capt. Buzzell Co. F. was shot dead¹

References:
¹Letter from Samuel A. Richardson to John S. Caverly, 3 May 1863, copy in possession of Carol Swaine-Kuzel.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Tuesday, March 10, 1863

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a letter home to his father from Newport News, thanking him for the letter he received the previous day. He was very glad to hear that all was well at home and he reassured his family that he was "well and h[e]arty." He asked how the town meeting was going, and thanked his father for all the things he sent from home. "I got the things and money and thank you for them and if we are ever paid off I will repay you." He closed his letter with "write soon and give my love to all."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 88-89.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Friday, March 6, 1863

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a letter home to his father from Newport News, expressing concern that he had received only one letter from home which was written before they left Falmouth. Nathaniel mentioned that he had written four letters since arriving at Newport News. He stated that he wasn't sure if his family didn't receive his letters or he didn't receive their letters. He asked for postage stamps from home to send letters, as he couldn't get any more from camp.¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 87-88.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Thursday, February 26, 1863

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a letter home to his father from Newport News, thanking him for the letter he received from home on February 20. Nathaniel was glad to hear that everyone at home was well, and mentioned that he had been well except for a bad cold. He asked his father to send "a little cheese and some sweet cakes ... anything that is dry will keep ... a few pickles would be as good as anything that I know of ... and a piece of salt fish for we can't get any such things here." He also mentioned that if his family was thinking of heading west to make money, they should join the army instead. "You can take one hundred dollars and come out here and you can double it in six months and pay your expenses."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 86-87.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Sunday, January 25, 1863

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a letter home to his father, beginning with "I thought that as it is Sunday and I have not much to do today that I would write a few line[s] to you to let you know that I was well and h[e]arty and contended." Nathaniel asked his mother to send a vest, " a good heavy one to button" and a pair of warm socks. He closed the letter with "Write soon."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 84-86.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Thursday, January 1, 1863

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a letter home to his parents, confirming that he was well and had survived the battle of Fredericksburg without injury. Nathaniel began his letter with gratitude to God by proclaiming, "By the will of Him who rules all things I am preserved till the commencement of another year and I am thankful to him that he has preserved my life till the present time while so many of my fellow soldiers are being killed off and dying." Nathaniel mentioned the battle but avoided detail, suggesting that the Union attack failed due to the delayed delivery of the pontoon bridges before the battle. Nathaniel closed the letter with a request for news from home. "I want you to write and tell me news and what you are doing and what stock you keep and how the hay cuts out and what you have sold and bought and all the rest of the news and write as you can for when we are moving around we get the mail most of the time."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 82-84.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Sunday, November 30, 1862

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote a hasty letter home to his father, informing him that he would be marching to the front on the next day at noon. Nathaniel remarked that their destination was uncertain but that he believed it would be Richmond. Nathaniel ended the letter poignantly by reassuring his father: "Do not be worried for fear we shall go into battle for I dont think that we shall. I am well and rugged as ever I was and stand most anything I guess."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 81-82.

Letters from the Front - Nathaniel Caverly Jr.

Saturday, October 25, 1862

Nathaniel Caverly Jr. wrote his first letter home to his father from Camp Chase, letting him know that he was well and that he enjoyed camp life. Nathaniel mentioned that he had suffered from dysentary but was fighting the ill effects by eating vegetables. He asked his father to send him a lead pencil and pencil holder to write letters, as the steel pen he had did not work. Nathaniel asked for all the news from home, stating "I want you to write me if it rains there write if it is cold there and if it is fair write how you are getting along with your harvesting how your crops are coming in and what you are going to sell and keep this winter and so forth."¹

References:
¹Alan C. Phillips, Soldiers in My Family: Caverlys and Murrays 1754-1865. (DePere, Wisconsin: A.C. Phillips, 1993.), 77-79.