War Between the States—Letter by Alexander Heasley

2 pages, 5 3/4 x 7, written by Alexander Heasley, in bold pencil hand, to his sister, on full color patriotic stationary, with slogan below, "The Federal Union- it Must and Shall be preserved. Andrew Jackson." "Camp Williams, August 29, 1861. We arrived safe in camp on last evening and have got in good quarters and are getting along very well. We have a very nice tent. It will accomodate us very well. We have in our mess the Capt. & 1st Lieutenant and Ian Knox, Bill Harper, Ed Oliver, Sam Harris, Al Henry, Walker Shaw & Ian Golden. We have a table and desk. If you would see us keeping house, we can do it up scientific. We had provisions enough along to do for breakfast and I think there is plenty to do for dinner. We are getting along fine so far. I am very well pleased. There was a company of cavalry came into camp this forenoon. There was over one hundred of them. They had their baggage wagons with them. They are from Chicago. They are going to march on to Washington. I was in the city last night to a theatre and I have been down to the city all forenoon. I think likely we will be here for two weeks. They are calling the roll and we will have to get our dinners." Very neatly written. The left edge of the paper is slightly irregular. Excellent patriotic. Alexander Heasley, from Pulaski, Pa., served in the 100th Pa. Inf., 1861-63, and was then commissioned captain of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, a negro regiment. Alexander Heasley, from Pulaski, Pa., served in the 100th Pa. Inf., 1861-63, and was then commissioned captain of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, a negro regiment. He was murdered by citizens of Augusta, Georgia while within the lines of the military authority of the United States in 1865.

Item Number: UL770
$65.00

1 1/2 pages, 8 x 10, in ink, written by Alexander Heasley, to his sister. Beaufort, S.C., April 18/62. I received yours of March twenty sixth a few days ago. You were rather scolding me a little for not writing often enough. Well it may be I need it for I have not written very often. I sent my likeness to you in a letter I wrote to Zack which I suppose you have received before this time. It is not very extra taken but it is as well as I could get here. We are to have a grand concert here tonight in the Baptist Church of this place by the Seventy Ninth Brass Band which we think will be very nice. The admittance fifty cents for officers and twenty five cents for privates. We have very little to do now. We drill in bayonet exercise and target shooting. The sun is getting middling warm here but there is always a cool breeze going that makes it very pleasant. We are going out to Seabrook on Monday on picket. We will stay there two weeks. We buried today twelve of the Eight Michigan Regt. that got killed on Wilmington Island by the Rebels and there is sixteen more of them that will die. They were brought to this place as they belong to this Brigade. Our Regt. are all in good health, very few sick in the hospital." Neatly written. Alexander Heasley, from Pulaski, Pa., served in the 100th Pa. Inf., 1861-63, and was then commissioned captain of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, a negro regiment. He was murdered by citizens of Augusta, Georgia while within the lines of the military authority of the United States in 1865.

Item Number: UL789
$75.00

3 pages, 5 x 8, in ink, written by Alexander Heasley, to his sister. "Seabrook Plantation, Jan. 13th, 1862. We are now quartered about ten miles from Beaufort on the Seabrook Plantation. There is two companys of us quartered in the Seabrook House. It is a most beautiful place. There is nice shade trees all around the house. We drill a little every day and go on picket about every fourth night. That is the hardest we have to do, standing twenty four hours on picket. The enemy is just across the river from us. We can see the Rebel pickets. Everyday we can hear them talk. I can see the Rebels from my window where I am now writing but they keep on their own side of the river. Our Brigade went across the river on New Years and destroyed their batterys with the assistance of the gun boats. The gun boats shelled them back while we crossed and tore down their batterys. We got two or three men killed in the Eight Michigan. There was over one hundred killed of the Rebels. We are left here as pickets. I don't know how long we will stay here but I hope they will leave us stay for we are not kept so close. There is no guard around us. We can get running around. We have nigger mutiny every other night which is very interesting. They get awfully excited sometimes. They get to singing and dancing. It is as good as a theatre. The house is crowded full every time they preach. We have eight or ten large holes of sweet potatoes just back of the house so when we want any sweet potatoes we don't have to go far for them and the darkies here bake most splendid corn bread and potatoe pudding so we live fat. There was two negroes a few days ago that fell on two Rebels and beat them to death. The Rebels were trying to take them up to the railroad but the negroes had it made up to kill them before they started. They knocked the two Rebels down and took their guns and beat them till they broke the guns and then made their escape to this Isle. They were two big stout fellows." More content. Very neatly written. Alexander Heasley, from Pulaski, Pa., served in the 100th Pa. Inf., 1861-63, and was then commissioned captain of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, a negro regiment. He was murdered by citizens of Augusta, Georgia while within the lines of the military authority of the United States in 1865.

Item Number: UL776
$175.00