This incredible letter was written by Robert (“Bob”) Finley Wilson, the son of Henry Wilson and Sarah Hamilton of Monongahela, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Robert’s father — the proprietor of an inn he called the “Mansion House” — died when Robert was only nine-years-old, which left his mother to raise Henry and his four siblings on her own.
In Wheeling, Virginia, in September 1861, Robert enlisted at age 17 in Co. I of the 1st Virginia (Union) Cavalry (later West Virginia Cavalry). For the first couple years of the war the regiment was relatively inactive and split up guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and hunting down bushwhackers. Their first real test came during the Gettysburg Campaign, which is the subject of this letter, penned from Frederick, Maryland, in mid-July 1863. In his letter, Bob describes the cavalry fight at Hanover, at Gettysburg and at Monterey Pass in which the “Bloody 1st” — as Bob called his regiment—took an active part in each. He wrote the letter to his comrade, Joseph Swihart, who served with him in Co. I (and later in Co. N) who was home on furlough and missed the action.
Little additional information could be found about Bob following the war except that he seems to have gotten into the civil contracting business and by 1883 was residing “in Chicago for several years serving as the assistant Chief of Public Highways.” One family page for him in Ancestry.com indicates that he was twice married — first to Antoinette Marcy, and second to Blanche Elizabeth Cowan. If the latter marriage is accurate, he would have been a very old man when he married a very young Blanche. Bob died in 1923 and was buried in Forest Park, Illinois, where his grave marker indicates his service with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry.
This letter is one of thousands of letters transcribed by William Griffing as part of his online repository of Civil War letters, Spared & Shared. For more of the compelling letters he makes available to read, visit the Spared & Shared Facebook page.
Frederick City [Maryland]
July 14, 1863
I received your welcomed letter last evening. I was glad to hear you had got home. I was afraid you would not get home safe for that paper you had was just a certificate of disability. The Adjutant brought me your furlough the next day after you started but I am glad you went for your furlough was out the 7th of this month and now you can stay until the 20th.
Well Jo, for something else. Since you have left us we have had a hell of a time. We have lost 14 officers since you left. After you left we started for Pennsylvania. We crossed the Potomac I believe on the 25th of June and then started for Pennsylvania (but while we laid in Maryland we had a change of officers. We stopped one day and changed officers. Gen. [Julius] Stahel took command of the Division of the 11th Corps and Gen. [Hugh Judson] Kilpatrick took command of our Division. There is but two Brigades of us. The 18th is in our Brigade now and the 4th Michigan Regiment is in the other Brigade. I do not know what has become of the 2nd Pennsylvania. Our boys is the 1st Brigade of [Judson] Kilpatrick’s or 3rd Division. Brigadier General [Elon J.] Farnsworth was put in command of our Brigade & Gen. [George A.] Custer in command of the Michigan boys.)
Well [on 30 June 1863] as we was going through a town by the name of Hanover in Pennsylvania, the streets was crowded with women and men. They gave us bouquets, cakes, pies, bread, tobacco, segars, & wine & God only knows what all. And the Stars and Stripes was stretched across the streets and out the windows. We went through the town at present saber and cheering like hell. Our regiment was in the advance.
Just as the rear of our Brigade was coming in town (it was the 18th [Pennsylvania Cavalry]), we heard some cannon in our rear. Some thought it was a salute for the town but by God, it was a salute to us to let us know that the Rebs was in our rear for just as I looked around, I heard another crack and saw a shell burst in town and then our regiment was drawn up in line of battle & drew saber & revolver. And while we was doing this, the Johnnies came hell to bent into the 18th [Pennsylvania], and the 18th got scared and run and the Rebs came up to the 5th [New York] and then at it they went. The 5th drove them to the edge of town & then came down the Bloody 1st [West Virginia] and you know the Rebs had to get. But by God! it was pretty hot for awhile. We drove them 1½ miles and then they rallied behind their artillery and Great God but they did pour the grape and canister into us. We was within 20 yards of their cannon.
The fight lasted all day but we drove them. Lieut. M[axwell] Carroll of Co. F got wounded & Sergeant [Garrett C.] Selby got killed. I cannot tell our loss exactly but out of the Brigade, we did not lose over 12 or 14 killed, 20 or 25 wounded, & 50 or 60 prisoners. But the Rebs lost 52 killed, 87 wounded, & about 100 prisoners.
From there we marched on to Gettysburg, stood picket on the right wing, & the next morning we went to the left and our battery—Battery E, 4th U. S. [commanded by Lt. Samuel S. Elder], commenced shelling everything they saw. The Rebs was getting whipped and they tried to cut their way through us, so Gen. Kilpatrick ordered our Brigade to charge the Rebs. So our regiment was drawn up on the right, 1st Vermont on the left & 18th [Pennsylvania] in the center, and the 5th [New York] was left to support the battery. The bugles blew forward [in the late afternoon, July 3rd] and away went the Brigade. The Brigade [went] through a piece of woods, tore down a fence under fire of the Rebs, and charged on them behind a stone fence. ³ There was a Brigade of Reb infantry [1st Texas] that we charged on. There we lost Capt. [William N.] Harriss [of Co. E]. Adjutant [Sidney W.] Knowles [of Co. E] killed. Lieut. [Henry J.] Lazear, [Arthur S.] Palmer, & [Hiram] Robinett wounded, & I do not know how many of the boys of the regiment but our company did not lose a man.
Our General [Elon J. Farnsworth] had seven balls in him. The blood of the Adjutant [Knowles] got all over [Henry W.] Clark [of Co. N]. Our regiment lost about one-third killed, wounded, prisoners & dismounted—more dismounted than anything else. From there our Division went to cut off the Reb’s trains [at Monterey Pass or Gap]. The Michigan boys [in the 2nd Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Custer] took the advance but when we come up to the trains, the Michigan [boys] would not charge and Gen. [Judson] Kilpatrick sent for Col. [Nathaniel P.] Richmond (he was com[mander of] our Brigade [after Farnsworth was killed]) and told him to bring up the 1st W. Va. Kilpatrick said we would follow the Colonel to hell if he went, so down went the 1st [W. Va.], hell to split, charged the wagons, took about 250 wagons & ambulances, 1,800 prisoners. & one piece of artillery. [We] burnt most of the wagons—could not bring them. Among the prisoners was 200 officers. Harry Clark was wounded very bad. He was left at Smithstown, too bad to fetch along.
Jo, I must stop [writing] about the fights until you come back. Our of our regiment we have not got over 75 good horses. Yours is all right. We have been sent to Frederick City to do Provost duty. When you start for the regiment, come to Baltimore and take the Frederick City train. It is only 42 miles. We have good times now. Jo, I must close as you see all my paper is gone. Good night from your true friend, — R. F. Wilson
P. S. Excuse all mistakes [and] bad writing for I am in a hell of a hurry & no place fit to write. I am sitting on the ground with the paper in my lap.
Yours as ever. — R. F. Wilson
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