Letter From Corporal Benjamin Franklin Coffman,

33rd VA INF, Co. H

To His Wife, Euphemia [nee Strickler] Coffman

Dated 12 July 1863

References To The Battle Of Gettysburg And Its Aftermath

 

All spelling, punctuational, and capitalization

abnormalities are as they appear in the letter.

I have also attempted to preserve spacing,
and the line breaks are as they are in the letter.

 

[page one]

 

Camp Near Hagerstown Washington Co. MD.

                                    Sunday Morning July 12th/63

Dear Wife

                                    I again seat myself this

morning to pen you a few lines to let you

know that I am well at this time. hoping

these few lines will find you all the same,

I received a letter from you yesterday dated

June 30th + also one from David [1], he come

to see me in about two hours after I

got the letter. he got to camp Thursday, he

Frank Yowell + Bob Modesitt come

to see me, I also received a letter ten

or twelve days ago from you, I will try

+ give you a Short sketch of the battle

of Gettysburg Adams Co. Pennsylvania, on

Friday the third of July, I think it was

the hardest battle we ever had. Our comp

ny  had four killed + fourteen wounded, four

mortally. that was John P Hite Wm [A.] Keyser

Wm Purdam [Purdham]. There is only three that was so

badly wounded I guess they are dead before this

                                                                               time.

[end of page one]

 

NOTE ON PAGE ONE

 

[1} The “David” refers to Benj. F.’s younger brother,

David J. [Jayne] Coffman, 7th VA Cavalry, Co. D.

 

--------------------

 

[page two]

 

John was nearly dead when we left David [2]

staid with him + fell in the hands of the

Yankees, but that was better than to leave

him and not know what became of him,

James [W.] Menefee Wm Jenkins [3] Haily Maurice [4]

+ John W  [Wesley] Rosenberger was killed, I got

Rosenbergers things out of his pocket + will

send them to his wife as soon as possible, the

worst of all was we did not get to bury

our dead the yankees held their position,

all day but I do not know why they

should not when they was on top of a

mountain [Culp’s Hill] + well fortified, besides that

we could not get any artilery near

enough to do any good, the evening of the

Seckond  Rodes + early whipped them back

+ captured about five thousand prisioners,

there lofs [5] was larger than ours but what

we lofsed was killed + wounded + so many

of theres was prisioners , f [6] we fell back

a short distance that night to a good

position + lay there all next day, but

they would not attacked us, General Lee

said all he asked of them was to come out of there

 

[end of page two]

 

NOTES ON PAGE TWO

 

[2] The “David” here is not Benj. F.’s brother, but rather,

in all likelihood, David C. Hite, the wounded man’s brother,

who was also in Company H.

 

[3] According to the roster of Co. H., there were two

men named William Jenkins in the outfit: William and William

T.  I’m not sure which of these is the wounded man identified.

 

[4] The correct spelling, per the roster, is “Haley Morris.”

 

[5] Old large internal ‘s’ used in script.

Here and elsewhere, I’ve shown this with ‘f.’

 

[6] A single small letter ‘f’ here, likely the beginning

of a sentence attempt with ‘fell back . . .’  I think Benj. F.

decided to add the word ‘we’ with which he continues. . .

“we fell back . . .”

 

--------------------

 

[page three]

 

breast works, + he would whippe them.

I dont think {‘l’ overwritten by ‘L’} Lee is scared very bad or

he would be in more of a hurry about

falling back, General Reynolds the Yankee

General was killed in the first days fight

the Baltimore Sun says they lost several

Generals killed + wounded.  Longstreet

had a fight day before yesterday evening

near Boonsborough it is said he dro{‘f’ overwritten by ‘v’}ve

them back three miles + captured

fifteen pieces of artilery , there was eleven

of our Company wounded some of them only

slightly + some of them had pretty bad

flesh wounds John [P.] Beaver {‘wa’ overwritten by ‘+’} + George [T.]

Wilson was wounded tolerably bad in the

thigh, Wilson was left back I think,

David Stomback was wounded in the arm

the other Capt Shuler was wound stightly

in the forehead, We are now laying in a line

of battle in sight of Hagerstown, the

boys are fortifinng but there is no danger

of the yankees attackeding us here, there is

some little canonading going on at this

time but I don’t think there will be any thing done

 

[end of page three]

 

--------------------

 

[page four]

 

Tell Sam Miller [7] when ever he is ready he

can just come down with Peter + put him in

this company I shall not bother him with that

matter [8] any longer as it is a great deal of trouble

+ not mutch profit, You said you had some notion

of coming down with him. I would like the

best kind to see you but you will find it

a hard trip particular if we would be

marching + Dave [9] said Sam said he could not

bring you unlefs we was very close. Then

perhaps I can get home, you might send me

about ten dollars for I don’t know when

we will draw + send me two shirts of some

kind, I would like to have check or calico

if you could get it but I guess you cant

if not send me too linnen ones, + I dont

know but what got to have a pair pants

I have worn these very mutch on this

march as it has been a very hard trip,

try + send me a few things to eat some

molasses if you can, I do not know how

it will be about getting those things

you want I have had no chance to get any

thing yet, Tell Larkin I cant sent him no

hat they are very scarce + hard to get + it

seems that every body wants them

 

[end of page four and end of letter]

 

NOTES ON PAGE FOUR

 

[7] This “Sam Miller” is most likely the father of “Peter”

[Peter S. (for “Samuel”?) Miller] who ended up on the roster

of Company H.

 

[8] I have no idea what this “matter” was, or what troubles

might have been between Benj. F. and either or both of

the Millers.

 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN COFFMAN
Born: 4 Dec 1836 / Place: Luray, PageCo., Va
Died: 10 Aug 1922 / Place: Elkton, Va.

Benjamin Franklin Coffman, ca 1895 (age approx. 60)
enlargement cropped from a family portrait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Benjamin Franklin Coffman, ca 1915 (age approx. 80).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LINKS

 

OTHER COFFMAN LINKS

 

David J. Coffman (Benj. F.'s younger brother, 7th VA CAV, Co. D)

 

Map of Elmira NY Prison Camp by David J. Coffman

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/elmiraprison/gallery09.html

 

Info on David J. Coffman with the 7th VA CAV and in Prison

Including a letter to his elder brother Albert mentioning their father’s death.

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/elmiraprison/ae.html

ROSTER OF THE 33RD VA INFANTRY, CO. H

 

Roster of Page County's Page Grays - Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/h33rd.html

 

PAGE COUNTY CONFEDERATE UNITS

 

Page County, Virginia

~Confederate Units & Veterans~  /  Home Page

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/pagecoconfeds.html

 

Our Honored Dead (Page Co. Men Killed in Action)

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Arbor/1350/honored.html

 

Luray Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Arbor/1350/index.html

 

“Marching with Stonewall” / Page Grays - Company H of the 33rd VA

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/PageHH/handh6-4-98.html

 

HISTORY

 

The Stonewall Brigade

http://www.stonewallbrigade.com/

 

History of the 33rd Virginia Infantry

http://www.emeraldguard.org/eg1861/eg1861.html

 

The Order of Battle at Gettysburg

http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/pages/classes/hist150b/battleordernoframe.html

 

OTHER LETTERS AND DIARIES

 

Capt. Michael Shuler

http://members.aol.com/Vir33rdreg/P53-198.html

 

Captain Michael Shuler 1862 Diary Excerpt

Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry / "Page Grays"

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/mshuler.htm

 

Biographical Sketch of Captain Michael Shuler

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/MShuler.html

 

Private James John Comer Diary Excerpt

Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry / "Page Grays"

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1850/comer.htm

 

Letters to Joseph E. Artz, Co. C, 33rd VA Infantry, C.S.A.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~vashenan/artzletter.html

 

 

GETTYSBURG AND CULP’S HILL

 

"Courage Against The Trenches"

The Attack and Repulse of Steuart's Brigade on Culp's Hill / July 2 and 3, 1863

http://hometown.aol.com/dlharvey/culps.htm