Letter from Benjamin Franklin Coffman [*]
Cpl., Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry,
“Stonewall” Brigade
to his wife, Euphemia [nee Strickler] Coffman
18 September 1864
[edited by Dean Franklin “Frank” Coffman, Jr.
great grand nephew of Benj. F. Coffman
(my thanks to cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Thos. R. Laurencelle,
for a photocopy of original)]
NOTE: I have attempted to represent the lines and pages of the
letter as accurately as possible in the following. Spellings are as they appear in the letter. One or two places are unclear, and
I’ve interpolated in brackets my best guess as to the wording or
spelling.
Sept 18 th/” ‘64 Dear Wife, I will
Try + pen you a few lines to let
you know that I am well, + hope
that when these few lines reach you will
find you all the same. I got your letter
sometime ago was very glad to hear
from you, Ca[l?] Rothgeb wrote a letter
to A M. Hite said you all was very [sick?]
let me know something about it.
You can write a large Page, we are only
allowed to write few lines, let me
know how mutch wheat you
expect to make + whether you
expect to get any saved this fall +
how the corn crop is, + whether there
is any apples, + whether you have
all the horses yet or not. + how
the little boys comes on [1] + every thing
that you can write, our fair is
pretty rough here + very little at
that, but a Rebel can stand almost
anything.
[emphasis by the editor] / END
PAGE ONE
But I still hope to get away from here
this fall yet, though I fear sometimes
we wont. [2] My clothes is all very good
you kneed not be uneasy about me
I will try to take care of myself
the best I can. Albert [3] sent me
some clothes and provision + Joseph [4] said
he would send me some money. he
also sent me his daughter likeness
tell Amb Hites [5] folks he is well +
doing as well as could be expected.
I would like very much to get
home but fear it will be some
time yet though can’t tell, is Sam
Miller at home yet. I would like
hear from you often. There is a great
deal of Dixie mail comes in. I would
like to hear from the Company if it
could be so.
They have had a hard
time this summer. I hear from
all my Brothers tolerably often. They
are all well.
The Yanks said we sh
ould not send any news by the sick
and wounded that is going home but I [plan?]
to out Yankee them. No more hope to
hear from you soon. B F C
B. F. Coffman
[emphasis by the editor] / END
OF PAGE TWO AND LETTER
[*] Benjamin
Franklin Coffman
Enlisted in Company H, 33rd
Virginia Infantry at Page County on 16 April 1862, age 26.
Married [Euphenia (nee Strickler)]
with two sons and another due in 3 months at the time of enlistment.
Fought in (at least, may be other
engagements):
Battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia [27
June 1862]
Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia [1
July 1862] wounded at Malvern Hill
Recovering from wounds and absent
from muster July - November 1862
Fought in (at least, may be other
engagements):
Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
[2/3 July 1863]
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House,
Virginia [12 May 1864] captured
Received at Fort Delaware prisoner of war camp
[20 May 1864]
Left Fort Delaware for
prisoner exchange [30 October 1864]
Exchanged at Venus Point, Savannah River, Georgia 15 November 1864 in an exchange of 3023 paroled prisoners.
[1] Their sons born by this date:
John Martin [b. 1859], William Franklin [b.1860], and David Edward [b. 1862].
[2]
Likely the hope for the often-occurring exchange of prisoners that might
facilitate his/their release.
[3] His
elder brother, Elisha Albert Coffman, Mad River Township, Ohio.
[4] His
eldest brother [and the editor’s great grandfather], Joseph William
Coffman, a school teacher in Lincoln, Logan Co., Illinois.
[5]
Ambrose Hite, also a private in Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry,
“Stonewall” Brigade.