Bloody7th
Private
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2015
Hey guys:
This is my first real post on here, but have a bit of a mystery and curious if anyone can shed some light on this for me.
I've been reading "My Heart Is So Rebellious: The Caldwell Letters 1861-1865" which are a collection of letters written by a woman living in Warrenton, VA to her husband who was working as a clerk in Richmond.
On p. 37 of the book there is a letter written on July 24, 1861 by a family friend (John William Finks) to this woman's husband (Lycurgus Caldwell). Finks had been to the Manassas battlefield very shortly after the fighting and tells Lycurgus that: "I got a Haversack which was picked up with Ezra Caldwell Compy. E No. 26 on it and gave it to Will."
(Will, or Willie is Lycurgus' son).
On p. 38, Lycurgus' wife, Susan, also mentions the haversack in a letter also dated July 24, 1861, as follows:
"Mr. Finks brought Willie a haversack with the name of Caldwell on it. I wonder if he could have been one from the Island. It's Isam or Isham Caldwell."
Ok - so Susan was originally from Charleston, SC, and she seems to be implying that this was a Confederate haversack. My first thought when reading about it, I had assumed this was a Yankee haversack that had been picked up in the mountain of goodies left behind by the Union army.
I also thought I could easily pop these names into civilwardata.com or Fold3 and come up with some candidate soldiers (north or south) who may have lost this haversack at First Manassas, but I have come up with absolutely nothing.
Little details like this drive me to distraction. Who lost this **** haversack?
I've looked at OOB's for First Manassas and there are no regiments numbered 26 that I could find either.
Thoughts?
This is my first real post on here, but have a bit of a mystery and curious if anyone can shed some light on this for me.
I've been reading "My Heart Is So Rebellious: The Caldwell Letters 1861-1865" which are a collection of letters written by a woman living in Warrenton, VA to her husband who was working as a clerk in Richmond.
On p. 37 of the book there is a letter written on July 24, 1861 by a family friend (John William Finks) to this woman's husband (Lycurgus Caldwell). Finks had been to the Manassas battlefield very shortly after the fighting and tells Lycurgus that: "I got a Haversack which was picked up with Ezra Caldwell Compy. E No. 26 on it and gave it to Will."
(Will, or Willie is Lycurgus' son).
On p. 38, Lycurgus' wife, Susan, also mentions the haversack in a letter also dated July 24, 1861, as follows:
"Mr. Finks brought Willie a haversack with the name of Caldwell on it. I wonder if he could have been one from the Island. It's Isam or Isham Caldwell."
Ok - so Susan was originally from Charleston, SC, and she seems to be implying that this was a Confederate haversack. My first thought when reading about it, I had assumed this was a Yankee haversack that had been picked up in the mountain of goodies left behind by the Union army.
I also thought I could easily pop these names into civilwardata.com or Fold3 and come up with some candidate soldiers (north or south) who may have lost this haversack at First Manassas, but I have come up with absolutely nothing.
Little details like this drive me to distraction. Who lost this **** haversack?
I've looked at OOB's for First Manassas and there are no regiments numbered 26 that I could find either.
Thoughts?
Bringing the