William Darius Burdick – Civil War Letter

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Burdick, Civil War, Walworth Co WI, Wis 22nd Co D

This letter [transcript at end] was written 22 December 1864 by William Darius Burdick (1826-1897) of Walworth Co., WI to his brother Ethan Burdick of Adams Co., WI.  They were two of the sons of Peleg Clarke Burdick Sr. and his wife Thankful (Hall), formerly of Otsego Co., NY.

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Transcript, William Darius Burdick letter 22 December 1864
[Verbatim, sentence breaks/punctuation added for clarity]

Dear Brother
I receved your letter vary gladly and thankfully. I am well as comon, probably I never will have the use of my right leg again but the lords will must be dun. I am vary glad to hear that your famely is well. I have not hurd from my famely sense the 9 of this month, then my wife was up around the house. Ines was braking out with the small pox. You wanted to know whare my famely lived. They liv whare they did when Marget was down thare. I bought 40 acers more thare. It mks me a good home now.
[Page 2]
I will giv you a little nolage of my soldering. I enlisted the forth day of last […?] I staid hear in madison two weeks and then went down to Nashville and staid thare three weeks and dun gard duty in Nashville and then we started to go [frunt?] We Mached 15 days. I ws on scurmish line five days. We Marched 25 mills one day and bilt two brest works and the last one we bilt was about ten o’clock at night and thar is whare I got hurt by a log and after I got hurt we was orderd to lay down under the brest works. We wernt aloud to have our tents up and it raind aful hard
[Page 3]
and I tookt cold in my hip. This was on tailars ridg in gorgy. The next morning we had orders to marck and the doctor came and told me I must go back. He told me to lay thare on the ground untill the ambelane came up and then git in and go to the Hospital but when the regment started I took my gun and started, used it for cruck and when we got about half a mile the rebs took pesesion of our brest works and thay wold took me to if I had staid thare. I went that day with them and then went to the Hospital in ringold the 13 of last may.
[Page 4]
I hav ben in the Hospital ever sence. I was transfrd hear the 2nd day of last August. They hav mde out my dischrge and sent it to milwake to hav it sind. I enliste[d] in the 22 regment co D. Right as soon as you get this from your Brother W D Burdick
[To]
Ethan Burdick
Springville

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George W. Oakes

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4th Wisconsin, Civil War, Herren, Oakes

A snippet for the Oakes folks today. I never knew that gr-gr-gr-grandpa had any particular claim to heroism, but the local newspaper accorded him that status.  This information did not appear in his obituary but as a remark in an editor’s page entry, which suggests to me that the information may have come from Edwin Herren.  The two men served in the 4th Wisconsin (and, once again, I refer anyone interested in the subject to Michael J. Martin’s book on their history).

Kilbourn Weekly Illustrated Events, Vo. 1, No. 141, page 8
Saturday, April 12, 1906
Major Ed. Herrren, of Fond du Lac, came today to attend the funeral of George Oakes. He has reason to entertain an especial regard for his former comrade. When Major Herren lay on the battlefield with a shattered leg from which he would certainly have bled to death George Oakes, in a hail of bullets and shells, picked up his commander and carried him to safety.

“Safety” is a somewhat relative term in this instance.  Herren (then holding the rank of captain) was taken to a field hospital where he survived the amputation of his shattered leg.  He would ultimately live to the advanced age of 82.

Civil War Veterans from Wisconsin

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4th Wisconsin Infantry & Cavalry, Adams Co WI, Civil War, Oakes, Old Photos, Wisconsin Ancestors

This photo is apparently a group of Civil War veterans, all of whom probably served from Wisconsin.  The only fact I personally can vouch for is that the man in the front row holding a cane or walking stick, fourth from the left, is my ancestor, George W. Oakes of Adams Co., Wisconsin.  There is a faint pencil mark “x” directly beneath his image.  George was a member of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry & Cavalry.  Incidentally, for anyone interested in the subject who has not already read Michael J. Martin’s history of the 4th Wisconsin, I highly recommend the book.

1864 Letter from William Darius Burdick

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Burdick, Civil War, Gardner, Hall, Walworth Co WI

William Darius Burdick, whose given and middle names are sometimes switched, seems to have usually been called Darius by family (some of whom used the spelling Darias).  He wrote this letter to his brother Ethan while hospitalized for injuries received serving in the Civil War.  The son of Peleg C. and Thankful (Hall) Burdick, he married Mary Gardner or Gardner.  He died in 1897 at the age of 70 in Lake Geneva, Walworth Co., WI.  An approximate transcript of the letter follows the images.

[Transcript]

Dec the 22nd 1864

Dear Brother

I receved your letter vary gladly and thankfully I am well as comon probably I will never have the use of my right leg again but the lords will must be dun[.]  I am vary glad to hear that your family is well[.] I hav not hurd from my family sence the 9 of this month[.] Then my wife was up around the house[.] Ines was a braking out with the small pox[.] You wanted to know whare my family lived[.] Thay liv whare thay did when Marget was down thare[.] I bought 40 acers more thare[.] It mks me a good home now[.] I will giv you a little nolage of my soldering[.] I enlisted the forth day of last January[.] I staid hear in Madison two weeks and then went down to Nashville and staid there three weeks and dun gard duty in Nashville and then we started to go [frunt?] We mached 15 days[.] I was on scurmish line five days[.] We marched 25 milles one day and bilt two brest works and the last one we bilt was about ten oclock at night and thar is whare I got hurt by a log and after I got hurt we was orderd to lay down under the brest works[.] We wernt aloud to have our tents up and it raind awful hard and I tookt cold in my hip[.] This was on tailors ridg in gorgy[.] The next morning we had orders to march and the docter came and told me I must go back[.] He told me to lay thar on the ground untill the ambelanc came up and then git in and go to the hospital but when the regment started I took my gun and started[,] used it for a cruch and when we got about half a milld the rebs took pessesion of our brest works and they wold took me to if I had staid thare[.] I went that day with them and then went to the hospital in ringold the 13 of last May[.]   I have ben in the hospital ever sense[.] I was transfrd hear the 2nd day of last August[.] Thay hav made out my discharge and sent it to Milwauke to have it sind[.] I enlisted in the 22 regment Co D[.] Right as soon as you get this from your brother W D Burdick

[addressed to]
Ethan Burdick
Springvill