Abby Howland Woolsey’s Journal New York, Monday. Georgy’s letter of the 23d, written on the Spaulding from White House, came in this morning at breakfast, which is more prompt than usual. It tells of the proposed opening of hospital tents ashore, and two thousand sick ready to put into them at once. Why the Commission [...]
One of the favorite relics to send home from the front used to be shot and shell picked up on battle fields. Carry seemed to feel less grateful than we expected for those forwarded to 8 Brevoort Place, from the immediate front of the Sanitary Commission. Caroline Woolsey to Charles Woolsey Friday Morning Dear Charley: [...]
Jane Stuart Woolsey to a friend in Europe May 23, 1862. We all talk politics now. I asked a wide-awake cousin to-day, ” What do you think about England now?” “England? England?” was the answer, “I had entirely forgotten that there was such a country!” . . . Our English friends sent us Mr. Gladstone’s [...]
From Mother 8 Brevoort Place, Friday Morning. My dear Girls and Charley.—All your notes and letters are of thrilling interest to us now, and though we think it very kind of you to take a minute even for us, in the midst of all that is going on around you, we are craving enough to [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to her sisters Georgeanna Woolsey and Eliza Howland. May. My Dear Children : . . . Doesn’t Charley want something? Mother is racking her brain to think what it can be, as he no doubt does want something, going off in the hurry he did. She is afraid, too, that he is [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to her sister, Eliza Howland. Dear E. : The returning Spaulding takes to you 12 Boston rockers, 6 boxes of brandy (if it gets there), 1 package of mosquito bar (getting very scarce), a bundle and a basket, and chewing tobacco, for Charley to distribute! . . . Tell him the 22d [...]
Eliza Woolsey Howland to her husband, Joe. Floating Hospital, Spaulding, Off White House, May 22. We are to go on shore presently to see what we can do for the large field hospital there. Two of our doctors, Ware and Draper of New York, spent the day yesterday trying to organize it and make the [...]
From Dr. Hugh Lenox Hodge. On Board Hospital Ship “Whilldin,” Chesapeake Bay, May 21, 1862. Dear Georgy: We are again on the Bay on our way to join the army. I was very sorry that we moved up to Queen’s Creek for the wounded of Williamsburgh before Eliza and yourself examined the Commodore. For a [...]
From Abby New York, May 19, 1862. My Dear Children: I am writing in a bookstore down town. . . . We had a famous letter on Saturday from you, Georgy, and another, half Eliza’s half Charley’s. I did not discover at first at what word one broke off and the other began. Your adventures [...]
Georgeanna Wolsey to her Mother. May 19. We are lying in the Spaulding just below the burnt railroad bridge on the Pamunkey. It is startling to find so far from the sea a river whose name we hardly knew two weeks ago, where our anchor drops in three fathoms of water, and our ship turns [...]
E. writes. Spaulding (hospital ship) Half a mile above us is the White House naming the place, a modern cottage if ever “white” now drabbed over, standing where the early home of Mrs. Washington stood. We went ashore this morning, and with General Franklin and his aides strolled about the grounds —an unpretending little place, [...]
E’s Journal. May 17, Spaulding. Steaming up York River. We have just been transferred to this big The boat, while the Wilson Small goes for repairs. This boat will accommodate four or five hundred men in bunks, now being put up by the carpenter and filled with mattresses stuffed by the “Lost Children” who are [...]
Abbie Howland Woolsey to Georgy and Eliza. Friday, May 16. We have hundreds of dollars sent to us to spend “for the soldiers.” Mr. Wm. Aspinwall, for one, sent Jane a cheque for $250. Now how shall we lay it out, so as to be most useful? Dr. G. said it made him heartsick, as [...]
Charley’s hurried letters from Headquarters of the Sanitary Commission no doubt gave the account of his arrival and his work as purser on the Daniel Webster, and as clerk in the Quartermaster’s Department later. We have nothing left but an occasional mention of letters as received. Aunt E. among others says, “ Charley’s long, interesting [...]
Eliza’s journal. May 14. I can’t keep the record of events day by day, but last Friday we came down again from West Point to Yorktown, and G. and I went to Fortress Monroe on two hospital ships, G. on the Knickerbocker with the sick of Franklin’s Division, and Miss Whetten and I on the [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Georgy and Eliza. May 14. My dear Girls: Since Mother wrote you yesterday the Daniel Webster has come in again. Fred Rankin called last night with a message from Mrs. Trotter, whom he met in the street on the way from the steamer to take the cars for home. He told [...]
From Mother. 8 Brevoort Place, May 13th. My Dear Girls: I have just come up to my own room from breakfast, and from the reading of your most welcome and satisfactory letter, my dear Eliza, written off West Point; and now before anything calls off my attention, or any visitors arrive to “sit the morning,” [...]
Georgeanna to Mother. Steamer Knickerbocker. If my letter smells of “Yellow B.” sugar, it has a right to, as my paper is the cover of the sugar-box. Since I last wrote I have been jumping round from boat to boat, and Saturday came on board the Knickerbocker at Mr. Olmsted’s request, with Mrs. Strong and [...]
Georgy to Mother. “Ocean Queen.” It seems a strange thing that the sight of such misery should be accepted by us all so quietly as it was. We were simply eyes and hands for those three days. Strong men were dying about us; in nearly every ward some one was going. Yesterday one of the [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Georgy and Eliza. 8 Brevoort Place, Saturday. My Dear Girls: How little we know where you are and what worlds of work you are doing. It is hard to keep still, I know, where so much ought to be done. . . Yesterday Charley and the Webster were to sail and [...]
Georgeanna’s journal. Lenox Hodge happened to have come over from his hospital station on shore to call on us, just as the first patients arrived for the Ocean Queen, and, being the only doctor on hand at the time, was pressed into the service. He superintended the lowering into the forward cabin of all the very [...]
Eliza Woolsey Howland to Joe Howland. May 7th, ‘62. My dear Joe: Down in the depths of the Ocean Queen, with a pail of freshly-made milk punch alongside of me, a jug of brandy at my feet, beef tea on the right flank, and untold stores of other things scattered about, I write a hurried [...]
Georgeanna’s Journal. Wilson Small. The Merrimac is out; and the Monitor and Naugatuck are fighting her. The Galena has run up the James towards Richmond. We are lying along the dock at Yorktown quietly, where four days ago the rebels were ducking themselves in the water. Franklin’s division has moved up to West Point with [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Georgy and Eliza. New York, May 7th, 1862. My dear Girls: I hadn’t time to write a long letter, but must send off a note to say that the Daniel Webster came to the dock at dusk yesterday. Charley went down at once, thinking there was a possible chance of your [...]
Eliza’s Journal. On the York River, May 5. Before we were up this morning, though that was very early, the army fleet (including Joe’s transport) was off up York river to cut off the retreat of the rebels. Our last load of sick came on board the Webster this morning early, and by nine o’clock [...]