Today in the Civil War

Henry and Mary Warner lived in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now part of Pittsburgh. They are the great-grandparents of poet Marianne Moore.  By the 1860s they had three surviving children:  John, Henry, and Anne. Their letters to John, a Presbyterian minister living in Gettysburg, are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.

  Transcript:

Allegheny City, Wednesday, June 4^th 1862, 3 P.M.

Our Dear Children, Your truly welcome letter, dated Gettysburgh 2^nd and Post mark Chambursburgh June 3^rd reached us this morning. I was glad to have it for mother who said she had a poor nights rest, at present she seems more lively, is looking over the newspaper beside me, we sincerely hope by this time Jennie is safe over all her trouble, be this as it may, there will always be a dangerous liability to take cold while nursing, and the consequence will surely be a similar attack, in that case a good sweat will give relief but the perspiration must subside gradually, some are more adicted to this than others. Cleaning house mother says will be a very dangerous undertaking and strongly advises you to let the house alone until fall of the year—When we do leave, we think we can reach you, without you putting yourself to the trouble of coming to Harrisburgh, we are all in excellent health & spirits Henry was with us last Sabbath & left on monday morning We had a goodly number of ministers in our community latterly they are all scattered and the two cities seem lonesome—we were glad to hear Mr. Paxton visited our U.P. synod with an address from the old school body, favouring an interchange of friendship between the two bodies—we are anxiously looking forward for the fall of Richmond—we think the rebels will have work enough to do without troubling either Locust Hill, Gettysburgh, or Pittsburgh—one thing is certain they cannot be every where!

Mother has got her teeth, she thinks they are a bad fit, but people who have had the same ordeal to go through, say, she will get accustomed to them.

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 4 June 1862. Moore VI:05:07

Henry and Mary Warner lived in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now part of Pittsburgh. They are the great-grandparents of poet Marianne Moore.  By the 1860s they had three surviving children:  John, Henry, and Anne. Their letters to John, a Presbyterian minister living in Gettysburg, are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.

Transcript:

Allegheny City Wednesday May 28^th 1862 2 P.M.

Our Dear Children, Weather delightful after a refreshing nights rain

Mother went over to Westby this forenoon, he was not at home, she is at present sitting sewing in this room. We are all in excellent health & spirits; On last thursday morning I was violently attacked with cholera morbus, since that time I have moved along very delicately, was at meeting on Sabbath both fore & afternoon, we did not entertain any of the numbers of the general assembly, we think that as they met on the Pittsburgh side of the water they almost all lodged over there—there will be no meeting in our church on next Sabbath, or the Sabbath after that, as it will require that time, to give it a thorough cleaning out.

We are anxiously looking forward for the good news of Jennie’s improved health, on the receipt of your letter on last saturday we were truly sorry to read of her sufferings—Mother says if it should beal again, the poultice should be continued without intermission until the discharge would entirely cease

From the late news, it would seem, as if the rebels were about to draw a little nearer to you, than they have been for some time, we hope by the time we visit you, they will, (if not crushed out) at least confine themselves to Dixie, we are as near now to them, as we would wish to be.

Kind remembrance to Mrs Craig

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 28 Mayl 1862. Moore VI:05:06

John Riddle Warner was the grandfather of the poet Marianne Moore and during the Civil War he lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. George Eyster was his brother-in-law and lived in Chambersburg. These letters are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.

   Transcript:

Chambersburg May 28/62

Dear John,

In reply to your letter to Mary I would state that we have not been unduly excited. An earnest effort was made, to be sure, to raise troops in response to a call, and had the emergency continued, 500, or even more, could have been sent. Many of Banks’ retreating soldiers stopped not short of here; And numbers were turned back by policemen on request of the general by telegraph. A number of the Union citizens of Winchester are so joining here, whilst hundreds of negroes fleeing from the sacred soil have passed through. Of the latter quite a number have tarried. Many are women and are offering themselves as house-servants. Most seem to have fled from terror; few, inspired by the hope of freedom. The scene in Winchester on Sabbath morning is described as terrific. The atrocities of the rebels, perpetrated in the pursuit, as related to me by professed eye-witnesses, I forbear to relate, inasmuch as I cannot credit all. One will suffice: An Ohio soldier, belonging to Shield’s Division and left sick in the hospital at Strasburg when that officer was ordered to Fredericksburg, and also accompanied Banks Division in its flight, says he saw Wagons, belonging to Banks’ train, and containing sick and wounded soldiers, set fire to by the rebels after their capture, and consumed with their living freight!

Mother arrived a few minutes since. In regard to the inquiry you made on her behalf; I may say, in the language of the Newspaper correspondents: “All quiet along the Potomac.” Banks has been reinforced at Harpers Ferry with 20000 men, (True) and the rebels have ceased their pursuit, prudently looking to their rear

Yours

Geo Eyster

No newspaper office was disturbed here on Sabbath. The “Mail” office, in Hagerstown was robbed on that day.

Citation: George Eyster, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Chambersburg, Pa.; 28 May 1862. Moore VI:05:06

Henry and Mary Warner lived in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now part of Pittsburgh. They are the great-grandparents of poet Marianne Moore.  By the 1860s they had three surviving children:  John, Henry, and Anne. Their letters to John, a Presbyterian minister living in Gettysburg, are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.

Transcript:

Allegheny City Wednesday May 21^st 1862 2 P.M.

Our Dear Children—Here I am writing to the absent ones—Mother & Anne left after dinner, for Mr Westby dentist, day delightful and all in excellent health & spirits—sincerely do we hope by this time that Jennie, little Mary, & yourself enjoy the blessings of good health & that the next letter you favour us with will bring us this joyful news; On Monday evening Mr Bigham called on us, spent about an hour chatting in the front parlour, informed us that his mother & Mrs Carnahan were over in Penn St at the house of General Stuart No. 299 that they would leave on tuesday in the afternoon at 4 oclock, according to agreement we waited on them yesterday at 9 ½ oclock, saw the old lady, her son, Mr. & Mrs Carnahan & Mr. & Mrs Stewart—had quite a pleasant interview of about an hour, took leave & wished them a pleasant journey home—young Abraham Patterson was wounded at Williamsburgh slightly in the hand, we saw his name in the paper, his father & mother left this for Philadelphia to see him but word was sent them that he would not leave the regiment, they therefore returned home, we suppose he wishes to be present at the fall of Richmond, should we be so successful as to capture it, which I sincerely hope may be the case—We are now in uninterrupted communication with Shelbyville, Archy has sent us a Union paper published there, called the Tri weekly news, violent in favour of the Union & bitterly denouncing Jeff Davis, Floyd, Beauregard & CO as Usurpers & rebels of the deepest dye, so we go—our synod meets today we have had no strangers yet and we do not expect to have any—Anne says that Dr Plummer’s congregation does not seem diminished in the least—Yesterday Mother went to see Mrs Patterson in the afternoon also visited Jennette K. Saw Mrs Young who, she says, is greatly failed—We are much pleased with our neighbours next door. On Monday day before yesterday just as we were sitting down to dinner a messenger came running in for mother, a little girl about 4 years old pulled a table over her nose causing the blood to start from her eyes it looked very bad at the time and during the day leeches were applied yesterday and this day all looks well and the face will not be disfigured in the least—I cannot scrape up any more news for you—remember us affectionately to Mrs Craig

Your affectionate father and mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 30 April 1862. Moore VI:05:06