Letters from War: 1861 | Sergeant James Silliman and the 28th Pennsylvania under fire at the Battle of Bolivar Heights

Posted on by Jake Wynn

"It is truly wonderful that we had no lives lost in our company," wrote Sergeant James Silliman of Pottsville, PA in October 1861. His unit, Company A, 28th Pennsylvania, had fought hard with Confederate soldiers near Harpers Ferry, Virginia on October 16, 1861. Read his letter.

Letters from War: 1861 | Captain Alfred Dart writes from the banks of the Potomac River on the Fourth of July

Posted on by Jake Wynn

A Fourth of July firefight at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Captain Alfred Dart's Fourth of July opened with a skirmish across the Potomac River. He found time to write home to Carbondale on the holiday. Read the full letter.

Letters from War: 1861 | The 8th Pennsylvania leaves Camp Slifer and marches toward Maryland

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Charles Cyphers and the 8th Pennsylvania have left Camp Slifer behind. Soldiers are everywhere he looks, Harpers Ferry looms on the horizon, and Cyphers tells his editor to expect news of a battle soon — provided no secessionist puts a bullet through him first. Read the full letter.