McCormick Family Notes

1)Undated, single page note.
To: Margaret McCormick, sister
From: Robert F. McCormick

Mentions:
Charl
Argo

Margaret I want
you to bring me one or
two pairs of my best socks
with you as you come
to the fair, if you cannot
come send them by some person.
I would have sent you
some money but Argo
borrowed some of me and
cannot pay it back, I will
send you some some time
for your work for me.
Tell Charl to come and
stay all night before he goes
down the river.

Robert

2)Letter, 8/17/1862
To: General to McCormick Family
From: Robert F. McCormick

Mentions:
Ed
Jim
Lue Smith
Ed Selfridge
Abe Rock

[written upside down and in the right and left corners:]
left: Well Ed calls me I will close and go in.
right: Well it is now [8] o clock I will go and shave.

Sunday Aug 17, 1862

Dear Friends
This pleasent Sunday mo-
rning finds me able for
duty and as we expect to
remain in camp today it is
my desire to write you a few
lines. I have come out in the
woods away from the crowd
and I am all alone under
a cluster of shady pine brush.
This I think is the first
Sunday that we have not been
on the march for 2 months.
We know not when Sunday comes
only by counting the days. There
are 12,000 cavalry here in
sight and some are butchering
others shooting and others
gamb[o]ling. The wickedness of

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all things wicked are carried
on here. I never heard what
wickedness and hard swearing
was before I got in the large
armyes. We don't stay with the
infantry any more we are attached
to a cavalry Brigade in which is
the first & second Pa Regt - 1^st Michigan
1^st R.I. 1^st Vt, 1^st Md - 5^th
NY, 5 & 9 NY, 1^st NJ - 1^st
[?T]. And others. We came in this
camp last night and it is on the
Rapidan River a few miles from
the Battle Ground. We are advancing
towards Gordensville in advance
of Popes army. A large amount of
Burnsides men are here and it
is reported that McLelland will
soon be with us - well here comes
some kind of order the bugal
is blowing I must go. Oh! The
bugle blowed only for us
all to come together to let us

page 3
know that there would
be Preaching at 11. I went
to work and got dinner for
me and Jim Lue Smith
Ed Selfridge Abe Rock before
meeting time and have been
to meeting for the first time
in the regiment. Our preacher
is a first rate fellow and a
good doctoral preacher. He
preached a good short patriotic
sermon from the first []
verces of the first Salm - Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the
councils of the ungodly & C.
He told us that the best soldiers
were those who enjoy religion [not]
those who never had religion
he thought the man who lost his
religion on volunteering were in-
clined to flinch. You have all
read of the Battle of Slaughter
Mountain in the western

page 4
papers. Five days after the
battle there were dead men found
who could not be moved and were
just cover[e]d up as they lay. Some
times you might see parts of his
cloths uncovered. Such is the fate of
a soldier; as long as he is an aff-
ective soldier he gets crackers
but when killed he is just pitched
in a hole by the side of some body
else. I hope that God may spare
my life to get out of the service
but it does not appear to me that
I well ever get out. At the skirmish
we had away at the right flank in
the time of this Battle I seemed to
be waiting for my turn it seemed
as though they flew in every direction
within one inch of me but I was
never touched. I had an extra horse
in the service rode by an other fellow
which was slightly wounded but I
believe I will loose him as he can
not go on duty. However he only
cost me $25 I will not loose much.
Some of the boys say that Jims horse
jumped a ditch and fell and threw
him off. Jim says him self that
his horse got up and went of[f] again.
The horse he got was nearly where
his own fell and he just mounted
him and rode off he knows nothing
of where the rider was. Probably killed
[one nearly as] good as his own.

No Signature

3) Letter, 9/27/1862
To: Margaret McCormick, sister
From: Robert F. McCormick

Mentions:
Lewis Smith
James McCoker
Guss Massey
Abe Miller
Will
Harriet
Pap [Ross?]
George Colliflower
Sam Mannen
Uncles
Father
Charlie
Joseph Greer

Washington City, DC
Sept 27^th 1862

Dear Sister:
Well as usual [&] 25 days without
any word from home.
We receive mail every day, time and
again and day after day I have looked
in vain for a letter from Home.
While others have received as high as 8
from Quaker Bottom since I got one.
Lewis Smith received 4 from Home this evening.
James McCoker has received 4 since I did one.
Why do you ask me to write often when I
have to get down on the ground to write.
You can sit by your Family desk and write
to me. Tomorrow morning the []
the 2^nd & 3^rd Virginia infantry will start via
[Pittsburg] to Western Virginia; the Baltimore &
Ohio R.R. is destroyed. Our regiments will
probably start tomorrow or next day to Fairfax
[C. H.] I never seen fist fighting in my
life until I came in the army. Hardly an
hour passes without a fight; last night at midnight

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I was awakened and seen two men
fight untill their clothes were all bloody
they were drinking and fell out playing
cards. About one 5^th of our men are drunk all
the time and you might travel from daylight
untill midnight and see every ten steps
card playing for money. Guss Massey is
a regular gambler Abe Miller is as reckless
as [me]. Some of our men are smugling
whiskey and make money at it;
If you knew how I feel in this crowd
and knew how I value your letters you
would not let me go a month without a letter.
I never write a letter only what I write
home and I will not write any more only
when I write in answer to what I receive
from you, the last letter was dated the ^1st
of Sept by Father; we will soon be paid
and I will send some money home. I
received a Register last night. Our mail is
regular every evening, I never receive
any [] from home although you

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and Will, Harriet, Pap [Ross?], Uncles and George
Colliflower & Sam Mannen can all write.
I do love a patriotic young man, but a
cowerd as a man who would not fight for his
country when their circumstances demand it I
do utterly despise. However when you get
to commanding the affairs you must use salt in
your corn [dodgers?]. And you will never make
any for me should I ever get home.
I hate bad enough to hear of uncles
girls and others keeping company with such
fellows, and you may be assured I hate to
her of you much worse. I do sincerely in
my heart wish you well and wish you
all the enjoyment in the world. And if
there are not other company to go with, I
will send you money to go elsewhere-
your disposition and personal appearance will
always command respect and good company.
I ask you to seek and you will obtain
it, if at my expense, my hopes for any future
enjoyments are not flattering I assure you.
I don't look to the future at all, I can only
hope without expectations. I have a piece
of poetry on the Death of Charlie which

Direct your letters as this envelop
is directed. We have drunken officers in
our Regiment & I am going to seek
some plan to get out of it some time-
I subscribe myself your Brother

Rob

4)Letter, 12/21/1863
To: unknown
From: Robert F. McCormick

Mentions:
Harry Gray as pen name

New Creek Station, Va.
Decr 21^st 1863

Dear Friend
Last night I was made the happy
recipient of a short note with your
signature, and my duty demands
a response to your worth note.
You see my real name is not Harry
Gray but I assumed that name
under which to advertise and I alw-
ays give my real name on my first
correspondence. I am a Soldier in
the Union Army and will have
served three years in July next after
which I intend Settling myself in
life. I am a Single man 27 years
of age and was never married nor
engaged. Having been in different
portions of the country North and
South, I was in New Orleans in

Sergt Robert F. McCormick
Co "G" 1^st Va Cavalry
New Creek West Va

5) Letter, 9/29/1864
To: Margaret McCormick, sister
From: Robert F. McCormick
who died 10/19/1864.

Mentions:
Will
Bill Forgey
Mary
Ben

[upside down at the top of the first page]
Marg now don't fail to write every few days for
you don't know how lonesome and bad off I am.

Winchester Va Sept 29 1864

Dear Sister:
This evening finds me able to sit up and write you a letter to
inform you that I am yet alive and nothing but a very
soar arm to complain of. A few days ago I wrote to Will
and since then I have not got much better, but my arm
has been examined and the Doctors say it will get
well but I will likely loose the use of my fingers as the
leaders are all torn off. I am patiently awaiting to see if
it wont get well as ever oh what will I do if I loose
a hand. I have not heard from the regiment since I wrote
to Will. I do not know when they will get discharged nor
[no] don't know when I will get mine but as soon as I
get well I will get it. Oh Marg I wish I was where I
could have your care to my wound. I wouldent have to
beg an hour before I get it dressed of a morning. Some
times a lady comes in with some soup of some kind.
I look in vain imagination for you. Oh for the time to
come when I can enjoy life again at Home. There is a man sett-
ing by my side who belongs to S[ive] Smith Co and he seen Bill
Forgey a few days after the fight & all the boys are safe.
Marg it has been so long since I heard from home I

No Signature