Civil War Letters The following contain transcriptions of four letters written by Benjamin B. Orbin, while a sergeant in the Union Army during the Civil War. Four Orbin brothers served in the Union Army, Thomas, Joseph, George Walter, and Benjamin. Thomas Orbin enlisted as a private in Company B 85th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry. He was listed as missing in action on June 17, 1864, near Mire Bottom Church, Virginia. The War Department Adjutant General's Office in Washington D.C. reported on November 24, 1866, that Thomas died at Camp Lawton Prison in Georgia November 7, 1864, of chronic diarrhoea while a prisoner of war. Joseph was drafted into the 63rd Regiment Company F of the Pennsylvania Infantry. He suffered gun shot wounds in his leg and left arm on the 22nd of June 1864, near Petersburg VA. He was taken to General Hospital, Washington DC where he died of his wounds. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery (Grave Number 5903). George Walter served as a Private in Company C, 85th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers in the United States Army from October 9, 1861, until October 31, 1864. His service record included the following comment from a superior. "He is a meritorious and deserving solder. And was in the battles of Williamsburg, and Fair Oaks, Va., and Kingston, Whitehall, and Goldsboro, N.C. He also participated in the siege and capture of Ft. Wagner S.C." He was wounded at Morris Island S.C. September 19, 1863, and contracted chronic diarrhea. He was hospitalized from January through August 1864. He rejoined his Company in September of 1864. He was mustered out in October 1864. Benjamin, author of the letters, served in Company B, 85th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers: Washington Co, PA. All the letters were written to his father John P. Orbin. Benjamin's mother, Barbara, had died in 1854, seven years before Ben entered the army. Ben was 25 years old when the first letter was written. These letters were transcribed from photocopies of the originals provided by Thomas Ridenour, who was given the letters by Ben's granddaughters, Bernice and Jessie Orbin. I have tried to preserve Benjamin's unique writing style, while adding some spaces to allow for breathing. Thanks is due to Thomas Ridenour for providing copies of the original letters and for his assistance in deciphering the letters. David Orbin, September 2000 The Letters 1) Written Jan 4, 1862, from Fort Good Hope, a fortification outside Washington, D.C. Benjamin had been in the military 3 months when this letter was written. 2) Written May 29, 1863, from Foley Island, South Carolina. 3) Written February 27, 1864, from Hilton Head, South Carolina. 4) Written April 11, 1864, form Hilton Head South Carolina. Fort Good hope January the 4th, 1862 Dear father i take my pen to Pen you a few lines i just recieved your kind Letter wich i was Glad to hear that you^ens was all well wee are all well and harty wee have Some winter here it Snowed yisterday and night before last there was a nuf to Slay if wee had eney Slays to of rodein i hav to goe about fore miles To morrow to guard a fort or help guard one co B guards fore and one bridge So wee have Something To doe it has been vary disagreeable for some Three weaks but i think it will git more pleasant This month the moast of the fighting that will Be don is expected to bee done this month if such should be the case you will hear of some Hard fighting but i say let it come the rebles will Meet a warm reception everything is quiet here on the acount of bad weather so i Cant write you a vary interresting letter so i hav to quit soon the health of the Regment is vary good at presant i was going to send some More money but i come to the conclueson that I had Better keepe some for soar shins but if wee Git pade this month I'll send some then for you to kepe for me if I come home and if I should be so onluckey to not git home you have the Best Write to it I sent you a paper or so i still git one ever day When i read them I think i might as well send Them to some of youens as to leav them lay a round we had no mail for about a weak until This evning an then there was some glat boys Some of them gat as high as seven leters so Tha had a good time reading i got a letter From uncle Thomas Stephens tha ar all well and harty Poes is all well or was Some time a goe i got a letter from a friend in Masouria tha ar giving The rebles particlar fits. Wee hav one Man in our company that went crazy Saturday Tha tooke him to town today and then had To fetch him home but tha will take him in to morow he toar some of the boys chimblys down he is from Washington County his name is parks well I'll quit for the presant hoping to hear from you soon yours with respect your Servnt Benj orbin Foley Island, SC May 29, 1863 Dear Father I take time To pen you a few lines to let you know how wee ar giting a long wee Stil keap on this island And watch the rebs to keap them from giting possession of it every thing seams to be on a Stand Stil we don't git eney news from the north till we git mail and Then Some times not much the mail onely comes by chance Some times not for too weaks I don't think there will be enye thing don here this Somer but its hard to tel eney thing A bout what will be don but it looks to me as if there would be nothing done here of any importiance for some time yet and maby not at all I Cant tell what our gun boats is doing but they keep Oup A big fus they ar Shooting nearly every night and Sometimes through the day There has been a number of boats tried to run the blackeade but i cant tell how they succeded but no doubt but what Som of them gits through wee can See them and that is all wee know A bout them onely when they Commence Shooting then wee can hear them but what success they hav wee cant tell untill wee git papers it seams like being in jail to be on this island or like Som Say jail is i never was in jail nor don't ever expect to be but if it is eney wors then this place I pitty thes Trators thay hav to be there for life let it be long or Short The Broad Ford Boys is All well and I beleave they Ar all out on dress parad now I hav not been vary well for Som time but feal better this morning I think in a few days I can doe douty but I dont intend to doe deauty til I feal able Going on douty has put me backe several times and I think I will much better heare after I never like to mis douty but when one is sick it cant be helped There is talk of our Regiment being Consolidated but I don't know how soon it will be don but I expect it will be some time This Somer if it is at all if it does happen there will be sum fusing around The health of the Regiment is better now than it was last year at this time I bleave i hav nothing more to Say I Rec I Remain as ever your Son Benj Orbin I had intended to send some money but as I havent been vary well I thought it would be best to keep it til some more convenient time yours BBO Hilton Head South Carolina Feb 27, 1864 Dear Father I take My pen in hand to pen you a few lines wee have had another fight with the gray backe on last Sunday wee Started for white Marsh Island Georga wee landed at nine Monday Morn within five miles of Savana and had a fight wright off wee had two men wounded and three taken Prissoners we Capturard 17 of thear and Returned The same day wee ar doing guard douty at hilton head now I can't say how long wee will stay here Our men is prity hard oup in Fla wee may git orders to goe thear eney moment I hope wee will git to stay here I don't like moveing The health of Our Squad is good the Broad Ford boys Is all well and in good plight The weather is warm and plesent I expect Thomas and George will be at home soon as they ar in the North I heard from uncle and aunt Stepens They wer all well I also heard from Aunt Katie Poe She is well and giting along as usial Its been some time cince I hav heard from home So I thot I would let you know how I em I hope this will find you well and injoying your self well Give all inquiring friends my Respects I hav nothing much to write so I hope you will excuse brevity -- I Close now hoping Ill be sparrd to pen you a few lines soon a gain I remain your Son &c as ever Benj Orbin Hilton Head , SC April the 11th 1864 Dear Father I now take time To pen you a few Lines I have nothing much to write but Ill try an pen a few lines at eney rate Wee ar Still at Hilton Head wee go on an expedition nearly evary weak be sides on guard evary other day So it keeps us buisey all the time but the time drags along vary heavy There is nothing of eney importiance going on the weather is vary warm I expect wee will hav plenty of warm weather now I expect that wee will move In to Hilton Head or out on the picket line I cant tell which and maby not at all The 76 Pa has Orders to leave and the 6th Connecite [Connecticut?] So wee will hav a brisk time Guarding The health of the Troups is good there is but little Sickness here the mumps Is in our Co There is one cace of small pox in the Regiment The Small Pox is nothing like as bad as it was Some time backe wee git but little knews from home or eney place else It Seams vary lonesome not to hear from home I hav begun to think that it is no use to write but ill still pen you a few lines onct and a while The last time I heard from Uncle and Aunt Stephens they wer all well Its been about two weakes cince I heard from them The last time I heard from Aunt Katie Poe she was well She would like offul well to See me and if I am Spared to git home Ill goe to see her maby you think that I wont just goe to See her a lone you mite think write but She would be part of my visit out there O she is so kind Aunt Elizabeth was well the last time I heard from her I don't hear from Uncle Jacob Rist So I cant tell you how they ar Its been a vary wet spring here I think the wet weather is about over for this Spring The Broad Ford Boys Is all well and in good plight I em well and feal well but I em giting vary Poor I j gess its the change of the weather but wee ar Run around so much that it might be the caus wee have Giv oup giting out of the army before the three years wee ust to think that the war would not last our turm but I think it will last much longer but I hope it wont Ps/" excuse this Ill composed letter Ill close Hoping that this will Reach you in good time and that you will be in good health give my respects to all inquiring friends I would like to send som Money home but I don't like to riske it by male I have sent money to Thomass wife and I hav never heard if it got through Safe It was som of Toms money that I colected that he had out when he went away Your son Benj Orbin Ill try and write Soon agane