1861 Civil War Letter Theodore Van Camp, 15th NJ Wounded & Andersonville POW
1861 Civil War Letter - Theodore Van Camp, 15th NJ - Wounded & Andersonville POW. "Full Transcript At Bottom of Description". Here is an original, handwritten four-page letter dated June 12, 1861, written by Private Theodore F.
Van Camp of the 3rd New Jersey Militia (Company F) and later the 15th New Jersey Infantry (Company D). Written from Camp Trenton just two months after the war's outbreak, this letter captures the early-war innocence of a soldier who would go on to endure the absolute worst horrors of the American Civil War: the "Bloody Angle" at Spotsylvania and the starvation of Andersonville Prison. Dated: June 12, 1861 (Early War). Content: Van Camp discusses the restlessness of the troops, the impending "hard brush" at Fairfax Court House, and the stark reality of the Virginia landscape, noting that locals don't raise enough to feed one pig. Transcription: Comes with a vintage printed transcription but I did full Resurch and will provide a copy with the letter..
"Everything you see here you get a copy of". I recieved your letter the other day but I havent had time to right [write] sence. We are in the same place that we was when I rote before. We cant tell when we are a comeing back to Jersy yet. We may get back when our time is out. They have some talk of mooveing but we cannt tell witch way we will move whether it is farther down south or towards home. There is some talk of takeing Fairfax Court house. They think it will be a pirty hard brush for they have got it fortified. I doant think that we will have a chanse at them. The three year troops have gon on ahead of us.Ther is now some troops marching on towards Fairfax. Our rigment [regiment] hasnt lost a man yet. I think if we doant have a little fight before we get home there will be civil war in our camp.
We have bin on gard every other night for about two weeks and we are geting so use to it. When we get home we will have to go out and watch then rocks back of the barn and see that no body carries them off. I doant [think] that I will right any more with out something hapens. What little part of Verginia I have bin in it looks more like sarveing to death than living.
The men that are left there doant raise enough to [feed] one pig. Sat [They] are starving to death. The Soldier's Tragic Service Record. The value of this letter lies in the incredible and harrowing journey Theodore took after writing it.
While he initially served a 3-month term, he re-enlisted for the duration of the war in the 15th New Jersey Infantry, a unit known for seeing some of the heaviest combat of the war. D, 15th NJ Infantry on August 11, 1862. Wounded in Action: Theodore was wounded in the left thigh during the brutal hand-to-hand fighting at the "Bloody Angle" (Battle of Spotsylvania) on May 12, 1864. Prisoner of War (Andersonville): Shortly after his wounding or during the chaotic Overland Campaign of 1864, Van Camp was captured by Confederate forces.
Andersonville Survivor: Records indicate his transfer to the infamous Camp Sumter (Andersonville, GA). He survived the unimaginable conditions of the stockade-starvation, disease, and exposure-where nearly 13,000 Union soldiers perished. Final Discharge: He was eventually paroled/exchanged and honorably discharged in June 1865. The letter is in excellent antique condition, written in a clear, legible hand on period stationery. Folds are sturdy, and the ink remains dark and vibrant. This is a "premonition" letter-written by a man who expected a "little fight" but ended up surviving one of the most famous prison camps in human history. A must-have for collectors of New Jersey Civil War history, POW memorabilia, or Andersonville-related items. This letter is not merely a piece of paper; it is a profound historical document that captures the early-war innocence of a soldier who would eventually face the absolute darkest chapters of American history. From his lighthearted jokes about'civil war in our camp' in 1861 to his eventual survival of the'Fighting Fifteenth' at Spotsylvania and the horrors of Andersonville, this archive represents the ultimate journey of resilience.To preserve the integrity of the antique paper and ink, it will be safely packed using archival-grade, acid-free materials. Along with the original letter, you will receive a copy of my full research and the complete transcription to preserve the story of Theodore F. Van Camp for years to come.
The information i got you will get.