Corpus of American Civil War Letters
Frederick Andrea
Source: Letter of Frederick Andrea, CACWL Collection
Frederick Andrea was from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (the family name is also recorded as Andrie, Andres, and Andreas). On April 23, 1861, Andrea mustered into service as a musician in Co. G, 8th Pennsylvania Infantry (a three-month regiment). The regiment performed guard duty along the Potomac before it was mustered out on July 29, 1861. Despite writing in his letter that he did not intend to serve longer than three months, Frederick Andrea enlisted in Co. I, 98th Pennsylvania Infantry on August 23, 1861. He was wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864 and was discharged at the end of his three-year enlistment on September 5, 1864. Frederick’s younger brother, Jacob, to whom the letter is addressed, mustered into service with the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry in May 1864 and mustered out in July 1865. Frederick Andrea’s German ancestry comes through in some of the language of the letter.
Transcribed by Michael Ellis, November 2008
Frederick Andrea to Jacob Andrea
Chambers Berg May the 12th 1861
Dear Brother
I thout that i wold wright to you to Day i had nothing
Else to doo them too envelopes you Sent me came handy to
Mee i am well yet the wether is hot today on friday it
Raind the whole day on thursday whe had a parade with the
Whole rigment in town on thursday whe had a flag
Presented to us by the Ladys of the town and yesderday whe
Had another flag presented to us and som more sakes and [sakes = cakes?]
Pyes the whole thing was rosted chickens bread pyes bisquets
Pickels &c when whe rasd the first flag Judg Coning ham
Was thare and he held a Speach and yesderday when the other
Flag was rasd thair was an American eagel floo over the
Rigment the 8th righment is lookd at the most down thair
None of the other rigments has got eny thing yet every
Day thair is hundreds of peopel visits yus in our
Rigment thair is about nine hundred men Som times whe
[page 2]
Are all in the field drilling together in the tent whe
Have a list every day another felow hasto be the working
Water go and get coffee and soop every ten days the turn [Water = waiter]
Coms on a felow whe have now got powder whe have got
About 22000 catrages whe dont [k]now yet when whe hafto goo
Away yet Mony i have not goot eny yet i am looking
every day for a letter when you wright again wright me
How all the folks are this makes the Sixt letter i think
That i hav sent to you and you only Sent Me one
This paper was nasty to wright with but i had no other
Thair is three regments in our camp and Som in the other camp
On the other side of the town who wants to inlist for three or
Five years can now i wont Stay longer then three months
One is very near around now the time slips around so fast
That i can hardly keep tract of it Mary land has not
Ceceded yet the Stars and stripes are floting thare yet
Briks are plenty down thare the walks in the town
Are all briks when you wright a letter let me
[page 3]
Now wether you sent that Book and henkchef
Down with Showleys Stuff whe are looking every
Day for it give My best Respects to father and Mother
and grand Mother and to war[n]er and his wife my sister [fold in page obscures some
And to peter Brown tell pe[t]er to wright to me too letters]
I hope those lines you w[i]ll Resieve the letters
Seems to lay along the r[oa]d a great deal i will
now close my letter good wrighting you cant expect
Now i will now stop and take a chew of tobaco or take
a Smoke
yours respectiful
J[a]cob Andrea from
yo[u]r brother Frederick Andrea