Civil War Letters Francis Perry, Michigan Sharpshooters, Camp Douglas Chicago Oct 25, 1863

Francis M. Perry, Michigan Sharpshooters

"...our money is mostly gone and if you can get along for 2 weeks you shal have some for we sign the pay rols the last of this month and we will get our $26 dollars right away" Francis M. Perry, Camp Douglas Chicago Oct 25, 1863

Camp Douglas Chicago Oct 25th/63

Dear Parents

- It was with much pleasure that I reread the few lines I rec’d from you. I wrote you a few lines the other day telling you how we were. we are about the same now except Eli is getting better.

I have not heard any thing about Jud since I got the letter he wrote while at home and I don’t see what is the reason he don’t come here as he said he would.

You said we might send the money in a letter. We had to use a great deal of money and I bought me a watch and our money is mostly gone and if you can get along for 2 weeks you shal have some for we sign the pay rols the last of this month and we will get our $26 dollars right away and you can have the most of it. But if you want some pretty bad I will sell my watch and send you the money.

But I must close write soon, soon. From your son F. M. Perry

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TWO BROTHERS IN THE CIVIL WAR

Oliver Cheney Perry and his wife Sophronia Harriman Perry of Claybanks, Michigan sent four of their six sons to fight in the Civil War. Augustus and Charles Judson Sr. survived with injuries. Their two younger brothers, Francis Marion Perry and Oliver Eli Perry, joined Co. B, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters together. They were under the command of Capt. Elmer C. Dicey. Oliver Eli went into his final battle with his brother Francis Marion at his side and died of wounds suffered at Spotsylvania Court House on May 9, 1864. Francis Marion died six weeks later on June 28, 1864 at the Battle of Petersburg, after writing to his parents about Eli’s last minutes on the battlefield.

In 1886 Sophronia Harriman Perry, Francis's widowed mother, applied for a mother's pension she was entitled to because of the death of her son Francis. She as required to submit proof of many facts: that she had been at least partially dependent on her dead son for support, that she was a widow, and that she was unable to support herself. Accordingly, his Civil War pension file gives a great deal of information. These five poignant letters from 18-year-old Francis to his parents were submitted because each mentioned money Francis was sending to them during his service in the Civil War, thus proving in part that his mother was financially dependent on him. Nancy Neihart