This letter was written by William H. Lunn (1846-1919), the son of Jesse Lunn, Jr. (1810-1880) and Almira Darling (1805-1872) of Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Eighteen year-old William Lunn enlisted in Co. E, 50th NY Engineers with his 28 year-old brother, George Lunn (1836-1912) in January 1864. The 50th was primarily involved in building bridges and constructing fortifications, in many cases exposed to enemy fire.
Lunn would serve out the war with his brother, being discharged in June of 1865. He returned to Windham, Bradford County, PA and eventually married and had at least three children. He farmed for most of his life and died in 1919. He is buried at Valley Home Cemetery in Windham, PA
An older brother, Herrick Lunn, served in Co. D, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry but he died of typhoid fever at Aquia Creek, Virginia in October 1862.
The letter was addressed to his sister, Huldah Lunn (1840-1920).
Lunn states that his company had recently completed a “tower” and were working on a “meeting house.” Clearly these two structures were the signal tower and the “Poplar Grove Church” [sometimes called Poplar Spring Church] that were both erected by the 50th New York Engineers a short distance west of the Weldon Spring Railroad south of Petersburg. The signal tower was built to a height of 150 feet with an observatory at the top.
A company from the 50th New York Engineers
1865 Letter
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Miss Huldah Lunn, Wyndham, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
February the 22nd [1865]
Camp near the Yellow Tavern
Dear Sister,
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I got your letter last night and I got those stamps. The reason that I had [not] wrote before but I didn’t have any stamps so you must excuse me.
Poplar Grove Church
It is warm weather down here. There hain’t been no snow down here. It is as warm as it is up there in the summer. We have got the tower built and now we are a building a meeting house [Poplar Grove Church].
George is well and fat. He got them stamps that you sent him and I guess he has got all the money that Em has sent him. She sent him a box the 2nd of this month but it hain’t got here yet.
Org and Tik was here yesterday to see me. They are well. I can’t think of any more so goodbye. This is from your happy brother, — Bill Lunn
February the 22nd
Dear Mother,
It is with pleasure that I take my pencil in hand to let you know that I hain’t forgot you. My health is good at the present and I hope these few lines will find you as well as that left me.
There hain’t no news to write so this will be short. Em has slipped down so she won’t get that five hundred dollars and I guess that it is a good thing, don’t you think so? I don’t know as I am a judge of good things but I say what I will and if anyone has got anything to say to me, I want them to do the same and I won’t be mad.
Well, enough of this. This from your son, — Bill
Spared & Shared 9 