The Civil War Letters of David Close to Rachel Close-Dunbar

David Close was born on February 18, 1844, to James and Mary Catherine Close, in
Jefferson County, Ohio. Mary Catherine died in childbirth when David was four years
old. His father's two sisters Rachel and Mary took care of David and his two brothers,
Jasper and William, until his father remarried three years later. In 1862 David, age 18,
while working away from home, decided to enlist in the Union Army (Ohio Volunteers).
He was gone before his parents knew it. His father followed him to Steubenville and
tried to induce him to come home, but David was determined to go to war.

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The following letters, written during the war to his Aunt Rachel and family, have been
typed into my word-processor from pages typed by L. Clark Close, who typed them from
the original letters. He states that he typed them as literally as possible when going from
a handwritten letter to a typewritten one, using the same spelling, punctuation,
capitalization and paragraphing. -- Don Close
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Cumberland
Maryland
November the 4th
A. D. 1862

Dear Aunt and Uncle
It is with the Greatest Sense of pleasure that I seat myself in my crowded tent
among my mischievous comrades to inform you where and how I am. Our regiment is
encamped near cumberland, Maryland in Alleghany County on the headwaters of the
Potomac River the Potomac River is you know the scene of some of the Bloodiest Battles
which you have read about I suppose dear aunt you know several of the boys with us but
still i must inform you that We have a remarkable civil and Religious company There is
scarcely any wicked or profane persons among us. We can go to church every Sunday
for our chaplain always preaches two sermons on that day we have also prayer meeting
every night in our tents I attend them regular and I think that they tend to keep a young
man from falling into bad company. and i think it is a providencial circumstance that I
enlisted in this company for I hear that there is a desperate sight of wickedness in the very
regiments that i came so near enlisting in. I have heard of the death of several of my
acquaintences who belonged to the army and it allways makes me feel like trying to do the
duty of a Christian for i am no better than my young friends who have fell on the field of
battle and the solemn thought arises in my mind althoug i am now well and healthy how
soon might I be numbered with them. And now dear aunt i must soon close but befor i
do i want to tell you to write to me often for every letter that i can get from you will be a
great pleasure to me it will make me think of old times when you and aunt Polly was at
home with us I remember how kind you used to be to me when i was nothing but a small
boy and i now see what trouble i was to you. I will now bring my letter to a close. I
would have written to you long ago if i had known how to direct your letters i hope you
will write to me sometimes without a letter from me for i cant write often to all my friends
tell William and Wesley to write to me
No more at present
But remain your affectionate nephew David Close to his aunt and uncle Rachel and
George Dunbar. Direct your letter to Cumberland Maryland in care of capt Paisley 126
Regiment O V I Carroll
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Camp McCook Cumberland Maryland, December the 4th A D 1862

Mrs. Rachel Dunbar beloved Aunt.
It is with the greatest pleasure that I sieze the present opportunity of informing you how I
am prospering I am well at this time and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you
and your family enjoying the same great blessing we are still here at Cumberland and I
expect we will winter here but I wish we would go further south where it is warmer But
although we are situated among the mountains and are as far north as it is in ohio we have
had no cold weather worth mentioning we have had only two snows yet and they dident
last any length of time Our tents turn rain first rate and they have kept us very comforable
this far we have also plenty of good warm clothing and we have good substantial food to
eat. we have had no marching to do on foot yet so you see dear aunt we have had pretty
easy times for soldiers we have prayer meeting every night in the church tents our
chaplain allways has prayer when we are all out on dress parade the whole regiment is
formed into a hollow square the chaplain stands in the middle so you see the whole
Regiment can hear all he says I recieved your letter yesterday morning and oh dear aunt
you have no idea how glad I was to hear from you and to recieve your good and kind
councils I want you to write me a great manny such letters the will allways do me good
and they cause my mind to wander back to the happy days of my early childhood and they
make me think of you and Aunt mary those were happy days when I and my dear brother
Jasper was all sundered far by distance and Providence only knows whether we shall ever
meet again but we must not be despondent for I have a very good chance of returning if I
keep my health I dread sickness worse than I do the Secesh bullets. but I will try and
take good care of myself and I want you to pray for me for the prayers of the righteous
availeth much I was glad to hear that you got my picture. I received a letter from you
beside this last one It was an execellent letter I also wrote you another letter before the
one that I went my picture in. Tell William and Wesley ¹ to write to me I expect thay will
say that i must write first but tell them I have so manny letters to write that i cant possibly
write to all my friends but if they write to me i will answer them without delay i hope that
Joseph is getting well of the Diptheria i dread to hear of that disease but i must close for i
have no time to write at present But remain your affectionate nephew David Close to his
dear aunt Rachel Dunbar. I send my best Respects to Uncle George and the Children

Good By Aunt
David Close
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Martinsburg V. A. February the 4th A. D 1863
Mrs Rachel Dunbar
Beloved and ever remembered Aunt it is with pleasure that I avail myself of the
present opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that i am well at present. and
i sencerely hope that these few lines may find you and your dear family the happy
possessors of good health I wrote you a letter five of six weeks ago and have looked
anxiously for an answer ever since but i have recieved none yet i fear my letter did not
reach you. as you will see by the heading of this letter we are sill at Martinsburg berkley
county V A where we have been stationed for several weeks the weather is colder to day
than it has been this winter the snow last week fell to a depth of 14 of 16 inches which is
still laying on and although the weather is severe for this part of the country it is not to be
compared to what I have seen in Ohio we are very comfortably clothed and have good
warm tents to stay in so you see we dont suffer any with the cold the health of our
regiment is very much on the decline we have had about two deaths a week since we
came here and by the present appearances i fear there is several sick persons in the
hospitals who will not live long the number of persons in the hospitals is about 80 and
about 150 more who are unfit for duty the principal diseases are typhoid fever the measles
and some few cases of small pox my health was never so good as it is at present for
which i am very thankful for a person has a very poor chance when he gets sick here i
want you to write ma a letter as soon as you get this for dear aunt i want to hear from you
very bad My best respects to uncle George and the rest of the family no more at present
for my ink is pale my pen is bad my hand is tired and supper is ready no more now but
ever remain your affectionate nephew David Close
David Close high private

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Martinsburg Va March the 15th A D 1863
Mrs Rachel Dunbar beloved Aunt
it is with pleasure that i take my pen in hand to inform
you how i am prospering i am sorry to have to tell you that i have not been very well for
some three or four days but i think i will be fit for duty in a few days i recieved your (two
words illegible) welcome letter last week and oh aunt i was very glad to hear that you and
your dear family was well with the exception of the children having the whooping cough
this i was sorry to hear but i sincerely hope that they will soon be well and hearty once
more the weather this week has been very cold and wintery the health of our regiment is
very poor at present but i think it will improve when warm weather comes i wish this
cruel war was over and all the rebels hung higher than haman this is not a very amiable
wish but i cant help it when i think of the precious lives it has cost and is still costing.
This week we burried one of our messmates he was sick only about (one or two illegible
words) with the typhoid fever He was a very stout young man and about 20 years of age
his name was Samuel F. McLain i was detailed as an escort to help burry him with
military honor and oh dear aunt it was the most solmn funeral that i was ever at the
musicans went before the amulance came next with the corpse the escorts came next with
their arms reversed and the rest of the company followed while the band played the dead
march the escort fired three times over his grave and then poor Samuel was left alone in
his lowly resting place there to lie till the resurrection morning when god shall bid his dust
arise, and enter its eternal rest, and now dear aunt i want to tell you before i close that i
often think of you and uncle George and the children and would like to see you all once
more but if god has decreed that we shall never meet again on earth remember dear Aunt
that i shall ever remember you as long as life and reason remains i dont want you to be
uneasy about me for i have only a bad cold and i am taking good care of myself and i think
i shall soon be well. i believe i have written all the news and therefore i shall have to close
for the present but Remain your affectionate nephew until death David Close to his dear
aunt
Rachel Dunbar

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To James Henry Dunbar
My dear little cousin i now take up my pen to let you know that i recieved the lines you
did send i was very glad to hear that you are learning very fast for it is a great honor to be
head in a class i want you to be good to your mother for she is your kindest and best
friend. Your good she will seek Day by day week by week be kind to your little brothers
for when they are grown to be men they will be thy best friends
David Close to his dear little cousin James H. Dunbar

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Martinsburg Va.
April the first A D 1863
Mr. William Dunbar
dear Cousin, it is with pleasure that i take my pen in hand to inform you how i am
prospering i am well and hearty at present and i sincerely hope that these few imperfect
lines may find you and the rest of the family enjoying good health We are still at
Martinsburg and i expect if nothing happen we will stay here for sometime the weather
has been very disagreeable for soldiering for the last month but i hope it will soon get
warm for i am tired of winter and the mud, there is no other troops here except this
regiment and therefore we have to go on guard every other day. the health of our
Regiment i am happy to say is improving very fast i wrote a letter to aunt Rachel at the
time i wrote i wasent very well but i got well in a couple of days afterwards i only had a
bad cold i was very sorry that i told aunt that i was sick for i know that she would be
uneasy about me but you can now tell her that i am enjoying the best of health. i hope
you are getting along first rate on the old farm i should like very much to see you and
Wesley and the rest of the family how i would like to get home awhile this summer and
have a few days to pass with you but this cant be at present but i hope the war will be over
next summer and then all the soldiers can return to their homes and kind friends they have
left behind. i believe i have written all the news i shall have to close for the present but
ever remain your true friend David Close to his cousin William Dunbar give my best
respects and love to Uncle and Aunt and Wesley and the children
David Close of company D 126th Regiment O V I

I have wandered far from home, far away from loved ones dear Yes far away from
them i roam i wish that they were here but they cannot come to me no to them i must
return if i would their faces see those for whom my heart doth yearn My home is in the
distant west on the hills both deep and wild where i roved when a child.

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New Creek Station Hamshire County V. a.
May the 20th
A D 1863
dear AuntI once more take my pen in hand to inform you that I am still well and I
sincerely hope that this short letter may find you and the rest of your dear family also
enjoying good health We left Martinsburg nearly four weeks ago and came to this place
but we dident stay here long when we first came here but left the next day and dident
Return for several days while we were gone we had some very hard marching to do but I
haven't time to tell you the particulars of our wanderings suffice it to say that the task was
a very hard one and lots of the boys give out but I stood it first rate I recieved your kind
and welcome letter while we were at Greenland gap and dear Aunt I was very glad to hear
from you for it always cheers me to hear from you for although separated from you by
manny long miles when I recieve a letter from you it appears like talking to you I
recieved Williams letter a few days ago I will answer it soon I have no time to write
much more at present for we are going to leave here tomorrow I dont know where we
are going to direct your letters to Martinsburg and I will get them No more at present but
ever remain your affectionate Nephew David Close to Rachel give my love and best to
DunbarRespects to the family

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Camp in New York city August the 24th A D 1863
My dear Aunt and
Uncle
after a long silence I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am still well and I hope
that this letter may find you all enjoying good health. the last letter that I wrote to you
was as near as I can remember about the middle of June we had a fight at Martinsburg
soon afterward and I never recieved an answer to my letter. I suppose you have heard
the particulars of the Martinsburg fight therefore I will not say much about it now except
that 30,000 rebels attacked 1,500 of us and of course we could not hold out long against
so many of the enemy and the consequence was that we had to retreat to Harpers Ferry
but before we did retreat the enemy threw about 200 shells at us which came screaming
over our heads some bursting and scattering the pieces all around others would strike the
ground and scatter the earth in every direction, we have been moving almost constantly
since we left Martinsburg but I have no time nor space to tell you the half that I would like
to suffice it to say that we have had very hard marching and another fight at Manasses
gap we arrived at this city on the 22d of this month on the steam ship Merrimac. We are
here for the pupose of enforcing the draft. but I hope that there will be no disurbance I
have got but very few letters for a long time and this I dont like for I am never well
satisfied unless I can get to hear from my Dear relatives very often, but I think we will stay
here sometime and if we do we can get our mail regularily We have a nice camp here.
The health of our regiment is tolerable good at present. I will soon have to bring this
letter to an end but before I do let me tell you Dear Uncle an Aunt that I want you all to
write to me often for nothing gives me so much pleasure as to recieve letters from my
friends at home direct your letters to New York city Co. D 126th Rgt O. V. I. in care of
capt Martin no more now but I will ever remain your affectionate Nephew David Close to
George and Rachel Dunbar
New York city
Mr. David Close

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St Joseph Hospital New
York City Oct. 6th -63
My dear Aunt
I take the present oppportunity of informing you that my health has got good again
and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you and your dear family enjoying good
health I recieved your kind and ever welcome letter of the 7th of September a few days
ago this is the only one I have recieved from you for months although I have written
three to you and uncle and William but I expect you did not get all of them. I cant tell you
dear Aunt how glad I was to hear from you but I was exceedingly sorry to hear that you
was not well but I hope that ere this reaches you that your health may be restored to you
again. as I informed William in his letter my disease when I was first brought here was
Chronic diarrhea but I am well of it now but I have not yet gained my usual strength. we
are well provided here with everything necessary for our comfort and we can get passes
when we want them to go to the city or any place we please but still I sometimes feel very
lonesome and then I am sure to think of you and the rest of the dear friends and long to
see you all once more.
I recieved a letter from Father on the 3d of this month and it brought me the
unexpected and sorrowful news of the death of my dear Sister Louisa I was not
expecting this mournful news for had recieved a letter from home a few days before she
died stating that she was better and that the doctor now had hopes of her recovery. but
alas how very uncertain is human life truly mortal life is but a shadow that appeareth for a
little while and then vanishes forever but there is consolation in knowing that the soul will
not thus perish. you asked me in your letter if I had a bible I have not got one but I have
a testament that Louisa give me when I started to the army and a hymn book that Aunt
Eliza Dennis give me at the same time you would hardly believe what a value I place in
these two small Books I have carried them in my knapsack on many a long weary march
when I had thrown nearly every thing else away to lighten my load. but I allways cling to
them in every difficulty I shall soon have to bring my letter to a close but before I do let
me request you to write whenever you can for your letters allways cheers and comforts
me. if you can send me a few postage stamps you will greatly oblige me for there is no
telling when I will get my pay and therefore I will have to be very saving of my change If
I could send them away from here without stamps I would do so and let you pay the
postage at the office but they will not start a letter from here without a stamp like they
will in the Regiment give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept my love
and best wishes for yourself no more now but I will ever remain your affectionate
Nephew
David Close
to Rachel Dunbar

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New York city Nov. 8th 1863
My dear Aunt
It is with the greatest pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines
to inform you that my health is good and I sincerely hope that this short letter may find
you and your dear family enjoying good health. your kind and ever welcome letter of the
2nd of November came to hand on the 5th and I was very glad to hear that you was all
well for it had been a long time since I had recieved any letters from you but I knew that
my letters must have miscarried or else you would have written to me oftener but I never
thought for an instant that you was neglecting to write to me for I know your love for me
too well dearest Aunt to suppose that you was forgetting to write to me. I am still at this
hospital as you will see by the date of my letter but I cant say how long I will remain for I
am liable to be sent away at any time but wherever I go I will ever remember you dear
Aunt and write to you whenever I can. You say that I have lost a worthy sister and true
friend by the death of my sister Louisa for my part I can say that I feel that I have met with
an irreparable loss by her death but I am comforted by knowing that she died the death of
the Righteous and henceforth there is laid up for her a crown of glory which Christ the
righteous judge has given her forever and forever. I know that Father and Mother took it
very hard although they never complained or grieved to me in any of their letters. Jasper
and William sent me their likenesses last week and I am as proud of them as I can be for
they look just like them and I suppose you will think I am rather a partial judge but still I
cant help giving in my decision concerning them and that is that they are the prettiest
pictures that I ever seen. The weather is getting very cold and every thing begins to look
lone and desolate like winter. give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept
my love and best wishes for yourself tell William that he must not forget to write to me I
knew that Father was sick shortly after he was attacked with the eresypelas (probably
meaning erysipelas) and oh how I wished to go home and see him and comfort him
during his illness for he has proved the kindest and best of Fathers to me and oh I feel that
I owe him everthing that a child can owe a kind and affectionate Parent. I believe I have
nothing more to write about at present and therefore I will bring my letter to an end for
this time but I will ever remain your effectionate nephew
David Close
to his Dear Aunt
Rachel Dunbar
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Camp near Brandy Station Virginia
December the 30th 1863
Dear Uncle and AuntI take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines which
leaves me in the best of health and in fine spirits and I hope that they will find you all well
your kind and welcome letter came to hand a short time ago after being on the road a long
time. I was very glad to hear that you were all well I returned to the Regiment on the
7th of this month I wrote Wesley a letter a few days ago and I give him my poor advice.
the year 1863 is now almost gone and I hope that the coming year will see the close of this
unhappy war I hope you all had a happy Chistmas and I wish you a happy New Years
The health of our Regiment is tolerable good Uncle James Dennis is home on a furlough
I hope you will see him for he could tell you all about camp life better than I can by
writing I have nothing strange to write about therefore my letter will have to be short
give my love to the children write soon I am much obliged to you for the postage
stamps you sent me please excuse all mistakes and bad writing for I have written in haste.
I will now close for this time but I will ever remain yours truly &c &x
David Close
To his dear Uncle and Aunt George & Rachel Dunbar
Direct to Washington city D C co. D 126th Ohio 3rd A. D.

(The above address was then copied again at the bottom of the page with many laborious
flourishes) - "Washington City D C Co D 126th Ohio A C "- (and on the back of the
sheet was scrolled in yet a different scroll): Brandy Station Virginia

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Brandy Station Virginia Jan. the 20th 64
My dear Aunt
Your kind and welcome letter of the 10th of this month came to hand last night
and I was truely happy to hear that you were all well. we are still laying in camp at
Brandy Station and I think that we will stay here all winter if the Johnny Rebs. stays away
which I hope they will for I would dislike very much to leave our comfortable log shanties
while it is so cold. I am glad that Uncle George saw Uncle James Dennis it is true that I
have grown very much since I came to the army but my comrades tells me that I am as
_______ and _________ looking as ever (one line has become illegible due to a crease
in the paper. The second word may be "young".) I recieved a letter from Wesley week
before last in answer to one I wrote to him sometime before at the time of writing he was
at Camp Chase and he was well and hearty and he says that he likes soldiering very well.
if he only takes care of his health I have no doubt but what he will get along first rate but
a soldier will never serve his term of three years if he neglets his health for disease kills
more soldiers than the bullets does. Our Regiment has now been in the service 17 months
and not one man has been killed but scores have died by the fell destroyer disease. the
weather has been very changeable for the last week or two consquently the health of the
Regiments camped around here is not improving and indeed I fear that it is getting worse.
several members of our company is sick Hector Hart (I am not sure the first letter of this
name is correctly copied) from our neighborhood is very low with the chronic diarrhea I
fear that he will not get well again. oh it makes me feel so very sad to see my comrades
sicken and die so far away from home with no Father or Mother Brothers or Sisters to
sooth their pain or to cheer them in their last moments when death the king of terrors is
fast approaching to part them forever from Earth and loved friends. I have not had a letter
from Butchers for a long time although I have written one or two letters to them I hope
they are all well. I hear that the draft has been put off again until the first of next month
think they had better give it up for a bad job. I would like very much to get home to see
the friends but I guess there is no chance for me the married men gets the furloughs I
believe I will have to get married before I go to war again so that I will have a chance of
getting home. I think Ann Jane Butcher's (I can not be sure of the correctness of the first
name just given. It looks like a three letter name, the first letter certainly is "A", but
there is nothing that could be taken for a "T" at the end, or else it might be "Aunt") letter
must have miscarried or else the one I sent her was for I have answered all the letters I
have recieved from her but I must write her another one or else she will think hard of me
for she will suppose that I have neglected to answer her letter. there is a report in the
papers that the rebels are preparing to move their capital from Richmond to Columbia
Georgia I do not know whether there is any truth in the report or not. I think if they
dont move themselves before next summer we will be apt to move them in a hurry We
have easier times this winter than we had last for we have not so much guard duty to
perform. perhapse you would like to know how we pass the time well I will try to tell
you we go on picket guard about once every three weeks and stay there 3 days at a time
we then return to camp and pass the balance of the time until the next picket day a sitting
by the fire reading newspapers and talking about home and the war and other interesting
subjects. There is six of us boys lives in my shanty let me introduce them to you Isaac
Desellems, John Gilson, Thomas Russell, Alexander Grafton Mark Lewis and myself. we
have prayer meeting in our house or shanty every night and once every sabbath day. This
letter leaves me in the best of health (for which I am very thankful) and I hope that in
arriving at its destination that it may find you all enjoying the same good health tell
William to write to me soon I believe I wrote to him last give my love to Uncle George
and the children and accept my love and best wishes for yourself please write whenever
you can and direct as before please excuse all mistakes and bad writing for I have
written in haste I will now close but I will ever remain your affectionate Nephew
David Close
To his dear Aunt Rachel Dunbar

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Brandy Station Va
March 2d 64
My dear Auntyour kind letter of February the 6th came to hand in due time. I was truly
glad to hear that so many of the family was well but very sorry to hear that you was not
very well but i hope that you will be well again long before this scrawl reaches you. I
recieved a letter from father on the last of February stating that Jasper was going to war I
cant tell you how much this news grieved me for he is too young and small to stand
soldiering but I still cling to the hope that something will transpire to prevent him from
going. if he had not gone yet I do hope that Father may succeed in stopping him. a part
of the army of the Potomac is across the Rapidan River trying to scare up the Johnnies,
and I should not be surpprised if we should move soon. our Regiment has been on Picket
guard so much of late that I have been a long time answering your letter but I hope that I
have not caused you any uneasyness. The weather is cool and blustering. The health of
the Regiment is improving. There is nothing strange to write about at present, give my
love to the Rest of the family and accept my love and best wishes for yourself. I will now
bring this short letter to a close hoping that it may find you all well please write soon and
oblige your affectionate nephew
David Close
To Rachel Dunbar

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Brandy Station V. a. March 23d A D 1864
My Dear Auntyour kind and most welcome letter of the 14th came to hand late this
evening and I have just seated myself by my Candle to answer it. I was truely glad to hear
that the majority of your loved family was well but very sorry that William is sick but I
hope that he will be well again before this miserable scrawl reaches you. I believe I did
not tell you in my last letter that I was well the reason of this was that I forgot to tell you
the state of my health because I was so well that it never entered my mind to enlighten you
on this subject so after this if I should be so careless as to forget it again be assured that I
am well for when I am not well I will not fail to let you know and while I am on the health
subject I will tell you that at present I am enjoying my full share of health for which I am
very thankful. for it is one of the greatest blessings that we poor mortals enjoy in this
world of sorrows I have not recieved any letters from Wesley for a long time although I
have written to him a good while ago and recieved no answer I hope that he is well and
all O. K. probably his regiment has been on the move for sometime and likely this is the
reason that we have not heard from him oftener. you say that you dont wish to ask
impossibilities of me but you wish me to write to you as often a I can I know dear Aunt
that you are the last person that would ask any person to perform an impossible task and
much less to me. I know also that sometimes I am too careless about writing to you and
thus no doubt I have caused you uneasiness but my loved Aunt all such short comings in
me is faults of the head but not of the heart for as long as life lasts this heart of mine shall
ever treasure up thy memory and thy numberless acts of motherly kindness to me shall
never be forgotten. After this I shall write to you whenever I can possibly do so. It is
impossible for me to tell you how thankful I am to you for preventing Jasper from
volunteering I dont mind the hardships that I have to endure but the thoughts of my dear
Brother going to the army distresses me very much for he is too young small and
inexperienced for soldiering. Yesterday a heavy snowstorm commenced to fall and today
the snow lies several inches deep on the ground. The health of our Regiment is good. We
have preaching every night at the Brigade Chapel by the Chaplains belonging to the
various Regiments that composes our Brigade we also have prayer in our shanty every
night except when we are on duty. Please excuse this bad writing for I have been snow
balling so much today that my are is sore and my fingers are contrary. if I remember right
I have answered all the letters that I have recieved from William. give love to Uncle
George and the children and accept the love and best wishes of your affectionate Nephew
David Close
To his Aunt
Rachel Dunbar

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Brandy Station V. a -
May the 3d 1864
My dear Aunt your kind letter of the 24th of April came to hand last night and I was
very glad to hear of your wellfare. I have not time to write you a long letter for we are
going to advance on the enemy tomorrow morning so my dear Aunt it is altogether likely
that I shall be in a temendous fight before the close of another week and it is also likely
that you will not hear from me for a good while but I request you not to be uneasy about
me for I shall write to you as soon a I can after the approaching contest is over if I am so
fortunate as to escape I have no fear for my personal safety but still I may fall if I do
remember dear Aunt that I always remembered and loved you to the last moments of my
life. give my love to uncle George and the children and accept the scincere love and best
wishes of your affectionate Nephew Now dear Aunt I must close for I must prepare for
tomorrows march I will now bid you good by for the present hoping that you will not fret
yourself about me I will now end this scrawl but I ever remain your affectionate Nephew
David Close
to Rachel Dunbar

Dear Aunt Uncle & CousinsI hope to meet you once more on these earthly shores but
if it is otherwise decreed I hope to meet you in the skies.

On the back of this sheet written with many flourishes is the following:

Brandy Station V- May the ___________ (illegable)

Mrs Rachel Dunbar
Dunbar
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This is thought to be the last letter ever received by Rachel Dunbar from David. This last
letter is the only one not written in ink. It was written in pencil and appeared to be
written in a hurry. His other letters looked to be written by a careful, deliberate hand.

He was captured in the Battle of the Wilderness and sent to Andersonville prison where
he died in October, 1864 at the age of 20.

David wrote home a short time before he died saying that if he could get food and proper
shelter he might get well.
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Submitted by:
Donald Close
HC 72, Box 1469
Locust Grove, VA 22508
email: dlclose@yahoo.com
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¹ David, Wesley and William, brothers, were sons of George Dunbar by a previous
marriage - stepsons of Rachel. [Return to December 4, 1862 letter]

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