Eli Scott Durbin (1843-1862)
Civil War Veteran
Company B, 62nd Regiment Ohio
Buried at Winchester National Cemetery, Winchester, VA
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Winchester National Cemetery
Winchester, VA
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Eli Scott Durbin died of typhoid fever while serving in the Civil War as a Union Soldier. Robert M Durbin (1835- ), his older brother, enlisted in the same company as Eli and was with Eli when he died.
Eli Scott Durbin and Robert M Durbin were grandsons of Daniel "Dann" Durbin (1768-1856). They were the sons of Samuel James (1804-1861) & Sarah (Spears) (1804-1875) Durbin.
Samuel James Durbin was Basil Durbin's (1812-1889) younger brother so these were also his nephews.
They were Daniel Basil Durbin's (1834-1875) (the father of Albert C Durbin) cousins. Daniel Basil Durbin also served in the Civil War as a Union Soldier.
This will be an ongoing work-in-progress as the handwriting, grammar, and spelling is extremely difficult to decipher. I'll try to translate them when time allows.
There are several letters and documents that I have saved into one PDF file that can be viewed by clicking here.
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NOTE: There was a note in the file indicating this letter should be dated 1862.
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29 Jan 1861
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29 January 1861
Camp Kelley
Cumberland Maryland
Well mother I got my money today. I am well. I had a chance to send. By our ma*** to ma*** I got $38.13 cents. I will send you 11 dollars no more at present. Write soon, Son,
Eli Scott Durbin
Sarah Durbin
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11 Feb 1862
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April 14 1862
Camp Near Woodstock VA
Dear Mother,
I once more seat myself to write you few lines to let you know where I am and how I am getting along. I am well at present and enjoy good health. I now weigh one hundred and eighty five pounds now. This is the third letter that I have wrote to you since I received any answer. I want you to write oftener. Well we have been in one battle at Winchester but none of our regiment was killed. There was about 100 of the union men killed and 233 wounded. The secesh [short for secessionist] loss was 1,000 killed and
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wounded and 300 prisoners 2 cannons and 1,000 thousand stand of arms. We are about 48 miles from Winchester 3 miles from woodstock. Well I have not time to write much now for our sentler is going to start to Zanesville now and I have a chance to send you some money now. With him 5 dollars is all I can share just now. You can take this and make use of it. Well I must quit. Write soon.
Direct you letter to Winchester, VA
Frederick County
Comp B, 62 Ohio Reg
In care of Capt W. H. Floyd
Eli Scott Durbin
Sarah Durbin
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April 16th 1862
Camp near Woodstock VA
Dear Mother,
I once more seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope that these few lines may find you well. Well we got our pay last Sunday. I sent you five dollars yesterday. I got my likeness today for to send to you. Well I cannot write you much this time for we have got marching orders tonight. We have to leave at twelve o'clock tonight. We expect to advance on the rebels to might so to be ready for to attack them in the morning. We have been in sight of the rebels for two weeks. There is a river between us. We want to get across it before morning. There are 20 thousand here.
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Well this is the fourth letter that I have wrote you since I got an answer from you. Well I will have to quit writing this time. Write soon. Direct your letter to Winchester, Frederick County, VA
Co B, 62 Ohio rev in care of Cap. W. H. Floyd
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April 21st 1862
Camp near New mar** VA
Dear Mother,
I once more seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know how I am and how I am getting along. I am well and enjoying the best of health and I hope that the few lines may find you well. I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that you thought that I did not write. This is the fifth letter that I have wrote since February. I have wrote you two letters within the last two weeks. One, I sent some money in and the other I sent my likeness. In I hope that both will gets safe to you - turn over and oblige
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This is a very rainy day. I am sitting in a hay mow a sitting on my cartridge box about half a mile from camp. There are six of us here. Frank Thaler is one of them. We eat at a private house. He is a Union man. We get good meals for twenty five cents. He is the only Union man in the neighborhood. The rest is all secesh. I have eat 4 meals with him and about to eat supper there this evening. I have only eaten 5 meals at a table since I left Ohio. Thing is very dear here. ***** I have paid 85 cents a pound and eggs 30 cents a dozen. The citizens says that they have to pay 20 dollars a peck for salt. Every thing looks well here. The wheat, I never saw better wheat than there is here. The peach trees is full of blossoms and is *** prospects for free.
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Well the last letter that I wrote you was the night we left the other camp. We left at 12 o'clock and moved on towards the rebels. We march 'til about 8 o'clock the next morning when the rebels open fire on us with cannons but did not hit any. Our men return fire and we won. We took some of them prisoners. We followed them on that day. They burnt a bridge and we had to wade the river. It was only about 3 or 4 feet deep but very swift water. We now camp where the secesh did, near a little town by the name of New Market. I got a letter from Stephen Clark last week. They were all well. Well, I must bring my letter to a close. We have not got your tents. It is very bad weather to be laying out. We expect the here in a few days. I have a very good place though in a hay mow but some has to go with out shelter and straw to lay on
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Well, I believe I have not got any thing more to write at present but write soon for I think that the mail will go regular now. Write soon soon.
Eli Scott Durbin
Direct your letters
Eli Scott Durbin
Woodstock VA
Comp B, 62 Ohio Reg
In care of Capt W. H. Floyd
Sarah Durbin
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10 May 1861
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New Market ****** Co "A"
May the 10 1862
Dear Mother I seat myself to write sad news to you. It is Eli Scott require for me to write you. Mother the news is this: he has got the typhoid fever. He is very low with this morning he is out off his big spells he is going to die. Move to Strausburg [hospital, glk] this afternoon. He can never stand it if he had a good doctor to te** on him ****** he might wet well. He ay anyhow but I don't think so now. The hospital is at Strausburg where he will go and ***** he ge well or die. I hope that God won't take my only brother I have got on this earth away. If should I hope that may get to a better world where the **** to
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All true solider I have got brothers in heaven and when I am to die I want to meet with them. They're with ***. I have got a little sister there too and probably a father too. I have got a wife and a dear little son to go there with *** if mend my way mother let us mend our ways and try and go with the little children which is there now. I am going to try and do better from this out - you try the same. Scott has just told me if he should die now what money is coming [to] him - he wants you to get it as it is yours ** and he told that his revolver John Roberts to buy and he wants me to sell it and send you the money. I guess it fetch eighteen dollars. ** all if he don't get well I am going to do all I can. I am going you to say with him. It will be to get
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our devision low to move a monday in sixteen of washington city it will me to get stay Mother. I don't think this will get hand and receive answer to it if he don't get better he won't live two days. This is so when you get this answer it. Direct to Stausburg Hospital with Scott and my name on too. Put six section Ohio regiment Company B. I may find out before I write again. I will write thee him a week if can send them. Scott says he wants you to get some ****** *** to write. He says he can't make it all out. I suspect you will say the of mine. I am well at present. If Scott should die I would like to have buried at **** I *** **** said new but **** to search Durbin from Robert M Durbin for Scott his brother of me. He is sleep now. ***** and talking some in his sleep.
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Strausburg Hospital May 20 1862
I seat myself as only one of your family. To you the death of my dear brother that lies a corpse now. He is gone to rest. His trouble is over. He's now this with his soul is on the sunny banks of Durbins with his two little brothers and sister it looks that my time is going to be the next all to you. Let me *** to prepare to meet them. Let me be sure the brig is safe before I try it. Now mother I want you to try and assist me in this glorious work it is him before it is too late. Mother Scott Durbin died May 20 at five minutes after 9 o'clock in the morning. He commenced to die in the evening before his S***ing
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on ***ing to human. The war **** 14 days out off the many days though was 14 days out of his head but **** good a **** for all. Mother he don't look Bit ****** his face is white as the snow. As pretty corpse as you ever saw in drawing his last breath *** *** **** never **** a **** I suppose you want to know how he was dressed. He had a very *** dress coat and a good pair of pants. A new white shirt drawers sock coat. He looks very well. He is to bury at 10 o'clock on the 21. His coffin is white pine flat top to it. I am going to have him buried under a big shady apple tree close to the border of the ****. Mother I tried every way to take him home. It was his request to buried at home with his
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little brothers and sister. If you will send me the money will fetch or have him sent. I tried every way **** ***** I *** went and seen Colonel Banks and about and he said it or must ** possible to do. Send by *** without the money he said he would **** if he could it will take 70 or 90 dollars to fetch him. He **** now money but 65 ** *** off a $1 that Joseph Roberts lent me to give him. I have got a revolver of his he was Joseph Roberts to have it if he would give $15 for it and send you the money for it. I would like to keep it. Mother I am going to the regiment Thursday morning. I am going to try and raise the money among the boys if I can
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Young **** friend I ask you to take care of that life for God is able to create it at ****** call took ****** took ***** Robert M Durbin to my young friends
Mother I want you to have this a *** and on the first did down to there. I have made some crosses this a *** I want it and them **** on this envelope.
[really hard to read... will try again later]
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June the 8th, 1862
Dear mother I take this opportunity to let you know that I am well at present and I hope that these few line may find you enjoying good health. I wrote to you bout the death of Scott but I did not know whether you had got the word or not. He died the 20th of May five minutes after nine o'clock AM and was buried the 21st at 6 pm. He died with the typpoid fever. He suffered a great deal before he died but he died very easy. He was in the hospital when
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at Strausburg when he died & buried him as respectible as I could. He had his dress clothes on. I was with him from the time he was taking sick until he died. I took all the care of him that I could. He requested me to tell you that you might have all the money that was coming to him. He said for you to sell his cradle but I was to have the cradle if I got home and I would buy you for it but if I never get home you can let some other person have it. His request was to be sent home but ** **** had no money
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and I could not send him without the money. But if you would rather him buried there you can let me know and it may be that I can get to send him home some time this summer. His request was to me to burn all his letters and I done so. His napsack is here and his clothes and if I were get close to the railroad i will send them to you. He had no money with him when he died. There is a good deal of sickness here in among the soldiers at present. I have no more to write at the present. I would like for you to write to me and let me know if
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you got this letter and write soon as you can. Here is a lock of Scott's hair that I will send to you. I have a chance to send this letter to Zanesville with the doctor and I thought that I would write to you.
No more at present but still remain your son till death.
Robert M Durbin
Sarah Durbin
Here is a ring that remains and after he died I took it off his finger so I could send it to you.
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