1776: "For the Cause of Freedom & Love"
Captain Jonathan Birge wrote this letter to his wife, Priscilla Birge on October 6, 1776, during the New York Campaign. He commanded the Fourth Company of the Third Battalion of Wadsworth's Brigade in the Continental Army in 1776. Just a few weeks after penning this letter, Captain Birge was mortally wounded during the Battle of White Plains.
Spelling and grammar is original; some words have been clarified in [brackets] for easier reading.
Camps at Harlem 10 miles above Newyork Octr 6th 1776
Kind & Deutyful [dutiful] Wife: you must not think that Distance & long Absence has weaned in the least degree my Affections from you & my family altho I have wrote but seldom to you and what I have wrote has had a tendancy to mak[e] you trouble but it was Real necessity mad me send for those articles for which I sent & I determin to send home some money which we are in dayley [daily] expectation of Drawing very soone, altho my Expenses are & have been very large through the extravagant price which has been on everything that I have bought
I can inform you that at Present I am in good health at Present through Divine goodness which I esteem the greateast worldly Blessig [Blessing] & especialy in our camp for I never saw a wors[e] place to be sick in for we have not one doctor to our whole Brigade in camp for they are all gone out to take care of sick in the hospitals in the county
Our people are some what sickly in camp yet but they Generaly Recrute [Recruit—get better] when we send them into the country and But few dies compared with the Number of sick
As to our circumstances of living we are better provided than when I wrote to you last for we have a tent and some straw to lye on to keep us from the ground & we fare considerably lik[e] hogs but I desire not to complain For I am alive & why should a living man complain It is not all the commissions or pay scearcely that induces Me ware it [is] for the cause of freedom & love to posterity That could have me to under go the fategue [fatigue] of such A campaine [campaign] as this but I hope we shall fare better Soon, so you may conclude that I shall Return as soon as may be for I want to hear from you & my family & much more to see you, but I would not think that I am uneasey with my circumstances for I am in helth [health] thank kind providence & I am the only Cpt in the Regement [Regiment] that is well & but one only besides myself that Pretends to do aney [any] duty in cam[p] which makes my Deuty some what hard but I hope to be carried through but I am afrade [afraid] that as the weather grows cold I shall be Exposed to get cold but I intend to keep as comfortable as I can for I have bought one blanket since I sent you the last letter but if you send me another I shall not have two much bed cloathing for winter: we hear that the French fleet is near the mouth of Delaware River & we hope that they will play a tune for the Regulars to dance as they have for us but things look frouneing [frowning] on us as yet but we must know that God will do Right and we must wate [wait] for his salvations
My deuty to my Honoured mother if she be yet alive & likewaise [likewise] to Father, mother Hammond with a desier [desire] of their prayers for me & the army in General so I conclude with sub- -scribing my selfe your true & loyal Husband
Jonth Birge
John Jones is sick & gone out to our hospital at New Rochel he is prity [pretty] low with the camp Distemper & Lenord Rogers is very poorly with the scurvey, & I have heard that Thos [Thomas] Taylor is Dead but we have not heard certain of the truth of it the nuse [news] come not very direct for he was sick & went out into the country but I never knew whare I was in hopes his uncle would find him & be able to help him: we have but 26 men in my company fit for deuty out of above Sixty: I have not heard that but four or five have Died
Source:
Capt. Jonathan Birge, October 6, 1776 to Priscilla Birge, Society of the Cincinnati, The American Revolution Institute.
