|
Stephen F. Gilbert
Family History
Stephen F. Gilbert was born in Groveland, Livingston County, New York in February 1842. He was the son of John S. Gilbert, a blacksmith, born in Yates County, New York (c.1816) and Emily Fenton, born in Steuben County, New York on July 23, 1817. Stephen’s siblings were brother John H. Gilbert, born in Steuben County, New York (c.1847) and sister Diantha A. Gilbert, born in Steuben County, New York (c.1849). The Gilbert family moved to Hornellsville, New York sometime between 1842 and 1843. On May 6, 1865 Stephen married Addie T. Jones in Hornellsville, New York. Stephen’s sole descendant, Arthur F. Gilbert, was born on May 18, 1868 in Hornellsville, New York. Addie died on June 14, 1871. Stephen was remarried on August 7, 1872 in Almond, New York to Carrie E. Ostrander of Almond. Carrie was a teacher at Park School in Hornellsville. Carrie eventually moved to Kansas where she remarried on January 2, 1879 in Burlingame, Osage County, Kansas to Roselle Doty. Stephen F. Gilbert died on January 14, 1874 in Hornellsville of consumption. Stephen, Diantha (Stevens), Adie, and Emily are all buried in Hope Cemetery in Hornell. Professional History Stephen F. Gilbert became a stenographer immediately after his
military discharge in 1864, employed at William Osgoodby’s general
stenographic business in Hornellsville. Mr. Osgoody performed Stephen
and Addie’s marriage rites in 1865. Stephen was elected Town Justice
of Hornellsville in 1867 and he also served as on the first board of Managers
of the Hornellsville
Due to health reasons (pulmonary consumption), Stephen moved to California in the spring of 1871. By this time Stephen was an accomplished shorthand reporter for the Osgoodby & Gilbert firm. He remained in California for approximately nine months and was then forced to return to Hornellsville due to Addie’s ailing health. In the fall of 1872 Stephen was elected as a member of the Assembly for the Second District of Steuben on the Republican Party ticket. After serving one term Stephen was then elected as Police Justice in Hornellsville. In 1873 Stephen served as a reporter to the Committee on Privileges and Elections in the Senate and the new Capital Commissions in New York City. It was while performing these services that Stephen experienced hemorrhage of the lungs, which ultimately resulted in his death. Stephen’s work ethic helped to recognize him as one of the most expert and accurate stenographers in the state. Military History Stephen F. Gilbert was a member of the 141st Regiment, Company
F, of the New York State Volunteers. Stephen enlisted for three
years as a Private at age 21 on August 21, 1862 at Hornellsville, New York.
According to Stephen’s military file obtained through the National
Archives he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, had blue eyes, light hair, and a
light complexion, and was paid a
From September 1862 to March 1863 Stephen was detailed to hospital duty as a cook in Elmira, New York and Washington, DC. While on duty at Laurel Station, Prince George County, Maryland Stephen contracted a cold that resulted in a severe cold in his lungs which contributed to his health problems in later years. Stephen was hospitalized twice during his enlistment due to his lung ailment. Stephen was promoted to Corporal on May 22, 1863. In October 1864 Stephen received an honorable discharge from the military after sustaining an inguinal groin hernia from being thrown from a horse. During Stephen’s tour of duty he consistently wrote home to his family,
especially his mother. The following are transcripts of Stephen F. Gilbert’s
Civil War letters:
Elmira Sept 3rd 1862 Dear Mother I have just got through my dinner for the sick men and I thought I would
write you. I have been appointed cook in the hospital and my wages will
be about 19 dollars a month. We are expecting our clothes every day but
they do not come. We will get them this week if nothing happens and probably
some of our bounty money. I do not think that I can come home before next
week. I shall come as soon as I can after I get my money and clothes. I
do not have to work much just now, only 2 hours a day.
Camp Hathaway Laurel Station
Dear Mother, Brother & Sister Yours of the 2nd was received in due time, and I will answer it to night
before going to bed. I wrote in my last all about my under shirts. I am
well and hearty yet, and expect to remain so, as long as we stay in this
camp for it is very healthy here for any one that don’t want to play sick,
to get rid of doing their share of the work. John GRANGER has played
up sick ever since we came here, and he has got a furlough to go home,
and stay a month. He left here Wednesday morning for home, and if nothing
has happened he must be in Hornellsville by this time. I suppose that he
will try to get his discharge when he comes back, but I hope he will not,
for he is as well able to stay here as I am. There hasse been sent home
5 men from this regiment and some more are going in a few days. Five companies
have left here, and camped in different places to guard the railroad, and
enforce the draft. Another
It has rained a little here to day, but not enough to get any one very
wet, and if it does it will not hurt me any for our tent is a good thick
one and will not leak a drop. You must have had a house full of visitors,
when all of the folks that you tell about were there, I would like to have
seen them very much. If you want any money, let me know, and I will try
and send you a little. I do not know when I shall get more pay, probably
not in a month or two, but I will spare you some if you need it if you
will only let me know when, and how much you want. A soldier by the name
of DURFY, in Co. B was drummed out of camp Tuesday with his head
shaved, and a board on his back, with the word
My love to you all. Good night.
Oct 25th 1862
I received a letter on Monday and answer it the first opportunity. We are moving the Hospital to day and I cannot write much. I send you 8 dollars this time. Send my Buckskin gloves by John GRANGER when he comes back. Write soon for I shall be anxious to know whether you get the money or not. Yours in haste.
Miners Hill
Dear Mother Enclosed I send you 10 Dollars which Doctor ROBINSON was kind enough to lend me and wait until pay day for his money. You must make it last as long as possible for there is no telling when the Paymaster is coming and this will be the last that I shall be able to send you until he does come which I think will be before the first of March and perhaps before the first of next month. It will be four months pay I suppose and that will be 80 Dollars if I get the extra pay. I was mustered for 20 Dollars a month and it must be all right. Answer soon. From your Son Stephen
Suffolk Va
Dear Mother I received Diantha’s letter the night before we left Arlington and have
not had time to write until now. We left our Barracks on Arlington Heights
about daylight on Wednesday and marched through the mud and rain to Alexandria
and went aboard the Steamer Rockland and arrived at Norfolk about 9 o’clock
Friday morning. Left about noon for this place where we arrived all safe
and camped last night. There are about 25,000 or 30,000 Rebels in front
of us, and we expect a battle soon. The forces here have been skirmishing
with the Rebels since last Saturday and quite a number have been killed
on both sides. There were three men killed on our side yesterday, just
before we arrived
In haste
Direct to Co. F 141 Regt Washington D.C.
Suffolk Va
Dear Mother I sent you 90 Dollars by Express this morning but I do not know who soon you will get it as everything is so uncertain down here. We received marching orders to leave for the other side of the river to day. there was quite a battle yesterday and the Rebels were drove back two miles. Write soon as I have not had a letter since we came here. Yours in great haste
Camp of the 141st Reg Williamsburg, Va
Dear Mother We arrived here the 9th and leave in an hour in light marching order for a reconnoisance through the Rebel pickets. I sent you my ambrotype (?) which I had taken before I left Yorktown. I sent Diantha a French book the day we left and wrote a little in it. We expect to see a little fighting to day, but we may not. Good bye in haste
Near Warrenton Junction, Va.
Dear Mother, I shall not go to Washington in a week or two and thought I would write to day and let you know. The regiment left here the 16th and marched to Bealton Station, 8 miles South of here. All the sick were left. Some are to go to Washington tomorrow and then the hospital will join the regiment. I shall go and wait until the list is made out for the Invalid Corps before I go to the Lieut. Write soon and direct as before. Stephen
Camp of the 141st Regt. New York Vols.
My Dear Mother, I received Diantha’s letter of the 29th Oct containing the stamps in due time, and was very glad to hear from you after so long a time. The mails are quite regular now and I hope they will continue so. I am getting along very well now and do not expect to go to the Invalid Corps or any where else very soon but if I should go there I would not be obliged to stay any longer than if I were with the regiment. We are building winters quarters now and expect to stay here some time. The regiment received pay a few days ago but as I was not here on muster day I did not get mine, and will have to wait until next pay day for it. I intended to send you 25 Dollars, but I could not do it. If I get my pay next time I will send you Fifty. If you need money very bad I will try and borrow some and send it to you, but I would rather not do it if you can get along. I wish that you would not work so hard, but take it a little easier. I do not know how much it costs you to live, but it seems to me that there is no necessity for your making a slave of yourself. I will send you every cent of my pay if you need it, and with what John earns I think you ought to get along without working so hard every day of your life. I wish that you would have Diantha copy the receipts that are written on the contract for the house and lot and what other receipts you have and send them to me. Tell her to copy every one and do it as well as she can. I have forgotten exactly how much we have paid and would like to know how much we owe on it. I have a plan in my head to pay it all up and get a deed by the first of March if it is not too much. Write soon.
Stephen
Shellmound, Tenn.
My Dear Mother, I received Diantha’s letter of the 5th just last night and will answer it today. The paymaster was here Saturday and paid me four months pay. I borrowed Fifty Dollars of Harris SAWYER and thus am enabled to send you one hundred Dollars. Lieut. WILLOR will make up an express package for Company F. to day and to morrow he will go to Bridgeport and send it off. I shall send Eighty Dollars in money and a check on ADSIT for the remainder of the one hundred. Miles HAWLEY sold me the check and as soon as you get it you can present it to Bur ADSIT and receive the money. If nothing happens you will probably get it by the 25th and when you get a deed you must recollect that it is to be a warrantee deed. I would like to send you more but it is impossible to do so now. I expected to receive something on my clothing account as I had not drawn my allowance for last year but instead of my getting my due I was overcharged so much that it took all that was due me and some of my wages besides. I intend to make it come out all right hereafter or somebody will get in a scrape that they cannot get out of very easily. George BURDITT left here the 10th of this month for home and you will probably see him before this reaches you. Write as soon as you get the money as I shall be very anxious to hear it reaches you safely. I must now go over to the Lieutenants and help make up the package. Enclosed I send you a Rebel envelope.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
My Dear Mother, It has been more than a week since I have written a letter home and I thought I would write you before leaving here for the regiment. I came down here the 3rd just, in charge of some sick men and have not been able to get back to the regiment yet, but expect to go to Ringgold to day and by to morrow night I hope to be with the 141st. I heard this morning that our Corps was within 4 miles of Dalton Ga. And if it is so there will be some warmer work before long. I have been staying in the Soldiers home most of the time since I came here but do not like it very well and will get to the regiment as soon as possible. I cannot get any letters as long as I remain here, nor any pay or clothes and the best thing I can do is to get to the regiment. I would like to have you write often, as a letter from my mother is always welcome and more precious to me than any other and I hope you will write to me whenever you can do so. I shall write again as soon as I get to the regiment.
Stephen
In camp near Dallas Georgia
My Dear Mother, I have been waiting several days to get an opportunity to write but could not get time to do so, and if I had written it would not have reached you as no mail has been sent North for nearly two weeks. We are now allowed to send letters every day but do not know how long we shall have the priviledge. I wrote to Diantha two days after the battle at Resacca while we were on the march and hope she received it in due time. Our Corps came up with the rear of the rebel army on the 19th at Cassville and expected to have a fight but they ran away the same night and saved us the trouble of driving them out of the town. We staid there until the 23rd and then started after them again. On the afternoon of the 25th we came up to them at this place and our division was ordered to attack them and find out their position. About five o’clock we ran upon their batteries and breastworks which they had posted in the woods when they opened upon us with musketry, grape and canister and now and then would send a shell tearing through the trees, but the regiment stood their ground until dark when troops came to relieve us. We were out of ammunition and fell back with a loss of twenty five in killed and wounded. Co F. lost one man killed and one wounded but neither were from Hornellsville. The man that was killed was Oren COUDERMAN and is a relative of the COUDERMAN’S in H’ville. Our Corps is now held in reserve and we do not expect to be in again
at this place. To day is the fifth day since the fight began and there
seems to have been but little gained on either side. The rebels cannot
hold out much longer and we are confident of gaining the battle. The 107th
was under fire the same length of time that we were and lost heavily. There
killed and wounded is reported at 173 which is no more in proportion to
the size of their regiment than our loss was as their regiment is five
times as large as ours. Harris and Mike have been quite sick for
the last week and are now in hospital. They were not here at the time of
the fight. Eugene THACHER of the 107th was killed. Bill BALLON
was wounded in the shoulder. Gilbert WRIGHT was shot in the mouth
but will get well. Joe
From Your Son Stephen
Direct to Co F. 141st N.Y. Vols 1st Division 20th Army Corps
Dear Mother, I rec’d Diantha’s letter of June 10th just now and have twenty minutes to answer it before the mail goes. I am well and sound yet and hope to remain so through the campaign. We have just passed through the hardest weeks service I think we have had so far. Since the 15th we have been constantly fighting and marching night and day through rain with but few opportunities to rest and sometimes hardly a chance to eat. Our regiment has been on the skirmish line most of the time and has lost but few men, although under fire most of the time. I am getting so accustomed to hear bullets whistling around my head that I do not mind it much now. It has rained every day for the last three weeks & if it does not stop before long I shall begin to build an ark and make other preparations for a flood. We have marched, fought, eat, and slept in the rain until one does not know what it is to be thoroughly dry. Myself and everything I possess have been soaking wet more than two thirds of the time since the 1st of the month, but my health is good and bids fair to remain so. We are now less than 20 miles from Atlanta and gaining some every day.
We have driven the rebels about ten miles on our part of the line since
I wrote last. There will be no rest for us until we get to Atlanta and
you may be sure that we are very anxious to get there.
From Stephen
Head Quarters 20th Corps
Dear Mother, I have just time to write you before moving and will improve the opportunity. Diantha’s letter of the 5th just was received several days ago but I had, only the day before, written to John and thought best to wait a day or two. Since then I have had no time to write. The 20th Corps crossed the Chattahoochie river the 17th and yesterday
was engaged during the greater part of the day. We were marching quietly
along when all at once the rebels made a charge upon the whole line and
succeeded in breaking through at one place, but Gen. Hooker immediately
ordered up a Brigade of fresh troops and regained all that had been lost.
Our regiment was under fire the whole afternoon and lost about 30 killed
and 50 wounded. The Colonel was killed, the Lieut Col. Lost his arm, the
Major was severely wounded in the thigh, and the Adjutant was shot through
both legs. There were three wounded in Company F but none killed. Lieut.
WILLOR had a slight
These Head Quarters at one time were up nearly to the line of battle
and the bullets whistled around quite thick. The rebels made repeated charges
upon the 1st and 3rd Brigades of our Division during the afternoon but
were repulsed each time with heavy loss. The 107th was not engaged, they
being held as reserve. The loss in wounded in the whole Corps will not
exceed 1000, besides the killed. The rebels must have lost many more men
than we did as they were the attacking party, while some of our men had
breastworks to fight behind. We have captured 6 battle flags, 6 officers
and 130 men from the enemy since the fight began. They have fallen back
towards Atlanta but it is not known how far. We are now but five miles
from the city and expect to move on again this afternoon. The 141st is
From Your Affectionate Son.
Head Quarters 20th Corps
Dear Mother, I have been anxiously looking for a letter for several days in answer to mine of July 21st & 29th but as yet have not received any and now write another hoping that you will receive this one if you have not the others. I also wrote on Aug 11th but it is hardly time to expect an answer to that. I am certain that you must have received my letters and answered them and they have miscarried in some way, for I know that you would not fail to write even if you did not get my letters. I saw Dan CARROL from Hornellsville to day and he says that Mr. CARROL is in Marietta. I sent word to him by Dan to come and see me and I expect to see him soon. I suppose that you do not know who Dan CARROL is but John does. There is some talk about either filling up the regiment or consolidating it with some other but I do not know which will be done. In either case I do not see that it will effect me in any way but I hope there will be no consolidation. There seems to be no change in affairs here and the fate of Atlanta is still uncertain. I am getting along very well here but you need not be surprised if you should soon hear that I am in the regiment again, and after all I may stay here a long time yet. We have seen no Paymaster yet and the prospect of getting paid very soon looks very bad. I suppose they dare not venture down into this dangerous country until Atlanta is taken. I would like to have you send me more stamps if possible for I am entirely out and have no way of getting any. The Government will owe me by the 1st of Sept 120 Dollars, but it seems a long time coming and I may not get it all when we do get paid. Write soon for I am anxious to hear from home as the last letter I received was written July 22nd, just one month ago. Your Affectionate Son Stephen F. Gilbert
Head Quarters 20th Corps
Dear Mother, I have waited until I am tired without getting a letter and write as I have done every time but once for the last two months – write without having a letter to answer. I received one letter the 14th of this month and answered it the same day and that is the only one that has reached me since July. I spoke to the Doctor about letting me have a furlough but he does not seem inclined to grant it so I suppose there is no use in thinking about it, for if he will not help me I could not possibly get one. He has been ordered to New Mexico and will probably leave in two or three weeks. I do not know who will be Med. Director then or whether I shall stay here, but if I should lose my place here, I can get another somewhere else without much trouble. I want you to send me my largest Phonographic Book by mail as soon as you get this. Grahams work is the one I mean. I shall probably be in some office until my time is out and have an opportunity to study some and I think it best to finish up what I commenced three years ago. This army will probably start another campaign in about a month and it is rumored that the 20th Corps will remain here to garrison the city. I hope it will be so. The Paymaster has just arrived at the depot and we will now get our pay in a few days. We expect to get paid up to 1st of this month, and after paying Harris that 50 Dollars I owe him and one or two small debts I think I shall be able to send you 40 Dollars, I shall write when I send it so you will know when to look for it. Write every week even if you do not hear from me and perhaps some of the letters will get through. From Your Affectionate Son S. F. Gilbert
Head Quarters 20th
Stephen
|
Back To Steuben County Main Page
If you have anything of genealogical or historical interest to add to this site, or if you are interested in becoming a member of the Painted Hills Genealogy Society, please contact us at:
Painted Hills
This page is maintained by the PHGS
Last Update February 15, 2020