Francis Rupert
Rupert served with the 2nd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Cavalry, 59th Volunteers which saw action in Northern Virginia, assisted in the defenses of Washington, and was present at major battles of the war including Antietam, Gettysburg, and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. Rupert became a POW and died at Andersonville Prison in Georgia on June 26, 1864; the overcrowded conditions there led to the deaths of 13,000 from disease, malnutrition, and exposure. In this letter, Rupert thanks his mother for sending envelopes and paper. In answer to her questions from a previous letter, he describes his living conditions and reassures her that he is getting enough to eat. Firsthand accounts of the Civil War like this one are especially touching when we remember that Rupert never makes it home from the war.
This letter is available on the digital library project I Remain.