Index of Places

 

This is an index of the places mentioned in John’s letters. 

•  Albany, NY—John mentions visiting Albany with Sarah and while in the Army. During the war, he receives a letter from his father postmarked from there.

•  Alexandria, VA—John stayed at the Camp of Recruits here when he first joined the Army. 

•  Aquia Creek, VA—John stood picket at Aquia Creek when his Regiment was at Falmouth. He usually wrote it as “Aqua Creek.”

•  Ashly's Gap, VA—Strategic point on the road to Harper's Ferry.  Held by the CSA in June 1863.

•  Brandy Station, VA—John's Regiment wintered near Brandy Station from November 1863 through early 1864.

•  Burk's Station, VA—Near Arlington, Virginia.  John's Regiment appears to have moved there following the end of the War.

•  Camp California, VA—Camp California, home base for the 57th New York Volunteers, was located on Little River Turnpike (Route 236) about two miles west of Old Town Alexandria.

•  Camp Convalescent, VA—John stayed at Camp Convalescent in the summer of 1863, after leaving Turner's Lane Hospital in Philadelphia.  The camp was located on the grounds of the Virginia Theological Seminary (formerly the Episcopal Theological Seminary) in Alexandria, Virginia.

•  Camp of Recruits, VA—John stayed at the Camp of Recruits here when he first joined the Army.  It was located near Old Town Alexandria.

•  Campbell Hospital, Washington, DC—Campbell Hospital was located on Florida Avenue, N.W. (then called Boundary Street), between Fifth and Sixth Streets, N.W.  It was one block from the present-day Howard University Hospital.  John was sent to Campbell Hospital following his injury at Fredericksburg from December 1862 to January or February 1863. 

•  Canaday, ? —Possibly a town in Oneida County.

•  Cedar (or Slaughter) Mountain—John’s Regiment camped near there, probably in the Fall of 1863.

•   Chancellorsville, VA—John fought in the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.

  1.   Charlestown, WV—John fought in a skirmish there.  He describes it as “the place John Brown was hung.”

  2.   Clarksville, NY—A town in Albany County, on the eastern side of New York State.

  3. Clinton, NY—Sarah and John lived in Clinton after their marriage.

•  Cold Harbor, VA—John's Regiment fought there in June 1864

•  College Hill, NY—A town in Oneida County.

•  Culpeper—The seat of Culpeper County, Virginia. John’s Regiment camped near there, probably in the Fall of 1863.

•  Deensville, NY—Alternate name for Deansboro, a town in Oneida County.

•  England—John's family may have lived in England briefly during the 1840s.

•  Falmouth, VA—John's Regiment wintered at Falmouth from the end of November 1862 to April 1863.  The Regiment returned to Falmouth after fighting at Chancellorsville and stayed to the middle of June 1863.

•  Fort Stedman, VA—USA fort near Fredericksburg.

•  Foster's Bar, CA—A community in California where John mined or panned for gold.

•  Fredericksburg, VA—John's Regiment fought near or in Fredericksburg in December 1862.  They returned in the spring of 1863 to take the city.

•  Freesburg, VA—Unknown. Possibly shorthand for Fredericksburg.

•  Gainesville, VA—John's Regiment stopped there in June 1863.

•  Gettysburg, PA—John fought in the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.

•  Gordonsville, VA—John mentions plans to advance to Gordonsville in November 1863.

•  Hampton, NY—A town in Oneida County.  A soldier from John's Company came from Hampton.

•  Harper's Ferry, WV—John mentions marching to Harper's Ferry (or attempting to) several times in his letters.  During the Civil War, West Virginia was still part of Virginia.

•  Inverness, Scotland—Sarah's friend Richard worked on the docks in Inverness.

•  Kelly's Ford, VA—Crossing over the Rappahannock River.

•  Lairdsville, NY—Sarah lived in Lairdsville prior to her marriage to John

•  Milwaukee, WI—John's brothers Williams and James lived in Milwaukee.

•  New York, NY—John's ship left for California from the Port of New York. He also appears to have visited with Sarah and passed through on his way to join his Regiment.

•  Oneida, NY—Clinton and Lairdsville are located in Oneida County.  There is also a town of the same name, where Sarah picked up Money Orders from John during the War.

•  Petersburg, VA—John's Regiment fought there in June through March 1865.

•  Philadelphia, PA—John was hospitalized in Philadelphia following the Battle of Gettysburg.

•  Rapidan River, VA—John's Regiment stayed near there in September and October 1863.

•  Rappahannock River, VA—The city of Fredericksburg is located along the Rappahannock.

•  Rappahannock Station, VA—Near Fredericksburg. John mentions his Regiment fighting there in November 1863. The area is now called Remington.

•  Ream's Station, VA—John's Regiment fought there to destroy the Weldon Railroad in August 1864.

•  Richmond, VA—The capital of the CSA.  John mentions plans to march there in May 1864.

•  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—John's ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro on the way to California.

•  Salem, VA—John's Regiment stopped there in November 1862.

•  San Francisco, CA—John's ship arrived in San Francisco from New York.

•  Sears's Diggings, CA—A place in California where John mined or panned for gold.

•  Slat Creek, CA—A place in California where John mined or panned for gold.

•  Snicker's Gap, VA—Strategic point on the road to Harper's Ferry.  Held by the CSA in June 1863.

•  Spotsylvania, VA—John fought there in the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.

•  Stephensburg, VA—John's Regiment stayed there in April 1864.

•  Stoney Bar, CA—A community in California where John mined or panned for gold.

•  Turner's Lane Hospital, PA—John was hospitalized at Turner's Lane Hospital following the Battle of Gettysburg.  The hospital was located in North Philadelphia.

•  Utica, NY—A larger town in Oneida County.  John's friend Sam Hill came from Utica.

•  Vernon Center, NY—A town in Oneida County.  One of the doctors at Camp Convalescent came from Vernon Center.

•  Vicksburg, MS—John mentions Vicksburg as a USA military objective.

•  Warrenton, VA—John mentions marching to Warrenton (or planning to) in June 1863.  His Regiment stops there in November 1863.

•  Washington, DC—Several of John's letters mention getting things from Washington, other soldiers in the hospitals there, or events in the city.

•  Yuba County, CA—Foster's Bar is located in Yuba County.