This very historically significant letter is written by Lieut. Frank M. Metcalf, who was a member of the Signal Corps. from Utica, New York.
In this long six-page letter in nice dark ink, Frank writes from the Signal Station at City Point, Virginia, July 22, 1864. This places the letter
during Grant’s important Petersburg Campaign:
P.S. Would you like my “Don Quixote” when I finish it?
Signal Station City Point, Virginia
July 22, 1864
Dear Hattie,
Here I still am with six fellow doing my part of watching for flagging messages etc. of which we have
considerable to do here. Some of them apparently of an important nature. We are the only means of
communication between this Pt. and Gen. Sheridan’s Hd. Qrs. Except to travel the whole distance,
six or eight miles.They are just taking and deciphering a message upstairs. We have now an officer, Lt. Keozinski of
Poland, formerly, and one of three or four Russian and Polish Signal Officers which we have in this
dept.One captain, a banished Russian, left here this morning for Washington whether he goes for some
purpose best known to himself, probably enough to resign, as if commissioning him in the Corps
(Regular Army). He is only to be a first lieutenant like many other officers, who being detailed from
regiments and made signal officers are reduced in rank by the operation much to their chagrin, I
presume, but after much to their nemesis delight who like to see some of the arrogant tyrants
humbled.I, for one, am glad to see some of our vain, boy officers reduced to second lieutenants from the next
higher rank; it does me good and I hope they will resign and be accepted.But I hadn’t the slightest intention of writing all that matter only my pen followed my random
thoughts involuntarily.Your letter of the 7th inst. That “day which made me a man” in age was received a few days since,
some ten days after its writing, but ‘twas just as good when it came except that the news was old.I believe it contains an account of that poor fellow who committed suicide. That was indeed a
terrible termination of his existence and soldiering much more so than would have been his death
in battle.It produced such an effect on me that when I read of Jud’s melancholy state of mind, it gave rise to
anything but pleasant reflections. Surely he must have been deranged as indeed must be anyone
who thus terminates their own career. I had heard of the occurrence through Anna’s letter to Ev.
which I read on the same day as I visited him at the hospital where I have been every three days
since I came here. Ev. Is getting along very slowly, but I thought the last time I visited him, Tuesday,
that he was better than I had before seen him.Were you not slightly surprised to hear that events had placed us so near each other?
I was, myself, and it seemed as if a particular special providence was in the matter. I shall scarcely
visited him today for not only are part of the boys away, but I am scarcely well enough to go myself
having considerable diarrhea accompanied with intervals of quite exquisite pain, but my duties
being only to watch the station four hours in each period of twenty hours i.e. two in each ten hours.
I get along with it very comfortably indeed and hope it will not stay with me long as I am sure it
wouldn’t if I could change my diet, but with governmental rations it is very difficult to confine
oneself to food that is wholesome especially if he has too much need of food to confine himself to
toast which I might do but for my appetite which is good, and as long as it is, I shall retain my
strength if I do undergo some pain.The other boys are affected similarly and I presume it is to be accounted for by some local
circumstances such as water or the fact that this was ever considered an unhealthy location for all.
It has every appearance of being otherwise, and being situated at the junction of two rivers, it is a
most pleasant location on the high bank and nearly lost in trees.Palmer is at Hd. Qrs near Point of Rocks. I believe he is now well tho’ he was taken sick while
coming up on the sixth for duty with the “chills,” and when, going to Bermuda with the war on for
express goods etc., etc., I met him as he landed. He was flushed with fever, thus you see we are not
encamped together.I sent the photograph to him and saw him day before yesterday myself as I visited Hd. Qrs. on
business then he expressed himself much please and inquired after you both. I don’t think he is
sadly homesick. Why do you have that impression?If he is, it is not enough to hurt him and I have only to say that he has no business being so, nor
anyone else enjoying even tolerable health in this corps; do you thin he has, knowing how easily
we are situated comparatively? I certainly am never so and I don’t mean to be while I am so highly
favored by fortune as I have thus far been. ‘Tis only those who are situated as Jud and Ev. and some
others who are alone bearing the hardest “tug or war” that have any excuse for being so, and I truly
pity them from my heart and cant say how I should feel under similar circumstances., but I presume
in a precisely similar way, I will venture to direct this to Hempstead and I presume it will reach you
before you get away. Give my love to Anna, Uncle James and all the rest of the good people down
there. Did Anna get my letter? Good Bye. Write soon.
Yours affectionately,
Frank
In the book, Signal Corps. U.S.A., Metcalf is pictured on page 445 and on page 118-119, Metcalf is credited with the development of
an improved cipher disk. There was a serious defect in the cipher disk being used in 1864. The new disk was called “Metcalf’s Disk”
(see our photos below)! Included with the letter is the original stamped transmittal envelope. Condition of the letter is very fine!
#L16– Price $495
