This letter was written to his nephew, Iriving Kemp when Daniel was 83 years old. If I remember family lore correctly, Daniel's grandson, Richard Beyer, brought his secretary home for a few days and she worked with Daniel creating typescripts of his handwritten Civil War letters. She was truely a "professional typist". I am old enough to remember typing with carbons when accuracy was at a premium. Although not error free, her transcriptions are top notch. An original and at least 2 carbon copies of each letter was created. Obviously one set of copies went to Irving, my Father gave me a set, and another must be somewhere in the extended family.

Daniel had been reflecting on his experiences after working on transcribing the letters and writing out a memoire based on the same. With this letter, then, we have the observations of a man who lived a very good life.

It is evident from this letter that he wanted to have his Civil War story published in some manner. He thought the letters, in and of themselves, might be sufficient for a story. (Certainly, I agree.)

This letter is not part of the collection at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. I transcribed this from a photocopy of the original.

 

November 14, 1927

My Beloved Nephewson:

I sent you most of my war letters [transcripts] yesterday (I mean Saturday) and today I send the balance. I think several of them are missing but there are enough to make a good story. I was wondering of these letters, themselves, would not do to make a story from. The page relating to how I came to enter the Navy I do not think you have had. I hope you can take the time to read them. If you can’t, I will say, as the Mahomedans [sic] do “Kismet” (It is fate).

During the interval between June 28 and August 9th, 1863 I was a very sick boy as I had the Yellow fever. Most of the boys so afflicted died. It seemed to me before I was taken sick we had a death every day or two. The Doctors never told me I had Yellow fever but that’s what it was without doubt! But from June 28 I have but little memory of what took place. On July 4th, 1863 Vicksburg surrendered. I was there, of course, but was too sick to care. However, I was one of the lucky ones for most of our boys so afflicted died; in fact, I know of no recovery except my own. All the poor fellows were buried on the banks of the Mississippi with only a rude board to mark their resting place.

There are some things in my letters that sound very foolish, i.e.: my talks about the negroes after Lincoln’s proclamation, but that was the talk of the boys among themselves and we all got the foolish notion that the “niggers” were being treated better than we were.

Also my criticism of Admiral Porter. I would omit all such nonsense although even to this day I think Admiral Porter handled our fleet badly. Still it don’t do for a landsman to criticize his Admiral. I said nothing about Geo M. Bache, our Captain, although I really thought him a brute and a coward as well and if my memory is not at fault, he was afterwards cashiered for cowardice. I think, too, he was a relative of Admiral Porter.

Capt. Ramsay of the Choctaw was one of the bravest men I ever knew, and he knew his business from A to Z. He was afterwards made an Admiral. Both Bache and Ramsay were not, at that time, Captains although we called them so, but were Lieutenant Commanders.

I enlisted Sep 16, 1862 and was not discharged until Dec 23/63 so you will notice I grew a little peevish after my time was up. My letters home show my irritation which was not to be wondered at.

I hope you will pardon me if I am taking up too much time of a busy man which could be used to a better advantage. I send you the balance of my letters under another cover and I do hope you will read them.

Your loving

Daduncle