Born in 1838 Andrews was an unmarried farmer from Wolcott, Connecticut who enlisted in the Ninth Regiment, Company I, on August 17, 1861. He was discharged on September 4, 1862 due to illness ( probably due to the hardship and disease prevalent at the “Canal” area. )
The following was an attempt to translate a faded handwritten letter to his brother and sister. The original letter is on file with the Connecticut Historical Society [Location: MS 74274] in Hartford.
Ship Island, Mississippi
March 9, 1862
Dear Brother and Sister,
I thought I would write you a few lines and let you know that I am well now and hope that this will find you all the same. There has been nothing of importance happening since I wrote last that is the 6th when I wrote and sent my money to your care by express to Waterbury thinking that perhaps you could get it sooner than Father would and send it to him when you can handy and if it is hard times there it may do him some good. I should like to hear from you and our folks at home very much, it begins to be quite tiresome to watch for news from home and get none though the mail has come in here every day for a while back bringing in soldiers and other things needed. The twelfth Conn Regiment arrived here yesterday with three other regiments and we expect the Thirteenth Reg here all the time now. I shall expect to see some old acquaintances among them if I stay her long enough though. I do not think we shall stay but one or two days more here at the longest and they say we are going tomorrow but I do not know when we shall go. Perhaps you would like to know where we expect to go well I will tell you as near as I can. I think it will be Mobile and Mississippi City in fact the 26th Mass regiment went over to Mobile yesterday and landed a force but had to leave and come back in double quick time you may depend after the rebels fired a few grape and canister shot at them. I believe there was no one kild but some wounded. They will have to wait until the Bloody 9th is ready to go with them. There will be some hard fighting down here very soon now. We have had a first rate spot to stay during the winter but our easy time is nearly through now as there is a large group of troops collecting here now so we shall have to move along when we get started. This month has been the coldest since we have arrived here, it was so cold that we saw a very small ______ of ice the other morning which was a great curiosity to us here as we did not expect to see any this winter. Our men here have been very healthy since we have been here as only one has died out of our Regiment since I enlisted and my health has never been better not withstanding our _______ and hard work and I think I shall live to get back if I don’t get kilt with some stray ball or other. I hope we shall all get back all safe and sound before long so if I could get some letters and papers from home if you will send me your Waterbury American once in a while. I should think a great deal of me if I could get any, if you can’t send me any papers write as often as you can and tell me all the news there is and not to wait for me to write and I don’t know as I shall have as much time as I have had after soon. Tell Mr Todd folks that I should like to hear from them very much and I think that I should stay quiet if I was back there again but I think the war will ________ awhile and ______ then I shall be around after awhile if I live. We shall march to New Orleans before long and then old boy look out for loose shells ; there is somethings I like in camp life and some things I do not so, ________ when we have to stand out on Picked guard as I have had to stand out for the last to days and have ____ got off now so I don’t write very good ______ and I hope you excuse this poor writing. You must give my best respects to all enquiring friends and write as often as you can tell them to write to me if they can and I will write back to all that will write to me. I have thought that you all had forgotten me before now by nobody writing to me. I have sent a number of times to different persons but received no reply yet. I want you send a letter to me and let me know if you get the money that I sent as I shall feel very uneasy until I hear from home or some of your people.
Write Soon
And Direct to Sip Island
A A Andrews
Company I 9th Regiment CV
Ship Island Miss
Care Capt Curtis
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