Fellow Sharpshooters;

The Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich, New York has the collection of New York Sharpshooter, Cyrus J. Hardaway’s letters that he wrote to his mother during the Civil War. They have been edited and transcribed by his descendants; Barbara Beardslee Dundas and William Beardslee. Hardaway’s letters originally were published in his hometown newspaper, the New Berlin Gazette. Dundas/Beardslee provide a short historical commentary that accompany the letters so readers can understand the wider historical context Hardaway and his comrades were experiencing.

Hardaway’s last action with the Sharpshooters was Wapping Heights/Front Royal on July 26th.

In the letter dated July 5th, 1st Lt. Adrian Foote, of the 114th New York Infantry, provides instructions to Hardaway on how he should outfit himself for his new duties in New Orleans and the Deep South. Hardaway never served with his new regiment, being detached as Assistant Acting Quartermaster. A year later, found Hardaway and the regiment transferred to 19th Corps, and serving out the remainder of their time in the Shenandoah Valley.

The authors have arranged the letters by year and month they were written. Individual letters are highlighted in blue.

http://guernseymemoriallibrary.org/services/chenango-county-digitized-collection/the-civil-war-letters-of-cyrus-j-hardaway/

Enjoy.

Bill Skillman
Michigan Companies
Berdan Sharpshooters Survivors Association