Letter from Iselin Roberts to wife Nelly dated December 31, 1861 See transcribed text of letter

During the Civil War, Union soldiers in Arlington wrote to their loved ones from geographic locations such as Arlington Heights and Hall’s Hill. 

But while the forts in the defenses of Washington are well-documented and photographed, it can be difficult to find information on temporary camps and hospitals. So state and local historical organizations help piece together the “puzzle” of a Civil War ancestor’s life after consulting on-line photographs and other sources available through the Library of Congress and National Archives and Records Administration.

On December 31, 1861, Iselin Roberts of the 4th NY Cavalry wrote this letter to “My Dear Wife Nelly,” from Camp Hunters Chapel.

Read more about it – and find out where Camp Hunters Chapel was – on Our Back Pages.