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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], George Fitch Letter, 1863, Ms2023-139, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The George Fitch Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in December 2015.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the George Fitch Letter was completed in November 2023.

Biographical Note

George William Fitch was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 14th, 1844. He enlisted as a private in Company D of the 62nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry of the Union Army during the American Civil War. His regiment was a part of the Potomac Army, which was under the command of Major General George B. McClellan. The 62nd Regiment took part in strengthing fortifications around Washington, D. C., in the late 1861, until the Peninsula campaign in early 1862. During the campaign, Fitch and his regiment were captured by Confederate forces at the Battle of Gain's Mill, around six miles away from Richmond. Eventually, Fitch was exchanged for another prisoner of war the same year, and he continued to fight in such battles as the second Battle of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. After mustering out, Fitch re-enlisted in the Union Army and served in Company A of the 155th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry in December 1863. Fitch was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on February 2nd, 1865. Ultimately, he mustered out on June 21st, 1865.

Fitch married Roxcie A. Moore on April 15th, 1866, and they had seven children. He became a teacher, and the family settled on a farm in Bethel, Iowa. From 1877 to 1886, Fitch served as the Fayette County superintendent, during which time he advocated for rural schools and compulsory education. Fitch also established the first county school newspaper in Iowa. He later began research and writing histories and genalogies.

Fitch died on November 10th, 1920.

External Sources:

"Joseph Hooker", National Park Service's Civil War Database, https://www.nps.gov/people/joseph-hooker.htm

"Fitch, George", National Park Service's Civil War Database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=0EA71B9D-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A

G. Blessin, "George William Fitch", in Fayette County, Iowa History Directory: Past and Present of Fayette County Iowa, Vol. I, Biographical Sketches, p. 1334, B. F. Bowen & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1910, available online at IAGenWeb Project, http://iagenweb.org/fayette/hist/1910/1334.htm

"George William Fitch", www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155639673/george-william-fitch

"62nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry," National Park Service's Civil War Database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UPA0062RI

Scope and Content

This letter was written by George Fitch, a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, to his brother Charlie in a camp near Falmouth, Virginia, on April 11th, 1863. The letter contains information on a review conducted by General Joe Hooker and John Sedgewick, as well as a visit with president Abraham Lincoln.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the George Fitch Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).