Poe Archive

INTRODUCTION
Thomas P. Conrey enlisted in Company C of the 9th New Hampshire Infantry 17 July 1862 and was captured at Spotsylvania Court House on 5 May 1864. He was imprisoned at Andersonville Prison in Georgia and died on 28 August 1864. He is buried in the military cemetery at Andersonville in grave 7072. The photograph above is of his grave. The marker is incorrectly engraved as T. P. Conery. Thomas' name has also been mispelled as Cooney.

THE LETTER
The Thomas P. Conrey letter was written at Camp Dennison on 9 November 1863 to his sister. The content of the letter is generally family chatter; although ironically, since Thomas died at the infamous Andersonville where many prisoners died of disease and malnutrition, a substantial portion of the letter pertains to his requests for various foodstuffs; cake, bread, butter, and magnesia for indigestion.

HISTORY
The soldiers of the 9th New Hampshire saw their share of action in the Civil War, receiving their baptism of fire at the Battle of Antietam where they were one of the first regiments to cross over the stone bridge known as Burnside’s Bridge. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, they were heavily engaged, coming under an artillery and musketry fire before withdrawing to the city. They were present at the surrender of Vicksburg and fought in the Wilderness, but they took their heaviest losses at Spotsylvania, where they became embroiled in the fighting which took place at the infamous “Bloody Angle.” Thomas was captured at Spotsylvania.

FAMILY
Thomas is recorded in the 1850 Federal Census as being 9 years of age and living in Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, with his father, William P. Conrey, 37, mother Elizabeth, 35, and siblings, Mary E., 7, Hannah, 1. His father’s occupation is listed as Iron Founder.