U.S.S. Maine
Hampton Roads, Va.
Mar. 30, 1896
Dear Father,
I received your welcome letter all right and it made me feel pretty bad to hear that poor Maggie (his younger sister) was dead. We were at sea at target practice when your last two letters came so I got them both together over a week late. I would have answered your letter before but I got pretty badly hurt in the left arm and right wrist through a gun recoil bursting at target practice. I have been on the sick list since. There were four of us hurt. Perhaps you read about it in the papers. We are all right now. Father, I send you a money order for $20. That is all I can send now but I will send more next month. I have some photographs of the crew I will send soon. We ran a ball here last Friday night aboard the ship. We expect to go to Norfolk Navy Yard most any day. I must close now as my wrist is sore. I hope you are all well. Give my love to all. Good Bye.
Your loving son
Joseph F. Walsh
U.S.B.S. Maine
Hampton Roads, Va.
U.S.S. Maine
Norfolk, Va
May 31, 1896
Dear Father,
I received your letter the other day and was glad to hear from you and that you are all well. I did not receive any letter until the last one since Maggie died. When I got that letter I answered it and also sent in it a post office money order for twenty (20) dollars. If you did not get it, why not go to the postmaster and ask him to trace it for you. I was made out, sent by Jos. F. Walsh, U.S.S. Maine, Hampton Roads, Va and payable to James F. Walsh, 35 Blaine St., Brockton, Mass. and was drawn at post office at Fortress Monroe Va. on I think March 31. Ask him about it and please let me know what he does about it. We have been at the Navy Yard here for the last month and a half under big repairs and alterations and we leave here tomorrow for Hampton Roads for orders. It is expected we will go to Port Royal to dry dock and then to Key West to be near Cuba. The Spanish question is getting serious and they want a big ship handy. As next to the Indiana we are the best fighting ship in the fleet, and able to take care of any two Spanish ships down there, the captain and officers are all confident of being ordered there. The only ship there now is the monitor Amphitrite. The Maine with her 12 inch side armor, 15 inch redoubt armor and 11 inch turret armor, 4 -10 inch guns in turrets throw 50 pound shells 10 miles, 6 - 6 inch guns throwing 100 pound shells 6 miles besides a 6 pounder and 8 1 pounder rapid fire guns and 4 torpedo tubes. She is a fine fighter. She has no bulwarks and can fire her 10 and 6 inch guns along and across her own decks either ahead or astern. Besides that she can turn quicker and in a smaller circle than any ship in the Navy of her size. Last week there were three Spanish cruisers down in the roads but I believe there is only one now. They are on the way to Cuba from Spain.
Father I will send you in this letter $10 which is all I can spare now and will send a picture of myself and chum taken in Norfolk. We all feel pretty blue at not joining the fleet in New York asthey will probably be in Boston this summer as it is a good place for Jack Tar. The Columbia is here too and two companies of blue jackets from her, two companies from this ship, and 3 companies of marines paraded yesterday and went to the Naval Cemetery and decorated sailor's graves. It is hot here and most of the crew have had a touch of malarial fever. Hugh O'Reagan and Maurice Fitzgerald send their regards. How are the Martins? Are they well? Is mother and all the children well? Is Annie working? Give them all my love. Well Father send your next letter to Norfolk Navy Yard as no matter where we are we can have mail sent to us. I wish if you could send me a Sunday Globe or Enterprise once in a while Well I must close now. Good bye. Look up that money order and let me know about it for if it can't be found I will write to the Post Master General at Washington and have him investigate it. Tell Willie I will send him a drum soon. Good bye. Write soon.
Your loving son
Jos. F. Walsh
U.S.S. Maine
Navy Yard
Norfolk, Va.
These letters are from the file of Joseph Walsh in the National Archives. His father submitted them in support for his claim for a pension since both letters indicated that Joseph was sending his father money to help make ends meet.
Jim Dunn, jwd6@psu.edu