114th Ohio Infantry

Item LTR-10273

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages, written in period ink.


Camp on Vermillion Bayou, Louisiana

October 21, 1863

Dear Parents and Brothers,

I should not have written quite as soon as this. But we expect to move on again tomorrow morning and I do not know when I would have a better chance to drop you a few more lines than I have at present. And also, that your letter of the 27th of September came to hand a few evenings ago, bringing me word that you were all well and enjoying good health. In my last I wrote you that I was down with the liver complaint and fever. I was pretty bad there for a few days until Major French, who is now our Brigade Surgeon, came down to the Captain’s tent where I lay. And he examined me and gave me some medicine. Then told the Captain that my disease was running into the lung fever. French done all of my doctoring then. Now I am improving considerable and I hope that I may get along now without any further sickness.

You say in your letter that Uncle George is coming in again to visit you and that they have quit their brewing business. Are the times so hard in Indiana that they cannot get along? I do not like to hear of that chance that father has to sell his brewery. I want him to stay into it until I come back if I live anyhow. For I may take a notion to be a brewer yet.

I hope that the next picture that I send home will be myself. I have your photograph yet. But mother’s and Jacob’s picture is gone.

I will not write anything about political times down here. As they are past with us. All we want now is the war to close.

I am very sorry to hear that Mr. Edward McKinley is dead. But it was nothing more than I expected when he started off. He had been lingering so long in camp with his disease that it entirely broke him down and he was almost at times as helpless as a child. I told it to the Captain and it completely surprised him.

Well, I do not know of anything more to writes. So, I will bring this to a close by sending my love and respects to all the friends. Please answer soon. Mya God bless and be with you all is the prayer of,

Your most affectionate son and brother,

Caleb