civilwar
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The
Civil War Letters
of
The "Blountsville Boys"
Henry County
Indiana
Many thanks to Gene and
Lea Wagner
who did such an outstanding
job of transcribing all of these letters
and generously donated
them to the Henry County Gen Web Page.
The letters have been
left in their original format. Spelling and wording have not been changed.
Most of these letters
were written by Allen Wesley Galyean to his family
back home in Blountsville.
He also wrote letters for his friend John Hawk
also from Blountsville,
as well as several other friends.
They span the period
from April 28, 1861 to Sept. 5, 1864.
***Important Note***
As you read this collection
of letters, you may come across
racial slang that may
be offensive.
Please bear in mind the
time period in which the letters were written and that
these words were in common
use during that time. I felt it necessary, to leave the wording as it was
originally written and not change
it since it is history
being
dealt with here.
Disclaimer
In no way do these letters
reflect the opinions or beliefs of myself,
the U.S. Gen Web Project,
the Indiana Gen Web Project or Rootsweb.
As far as it is known
there have not been any copyright infringements
made here. However, if
any copyrights are believed to be in effect
regarding this material,
please contact me and the
letter or letters in
question will be removed immediately.
Please direct comments
to:
Linda Aker
Henry Co. Gen Web Page
Coordinator
[email protected]
Civil War Letters
1861
Camp Morton
April the 28/61
Dear Father,
It is with pleasure that I have this
oportunity to write you
a few lines to let you know that I
am well and if ever
those lines reaches you, they may find
you the same. I have enlisted
and it may be painful news to you but
I am for my country and I
thought it would be my duty so to do
and I have good times now here
in Camp. Their is a good many here
that I am aquainted with and it
is not like being amongst strangers
and aquainted with no person and
it make me perfectly satisfied and
have very pleasant times but how
long I am not prepared to say but I
expect to see hard times and some
that will not be agreeable to me but
still I expect to go through if
I live. If we have to whip every Southern
State in the Union and
now, father, miles doth separate us
from each other, you must not
think that I have forgotten you for
I have not and I do not want
you to worry your self about me for
I am in good cause.
I must bring this to a close. Write
soon as you get this letter
and let me know how you are. So no
more at present but ever remain
your affectionate son.
WA Hawk
When you write, direct your letter
to Camp Morton, Ind. in the care of
Capt. Tikle
Camp Morton
May the 8/61
Dear Father,
It is with pleasure that I have this,
another opportunity to let
you know that I still am enjoying good
health at this time and if those
lines reaches you, they may find you
the same. I received yours of the
sixth, came to hand and I was glad
to hear from you and the advice you
gave me done me good and if I take
your advice I have nothing to fear
for the Creater of the World will do
all things well and i will try
and take the advice you gave me for
as a Child. I think it is my Duty
to take the advice of a Parent. you
stated that you wanted to know
when my time was out, it will be out
the first of August, as
for my business, I left it in the care
of Noah and he will see to it,
for me. We are here yet and I dont
know when we will get away
whether we will ever get away or not.
I have nothing more at present
to write of importance. I will bring
this to a close. Write as soon
as you get this letter and direct as
you did the other, so no more at
present, but ever remains your son
Wm Hawk
to my father
Camp Morton Ind.
July 12th/61
Dear Father, Sir,
I seat myself to write you a few lines
to let you know that
I am well at present but I have
not been well for a couple of days
but am now. I have had a bad cold and
I hope these few lines may
find you in goof health to. We expect
to get our uniforms next
week, either Monday or Tuesday or as
soon as the regiment is organised
and I am well satisfied here at present.
Tell the boys up there if
they want to see fun of gist come down
here and tell them if they
want to come to gist Capt. William
know and they can git in our
Company, as it is not quite full. well,
I will tell a little how we
have to live here. We have plenty to
eat, we have beef, pork,
potatoes, beans, hommony, rice, sugar,
coffee and other things to
season it with. When we got down to
Indianapolis the same day that we
started down here. When we got out
of the cars in the Union Depo,
we formed ranks and marched up to the
State House and was sworn in
to the State Service. Then we marched
up to the Macy house and
put up for the night and next morning
we marched down to Camp Morton.
Then we had orders to march to the
city on the 4th of July to a free
dinner, so we marched up there and
broke ranks and then the Col.
Meridith told us that our dinners would
be sent down to Camp,
by the time we could get back, our
dinner had come and the State
troops that was in Camp had stolen
it from us so we had to get our
own dinner and a good many of us went
back to town that night.
We saw the fireworks. There is some
seven or eight Companyes here
and there us Companyes coming every
day. I expect to home
before we leave here but I dont know
how soon.
I want you to write to me and let me
know how Dan Ross is giting
along with wade. Tell Uncle Wash, him
and your self should come down
here the 18th of this month and tell
Phillip to, if you see him. There
is to be a balloon ascension
here and I want you to write and tell me
how Grandfather and Grandmother is
giting along. Well, I must bring
my letter to a close pretty soon as
it is about time to drill. We
drill 4 times a day here. So no more
at present. Write as soon as you
receive this
Yours truly,
John Hawk
P. S. Direct your letters to Camp Morton,
Ind, in care of Captain
Williams.
Head Quarters 19th Reg. Ind.
Vol.
Washington D. C.
Aug 19th 1861
Dear Father,
I embrace this present oportunity to
write you a few lines. I
am enjoying good health and perfectly
well satisfied. We are
encamped about two miles north of the
City and about 1 1/2 miles from
the Virginia line. Therefore you can
see that we are getting into
pretty close quarters with the enemy.
Our camp is in sight of the
Potomac river, we can see the ships
passing almost any time that we
look. There is about 150,000 troops
in and about this city and from
three to five regiments coming in daily.
I think that by the middle
of September, there will be 300,000
men here. Then we will be able
to knock the dog water out of Jeff
Davis and not half try. We had
a very pleasant trip coming through.
We left Indianapolis on Monday,
the six inst, and arrived here on Thursday
the 8th. We left on the
Belle Fountain R. R. to Crestline,
there we took the FT Wayne and
Pittsburg. We then took the Pennsylvania,
road and went to Harrisburg.
The Capital of Pennsylvania. there
we took the Baltimore to this city.
We passed through Baltimore without
molestation and had a pretty good
reception at the Camden Depot. but
the best times we had were in
Ohio. for there every time the train
would stop, The cizens would
flock out with these baskets of well
filled goodies and they stuffed
us Hoosiers until we were as stiff
as gut sausage.
If Will is at home, or if he is not
and you can send word to
him, please do so and tell him to write
immediately. When you write,
tell me how Wade Hampton is, and if
he is still with Dan Ross.
The regiments are all divided off into
messes of six men each. In
our mess, we have Wm. B. Lacy, (Capt.
Jones), Wes Galyean, Sile
Stonebraker, Jo Bales, A. Wasson and
Myself. When you write, tell me
how all the folks are getting along.
Tell Bill Lacys Wife that he is
well, also tell Murrays folks that
Bill Murray is all right and glad
that he is there. Wes and the rest
of the boys are all well and send
their best respects. Write immediatley
and direct your letter to
the 19th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers,
Co, K. in care of Capt. Williams.
Washington, D. C.
Yours truly
John Hawk
Sep. 8th 1861
Mutch respected Father,
It is with pleasure that I have the
oportunity of writing a few
lines to let you no that I am well.
i received your letter and
was glad to hear from you. That you
are well. We have left
Calarana Hights. We left there on Tuesday
night last, about 11 a.m.
and came to the chain bridge where
we stop for the night and in the
morning we cam to the place were we
are now. We have erected
bateries. We have 23 canonnors here.
there are a bout 110 on the
Virginia side. That is over the Potomac
river. We are going to
advance to night to Fair Fax court
house. There is Boueguard thair,
with 1100 men strong. They are leaving
Bulls Run and going to Richmond
for they cant stay at Bulls Run fir
it is so sickly. we are in
a bout 12 miles of the court house.
We are going to attact it in a
few days and we want to be sucesful
in our attempt. There are enemy
of soldiers on the side of this side
of the Potomac to do at, some
say there are one hundred and 40 thousand
on this side of the Potomac.
We have took posesion of a Secesh farm,
we are clearing it up for him
and digin him a selar on the south
side of his house, about one
hundred yards, it is a large one, there
are a bout three acres in it.
We have got big drills on it, to shoot
grape and bomms. we have 7 on
it and good ones too.
we have been here 4 nights and have
formed in time of battle every
night. we formed one the first night
in the rain. It has rained
days since we have been here. It is
nice here this morning. All
the soldiers in good spitits. We are
glad that the boys were
so spunky, lock thair well, Tell old
House that I am going to have
them scalps for him when i come back
and I want him to have me a
good snort when I come back, so no
more at present but remain your
son till I come home.
John Hawk
Well Jonathan Bales,
I received your letter and was glad
to hear from you. We are well.
Joel is getting well. He is in Washington.
Tell Nate that received
his leter with the greatest pleasure.
The living are all with us
yet. tell Miss Lacy that Bill has not
received any leter from her
yet and he would like to hare from
her. I want you to write me.
Tell Kimble to write every day, so
no more
Elijah Bales
Direct to me at Washington City.
It would seem this letter was
sent in the same envelope with the first
one and probably written by the same
person per spelling. This was done a
lot during the war, as only a few could
read and write.
Camp Advance
Fairfax CO., VA.
September the 24th 1861
Dear Sister,
I received your letter of the 19th,
stating you were well,
which gave me much pleasure and in
complience with your request,
I hasten to reply. I am at present
well and well satisfied.
The health of the Regiment is very
bad and there are many of our
Company sick, among whom are Wes Galyean,
W. Lacy, Al Crayner, and
Joel Bales, but they are all on the
meand and are soon expected
back to the camp except AL Crayner.
Tell Mrs Lacy that William
has been sick and in the hospital nearly
two weeks which accounts
for his not writing but he is now well
and we are looking for him
at camp every day. Our sick are at
the patent office at Washington,
where they are well cared for by both
the nurses imployed for that
purpose and volunteers of our own beloved
State. Our fair has been
better for some time past than heretofore
and nearly all of our
sick are geting well and none are geting
sick. Since you last heard
from me, we were in a skirmish
at Lewingsville, of which I suppose
you have already heard enough.
Everything is quite here at preasant
but it is said that the
enemy are advancing on us and an attact
is daly expected. Last
Saturday afternoon, one of the Captains
of the California Reg. was
shot while out scouting in company
of twelve others. They were
attacted 40 rebbles. It is suposed
the six rebbles
were killed but there is no certenty
about it. there were five
persons taken prisioner on Sunday,
two of whom were women.
I believe I have written all importance
about the war and will
now turn to a subject next to importance.
Tell the girls that the
home made happy by our absence will
soon be cursed with our preasence.
Tell them that the boys are all in
good spirits and the only thing
that makes them uneasy is that they
are afraid the girls will so fare
forget themselves as to marry some
of the cowardly dogs who are left
behind.
Catherine, I want you to write as soon
as you receive this letter
and let me know how Father is getting
along. Herein inclosed is a
gold dollar which I send you as a present.
i must now close by
sending my best respects to all inquiring
friends. So no more at
preasant but remain you affectionate
Brother.
John Hawk
To Catherine Hawk
P. S. Direct as before
Camp Craig
Oct. 25 1861
dear Sister,
I received your kind and satisfactory
letter on the 14th, which
has found me well and in good spirits,
the balance of the Blountsville
are well or on the mend and are well
satisfied as far as I can learn
William Lacy was out here last Sunday
but when back to the Hospital,
where he is detailed by General McCallan
to act as cook. You
requested me to send the ages of the
three children but I left them
with you last spring and I think you
can find them but if not I will
send them in my next letter. I was
astonished and gratified at the glad
tiding of having a new niece to write
to me and still more delighted
at hearing of the great sucess, forsight
and industry of my brother.
Tell Dan to be sure and write me and
a letter from his daughter
would be gladly received. respect and
gratitude for my father
induces me to discountinue adressing
you buy requesting you to write
to me as soon as you receive this letter.
Dear Father,
In complience with your request, I
shall answer your inquiries
in there order. We are at present camped
three miles west and on
the Virginia side of Washington City
and there are indicate that
we are soon to march for we are drawing
the nessessary clothing
to render us comfortable and we under
marching orders nearly
all the time and besides these signs,
we drill once per day with
our napsacks on which is designed to
harden us and inable us to cary
them with ease. As to our food, we
have plenty of substantial
victuals. Although it is cook a little
rough. Time and space
forces me to close by requesting you
to write and let me know
how yourself, grandfather and grandmother
are getting along.
Direct your letters as before, give
my respects to one and all.
From your obedient Son.
J. Hawk
Fort Craig
Nov 17th 1861
Dear Brother,
Being a little anxious to hear from
you again and fearing that
you did not receive my last letter
which contained a breast pin.
I take this oportunity to make some
inquiring about it and further
to let you know that I am well in good
spirits. The health here
is on the mend but there are many of
our boys sick with the measles yet
I was at the city last week and saw
all of our boys who were at the
Patent office and they were all on
the mend. Everything has been
quite here for the last four weeks
but we are now daly expecting to
move but where we do not know for there
are many different opinions
about our destination as there are
different wishes among us but the
prevalent report is that we will go
around the coast which I think
is very uncertain but certain it is
that we will soon go some where
for the wether is cold for us to remain
in our tents and there are
other men here to garison the forts.
Today we drewed our new
guns which are the finest quality of
Springfield rifled Muskets and
last week we received our overcoats
and a full fit out of cloths and
accoutenments for the winter. It is
reported that there is a lack of
confidence in our Colonels Millitary
qualifications by the Officers
in command of this divishion of the
army and (I am sorry to confess)
it is to well founded and it is said
that McDowell has admonished him
to resine his office and if he complys,
it is certain that Lieutenant
Colonel Carnover will take his place
and then we shall have a well
qualified officer. While I was in town
last week, I got three
minitures taken which I shall send
and I want you to distribute as
follows, send one to Catherine, one
to Wade and John and the other to
Perry and Malin and I want you to see
that they got them and have them
cased up.
Catherine, in her letter requested
me to send the age of the Boys,
which is as follows, Mahlon was born
June 16, 1847. Perry in Nov the
15th, 1849. Wade in January, the 12th,
1851 and John Henry, June 17th
1854. I want you to send this list
to Catherine with instructions to set
then down in Fathers Bible. I must
close, so good by.
John Hawk to George.
Fort Craig
Nov. 25, 1861
Dear Father,
I received you letter some time ago
and defered answering
until now partly through neglect and
partly because i had nothing
new and interesting to write. I am
preasant well growing fat
and harty. I weight 150 lbs which is
the most I have ever weighed before
The health of the Regiment is mending
very fast since the measles has
got around and the Blountsville Boys
are eather well or on the mend.
All Craynor has got a discharge and
it is reported that Wes Galyean
will get one but I think it doubtful
for he is mending and will soon
be able to come to Camp and would have
come some time ago if W. Lacy
would have let him. We are still located
at Fort Craig and we are
beginning to dispere of getting away
this winter for today we had
orders to clean up, ditch our Camp
and build fire places to our tents
which tells me we are to remain here
some time. Last Wednesday, we
were part of 70,000 soldiers who were
reviewed by the President,
General McClellan and many other distinguished
officers and our Brigade
was complemented as having done the
best marching and making the best
apearance of any other soldiers present.
Last Sunday, we received new
guns and we intend to send our old
ones to the home guards if they need
any. I will now close writing to you
and adress myself to Catharine
Catharine,
I sent three pictures to George and
i want you to see that they are
distributed as follows, one to wade
and John, one to Perry and Maylon
and the other to yourself. In my letter
to George I sent the ages of the
boys and I want you to set them down
in Father's Book. Tell Uncle Wash
and Aunt Margret that I would like
to hear from them. I wrote a letter
to them since I have been in Camp but
received no answer, You said
something about sending cloth, to which
answer, that we have more than
we can take care of until we go into
winter quarters and I think we
will be furnished with everything nessessary
by the Government. I
believe I have nothing more to write
and will close by requesting you
to write soon, so good by for
the preasant
John Hawk
to the folks at home
Fort Craig, Va.
Dec. 27
Mutch Respected Father
I received your very welcome letter
of the 9th and hasten to reply.
I am at present well and getting fat
and saucy. The health of the
Regt is good considering the exposure
to which we are subject to
The Blountsville Boys except J. and
E. Bales and W. lacy, who has the
reheumatizm, are well. Wes Galyean
is getting fat and funny as ever.
Our condition is the same as when you
last heard from us and we know
nothing of whether we are to move this
winter or not. Last Saturday and
Sunday we stood picket guard on the
outposts of our Army and were much
exposed to the Secessh. For it was
there that many of our men were
killed and taken priseners for the
Secessh found out the 19th was
there and so they cept shy and the
weather was so pleasnt that
we had a first rate time. The weather
has been very pleasant all fall
and we have had no winter here yet.
I want you to keep Wade and send
him to school this winter and I will
send money to buy his cloaths
and defray his expensed on next payday.
which will be about New Years.
Daniel never wrote but i want you to
tell him to be sure and write. In
your letter you told me to send a picture,
to which I answer that I
cant get to town gust now and so I
cant get it taken but you can get
the one I sent to Wade until I can
send you one. Tell Aunt Margret
that I will fix that dollar all right
when I see her. It has been
reported here and came in different
letters that Suse Stanly and
your self were about to get married
and if you ever got such a silly
idea in your head. I want you to git
read of it as soon as possible.
I want you to write as soon as you
receive this and let me know if
my pictures arrived safe and how John
Henry is getting along. Tell
Ed House that we would like to have
the whiskey very well but the
Secessh wont stand up to the 19th Ind.
and are so over match for the
Yorkers, for they took 48 prisoners
and killed eight Yorkers on the
same post where we stood last week.
Tell him I will write to him
when I have the time. Let me know how
to direct a letter to William when
you write again. tell Catharine and
Danial to get there liknesses
taken as soon as they can and sent
them to me. Tell Philip that I
would like to hear from him for he
has wrote only once since I have
been here. tell the girls, Wes Galyean
and I want them to write to us
and send there minitures and a lock
of there hair. Spase forses
me to close in hast, so good night.
John Hawk
to his father
Fort Craig, Va.
December the 24th 1861
Miss Hawk
I got John's letter Saturday noght
a bout 8 o clock and glad to
hear from you. It found me in good
health all except a sore hand.
it is very cold this morning. The wind
blows hard to it nearlys raises
our tent of, if it wasnt for guns,
it would go, I spect and our fine
cloths. The band is playing now and
it makes nice music. there
is another review a going off to day.
I will have to go to it. We had
a perty good breakfast this morning.
John fryed us some fresh beef.
to morrow is chrismas, they say, but
I never had thought of it untill
a while ago. It dont seem to me so
but I guess it is so but dont
expect to have any this year. the boys
are all well but the Bales.
Tell Washington that I am Obliged to
him for the answers that
he has wrote me. tell the old man that
I would like to have a new
axe handle, mine is not much count.
You must git all of the Chrismas
kisses that you can get. It keeps me
busy to keep wood for the fire to
day for it is so damed cold.
I think I have rote as much as you
did. I suppose that Gackson
is hunting something to laugh at yet.
Well, I will have to quit
and go up to the doctors and get some
medicine for my hand, so I
will close my letter by saying, good
by. Write soon, if you please.
A W Galyean
Catharine
1862
LETTERS
