Joan's mother, May Corey Berglund, a great-grandaughter of John Burhyte Corey, has donated the original letters to the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum in Madison, WI.

These letters were written by John Burhyte Corey, of Empire township, Fond du Lac Co. WI. He was enrolled as a Private in Company A of the 21st Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers at Fond du Lac WI August 15, 1862. He was mustered into the military service of the United States at Camp Bragg, for the term of 3 years, on September 5, 1862
He was taken prisoner at Jefferson TN on December 28, 1862 and died in Libby Prison, Richmond VA of pneumonia on February 3, 1863.

John Burhyte Corey was one of eight children born to William Harris Corey and Katherine Burhyte. His brother William also served, as did the husbands of all six of his sisters. They were also from Fond du Lac. The first husband of one sister (Katherine) died at Andersonville. Her second husband also served during the civil war.

The letters here were written by John to his wife Hannah Burhyte Corey (his first cousin). John and Hannah had one son, Andrew Burhyte Corey, born Oct 23, 1853 in Taycheedah township. Andrew married Clara Florence Hitchcock of Empire township, on March 14, 1872 in Lamartine.