These two incredible letters were written by George Washington Sheldon (1845-1864), the son of Benjamin Sheldon (1811-1872) and Louisa Gustin (1824-1927). In the 1860 US Census, 15 year-old George was enumerated with the rest of the family on his parents farm in Perry township, Brown county, Ohio. However, letters mailed home to his parents during the Civil War were addressed to Blanchester in Clinton county. According to muster records, George enlisted at the age of 17 in Co. F, 47th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) on 7 August 1861. It’s possible he may have only been 16 and lied about his age. Sometime after his enlistment he seems to have been transferred to Co. E.

The first letter published here was datelined from the camp of the 47th OVI in the rear of Vicksburg on 24 May 1863. After spending the early months of 1863 in a futile attempt to dig a canal that would allow Union gunboats to sail around the Confederate stronghold out of reach of the enemy’s cannons, the regiment was participated in Grant’s advance upon Vicksburg’s rear. By May 18, the regiment had arrived at Walnut Hills, Mississippi, on Vicksburg’s outskirts. On May 19 and 22, 1863, the 47th attacked the Confederate position on Cemetery Hill. The regiment seized this position on May 22, 1863 and occupied the Cemetery Hill Fort for the duration of the Siege of Vicksburg.

The second letter published here was datelined from line of battle before Atlanta on 23 July 1864. The first part of the letter was written by George just prior to Lt. General John B. Hood’s attack on Maj. General William T. Sherman’s troops in what would be the Battle of Atlanta. The second part of the letter was penned by William (“Bill”) H. Orr, George’s bunk mate, who informed George’s parents that George had been taken prisoner in the battle. We learn from prison records that George was taken to Andersonville where he died of diarrhea on 10 September 1864 and was buried in Grave 8319.

Letter 1

Camp in the rear of Vicksburg
May 24th 1863

Dear Parents,

I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have received your letter and that it gave me great pleasure to hear you was all well.

I have been in an awful battle. It has now lasted six days and [involved] about 25 or twenty-six thousand of our men. I have made two desperate bayonet charges with my company. I will now tell you who fell in defending our liberty in the great siege of Vicksburg.

In Company E—that is my company and as brave a set of men as ever went out to battle for their country: Lieutenant [John W.] Duchemin, Orderly Sergeant Peter Hallsted, Sergeant Adrian A. Shields, Privates Francis [M.] Glancy, Mahlon T. Hall killed. Only one man killed. The rest are wounded. One man is killed, I suppose, who we cannot find. Many a poor soldier lies rotting on the battlefield. Jonathan Casto is killed. Jim Jester is killed and a great many more whose names I do not know, and God only knows how many more will fall.

The Old 47th Ohio done as good work as any soldier ever done in this or any other war. We have abandoned the idea of ever taking the city by storm so we are now fortifying and we have laid siege to the town and expect to starve them out. We have captured 13 or 14 thousand prisoners but they have a very large force yet.

That 50 dollars—you hire hands with it if you want to. Do just as you please with it. Isaac is all well. He is now elected to the office of Corporal. I can’t write much for I am in 150 yards of the Rebs’ breastworks and they are shooting all the time. But I am behind a hill and there is no danger. Bill Boggs is driving team. I got them postage stamps all right.

There is a good many more things that I would like to mention but I have no time. Goodbye. I hope I will get through this battle but if I should fall, remember I fall in a good cause. No more. Tell Benejah to write.

— George W. Sheldon

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Letter 2

In line of Battle near Atlanta, Georgia
July 23, 1864

Dear Parents,

I take my pen in hand to let you know I am well & hope you are all the same.

The Rebels abandoned their first line of works last night and we moved forward this morning. We are now within one mile and a quarter of the City. The artillery is keeping up a constant roar from both sides. Several shells have [ ] near where I am sitting. There is a 12 pound spherical case shell lying close to me. It came [with]in 3 or 4 feet of Bill Orr while he was picking blackberries. It was filled with musket balls.

July 24, 1864—Mr. Sheldon. Dear sir, I sit down to inform you of our sad disaster yesterday. Shortly after your son George stopped writing, the enemy moved on us in solid column and after twenty minutes heavy fighting, they took our works. We clubbed muskets with them but they over powered us and we were driven back in disorder. ¹ Our company lost 20 men. Your son is a prisoner.

“General Logan road along the line and cheered up the boys. He said he would have a rally before the sun set.”

William H. Orr, Co. E, 47th Ohio Infantry, 23 July 1864

As I said, we were driven back nearly one and three-quarters of a mile and rallied. General Logan road along the line and cheered up the boys. He said he would have a rally before the sun set. We formed in line of battle and when the signal was given, we moved forward and retook the works and as many prisoners as they took from us. Their dead lay thick around our works. We expect them to try us again this evening. If they do, they will find it more of a task than they did yesterday.

Our regiment lost 107 men. Our company lost 20 men killed, wounded, and missing. I will give you a list of the company below.

Sergt. [Galen B.] Ballard killed
Sergt. P[eter] L. Hallsted killed
Sergt. [Jesse] Shumaker wounded severely
Corp. [Thomas J.] Rogers wounded severely
Private [John N.] Eckes wounded in 3 places
Private [Jacob B.] Flory killed
Private [William] Garrett wounded severely
Private [George W.] Lazure wounded in 4 places severely
Private [John K. R.] Torrie wounded in two places severely
Missing
Corporal Liddel, R[obert] M.
Corporal Craig, A[braham] T.
Corporal Justin, Isaac
Private Dungan, A[ndrew] W.
Private Garrison, Peter
Private Means, Wm.
Private Moon,
Private Sheldon, George W.
Private Rude, [Nicodemus]
Private Girton [George W.]
Private Fisher, J[oshua W.]

That is a full list of to-date in our company. Our Lieut-Col. [John Wallace] was wounded and taken prisoner. One of our color bearers was killed and the other wounded. The Rebs got hold of our flag and one of the guards killed him and brought the flag off the field. The staff of the battle flag was shot in two 4 times and the stars and stripes was shot in two pieces. Neither one has got a staff now. ²

We have the 5th Sergeant to command the company. I believe I have said enough as your son was a bunk mate of mine, I thought it my duty to write and inform you of his capture.

I am your truly, — Wm. H. Orr

¹ “At the works a fierce struggle and hand-to-hand conflict occurred over our colors, in which the enemy were punished most severely. In this struggle Corporal McCarthey, of the color guard, was captured; Corpl. Abraham T. Craig, of the color guard, wounded and captured, and Henry Beckman, color–sergeant, wounded. Lieut. Col. John Wallace, commanding the regiment, and Capt. H. D. Pugh were captured while bravely laboring to form a new line.”  [After action report by Thomas T. Taylor, Maj., Commanding.]

² “After proceeding a short distance, one small company and men from various regiments joined my line, swelling the number to about 250, with whom, wholly unsupported, I charged, and succeeded in approaching within a few feet of the works, when, such was the storm of fire which swept over this gallant band, that both flag-staffs were shot off and the regimental standard torn from the staff by the fragment of a shell. One of the color bearers, Corpl. Joseph Ludborough, was killed, Corporal Roemhild, of the color guard, wounded.”  [After action report by Thomas T. Taylor, Maj., Commanding.]