The following letter was written by Thomas F. Bragg (1840-1919) to his widowed mother, Elizabeth (Poage) Bragg (1814-Aft1904). In the 1860 US Census, Thomas was enumerated in his mother’s household in Union City, Randolph county, Indiana, where he worked as a Daguerre Artist. He is listed (“T. F. Bragg”) in Craig’s Daguerreian Registry as “ambrotypes and photographs” in Union City, Ohio, 1860.

Census records inform us that Thomas was actually born in Hancock county, Indiana. His deceased father’s name was Jackson Bragg (1811-1849).

Thomas enlisted on 23 April 1861 at Union City to serve 3 months in Co. I, 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He was discharged at Columbus on 30 August 1861 at the end of his term of enlistment. Later in the war, he was drafted into Co. D, 27th Indiana Infantry and was discharged on 17 May 1865 after 16 months service.

In October 1904, Thomas was admitted into the Home for Disabled Soldiers at Indianapolis and was discharged on 29 March 1905. Admission records inform us that Thomas never married. That at age 65 he stood 5 feet 4 inches tall, had gray hair and dark eyes, that he was a Protestant and that he had been working as a real estate agent in Indianapolis.

Transcription

Bellaire, Ohio
July 16th 1861

Dear Mother,

This day affords me the pleasure of once more communicating a few words with you by way of the pen. I learn from your last letter that you have not received all my letters dated since our arrival here. However, you may be well contented as we are enjoying good health and the pleasures of life exceedingly.

Well, this is no doubt the last week that we shall be in camp, our time being up Saturday. We shall as I before stated, return home at the close of our enlistment. I have thought something of calling at Uncle Samuel’s as we will pass near there. I have a desire to know what has been the matter with him for the last three months—why he has failed to comply with my several letters. I hope he has not turned traitor to his country.

We have had since our arrival here the pleasure of seeing many of our acquaintances from different parts of the country as this is the main crossing for those passing to and from the seat of war. We saw this morning several men from Capt. Stone’s Regiment stating that they were quartered at Buchanan, Va. and have been completely surrounded by the rebel forces. This we doubt from the fact that we hear so many rumors from that part of the country. We have almost come to the conclusion here to believe nothing we hear which gives us but little satisfaction to write anymore to our friends at home.

I shall not write to you any more unless something should turn up that might delay us a few days. You may look for us soon. Having nothing of an interesting nature to write, I close by giving my compliments to all the friends at home. I remain as ever, — T. F. Bragg