The following letter was written by George W. Douins (1834-1863) who served as a private in Co. B, Brackett’s Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry. This company was organized at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and ordered to Benton Barracks, Missouri in November 1861 where they were attached to Curtis Horse, an independent regiment of cavalry, which was later designated the 5th Iowa Cavalry. Co B was redesignated Co I at the time they were transferred to Fort Henry (Tennessee) in February 1862. They served unassigned in Tennessee most of the remainder of 1862, repairing roads and erecting telegraph lines (escorts). This particular letter was datelined from Fort Heiman across the border in Kentucky.

George Douins was the son of John Douins (1805-1841 and Rebecca Dow (1805-1870) of Clark county, Indiana. He was married to Nancy S. Denny (1835-1869), the daughter of Morris Thomas Denny (1811-1896) and Martha Trowbridge (1822-1847) of Washington county, Indiana. They were married in May 1856 and moved to Des Moines county, Iowa, where their first child Lucinda was born in March 1858. The couple then moved to Belle Plains, Scott county, Minnesota, where their second child Jennie was born in September 1861. Just after Jennie’s birth, George enlisted in the service but he would never see his home again.

George’s service record can be found under Co. I, 5th Iowa Cavalry and his pension card under Co. D, 1st Mississippi Marine Brigade Cavalry—the unit he was serving in when he died of pneumonia as a sergeant at Little Rock, Arkansas, on 18 December 1863. After her husband’s death, Nancy took the children back to Indiana where she died in Salem in 1869, leaving her children to be raised by relatives in Clark county, Indiana.

In his letter, George enquires of Nancy’s brother, Sgt. Gilbert Harvey Denny (1833-1865) who served in Co. G, 18th Indiana Infantry, who also died of disease in March 1865.

George’s letter also mentions having received a letter from his wife stating that “the Indians were so bad that she had to leave home” and return to Indiana. This of course refers to the Dakota War of 1862 and though no attacks took place in Scott county, it was a location through which travelers, refugees, supply trains, and soldiers passed on their way to or from the prairies, and a general sense of fear and excitement prevailed.

Transcription

Fort Heiman [Kentucky]
September 24, [1862]

Dear Father,

I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. I never had better health in my life.

I had a letter from Nancy the other day. She wrote the Indians was so bad that she had to leave home. She wrote that she was going to start to Indiana that evening and I have not heard from her since.

We have been here about a month. I don’t know whether we will stay here this winter or not. If we do, I will try to get a furlough and come up there. I have been riding a good deal this summer. I have been all over Tennessee and part of Mississippi State and now in Kentucky. I want you to write and let me know how Gilbert is and where he is and whether he was well or not. I wrote George Leach a letter some time ago. Tell George that if he knowed how well that soldiers liked to hear from his friends, he would be a little prompter to write.

If Nancy comes there, tell her that I will send her some more money when I get my pay. So no more at present—only I remain your son until death. — George Downs