The following letters were written by Thomas Goakey (1844-1883) who enlisted in Co. C, 55th Illinois Infantry, on 5 January 1864. According to his military record, Thomas was wounded in the fighting near Atlanta, Georgia, on 3 August 1864 but recovered and joined his regiment at Goldsboro, North Carolina. He mustered out of the regiment at Little Rock, Arkansas, on 14 August 1865.
Thomas was the son of Justin Goakey (1783-1871) and Mary Eliza Hudson (1815-1887) of Harrison, Winnebago county, Illinois.
Letter 1
March 17, 1864
My dear Sister,
I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same health at present.
Josephine, I will tell you what happened between here and Nashville. The train was captured at Murfreesboro and it was burnt up as we learn here. Gus is well and Henry too and all the other boys.
I received your letter March the 5th. No more at present. From Thomas Goakey
So goodbye. I send my best respects to all enquiring friends.
Letter 2
Dallas, Georgia
May 31, 1864
Dear Brother,
I take the opportunity to write you a few lines today to let you know that I am well at present and hoping these few lines will find you the same as it leaves me at present.
Oh Joe, they have been very heavy fighting here day before yesterday and night before last. The rebels charged on our works and they were nicely piled up here them for they were cut down like grass with a scythe and the soon scaddle [skedaddle] back on double quick times.
Joe, I got your letter May 15th. I was at Snakes Gap near Resaca, Georgia, about four or five miles from the battlefield and I am today about two miles in the rear guarding the Division trains. Oh, Joe, they is heavy skirmishing today.
Joe, tell Mother and Father that I am well and rugged. Never had better health in my life than I have now.
No more at present. From Thomas Goakey
Do goodbye for this time.
Letter 3
Big Shanty, Georgia
June 14, 1864
Dear Mother,
I take my pen in hand to address you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines will find you in the same [health] as it leaves me at present time.
Mother, I have got two letters from home since the Seventeen of April and I don’t see what is the matter—the mail, or [un]less there is no one to home to write to us down here, or what is the matter with it. Mother, are you all dead or all alive? I am sure that I don’t know what is the matter with you and the rest of the folks for I am one of the boys.
Mother, how does Joe and Elic get along with the work and how [do] the crops look? And how does Old Irish Settlement get along this season? Are they quiet yet, or not?
So goodbye for this time. No more. From your son, — Thomas Goakey
I send my respects to all enquiring friends. Direct your letters to Thomas Goakey, Co. C, 55th Regt. Illinois Infantry, 2nd Division, 1st Brigade, 15th Army Corps
Letter 4
January 1st 1865
Dear Father,
Sir, it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know how I am at present and hope these few lines will find you the same as it leaves me, Father, I have not seen Gus yet but I hope that I will see him before long in nothing happens before long, and I think they won’t for there is a fair prospect to go to the boys before long. And if they is, I think that I will start for them soon as I can get out of this God forsaken hole for this place is th last place that God ever made for it is the crumbs of the leaving of the rest for it is in the valley of the valleys. No more at present.
January 6th, 1865
My dear father, I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am in the hospital at present and I am about as well as I was when I left you the last time at home. Father, I just have signed the pay roll this morning for two months pay and as soon as I get it I will send some of it to you by Express and if you need it, you can use it as soon as you get it for anything.
Father, I have not done a bit of duty since I left home on the 15th day of November. I have fared hard since I left home this last time for the road was cut and we fare slim for awhile. But now we are faring very well at present for we have all that we want to hear here now.
So no more at present. From your son, — Thomas Goakey
So goodbye for this time.
Letter 5
Goldsboro, North Carolina
March 29, 1865
Dear Father,
It is with pleasure that I find myself seated down to write you a few lines. Mother, I am well at present and hope that these few lines will find you the same as it leaves me at this time. I received your kind and welcome letter Sunday the 26th day of March with two dollars in it and was glad to get it. I have received a letter from Josephine and one from Elic and was very glad to hear from them.
Mother, give me the reason why you don’t want me to write to them or less it is on the sly. If that is the matter, I want to know it so that I can write and give them another address so their man won’t find it out for a bit longer who it is.
Mother I have seen Gus and he is well at present and he says that he had a good time on the march through Georgia and South and North Carolina and that is enough. Tell Mary that she can’t expect much of a letter from me at this time so she will not feel bad for I have not got time to write to all of them at once. I send [my] best respects to all inquiring friends. So goodbye.
No more at present. From your son, — Thomas Goakey
To his mother, Eliza Goakey
Direct your letter to the company and regiment.
Letter 6
Camp near Richmond, Va.
May 11, 1865
Dear Mother,
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write to you once more and to let you know that I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same as it leaves me at this time. Gus is well too and we expect to start for Washington City in a day or two and we don’t know how long we will stay there. We are to be reviewed there and then we will muster out of the service in a few weeks and then I think we will be at home by the 4th day of July 1865.
No more at present for this time. From your son, — Thomas Goakey to his mother
So goodbye for this time.
Letter 7
Louisville, Kentucky
June 10, 1865
Dear Mother,
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform you how I am at this time. I have a bad cold and that is all. Gus is well too and hope that these few lines will find you the same as it leaves me at this time. Mother, we are to be paid in a few days and then I will send part of it home and keep part of it to but a few postage stamps.
I send to you so you and the rest can write once or twice a week for you must not think that we are going home tight off for we can’t so that little thing when we are a mind to.
I must bring my letter to a close by saying write soon as you get this. From your son, — Thomas Goakey
To his mother, Eliza Goakey. Direct to Louisville, Ky.
Spared & Shared 23 