The following letter was written by George Henry Hildt (1835-1914), the son of John Hildt (1807-1885) and Maria Elizabeth Gloninger (1812-1892) of Dover, Tuscarawas county, Ohio. George briefly homesteaded in Kansas in 1857 (see diary extract) and worked in St. Louis, but returned to Ohio in 1859.

He served in the 3-month 16th Ohio Infantry, enlisting as Private in Co. F and being promoted 2nd Lieutenant on 6 June. He mustered out with the company on 18 August. He then helped recruit another Company of volunteers which became Co. I of the new 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He mustered in as Captain on 22 August 22, 1861. He was promoted to Major of the regiment on 28 January 1862.

George took command of his regiment during the Battle of Antietam as the senior officer after Lieut. Colonel Jones was captured. Colonel Ewing had previously been promoted to brigade command. After Antietam, the regiment headed south and west in the later part of 1862 and early ’63, seeing service in Kentucky, Arkansas, and three month stretch in Louisiana to March 1863. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel on 18 April 1863 at Walnut Hills, Mississippi, then in operations around and in the siege of Vicksburg. He was wounded in the left hip there on 22 May 1863. The regiment was at Chattanooga and Knoxville in early 1864, and on the Atlanta Campaign May to September. He resigned on 22 September 1864.

After the war, George returned to Canal Dover (now Dover), OH and was a pension agent, once clerk in the office of Secretary of State of Ohio, and active in the Loyal Legion and Army of the Tennessee veteran’s groups. He also held the position of Commander of the Ricksecker Post (No. 469) of the Grand Army of the Republic. [Source: Antietam on the Web]

George wrote the letter to his cousin Alida Braucher (1843-1897), the daughter of Joseph Braucher (1810-1884) and Juliana Antoinette Hawley (1822-1895) of Canal Dover, Tuscarawas county, Ohio.

Transcription

Camp Sutton
September 30, 1861

Cousin Lide,

After a long weary march of seventy-five miles over mountains and through much mud, we arrived at this point just one week from the time we started from home. It is the county seat of Braxton County, Virginia and boasts a Court House and Jail of tolerable dimensions but the town is no place at all; only one street and that a short one, with mud knee deep everywhere. And with the exception of four or five families entirely deserted. ¹

We have just been visited by a tremendous flood. Elk river turned out of its banks and visited Sutton, overflowing the whole place damaging our military stores, and forcing the few families left out at 10 o’clock at night. ² A part of them took refuge in camp & we gave them the officer’s quarters—the best we could do. My tent at one time contained seventeen of all ages, sexes and colors. Three of them were young ladies—the belles of Sutton—who had waded the muddy street in fright (for young ladies get scared once in awhile you know) and made their way to camp. Their manners were very easy and notwithstanding the disagreeable situation in which they were placed, took things as they found them and were contented.

They were wishing we would allow them to come to camp before now but did not expect they should come under such circumstances. They do not live in town when at home, but came here from the country when Col. Smith had command, & remained some time. When they wishes to go home, Rosecrans was here and he had them retained because they knew too much of our forces to go. Since then, Lt. Col. Jones of the 30th Regt. (our man) has command and he holds them for the same reason, & when they will be allowed to go home, I do not know.

We have now in prison three ladies who have been guilty of aiding the enemy. We had more but on examination released them. I pity them. They appear so irritable and troublesome, but withal they defiantly refuse to take the oath and of course are not loyal.

To this time, I have not heard from home nor seen a newspaper & feel really as if I was out of this world. We expect a mail tonight and I live in hopes that I may receive something in the news line & know something about what is going on in the United States. I suppose your camp is flourishing & I know it must be a novelty to the rest of you to see military duty performed in a peaceful country, but here in active service it is different and necessary. Camp life in the school, active service the reality.

Yours truly, — George H. Hildt

Direct to Co. I, 30th Regt., Sutton, Virginia

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¹ This description of Sutton as it appeared in September 1861 certainly leaves us with the impression that aside from the court house and jail, there was very little “town” to speak of. Much is made of the burning of the town on 29 December 1861 by rebel guerrillas and the commissary stores that were there. See “Burning of Sutton.”

² A History of Braxton County by John Davison Sutton reports that the flood of 1861 was one of the worst in county history. The water “ran down the main street of the town and was “belly-deep to a horse.”