Luke James Leonard (1839-1873) was the son of James Leonard (1803-1874) and Ann Brady (1819-1890), emigrants of County Roscommon, Ireland, who arrived in the United States in the spring of 1852. They settled in the Cincinnati area, residing initially in Moscow, Covington, Ohio. 

Luke served in the 1st Ohio Light Artillery. He enlisted on 25 August 1862 and was mustered out on 26 June 1865 after nearly three years service. Luke was married in 1868 to Mary Loughlin [Lofflien] (1847-1923) and made his living in Cincinnati after the war as a drayman until he was shot and killed by a watchman in a Cincinnati saloon on election day in 1873 while attempting to break up a fight.

In the following letter, Luke describes the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, considered a Union victory in western Virginia on 9 May 1864. The battle duration was relatively short but contained some of the most severe and savage fighting of the war, much of it being hand-to-hand combat. Union forces suffered 688 casualties (10%) while Confederate forces had 538 casualties (23%). The Union forces were able to destroy several bridges on the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad which was being used to transport Confederate troops and supplies.

[Note: This letter was made available to Spared & Shared for transcription and publication by Alice LeVert, a descendant of the Leonard family.]

Transcription

Meadow Bluff, West Virginia
May 22, 1864

Dear Father,

I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines hoping that they will find you in as good health as this leaves me at present.

Well, I must tell you what is going on in camp. We got here two days ago after twenty days march. We fought two battles and drove [the] enemy. We killed and wounded 300 and took 300 prisoners and we lost about 500 killed and wounded. It was the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain that we lost so many. It was the hardest fought battle of the war for the time it lasted. Our battery was in the fight. It lasted three hours. Sam Leonard was badly wounded and so was Tom Quinn. They was left in a house on the battlefield. That was all the 12th [Ohio Vol. Infantry men] that was hurt that you know.

Tom Clery is well and send you his best and so does Falk Quinn. We had a hard time of it. It rained ten days and nights but it is all over now. We have plenty now. I have heard the balls fly thicker than I ever want again.

Father, I want to hear from you for we have had no mail since we left Charleston [Charles Town]. But I think that we will get a mail soon and I think that you have not forgot me so I expect a lot of letters. I expect one from Tom.

We have demoralized the Rebels. We burnt up the railroad for about 15 miles and we burnt the finest bridge in Virginia. It took them three years to build it and we burnt it in 15 minutes.

Father, I must bring my letter to a close. You must direct your letter to Charleston to follow the battery. You must write soon for I want to hear from you. I will write you a long [letter] the next time. Give my [love] to all. So goodbye. From your son, — Luke Leonard

to his Father James Leonard