The following letter was written by Thomas Franklin Crady (1839-1864) of LaRue county, Kentucky. Thomas enlisted in August 1863 at Louisville as a corporal in Co. D, 33rd Kentucky (Union) Infantry. In April 1864 he was transferred to the 26th Kentucky (Union) Infantry. He fell ill later that year and was at his home when he was killed by guerrillas at Hodgenville, LaRue county, Kentucky on 17 November 1864.

Thomas wrote the letter to his brother-in-law George Simon Essex (1836-1915). George married Elizabeth J. Crady (1838-1922) in 1855 in LaRue county, Kentucky. During the Civil War, George cast his lot with the Confederacy, serving in Co. B, 6th Mounted Infantry.

This letter and the cased images are in the collection of David Yunt—a descendant of George S. Essex and were made available for publication on Spared & Shared by express consent. This letter would have been smuggled through enemy lines by hand.

Transcription

Headquarters Camp
33rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
December 28th 1863

Dear brother and sister,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and hearty at this present time and I do sincerely hope that when these few lines speedily come to your hand, that they will find you all well and doing well.

I would like to see you all if I could but it is out of my power to come now at this present time and I hope the day will soon come when we shall see each other again. But if we never meet again on earth, I hope and trust that we shall meet in Heaven.

Give my love and best respects to all my enquiring friends and keep the greatest portion of it for yourself. So I have written all the news that I have to write this time so I will bring my short letter to a close for the present time. I will remain your true friend until parted by death.

—Thomas F. Crady

to G. Simon Essex