The following letter was written by John “Wesley” Ferree (1838-1910), the son of William M. Ferree (1815-1866) and Ann Haislett (1811-1883) of Mansfield, Richland county, Ohio. According to his obituary, Wesley was born in Ohio on 16 July 1838, his father having come to Richland county in 1820 from Pennsylvania. He spent his boyhood on the farm and enlisted in Co. D, 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) in June 1861, serving first in western Virginia and in the Army of the Cumberland. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville and was slightly wounded in the Battle of Stone River.

Wesley wrote this letter in the midst of the Tullahoma Campaign after trudging through inclement weather for several days, informing his father that “Our good times are over.”

After he was discharged from the service in July 1864 as a sergeant, Wesley returned to Ohio and married Susan Osbun in November 1864. He was a farmer but served his civil duty as county commissioner on the Republican ticket and was always active in the GAR.

Transcription

Talma [Tullahoma] at the foot of the Cumberland Mountain, Tenn.
July the 5th 1863

Dear Parents and the rest of the friends,

Once more I take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know how and where I am. I received your letter of the 26th of last month the first of this month. I was pleased to hear that you was all well. My health at the present time is not very good. I have not stood the marching very well since we left Murfreesboro. We left there on the 24th of last month and moved on the enemy. There was some hard fighting done on some of the roads but not on the road that we was marching on. The rebels evacuated Tullahoma where they was in force on the 30th of last month.

We have had very bad roads ever since we left Murfresboro. It has rained every day. Our clothes has been wet on our backs ever since we started. We are 45 miles from Murfreesboro. We lay in camp yesterday and today and have not much to eat, while I suppose you at home are enjoying yourselves the best kind. I cannot tell what we are going to do—that is, this army I mean. You must not expect to hear from me very often now while we are on the march for I expect we will be on the march now for some time. But I will try and let you know how we get along if you want to know very bad, but our good times are over.

I was glad to ear that you are getting along so well with your work. I was surprised to hear of Joe Harnley ¹ being sent home for I had heard nothing of it before. He will get clear of some hardships by being away and I heard that the 15th was into a fight and lost some men killed and wounded. I don’t know [how] many.

Please write as you have been doing, I want to hear from home anyhow. I think I will be all right in a day or two. You may address your next letter to Murfreesboro the same as before. I will close for this time. Your son, — J. W. Ferree

P. S. We may have some fighting to do soon. I don’t know.

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¹ Joseph G. Harnley (b. 1838) served in Co. G, 15th OVI. He survived the war and was not mustered out of the regiment until 19 September 1864.