1865: George Warren Campbell to William Harrison Campbell

The following letter was written by George Warren Campbell (1830-1874), the oldest child of Samuel Graham Campbell (1797-1873) and Elisabeth Goings (1804-1882) of Selma, Delaware county, Indiana. George enlisted in Co. D, 84th Indiana Infantry in August 1862 and mustered out of the service in late July 1864, being transferred to Co. C, Veteran Volunteer Engineering Corps. He was married in 1850 to Sarah Amanda Snidow (1833-1922) and had at least eight children.

George wrote the letter to his brother, William Harrison Campbell (1838-1912), who enlisted in Co. K, 19th Indiana Infantry on 29 July 1861 as a first sergeant and was promoted to 2nd, then 1st Lieutenant during the war. The 19th Indiana was, of course, part of the famed Iron Brigade or “Black Hat” Brigade. He was discharged for medical disability in October 1863 on account of the wound he received in the right hand while fighting Pettigrew’s North Carolinians in the afternoon of July 1st above Willoughby Run near Gettysburg.

ASSASSIN SYMPATHIZERS FACE PUNISHMENT.—Not all Union men mourned the loss of their leader. The Nashville Press described this image shortly after it was taken on April 15, 1865. “We saw a photograph yesterday of ten men who were arrested at Chattanooga on Sunday last for expressing pleasure at hearing of the death of President Lincoln,” reported a correspondent, who added, “Upon the breast of each was a tin plate with the words ‘Assassin Sympathizer’ painted on it.” The men were sentenced to labor on the streets in Chattanooga by day while wearing the placards, and by night they were confined in irons.

The Press also identified the men. They were a mix of soldiers and contract employees. It is unclear if the names listed by the Press match the actual order, left to right, in the photo: Government employees E. Jones, R.C. Jones and James Martin; citizen S. Moxley and blacksmith C.G. Moxley; and 18th Ohio Infantry privates Cyrus Leight, Henry D. Metzer, David Alspaugh and Moses H. Matheny. The soldiers were all late war recruits: Leight, Metzer and Alspaugh were substitutes who mustered into Company K during the last week of March 1865. Matheny mustered into the regiment in February 1864, making him the veteran of the group. The four men eventually received honorable discharges. They also hailed from the same state as U.S. Congressman Clement Vallandigham, the leader of the Copperhead faction of anti-war Democrats, and a powerful opponent of the Lincoln administration.

*A fragmentary period pencil inscription on the back of the mount notes that a lieutenant presented the photograph to a major general.*

*Albumen by an anonymous photographer. Paul Loane collection.*

Transcription

Chattanooga, East Tennessee
May 2, 1865

Dear Brother Will,

I received your kind letter of April 12th a few days ago. The reason I did not answer sooner was owing to my not having stamps nor could I get any until yesterday. I should have liked to have been sporting with you. I have [not] had a squirrel hunt since last summer and you know I did not make it pay very well then. It is a wonder some of the young soldiers of Linnville did not offer their services to sit up with you the evening you killed the goose. They are certainly not very neighborly about that place, not so much so as they were a few miles south of there about thirteen years ago [when] I killed my first wild turkey in Missouri and some of the young ladies offered to sit up with me. That was owing perhaps to their being better acquainted with me than you.

We were rather jubilant over the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, the surrender of Lee’s army. It is hardly necessary for me to tell you that the death of our President cast a gloom over every thing with the exception of a few Rebels and butternuts. There were a few Rebs collected together at a house near the camp of Co. I of this regiment the evening of his death and having quite a jubilee over the sad intelligence, but their rejoicing was of short duration. Co. I went for them as soon as they found out what they were at, thrashed the men and sent them to the military prison, turned the women out of doors and fired the house. There were a few men who bear the name of soldier that rejoiced at the death of the President; such are now working on the most public streets of Chattanooga (or at least all such that [are] near this place) with a ball and chain attached to one foot, or rather ankle, and a card tied to their back with these two words, “Assassin Sympathizer” printed in large letters on them so that every person that can read or spell may see for what they are working there for. They ought to have their heads shaved and be drummed out of the service.

Since the surrender of [Joseph E.] Johnston’s Army, things look more cheerful and we are trying to think we will be mustered out soon, probably before the fourth of July next. However, I am not taking much stock in it. As to finding a location for you where it will not cost so much to live, I think that would be hard to do here unless he was in Government employ and that is about played out for they are discharging all government employees about here.

I believe I have written all the news. I saw my old regiment pass through here about a week ago enroute for Nashville. The boys thought they were going home. Lucy Campbell tells me to send you her respects. Give mine to Porter and Albert Sawyer. This leaves me well and hope it may find you the same. Hoping to hear from you soon, I close. As ever your affectionate brother, — G. W. Campbell

to Will H. Campbell