The following letter was written by 28 year-old James T. Clark (“Clarke” in muster rolls) who enlisted as a private in Co. K, 11th Illinois Infantry—a three-month regiment that served from 30 April to 30 July 1861. Company K was raised in LaSalle county, Illinois. Their Colonel was William Hervey Lamme Wallace (1821-1862; mortally wounded at Shiloh).

James wrote the letter to his father, Samuel S. Clark (1795-Bef1880), a miller residing in Newburgh, Orange county, New York. Samuel was married to a woman named Jane (b. 1809) who was presumably James’ mother.

“The only state regulation on dress in use in Illinois at the outbreak of the Civil War was a requirement that officers could wear uniforms ‘similar’ to those worn by US Army officers. The state did not, however, have a unique state uniform for its Civil War troops. It was hoped that the US government could uniform and equip all the state’s volunteers from the beginning. This was not to be the case; and the first Illinois infantry volunteers received a state-provided issue of grey shirts, blue caps, and red blankets worn horseshoe-style. More complete uniforms were ordered from New York, arriving in May 1861. These included a ‘jacket and pants of course gray cloth, blue zouave cap, and substantial shoes’. The clothes were made of poor quality wool—known as ‘shoddy’ and wore out quickly.” [Source: Mine Creek Battlefield]

Transcription

Camp Wallace
June 25th 1861

Dear Father,

I take my pen in hand again, writing these few lines letting you know of my whereabout, and that my health is tolerable good at present and write in hopes that this letter will find you all well and prospering. I wrote to you one letter before this from this place. This is the fourth one I have sent since I volunteered and have not got but one in return. The letters is very easy to be miscarried now-a-days. One reason is this—that the soldiers is shifting about from place to place so often that it is hard to keep track of th mail or letters.

Our company is now at the Big Muddy Railroad Bridge on the Illinois Central Railroad. We are stationed here to guard the rebels from burning it down but it is thought that we will leave here in a day or two. When we leave here, we will go to Missouri where our regiment is now stationed at Bird’s Point, right across the Mississippi from Cairo. We expect to have some fighting to do over there. There is two companies fighting now from our regiment—Companies A and B. I belong to Company K. It is the left flank of the regiment. Our company has not done any fighting yet but it is thought that we will have something to do now in a few days. Our company’s health is very good now. Considering the warm weather now here, the weather getting very warm, the flies and mosquitoes also are very often to be found.

The harvesting here is about over and new potatoes is very plenty. Also considerable green fruit. Father, I sent home to you a small box sent on Saturday last. I sent it by Express to Port Jervis. I had more things here than I could carry if we were called out on a tramp so i sent my coat, vest, and a few other trinkets home to you rather than to lose them entirely. I left the charges on them for you to pay. I could not pay them here for the paper money of this state will not go here, and I have no other kind now. I have got about seventy-five dollars of it and it is of no account. We have not got any pay from the government yet, and have got about one month yet to serve. I think then we will get our pay.

There is a good many of our company going for three years. I shall not go until after I go home. Father, please pay the charges on that box and I will repay you back when I come home. And please to take the box and trunk in your charge until I return, and that will shortly be, if God spares my life, so to do. Please let me know if you had any charges to pay on my trunk. I paid the charges on it before it left LaSalle. And let me know how the boating is there this season. The boating here is very dull—like everything else—the business about all closed. Grain is very low here. Corn is from ten to 15 cents per barrel and oats the same. Wheat from 40 to 60 cents per bushel. Potatoes plenty at 10 cents and nearly everything else according. Scarcely any work for the laboring man but soldiering.

Please let me know if you have found an extrance into my trunk and that you found everything right. I will write no more at this time. Please write as soon as you get this and direct your next letter to Cairo, Illinois.

I send my best respects to you all. Yours truly, — James T. Clark

to Samuel S. Clark