The following partial letter is missing the signature page and the content can only lead us to his membership in Co. A, 74th Indiana Infantry. Co. A was raised in Warsaw, Koscusko county, Indiana, and left Indianapolis the day after they were sworn into service for Louisville, Kentucky. They were rushed to Kentucky even before they were fully equipped in order to defend Louisville from Bragg’s army which was known to be advancing north into Kentucky.

There were far too many young men from Warsaw to narrow down the author’s identity but he was most likely good friends with those mentioned in his letter and possibly lived nearby. Perhaps another of his letter will show up someday.

Transcription

[Camp near Louisville, Kentucky]
August the 23rd 1862

Respected friends.

I sit down to drop you a few lines. I am well at present hoping that these few lines may find you the same. We left Indianapolis yesterday at even and got to Jeffersonville a little before sundown. Marched to the Ohio river, took the ferry boat and crossed over to Kentucky. It was getting dark before we got on the boat. I do not know how large Jeffersonville is. We did not come through the principal part of town but there is some very large buildings in it. Louisville is a great deal larger than I thought it was. It is as large as Warsaw, Fort Wayne, and Indianapolis all together and a great deal larger for you could put them all in one corner and you would not know that they were there.

You can stand in Jeffersonville and look over the Ohio river and see Louisville. The river is about three-quarters of a mile broad. It was dark when we got across but the lamps were lit up so we could see very well. They cheered us all the way—just one continual hurrah all the way. They was glad to see us, waved their flags, and hollowed and bragged on the husers [Hoosiers] big as kind. We marched about three miles (so I understood) and we stayed all night in a secesh pork house. He is in the Southern army now. We stayed there all night, then came to camp this morning. We are encamped in a high piece of ground. Can see a good part of the town. It is a very good place for a camp ground.

I sent 25 dollars home with Mr. Moon. You call and get it if you have not got it, and five more with John Andrews. I got my likeness taken and put it in my carpet sack and expressed it to Warsaw. You can call and get it at the Express Office and get it.

Phillip’s and Frank’s and Ches[ter] [Tris]del’s likenesses are in it. Let them call and get these. Allan Paulson ¹ sent his things home in my carpet sack and we put our things that we wanted to keep with us in his. We have not got our haversacks yet nor canteens and I do not know when we will get them. You cannot see any other teams (hardly) but mules and you can see plenty of niggers. Just after we came out of the pork house this morning, there came a nigger a riding…[rest of letter missing]

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¹ Ethan Allan Poulson of Warsaw, Indiana, served in Co. A, 74th Indiana Infantry. He enlisted on 14 July 1862 and died of chronic diahhrea at Nashville, Tennessee, on 24 July 1863.