The following letter was written by Pvt. Melvin B. Lane (1843-1865) of Co. C, 15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). Melvin enlisted on 30 August 1861 and was taken prisoner on 19 September 1863 during the Battle of Chickamauga. He died while a Prisoner of War at Danville, Virginia, on 5 March 1865.
In 1891, Melvin’s mother, Catharine Ronick—a native of Germany, filed a pension claim for her son’s service in the 15th OVI.
In the Battle of Chickamauga where Melvin was taken prisoner, the regiment was attached to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division of the 20th Army Corps. Under the command of Lt. Colonel Frank Askew, the regiment engaged in the advance made by its Brigade on the afternoon of September 19th from the Rossville Road near the Kelly House. Melvin was likely taken prisoner in this advanced position or in the night attack upon the regiment by Cleburns’s and Cheatham’s Divisions.
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Camp George Wood
Hart county, Kentucky
December 15th 1861
My friend,
I take my pen in hand to let you know how I am getting along in the army. I am well now. I hain’t been to the doctor but once since I been in the army. Then I had a cold.
We are near Green river. Munfordville is in about a quarter mile from the camp. There is a bridge here that cost about ten thousand dollars. It took two years to build. It’s a hundred and fifteen feet high and a thousand feet long. It is the railroad. It was blowed up by the secesh and they burnt another one about eight miles up at Baker Creek but it is all well again. We left Camp Nevin on the 7th of December. We are about twenty-two miles from there.
I heard that Mary and David was sick. I’d like [to] hear from them—how they are gettin’ along. Tell them I am well now and I like the camping well. I want you to tell me what Edward Craven’s captain’s name is and what camp he is in. Where is Harriet working now? I heard from Maysfield not a great while ago. The said they was all well then. I want you to let me know how they are gettin’ along—that is, if you hear from them.
There are a few hills here but I have seen bigger hills and here Old Buckner’s breastwork is just across the river from here but he has left them now and gone to Bowling Green about 40 miles from here. His farm is not a great way from here. 1 We do get corn from there. It looked kind of hard to see what the secesh have done. The people have commenced to build houses and had to leave them. All the bridges is burnt along the railroad. I have not seen no fun yet. The boys feel quite funny tonight. I don’t know how soon we will cross the Green river but when we cross the river, I expect some fun if Old Buckner holds his ground but I think that he’ll go on to Tennessee when we cross the river.
No more now. I want you to write soon. Melvin Lane to Sary Craven
Camp George Wood, Hart cunty, Kentucky. Care of Captain Miller, 15th Regiment
1 Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner’s family estate, known as Glen Lily, was about 8 miles east of Munfordville.
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