This letter was written by Henry A. Jackson (1841-1862) of Co. A, 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). Henry enlisted as a private on 12 July 1861 and was killed in action on Bolivar Heights near Harper’s Ferry on 15 September 1862.

I believe that Henry A. Jackson was the son of Isaac and Mary (Manful) Jackson of Augusta, Carroll county, Ohio. See also—1861: Thomas J. Hendrix to Miss Haskey.

Transcription

Camp Dennison
September 7th 1861

Miss Tina,

It’s with the greatest of pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that we are all well at present and are getting along well. We are all enjoying [ourselves] very well. We have a very nice camp. It contains five hundred acres and a very good well water. It is hard but very little. There is three regiments and a company of cavalry. They expect 23 regiments in the course of two or three days, We expect to stay here two or three months. I can’t tell when we can get to come home. Captain has promised to give us a furlough when James Watson comes back but I don’t know whether he can get a furlough yet or not. But he will if possible.

We are not homesick yet but our folks wants me to come home. If it was not for that, would not come for a year. We have good times here. We have made our bedsteads today and I think we will get along a great deal better. We have Mr. [Henry] Chain and Sam McClellan in our mess and they keep us boys straight.

The Miami River runs through our camp and we get to go down to it every day or two. Our Colonel went to Cincinnati yesterday to get our arms but he said that it was an Independent Regiment and he would not give us arms. If he does not after we get drilled, we will go in another state. We are only twenty miles from Cincinnati and only 18 miles from Kentucky. The railroad runs through our camp ground. The cars run through perhaps a dozen times a day.

The latest news is that Jeff Davis is dead and I guess it must be so for the papers say so every day. All I hate that the State of Ohio will not get his head. We did expect to get it but if dead, we cannot.

This picture is for you. It is not a god one but I could not get any better one. Please write soon as you get these few lines of scribbling and tell all the news. This is all at present. Please excuse bad spelling and writing. From your friend, — Henry A. Jackson

Direct to Camp Dennison, Ohio 32nd Regiment, Company A, in care of Captain Lucy. Yours truly, H. J.