The following letter was written by Sidnor Franklin Jones (1841-1932), the son of Abel Jones (1807-1873) and Julia A. VanPelt (1815-1882) of Adams county, Ohio—formerly of Virginia. He enlisted on 1 November 1861 to serve three years in Co. E, 70th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI), the same company as Samuel P. Kilpatrick who is mentioned in the letter. Sidnor does not give the location where he wrote the letter but the regimental history informs us that it was Camp Dennison where they regiment organized and remained until February 1862 when they were then ordered to Paducah, Kentucky, and incorporated into Sherman’s Division. It’s baptism of fire came at Shiloh.

Sidnor wrote the letter to his brother-in-law, John Wilson Rogers (1831-1917), the husband of Sarah Catherine Jones (1836-1910). The couple were married in December 1852 and resided in Adams county, Ohio.

After the war, Sidnor returned to Adams county, Ohio, where he married Louisa Thoroman (1844-1934) and then moved to Crawford county, Illinois, and finally to Wilson county, Kansas. He died in 1932 at Osawatomie, Kansas (possibly at the insane asylum?).

Transcription

[Camp Denison, Ohio]
February 14th 1862

Brother [&] Sister,

It is through the goodness and mercy of God that I am spared and with reasonable health have this opportunity of writing a few lines to you to let you know that we are getting along very well. I am as well as I have been since I came to camp with the exceptions of cold and I hope that these few lines mat find you enjoying good health. The health of the regiment is generally good. There has been one death here since I came back but it was caused by drinking. Sam Kilpatrick is sick but I think it is caused by trouble. He is out of his head a good deal of the time. He has just gone up to the hospital.

Well, John, we have got a good deal of food news. Our forces has taken possession of Roanoke Island and the battle they took 2,000 prisoners. They have also taken possession of Fort Hatteras. They have taken three rebel steamers also. Also the rebels is evacuating Bowling Green. It also give a very favorable report of England. We got the news out of last night’s paper.

But to tell you now of our own regiment, there is three more companies came into our regiment and there is two parts of companies to be consolidated. When our regiment is completely organized, our regiment will be full and more too. The adjutant said this morning that we would get our guns this week. The talk is that we will leave here now soon. We will have to go on Battalion drill just now so I will have to quit for a while.

Well, we have just come in from drill. The Colonel told us while we were on drill that the regiment was consolidated and that the report to Columbus this morning was over one thousand men, so our regiment is full now.

Well John, I believe I have told you all the important news that I know of at this time. Remember me in your prayers. So no more at present but remain your affectionate brother. So goodbye. — S. F. Jones

To John Rogers