The following letter was written by Daniel Lower of Co. I, 19th Ohio Infantry. He was mustered into the regiment for three years service and mustered out in August 1864 at Marietta, Georgia. The regiment was organized at Alliance, Ohio, and once mustered, attached to the 11th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to December 1861. In August 1862 when this letter was penned, the regiment was attached to the 11th Brigade, 5th Division of the Army of Ohio. This letter was datelined from the regiment’s encampment on Battle Creek in Northern Alabama following their long march in Buell’s Campaign in Northern Alabama and middle Tennessee.

Daniel C. Lower (1842-1905) was the orphaned son of George W. Lower (1806-1864) and Mary Beaman Beaumont (1808-1856) of Columbiana county, Ohio. The recipient of this letter was Henry Sanor. He was probably the Henry Sanor (1827-1893) that married Daniel’s older sister Betsy Lower (1830-1913). Henry was a farmer in West Township, Columbiana county, Ohio. It should be noted that Daniel’s surname appears as “Laueere” in the regimental record for some reason.

Transcription

Camp Battle Creek [Alabama]
August 17, [1862]

Mr. Henry Sanor, dear sir,

I take the opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hope that you are the same. The Boys are all well at present—all but Cary. He is not very stout. I have been looking for a letter from you for some time but all in vain. No letter. So I thought as Lieutenant Firestone is coming home, I thought I would write and send a few lines with him.

We are encamped in sight of the rebels. The Tennessee [river] is between us so that we dare not shoot at them. Now I want to write and send your letter with Firestone and give me all the news in the neighborhood. I wrote in my last letter that I wanted you to send me a few postage stamps as we cannot get them here. It would be a great accommodation if you would send me a few. Tell J. H. to write to me as I think I wrote the last letter.

I have not much to write this time. [Isaac] Frank Rish us as stout as ever and much better. He weighs about one hundred and sixty. He is a bester [?]. We had to live on half rations for a while. It went damned hard but we came across a hog once in a while and then we had to run or kill it and it was very seldom that we ran. We are [with]in about thirty miles of Chattanooga and within five of Jasper. There is rebels in there every night but are afraid to come any further. So no more about that.

I heard that George was coming home. If so, let me know it. So no more at present. I remain your friend as ever, Henry Sanor.

[From] Daniel Lower, 19th Ohio, Company D. 5th Division, 11th Brigade