The following letter was written by Frank W. Streeper (1844-1864) who enlisted in Co. A, 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) on 5 October 1861 when he was only 17 years old. Frank rose in rank from private to corporal during his time in the service but never returned home. He was accidentally killed on 6 March 1865 at Cheraw, South Carolina. It seems he was guarding a cache of ammunition (3600 barrels of gunpowder) that had been sent to Cheraw from Charleston, South Carolina, when that city was evacuated as Sherman’s army approached. By the carelessness of a soldier—possibly Frank for all we know, the immense pile of gunpowder was exploded.

Frank wrote the letter to his uncle, Cecil Acil Denman (1826-1915), of Phillip Denman (1787-1868) and Amelia Fox (1785-1852) of Licking county, Ohio.

Transcription

Camp near Pittsburgh [Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee]
May 20th [1862]

Dear Uncle,

The sutler having just received some paper, I dit down to write to you. There is no news of importance here. We are within five miles of Corinth and still advancing. I am in very good health. I am almost a man in stature. Am five foot five inches in height.

You wanted to know in your last letter what you should so with the money I send home. Now you know that I always loved you [and] if it will help you along at all, you may use it and I will send home forty dollars more when we get paid again.

Give my love to Aunt Mary and the children. Tell Aunt Mary to write to me. Write soon yourself. Your affectionate nephew, — F. Streeper