The following letter was written by James Alfred Jones (1824-1864), the son of Elias Jones (1797-1876) and Lydia Sweet (1802-1885). At the time of the 1860 Census, James was enumerated in Delavan, Tazewell county, Illinois, with his wife, Harriet (Hohton) Jones (1836-1903), and made a living as a medical doctor. Their first child Mary was born in 1857; their second child Minnie in 1861.
Jones was mustered in for 3 years into F&S, 115th Illinois Regiment Infantry on 3 October 1862 at Springfield as an Assistant Surgeon.
Isaac Royse, a 2nd Lieutenant in Co. E, wrote a history of the 115th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, published in July 1900. In it, he describes the events that led to James Jones death on page 215:
Very early on the morning of 11th July (probably 9th July 1864) a report was brought in by a citizen that a band of rebel guerrillas were crossing the country west of town (Tunnel Hill, Georgia) apparently intending to cut the railroad bridge about 2 miles north of the town. The Colonel at once ordered Lt. Royce with Company E to make double-time up the railroad and, if possible, intercept them. It was scarcely sunrise when the company reached the point of expected mischief, just in time to see the Confederates scampering up the hill to the right…The company at once made pursuit, but with the usual disadvantages of infantry trying to follow cavalry. Their route led over the hills to the valley east of the village, when it was learned that the rebels had made their escape after murdering Dr. Jones. Not knowing the nearness of the enemy the doctor with a few assistants, all of them armed, had hurriedly gone to the pastures in the valley to bring in the regimental horses that were out there grazing. As they were hastening towards camp with their charge the rebel band came dashing into the valley right upon them. Determined to make his escape if possible, Dr Jones put spurs to his horse and as he was riding at full speed attempted to make his horse leap a wide, deep ditch. It was wider than he had counted upon and his horse fell heavily against the opposite bank. While struggling to free himself the rebels overtook him and, though seeing his helpless condition, fired upon him, inflicting wounds from which he died soon after. After taking all the horses they could catch and capturing one or two men the rebels hastily left the Valley – going south east – just in time to avoid a contest with Company E which was rapidly approaching.
Harriet Jones was awarded a widows pension of $17 per month on 15thSeptember 1866 which was increased in September 1868. Harriet remarried in January 1869 to William J Scott and made a successful application for minors’ pensions for her two children in July 1869. The hearing was in front of a local Justice of the Peace in Tazewell County where an affidavit relating to the death of James Jones was provided by Captain Reardon of the 115th Illinois Infantry.
See also—1862: Dr. James A. Jones to Harriet (Hoghton) Jones on Spared & Shared 7 (posted August 2014).
Transcription
Camp near Chattanooga, Tennessee
October 15, 1863
My dear wife,
I am again seated under my tent fly as my only shelter to write to you. It rains, and has dine [so] for three days. Nonetheless I remain dry and comfortable as one in the army need to. I am well and as long as I continue so, I can scarcely have any cause of complaint, even though I should be called upon to undergo hardships and privations for a time.
I received your letter of the 28th on the 10th and though I wish they were not so long coming, I think they come as soon as could reasonably be expected under the circumstances. I fear that my letters to you are much longer in reaching you owing to difficulty in getting them off from Chattanooga. I received a letter from father this week. They are all well amongst brothers and sisters there. Brother Danford has been drafted, but when father wrote, he had not decided whether to go into the service or pay the commutation money.
I hope you may have a good time with Margaret & I am glad I am absent for I think you will enjoy her visit much more than if I were at home. I hope she will make you a good long visit.
We remain in camp just where we were when I wrote to you last, but we are expecting to be removed to the other side of the river soon. Rosecrans is reorganizing the army and aggregating the old brigades and we will now be in a brigade of about ten regiments under command of Gen’l. [James B.] Steedman and take position in Sheridan’s Division. I prefer remaining on this side of the river until the railroad is in operation to this place as forage is scarce and our horses fare much better here than on the other side. The roads, just at this time, are very bad in consequence of the rain, but a few days sun will soon dry them up and make them good again.
Since writing to you there has been no fighting though the rebels have been trying to hinder our supply trains by shooting our teams across the river, about six miles below here at a point where the road runs along the river bank, but we have planted a couple of guns there and shelled them out, and will have no difficulty in keeping them away in the future.
The rebels have had two battles among themselves within a few days, near enough to us so that we could distinctly hear the sound of their cannon, and it is reported at headquarters that their battles were really bloody ones, which I hope may be the case, for one of their battles will be as good as two of ours, as the loss will be all on one side, while we are unhurt. 1
Both sides have undoubtedly been largely reinforced but with the present state of the weather, there is no possibility of another engagement for some time, and in my opinion there will be no more fighting at Chattanooga, and the chances are pretty goo I think for us to remain in this vicinity for a good while unless we fall back to save transporting our supplies so far over bad roads.
Since commencing to write, it has stopped raining and the sun is now shining out beautifully for the first time for three days. I think the river here will raise rapidly after this rain so that the rebels will have no chance of crossing again at the fords, and we will consequently be troubled no more with raids upon the railroad in our rear, while we will have no difficulty in throwing over as many pontoon bridges as we may need. Our supplies are our only difficulty, and I shall expect the railroad open now in a very short time, and as we already have as much as three week’s supplies in advance, I have no fear on that score.
Our wounded are doing well—that is, those that remain here. The largest share of them have been sent to Nashville and about two hundred ambulances will go today with more of them, some of who are going home on furlough. If I was only wounded now there would be a chance for me to go home for a while, but as I have nothing more than a couple of boils, my chance is pretty slim—especially as they are nearly well. But we will not despair entirely for I may get a wound in the next battle and then my turn will come. I will soon be able to procure anything in the clothing line from the Commissary Department that I shall need in consequence of losing my baggage, but for the present I am scaarcely in need of anything.
I expect the balance of our things that we left at Bridgeport will be here today or tomorrow, and then I will have my tent again and many other conveniences that are more desirable than really necessary. Since leaving Bridgeport, I have learned that we were encumbering ourselves with many little conveniences that I can well dispense with and there were many things in my valise that I shall not think of supplying again as they were wholly unnecessary. The longer I remain in the service, the less things I want around me, and one suit of clothing with a simple change of underclothes is all I want as long as I remain in the field.
It is now twelve months since I left you and I can certainly say that is it the shortest year I ever saw in my life, though I presume it has not been so with you, as you are situated so as to be more lonely than I am, and you have never before been called upon before to depend upon yourself so that it is quite reasonable that time should drag with you, while it flies by swiftly with me. I have no idea that another whole year will go by without our having an opoortunity of seeing each other and with the prospect of the war closing before that time, I hope we may be as content as possible in view of “a good time coming.”
If you have that “check” yet, you may hold on to it till I write you in regard to it again. I would like to know of Mr. Lawton furnishes you any money now-a-days. Let me know also how much you have in bank. If you have a chance, buy five or six bushels of potatoes and put in the cellar. Also put up plenty of apples. At the same time, accept this imaginary kiss and the love of your husbandm — James
To Harriett
1 While I am aware that the Confederate commanders were quarreling among themselves and officers in the field were petitioning for the removal of Braxton Bragg, I have never heard of them waging actual warfare against each other.
Spared & Shared 23 