This letter was written by English emigrant William John Hurst (1837-1897) of Eat Liverpool, Columbiana county, Ohio, who enlisted in Co. K, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He enlisted as a corporal in late April 1861 and mustered out as a corporal in May 1864. He later served as a Color Sergeant in Co. I, 191 Ohio Infantry for 3 months in 1865.

William wrote the letter to his younger sister, Mary E. Hurst (1841-1918) who later became the wife of Major J. B. Mills of Co. I, 78th OVI.

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Elizabethtown, [Kentucky]
December 12th 1861

Dear Sister,

I received two letters from you today, one dated December 4th and the other December the 8th and was happy to hear that you was all well and I am happy to hear that you received that box as I did not want to lose it. I believe I am unlucky. I have lost one of them blue shirts which you sent me which I would not have took $4 for it. I also lost them bullets and one of my gloves and if I keep on I will lose my head, and then poor Bub will be gone up.

Well, laying all jokes aside, we will have a fight before long if Johnson and Buckner will only stand, and some say it will be the bloodiest battle that ever was if they will stand, as they have a large force there and are getting reinforcements every day. But I think we will be able to tackle with them and to clean them out like a shot gun.

It has been warm here in the middle of the days and cold in the night time. The regiment arrived here today and I have received five letters with them, two from you, two from Richard, and one from Alf Needs at Washington. And from what he says, they are going to fight pretty soon. But from what the papers say, that all the forces on the Potomac and in Missouri will be stopped and inactive until we have our fight out here and that that is all that they are waiting for. And I hope we will give the world satisfaction when we fo have it. The people place great confidence in our troops but they say that if we was to fall back, that their town and their lives would not be worth anything, and I do not suppose they would. This place is about as big as Wellsville and not a bad looking place. The Court House is here of this county.

I wrote a letter to you on the 10th of this month from here and sent another likeness in it which I hope you will receive it all safe. Direct to Elizabethtown, Hardin county, Kentucky. Write soon and oblige your brother, — W. J. Hurst

Give my love to Mother, Father, and George and tell Clara I will fetch Jeff Davis’s head for her to play with.

It is reported that we go back to Louisville for provost guards but I doubt it.