The following letter was written by William Henry Harrison Smith (1840-1933), the son of Thomas Thorburg Smith (1800-1881) and Catharine Geary (1812-1882) of Bluffton who enlisted on 16 August 1862 to serve in Co. B, 101st Indiana Infantry. He mustered out of the regiment on 24 June 1865. In his letter, William mentions his younger brother, Lucas Flattery Smith (1844-1924) who enlisted when he was 17 in Co. G, 101st Indiana Infantry.

William wrote the letter to his sister, Catharine L. Smith, Murray, Wells county, Indiana, though the envelope is addressed to his mother, also named Catharine.

Transcription

Camp 101st Regt. Indiana Vols.
Co. B, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
14th Army Corps
Rossville, Georgia
January 31st, 1864

Dear Sister,

I received your kind and welcome letter last Friday and I was glad to learn that you were all well. I am happy to say that this leaves me well. Lucas is going to write today and we will send our letters in one envelope. We are still at Rossville but do not know how long we will remain. We have pretty heavy duty here but we are now getting tolerable plenty rations and I don’t mind all the duty that I have to do if I have plenty to eat. We have quite a treat today. There was a lot of onions sent out here to our hospital and we are so lucky as to have no sick so they were issued to the regiment which is something of a rarity with us. Our regiment is in the best health now that they have been since we came out. I don’t know of a single case of sickness in the regiment.

We have had extremely beautiful weather here for the last two weeks. It was exactly such weather as we have there in May. The birds are singing and everything seems lively, but we see no sturdy plowman come forth to turn up the fresh ground nor no laborer seeking useful employment but all around is soldiers. I don’t care where you go, you will find soldiers.

The presents you sent us were gratefully received and in the package of paper that I took for mine I found a little revolver and Lucas found a small finger ring in his. I am going to send my revolver to Zack and he can shoot rats with it. You speak of sending a box to us but need not send any for we are not particular in want of anything. All that I would want would be some provision and it is so far and so many delays that provisions would be spoiled before it would get here, and we can get along very well now on what rations we have.

You speak of it being very cold back there New Year. Well, it was the same here. People that live here said that it was the coldest day they ever experienced. I was on picket that day. I think I will remember that day a long time. I don’t know what ails my leg. It is still sore and running some but it does not hurt me much. In fact, it is only by spells that I mind it at all.

You speak of some scandalous letters that were found in the post office there. Well, I believe that Smith Logan is the author of them for he sent a letter of the same kind to his brother John here, I read it and it did exceed anything that I ever heard. He swore that he did not own him as a brother and he hoped that he would never get home and wished him and his family in hell and swore that he hoped that the rebels would whip us in every battle and gain their independence. And if he would fight on either side, he said he would go to the rebs. John asked me what I thought of it and I told him that I would have it attended to so we took it and gave it to the Major. He copied it off and sent a copy back and I hope to hear of the villain getting justice which will be hanging. It was Smith’s own hand writing and his name signed to it.

Oh yes, you ask me if I have had a sleigh ride yet. No, we have not had snow enough to cover the ground and to go sleighing on the dry ground is a kind of riding I don’t like. Besides, I have not saw a sleigh since I left home. I will stop for this time. Excuse hurriedness. Your brother, — Wm. H. H. S.

Write soon. Goodbye.