The following letter was written by Sgt. Alfred Marson of Co. C, 24th Ohio Volunteer. Infantry (OVI). Alfred was killed in the Battle of Stones River on 31 December 31, 1862, some six weeks after he datelined this letter from Silver Spring, Tennessee. It’s a business letter so little is revealed about the regiment though it’s the first time I have seen a soldier’s letter used as proof of a transaction and as a receipt for payment. The letter includes a revenue stamp to make it official as a legal transaction.

The 24th Ohio suffered heavily at the Battle of Stones River. They were part of Colonel William Grose’s Brigade and spent the afternoon and evening of December 30th supporting two batteries of the 4th US Artillery. The next day they entered the cotton field where they fought throughout the day until they ran low on ammunition, retreated to the Nashville Pike, and eventually in desperation counterattacked with the bayonet. Many of the regiments non-commissioned officers fell mortally wounded in this advance. Unfortunately for Alfred, few surviving records spell his surname correctly.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp at Silver Spring, Tennessee
November 18, 1862

Mr. Rice Harper, Esq.
Dear sir,

As I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you for a longtime and having a little business to transact, I thought I would write you a few lines.

I enclose you $25 which I wish you to have placed to my credit with Messrs. Barney, Hubbard & Durbin of your city, taking a certificate therefore which you will please keep for me. You will remember to have done the same thing for me a little over a year ago on the occasion of your visit to Cheat Mountain, Virginia.

Since I had the pleasure of meeting you personally, my health has been reasonably good considering the exigencies of the service of which the 24th Ohio has certainly borne a full share and I hope at the expiration of my term of service to call upon you and render my thanks for your numerous favors in behalf of the soldier.

You will pardon my writing with a lead pencil as it is the only available stock at present.

As I shall be much pleased with a reply, I enclose you some P.O. currency and would esteem it a favor if you would send me a statement of my bank account, and a few P. O. stamps. Believe me yours very truly, — Alfred Marson, Co. C, 24th Ohio Infantry

[written in another hand]

Answered & postage stamps sent, December 5, 1862 — R. H.

This man is said to have been killed at the Battle of Stone River in Tennessee. So says John H. Fordick

The State of Ohio, Erie county.

I, Mary Collop (late Mary Marson), being duly sworn on my oath depose and say that I am the Mother of the late Alfred Marson who was killed at the Battle of Stone River in Tennessee and I also state that the said Alfred, my son, was an unmarried man at the time of his death and that he died interstate leaving no children as I verily believe. I also at this time acknowledge the receipt of Rice Harper of the sum of fifty dollars money left in his hands for safe keeping by my son Alfred before his disease. Sandusky, August 28th 1865. — Mary Collop

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of August, 1865 — T. N. Barker, J. D.