This letter was written by David Harrison Thomas of Co. D, 20th Ohio Infantry. The regimental roster informs us that David enlisted on 3 October 1861 when he was 23 years old. He was promoted to corporal in February 1863 and he died on 25 May 1863 from wounds received in the siege of Vicksburg.

David was the son of Welsh emigrants Owen (1800-1868) and Mary (1813-1893) Thomas of Radnor, Delaware county, Ohio. David mentions two of his siblings in the letter, Margaret (b. 1833) and Joseph (b. 1840).

At the time that David wrote his letter in July 1863, the regiment had participated in the Battle of Fort Donelson and at Shiloh where they had considerable loss.

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

Grand Junction, Tennessee
July 20th 1862

Dear father and mother,

I take the pleasure this Sunday morning to write a few lines to you to inform you that I am able to walk around. I had a hard spell of the chills and fever for three days. I thought it was going to turn to some other fever but I got it broken. I got Amos [C.] Mounts to write a few lines to you to let you know. I did not then know what I would go to the hospital but I have been so lucky so far as to keep out of there.

We are still here at Grand Junction and I think it is likely we will remain in here for a while & we have brought in a good many hundred bales of cotton since we have been here at the Junction. These guerrilla parties are getting pretty numerous around here. We are called out in line of battle pretty often but they are careful not to come too close. The only remedy for them is when [we] catch them, hang them.

And I see an account in the papers that there is a call for more volunteers. I think McClellan will need them before he can take Richmond. I suppose the enemy is very strong there. They have concentrated the greater part of their forces there.

We had a very hard rain here yesterday. There is plenty of green corn and ripe peaches here now. The most of our company will be together in a few days. There is one or two comes in every day from the Northern hospitals. I expect [Cornelius] Hull and Joel Lloyd and [James] Henry Cratz will be here soon. [1st Sgt.] Joseph Curren arrived here yesterday. He says he that you was all well. I wrote a letter to Joseph and Margaret last week and will expect to hear from them soon. I have not heard whether you got that money I sent you or not. I sent the receipt in a letter. It calls for thirty-five dollars. I have nothing more at present. All of the boys is well.

Write soon, one and all. Yours respectfully, — David Harrison Thomas