The following letter was written by 22 year-old Abner A. Hawes (1842-1885) who enlisted as a private in Co. B, 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery in July 1863 and was discharged in August 1865. He survived the war but died of consumption (tuberculosis) at the age of 43.

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

Co. B, 2nd Regt. O[hio] H[eavy] Art.
First Division, 23rd Army Corps
At Knoxville, Tenn.
October 21, 1864

Dear Brother,

It is with pleasure that I take the present opportunity to write you a few lines to inform [you] of my health and to inquire of yours. I am as well as common at this time and I am in hopes when these few lines comes to hand, they will find you the same.

We left Cleveland the 9th of October and went to Knoxville, Tennessee. We left Charleston [TN] and went to Cleveland [TN] the 4th of August and we are doing duty in town now. All of our guard is in Knoxville now. The Boys is well as a general thing and in good spirits. I han’t heard from John Renard since we left Cleveland and he was with his company then, but not well. He is at Loudon now.

Well Milton, I hant got no news of importance to write today. You may tell Uncle Jesse that I wish him good luck. We have met with a great loss to Co. B. We have lost one of our Springboro boys—D[avid] R. Huffman, and Captain [Philip] Rothrock [too]. Captain was loved by all of his boys in the company except one or two. It has been about two weeks since he died. The company feels the loss of our captain.

Well Milton, I want you to tell me, if you please, how to write Thomas and George. [Either] him or me directed our letters wrong for I can’t get any from him. Well, I think that I must close off. I have got my mind on something else and I can’t write much, so I will close hoping to hear from [you] soon. I will try and do better the next time. So goodbye. Yours truly until death, — Abner A. Hawes, Co. B., 2nd 0. V. H. A., Knoxville, Tenn. In care of Lieutenant S. Coleman.

I received your letter of the 3rd Oct.