The following letter was penned by a hospital nurse, identified solely as “E. B. Butler,” likely a fellow soldier who had fallen ill or was wounded and spent considerable time at the hospitals in Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, where he formed an acquaintance with Festus G. Tylee of Co. C, 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). Festus endured several months of hospitalization in Murfreesboro during the autumn of 1863 due to a severe inflammation in his leg. He subsequently rejoined his regiment in 1864; however, this letter reveals that he succumbed to dysentery, which necessitated his admission to the hospital at Chattanooga for treatment. Unfortunately, he was too gravely affected to regain his health and quickly passed away after his admittance.

Festus and his wife had only one child names Lyman E. Tylee, born 7 October 1859 at Lafayette, Medina county, Ohio. Harriet was remarried in 1869 to Charles A. Goodwin, 26 years her senior.

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

Hospital No. 2
Chattanooga, Tennessee
August 27, 1864

Mrs. Harriet N. Tylee
Dear friend,

It has become my duty to convey to you the painful news of the death of your husband. I knew him in hospital at Murfreesboro and also at this place, and when I heard that he was brought back from the front sick, went immediately to see him. I knew him to be a faithful and devoted nurse when discharging his duties at the bedside of his fellow soldiers and felt interested to know that he was well cared for. So I got a soldier friend to stay by him and watch over him all the time after I knew of his sickness.

He was brought here on Sunday the 21st and died Friday morning at 4 o’clock. His disease [was] dysentery. He did not seem to suffer so very severely and at the last dropped away very easily and quietly. I do not think he realized that he would die so soon although he told the young man the night before he died that he should not get well and thanked him for his kindness to him.

I would gladly offer to you some comforting word but nobody can describe your loss and I feel that anything that I could say to you would be to you as idle talk. He now lies in a soldier’s grave in the National Cemetery. I should say that he died at No. 1 Hospital.

Yours very truly, — E. B. Butler

P. S. Sign the enclosed receipt and return to Hospital No. 1 for his effects.