The following letter was written by John Bookman Zarbaugh (1837-1919), the son of John Zarbaugh and Mary Bookman of Canal Winchester, Franklin county, Ohio. John served as a private in Co. G, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) from September 1861 to September 1864. John was married to Mary A. Noss in September 1858. Sometime before 1880, John moved with his family to Portage, Hancock county, Ohio, and by 1900 to North Star, Gratiot county, Michigan. He died in Ithaca, Michigan.

The 21st OVI had a long and glorious military record. They were engaged in many of the major engagements of the Western Theater, including Stones River, Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman’s March to the sea and Carolina Campaign. With their five-shot Colt Revolving Rifles, they could be counted on to deliver a murderous fire on any attacking column and helped to repel several assaults on Snodgrass Hill in the Battle of Chickamauga. However, they eventually ran out of ammunition and were surrounded, losing over half their men (243 of 561) to casualties and capture.

Loss of the field and Union retreat meant leaving dead and dying comrades on the field so the anguish expressed by Zarbaugh at the report of unburied and mutilated corpses was certainly understandable. Though Zarbaugh’s letter contains only hearsay, the reports of Rebel atrocities such as the dead left unburied for a couple of months on the battlefield, and the cutting off of heads and sticking them on stumps or poles was printed in many newspapers in December 1863.

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

Chattanooga, Tennessee
December 16, 1863

Mr. Henry Noss and Catherine
Dear Father and Mother,

I seat myself this morning to write you a few lines to let you know that I am yet in the land among the living and in the enjoyment of the blessings of God, which is health and strength. Hoping that these few lines may or will find you and your family in a similar beatitude.

In the first place, I will let you know that I have not forgotten you yet, although it is not very often that I write to you. But I have no doubt you hear of me most every week or two. Well father, I must tell you that I often think of you and your family. But that is all the good that it will do me. I have often wished I could only come there and stay a day or two and see you all. But wishing is all in vain. I do not expect to come home until my time is out if God spares my life and gives me strength enough to go there.

Some say our time will be out in five months and other ones say we have to stay eight months yet. Therefore I shall not make any calculations to come home any sooner than eight or nine months—if I live that long. Father, this last year it seems as though the days were weeks and the months were years. It is going to seem longer than the two last years did. But I think if we have good luck, we will sometime see the day when we can meet again upon this world. But if I should be one of those that should be called to another world, I hope to meet you there and I hope to meet Mother there, and I hope to meet my family there and all the rest of the family at some future time.

Father, I have nothing new to tell you. Everything is quiet. Our men are busy a working upon the railroad between this place and Bridgeport, Alabama. It will take about one month yet before the cars will run to this place. We have been on short rations ever since we are here and I do not expect to get any more until the cars come through. I can tell you we saw harder times here than at any other place since we are in the service.

I will also let you know (but I have no doubt you have heard it long ago), that the rebels did not bury our men at the Battle of Chickamauga. I saw a man yesterday that crossed the battlefield twice—one last week and this week—and he told me that he saw the bones of our men lay upon the ground. Some had their clothes over them yet and some of our men, they cut their heads off and stuck them upon a pole. I say it is ridiculous. Such people should not live. They cannot say that about our army. We have buried all their dead wherever they fell in our hands and they were buried as honorable as our own men. Such an army as they have got can never prosper. They have not the power of God upon their side. I do not think they will hold out much longer anymore for their army is getting reduced every day, more or less.

Father, the weather is very fine down here for this time of the year. It is like spring. We have heavy frosts at night and in day time it is warm and nice like a May day. Father, I wish I could come home to spend the Holly days with you. I would like to help you eat some sausage and other good things tht we have not got in the army. But this wishing is all for nothing. So I will close for this time. Give my best respects to John and Doray and Fanny and tell them I have not forgotten them yet. So no more for today.

I remain your affectionate son-in-law, — John B. Zarbaugh

To Henry and Catherine Noss

I will now bid you good day and may God bless one and all of you is my sincere prayer. — John B. Zarbaugh