The following home front letter was written by George Washington Straub (1846-1927) of Waldo, Marion county, Ohio. George was born in Waldo and farmed early in life, later taking up bridge building and other carpentry work. He had an older brother named William S. Straub (1839-1866) who served as a Captain of Co. H, 4th Ohio Volunteer. Infantry (OVI) in the Civil War but he did not serve himself. He was married in 1866 to Sarah E. Corbin. George’s parents were Andrew Straub (1797-1858) and Nancy Cupp (1815-1903).

He wrote the letter to Martin (“Mart”) Stull and other members of Co. H, 4th OVI who were encamped in West Virginia at the time. One of the soldiers mention was Joshua M. V. Corbin, brother of Sarah E. Corbin, who died while in the service. According to hospital records, Pvt. Corbin received a spinal injury when a tree fell across him on 21 December 1863, paralyzing his lower extremities. He died on 28 April 1864. [Source: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. Part I, Volume II: Surgical History by U. S. Army Surgeon General’s Office, 1870.]

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

[Waldo, Marion county, Ohio]
August 14, 1861

Well, old friend, I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am well together with the rest of the folks. I received your letter the 9th and was very much pleased to hear from you and the rest of the boys. I should like to hear from you and if John Vanbrines had got to you boys yet. He started from here last Monday for your camp.

Well Mart, I should like to see the four [ ] and see how they looked. I suppose the boys look very rugged and pretty black. We have not had any letters from any of you boys since the 6th and are expecting some [in] today’s mail. Tell the boys I should like to hear from all of them.

I wrote to Bige and Sant and Hank Patten and have not heard from them yet. Tell them that I would like to hear from them very much. Well, no more on that score but a little about the crops. The crops are very good about here as general Abe’s corn is the best or as good as there is about here. There is plenty of roasting ears but last night we thought they would be gone up by the frost to do any hurt so we had a chance for a crop of corn yet. There was a big turn out of flax seed and the wheat and oats what has been thrashed turns out very good.

Well, I can’t think of anything for there is nothing going on here. This is the driest place that I ever seen. Well Mart, I must bring my letter to a close for I can’t think of anything to write. I would like to write a great deal to you but I cannot write without anything to write so excuse my mistakes and bad spelling for I have the blues awful bad. No more at present but remain your friend. — G. W. Straub

Oyer, tell Hen French that I would like to hear from him very much and tell Josh Corbin that I want him to write that letter that he promised to write. And John Vanbrines promised to write to me the next day after he got there. Tell him not to foget to write and give me all the news. Now Mart, write soon and let me know how you boys are getting along. Give my best respects to everybody and keep a good share of them yourself. — G. W. Straub

To Mart Stull and everybody else. Goodbye.