The following letter was written by Oscar Easley (1835-1885) to his wife, Amy (Freeman) Easley (1844-1918) of Ipava, Fulton county, Illinois. The couple were married in October 1859 and their first born child, Marion Easley (1860-1928) is mentioned.

Oscar was recruited as a private into Co. F, 84th Illinois Infantry in August 1862 and remained with the regiment until August 1864 when he transferred to Co. K of the 1st US Veteran Volunteer Engineering Corps to work on pontoon bridges. A biographical sketch for Oscar claims that he was a farmer and sawmill owner in Fulton county. He was born in Freeport, Harrison county, Ohio, and came with his parents to Illinois when he was only a year old. His father was Isaac Easley and his mother was Mary Norris. They died in 1861 and 1859, respectively. During the war, Oscar fought at Stones River (“the first time that I came into line of battle to be shot at,” as he states in this letter, and later in the battles of “Chickamauga, Resaca, &c.”

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Evan Hammon and was made available for transcription andpublication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

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

Bridgeport, Alabama
Wednesday, December 30th, 1863

Beloved Companion,

It is with the love and gratitude of an affectionate husband that I again take up my pen and paper to write you a few lines in answer to one of your kind and affectionate letters just received dated December 13th and also one read a few days ago dated December 4th.

I am happy to tell you that those letters both found me enjoying first rate health and as fat as a pig and I do hope these few scribbled lines will find you all the same. I wrote you a little Christmas [morning] and was going to send it by Attleston [?] and he did not come for a day or two so I neglected sending it. I expect you have got my last letter by this time as I sent it by Capt. Nelson. I also sent you a ring by him. I forgot to put it in the letter so he put it in his pocket. I also sent those two pictures that you sent me. I have sent eleven dollars in the three lost letters [illegible due to crease in paper] whether you get them or not.

I was much pleased to hear that you an Marion and Abby’s folks was all well and the folks in general but I am sorry to hear that Sarah was so poorly for I fear that I shall never get to see her whilst on this troublesome land of ours. But hope to meet her on that happy shore where wars and afflictions will be no more. You spoke of those two lovely pictures of yours and Marion’s. I do not recollect whether I told you that I was pleased or not but I was heartily pleased with them and think the world and all of them.

It sounds queer to hear of snow for we haven’t seen a drop of snow this winter yet. The weather is pleasant excepting some rain and mud. Christmas was very quiet and I tell you, there is a great deal of difference between this week and one year ago. This day one year ago, we cut cedar brush all day in sight of the rebs and tomorrow morning one year ago was the first time that I came into line of battle to be shot at and I tell you, it sounded like hail all round and all missed Old Easley.

One year ago tomorrow night we lay in line of battle and if I ever thought about freezing, it was then. But I wintered it through and am still able for my rations.

I hardly think that there will be any draft for the old soldiers are enlisting by thousands. They all get to go home 30 days and the cars are crowded every day now. The 16th has all went in again except a few. Ellis Thompson was not able to go in. They will not let the 8th go in again as they haven’t been in two years yet. They would two thirds of them go in again, I guess, but I think by the time that they are in two years, there will be no more soldiers wanted. And if I have to serve my two years first, I will put in the third one and then soldier at home a few days and see how I can stand the climate and rations.

Well, dear Amy, as I am on guard today, I will bring my letter to a close for this time and get ready to go on guard and will write again soon. I will send you a few lines that was on the bottom of the letter of Mary Ann’s.

Please write often and I will do the same. I send my respects to all. Remember me, your affectionate husband, as ever until death. Goodbye, dear Amy, goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. Truly, — Oscar Easley