The following letters were written by Isaac D. Kelley (1834-1871), the son of David Kelley (1806-1876) and Susanna Dixon Jones (1799-1884) of DuPage county, Illinois—formerly of Rutland, Vermont.

Isaac was listed as a 28 year-old single farmer of Naperville, DuPage Co., Illinois when he was mustered in as a Sergeant at Dixon, Illinois, in Co. B, 105th Illinois Infantry. He was described as being 6 feet tall with blue eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion. He mustered out as a sergeant at Washington DC on June 7, 1865. His name does not appear on the veterans monument in the cemetery though it does appear in numerous old lists of Civil War veterans buried in Rutland cemeteries. Isaac was married on 17 April 1864 while still in the service (he mentions getting a leave to go home in late March 1864 to get married). He married Zina Whitney in DuPage Co., Illinois. Isaac survived the war but died tragically in 1871 while on his way to Rutland to buy a train ticket for his mother. On that day, he was robbed and murdered at the old Billings covered bridge. He was 37 years old.

Both of these letters were written to his younger brother, Thomas Benton Kelley (1838-1915) who served in the 8th Illinois Cavalry.

Letter 1

Headquarters 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps
Near Marietta, Georgia
July the 10th 1864

Dear Brother Benton,

Absent but not forgotten, I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am still alive and right well. Hope these few lines will find you the same. Dear brother, I hope that you have not forgotten your brother. It seems a long time since I have had any letters from you and it is too.

I left Nashville for home the last of March [and] have not had any letters since. I should of wrote to you before now but I had not got your address. But I have just got a letter from mother and she sent it to me. Dear Brother, I hardly know what to write as I have no news but will try and make up something. We have come to a halt. Have been here three days. Hope that we will stay some time cause the men and horses are all beat and we are within about 10 miles of Atlanta. When we get that, I think we will have a rest—at least I hope so.

We have had a busy, hard campaign. We have been through some of the worst places that you ever saw. I am sure that if they cannot hold the places that they have passed through, they cannot hold any at all. The Reb prisoners that we take all say if we get Richmond & Atlanta, they will not fight anymore. I hope that is so, but the thing is awfully mixed. A man cannot tell. I shall think they are going to [ ] when they lay down their arms.

The Boys are all well. I have just had a letter from home. All well. Bent, when is your time out? Pleas let me know in your next letter. How I wish that my time was out when yours is, but I can wish and that is all the good it will do me. But I must close. Remember me to all that I know. yours in haste, — I. D. Kelley

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Letter 2

Camp near Atlanta, Georgia
August 4th 1864

Dear Brother,

It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well. Hope that these few lines will find you the same.

Dear brother, I received a letter from you some days ago but have failed to answer it until now for I have been very busy since the 14th of July. Have been on the move almost every day. We have had some awful hard fighting since the 10th of last month and the 20th Corps has had its share of it to do and a little more. Dear brother, it is awful to see how our boys slayed the Rebs the 20th and 22nd and 29th of July. The Rebs just lay in heaps. They came against the 20th Corps 4 and 5 lines deep and ours only one but our boys drove them back six times in succession. They just lay in heaps. We had 150 of their wounded in our hospital. Those that were slightly wounded got away but you better believe that many of them that we got had holes enough to last them a spell. Many of them died while we lay there and many more will.

Hooker has left us and I am afraid that we will miss him. The boys did not want him to leave. He had the confidence of the boys and they had that of him. But it may be that it is all for the best. I hope so, at least. But enough of this.

We are within 1.5 [miles] of Atlanta. General Sherman could take the place [in] 24 hours if he saw fit but he would have to lose a good many men. They Rebs have a good many men. The Rebs have got awful strong works in our front. The best that you ever saw, I guess, but they have got to get out of Atlanta sooner or later. It may take some time but it will be done.

But I must hasten to close. Your time is almost out. Wish that mine was as near. I hope that you will get out all right. Please to remember me to sister Mary and all of the rest of the friends. Goodbye. Write soon and all the news. Yours in haste, — I. D. Kelley