18th Missouri Infantry | Spared & Shared 23

This letter was written by Lewis W. Frank who enlisted in Co. B, 18th Missouri Infantry on 14 November 1861. He wrote the letter to John H. Morgan of Saint John, Putnam county, Missouri.

Lewis wrote the letter to John H. Morgan (1820-1904), a blacksmith in Saint John, Putnam county, Missouri, who served at one time as a Lieutenant in Co. B, 18th Missouri, but left the regiment when he became ill and never returned to the regiment. According to his obituary, John was born in Kentucky but moved to Illinois in his youth and married Mary Young in Shelby county, Illinois, in 1846. He moved to St. John, Missouri, in 1854.

Transcription

Camp near Atlanta
July 26, 1864

Dear friend,

I seat myself to write you a few lines this morning to let you know that I received your kind and welcome letter which came to hand the other day. I was glad to hear that you was well and doing well. I am well, I believe—as well as common.

John, the Boys was all glad to hear from you. They say that they don’t get any letters from you. You said that you wanted to know about Warren Howard. He is not dead. If you know what you are doing, turn [the page] over. Warren was wounded but is doing well as far as I know.

John, we had a damn big fight the other day. Only two killed and nineteen wounded in our regiment. The next day two more killed and two taken prisoner. I will give you the names of Co. B. 18 more wounded and killed.

George F. Wilder, wounded
John A. Drake, wounded
Ed Davis, wounded
John Watkins, wounded
Andrew Morgan, wounded
Chesley [N.] Wall, was killed

We are looking for a fight every minute. The rebels is about one mile from us now. Our advance are fighting wit hthem all the time. The cannons are barking all the time, day and night, killing and dragging out there. Some rebels lying on the field yet—all rotten.

John, I have to quit writing and go to draw beef. So no more this time. Goodbye. Write soon. From, — L. W. Frank

to John H. Morgan, Esqr., of Saint John

The following letter was written by Pvt. Samuel Frank of Co. B, 18th Missouri Infantry—a regiment formed early in the war and one that took part in most of the important engagements in the western theatre. It lost heavily at Shiloh. During the first two months of 1864m it was mounted and employed in scouting the country about Florence, Alabama. It then joined Gen. Sherman’s army and was assigned to the 17th Corps during the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea. They then marched with Sherman to Raleigh, North Carolina, where this letter was written in April 1865 on the evening before Gen. Sherman reviewed his army in the streets of Raleigh

*Gen. Sherman reviewing his troops as they march through the streets of Raleigh, 24 April 1865*
*The Becker Collection, Boston College Libraries*

Samuel wrote the letter to 15 year-old Ruth A. Morgan (1849-1926) of St. John, Putnam county, Missouri. Ruth was married to Sidney Daniel Shattuck (1836-1918) in 1868 and lived her entire life in Putnam county, Missouri.

Transcription

Camp near Raleigh, North Carolina
April 23rd 1865

Miss Ruth A. Morgan,

Dear friend, it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to answer your kind letter that came to hand a few days ago and was glad to hear from you and to learn you was well and to know that you haven’t forgot me. I am in good health and I truly hope when this comes to hand it will find you well and enjoying yourself.

Well, I haven’t much of importance to write, only I would like to see you once more and have the pleasure of talking to you. We have good news down here. Old General Lee has surrendered to General Grant and General Johnson has surrendered to General Sherman and lots of news about [the] place. It is the talk that we sill start in a few weeks on our way home and then all of the boys can come home and see the girls and have a good time with them. And then we can talk instead of writing and that will be much more pleasure to us.

Thomas Good[e] has come and fetched the letter safe to me. It has been a long time since I heard from you. It done me lots of good to get a letter from you. All of the boys is well as far as I know. Only Chris—he is not here at this time. He has not been with the regiment since we left Beaufort, South Carolina.

We are to have a General Review tomorrow. General Sherman is to be there. It is to be in town. I will have to close for it is getting late and I have to clean my gun. I send my love and best respects to you. Write soon as you can. I still remain as ever your true friend. Yours sincerely [with] love, — Mr. Samuel Frank

to Miss Ruth A. Morgan

So goodbye