The following letter was written by Joel Slate (1800-1874). He was married to Mary Hale (1803-1874) in 1822 at Bernardson, Massachusetts. In 1860, they were enumerated in South English, Keokuk county, Iowa, where he farmed.

Joel’s letter conveys the sad intelligence of two son’s deaths in the service. The eldest son, Israel Bernard Slate (1827-1862) was a private in the 2nd Iowa Light Artillery. He died of disease on 18 September 1862 at Corinth, Mississippi. He was married to Mary E. Voorhies (b. 1830), had two young children named William and Amelia, and was enumerated in Adel, Dallas county, Iowa as a farmer in the 1860 US Census.

The other son was Orra Slate (1841-1862) who joined Co. F, 5th Iowa Infantry in July 1862. He was wounded at Iuka on 19 September 1862 and died on 5 October at Jackson, Tennessee.

Also mentioned is another son named Lorenzo D. Slate (1835-1923) who served in Co. H, 33rd Iowa Infantry, and a son-in-law, William H. Gore (1832-1906) who was a 2nd Lieutenant (later Captain) in Co. H, 33rd Iowa.

Joel also conveys the news that a nephew, son of of his brother Gideon Hurlbert Slate (1792-Aft1850), Lionel L. Slate (1837-1862) also died on 13 September 1862 at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. He was also on Co. F, 5th Iowa Infantry. Lionel’s brother Charley would also die some two weeks after this letter was written.

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

South English [Keokuk county, Iowa]
November 11th 1862

Dear Brother & Sister,

I sit down to inform you of our situation. We are well but in trouble. We have lost two sons in the army. Bernard died September 15th of fever near Corinth, Mississippi. Orra died October 5th of a wound he received at the Battle of Iuka the 19th of September. He was shot in the right lung. The ball lodged in his back. He died a faithful Christian. Bernard left a wife & two children. They are 125 miles from here.

Lorenzo is in the war. Mary’s husband [William H. Gore] is Lieutenant in the war. We live here and take care of his farm. I have to work hard but if they will whip the rebels, I will try to stand it. One of Gideon’s boys died September 13th—Lionel Slate, aged 23 years.

Orra was 21 years. They both belonged in the same company. There has a good many died and been killed that went from here. Orra belonged to the Iowa 5th. They was supporting the 11th Ohio Battery. It was taken from them three times and they took it back three times. There was 51 when they went to battle & 13 fit for duty the next day. ¹

I must close for I must write two more letters. Write soon. — Joel Slate

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¹ To read more on the action at Iuka on 19 September 1862, the 11th Ohio Battery, and the 5th Iowa, see Music of the Sphere: The 11th Ohio Battery at Battle of Iuka by Dan Masters, 3 December 2018.