The following letters were written by Henry Clay Downing (1844-1862), the 17 year-old son of Timothy Downing (1801-1887) and Rachel Davis (1803-1883) of Pike county, Ohio. Henry enlisted in Co. D, 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) in August 1861 and served until 20 August 1862 when he died of disease at General Hospital No. 14 in Nashville, Tennessee.

He wrote all of his letters to his sister, Sena (Downing) Lightle (1834-1919), the wife of Peter Lightle (1834-1862) who also served in the same company. Also serving in the same regiment was Henry’s older brother, William Washington Downing (1827-1908) who survived the war.

Henry’s letters and the tintype of Sena (Downing) Lightle are the property of Natalie Stocks who graciously made them available to Spared & Shared for transcription and publication. Sena was her g-g-g grandmother. She inherited the letters of Henry, and his brother, William Washington Downing, and Henry’s brother in law, Peter Lightle, all of the 33rd OH Infantry Regiment, Co.D. 

Letter 1

Camp Harris, Elizabeth Town, Kentucky
December 13, 1861

Dear sister,

I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at present and I hope that this may find you in the same state of health. We received your letter day before yesterday.

We left Louisville on the 9th en route for Elizabeth Town, distance forty-five miles from Louisville. The day we left there was not more than five hundred men able for to march. The balance came on the cars. Our company had to come on the cars to take care of the sick. Peter [Lightle] was sick the fore part of the week but he is about well now. For my part, I have not been sick an hour since [I] have been in the service.

December 14th, we got paid off today. I got $18 and a dime and I am a going to send it all home but $3 which I am a going to keep. I have not much time to write, so no more at present. Yours, — Henry

P. S. You will find enclosed some of our sutler script.

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Letter 2

Camp Van Buren [near Murfreesboro, Tennessee]
March 30th 1862

Dear Sister,

I take this present opportunity to inform you that I am well and I hope those few lines will find you and yours enjoying the same great blessing. I received your letter of the 19th with great pleasure and I was glad to hear from you. William got a letter from father who says it is as rainy and muddy as ever. We have very nice weather here. It is as warm as summer. The trees are a getting green and the negroes are at work in the cotton fields a breaking down the old cotton stalks preparing for a new crop. It is a very busy time here a building the bridges that the rebels burnt. There are two of them. They are about done now.

I want you to let me know how all the folks are on the creek and tell me how mother gets along. Tell her that I can’t get my likeness taken in this country. I sent her a gold dollar in one of Will’s letters. Pete [Lightle] is a cutting around as keen as a buck. He has cut off his whiskers and he looks just like a hawk. He is a getting fat again.

You say you have had no letters from me. The reason is I had no postage stamps but I sent you word in Will’s letters.

There is a rumor through camp that the paymaster is a coming to pay us off again before we leave here. I have wrote about all there is to write about so no more at present but ever [remain] yours, — Henry C. Downing

Write soon.

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Letter 3

Camp Harrison [Shelbyville, Tennessee]
April 6, 1862

Dear Sister,

I seat myself this Sunday morning to inform you that I am well and I hope these few lines will find you in the same state of health. I have not got a letter from you for a long time. I would like to hear from home very well. We have not heard whether father got that money I and Will sent him or not and I would like to hear something about it. We have our pay rolls made out again for two more months pay but I do not know when we will get paid off again.

I have been sick for about two weeks but I am nearly well now. We have moved 25 miles further on to another town by the name of Shelbyville. It is a very thrifty town and a good portion of it is Union.

I want you to write and let me know how mother gets along. I want you to let me know how she gets along in every letter you write. I want you to write and let me know how all the folks are on the creek. I have not much more to write so no more at present. Yours, — Henry

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Letter 4

Camp Taylor, Huntsville, Alabama
May 24, 1862

Dear sister,

I again seat myself for the purpose of penning you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and I hope that these few lines will find you and yours enjoying the same great blessing. I have not got a letter from you or father for a long time and I do not know the reason unless you do not write. We get papers nearly every week which gives us a great deal of satisfaction for a paper now and then goes with a good relish.

I have been sick for several days but I begin to feel like myself again. When I was at Camp Jefferson, my weight was 140 pounds. Now it is 100 pounds. I have fell off that much since I have been sick.

This is the greatest country for growing garden stuff that I ever saw. We have green peas and beans and cucumbers and all other stuff to eat when we but it. We are a going to draw a new suit of clothes in a few days out and out. This regiment has begun to recruit up again. Since we have been here, any amount of the sick men that has been in the hospital having come up. The 33rd [Ohio Infantry] begins to look like a regiment again. There is but very little sickness in camp now for all it is so hot. We had a very hard rain yesterday and last night—the first for a long time.

Russell Allen says he wants you to write to him. He says he never felt better in his life than he does now. Pete is well and as fat and black as he can be. Will is as black as a nigger. Joab [Davis] got a letter from home the other day and they say that the farm looks very lonesome without I or Will at work on it. For my part, I think we all will be at home before very long. I think if we clean the Rebels out at Corinth, that it will wind the war up. I am in hopes so anyhow.

One of our lieutenants met with a very serious accident the other day while out on picket. He was loading a shot gun for the purpose of shooting squirrels when it went off and the whole charge of 18 pistol balls entered his left side and shoulder which came very near a ending his life. But he is now on the mend.

I want you to write and let me know where Matilda is—how she and the children gets along. I have wrote her letters but never received no answer and you nor father never mention her name. I want you to write and let me know how mother is and how she gets along. Tell her that I try to do as she told me. How Arly does and whether he has got any new clothes or not. I must bring my letter to a close so no more at present but ever [remain] your affectionate brother, — Henry C. Downing.

The long roll has just beat and the whole camp is in a state of the greatest excitement. What the trouble is now, I do not know.

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Letter 5

Camp Taylor [near Huntsville, Alabama]
June 24, 1862

Dear Sister,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am not very well—my back being still very weak yet. But I hope that this will find you in good health.

I got a letter from you today of the 17th of May and I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you was well. You stated in your letter that you wanted [to] know whether I and Pete [Lightle] got them stamps. well we got them.

The regiment is still at Battle Creek yet. They are expecting a fight there all the time. Gen. Buell’s army is on its [way] there.

Sena, you will have to excuse me for I will have to close. I can hardly write. So no more at present. Yours ever, — Henry C. Downing

The following letter was written by Robert A. Dempster (1839-1912), the son of John Wesley Dempster (1817-1904) and Florania Huston (1820-1856) of Allen county, Ohio.

According to the 1890 Veterans Schedule, Robert served in Co. K, 33rd Ohio Infantry. The regiment was organized at Camp Morrow and in late October 1861 they were moved to Maysville, Kentucky where they spent the next two months pursuing Confederate Colonel John S. Williams’s command. Union forces eventually drove these Rebels out of Kentucky and into Virginia. The 33rd then boarded transports at Louisa, Kentucky on the Big Sandy River and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, arriving here on December 1, 1861. At Louisville, the regiment was brigaded with the 10th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, 2nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and the 21st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio. The Army of the Ohio then advanced to Bacon Creek, Kentucky, where the 33rd remained until February 1862. After traveling further south into Tennessee and Alabama, the regiment participated in the Battle of Perryville where they entered the engagement with approximately four hundred men. The regiment had 129 men killed or wounded in the battle, nearly one-third of its total active strength.

Transcription

[Camp Morrow at Portsmouth, Ohio]
October 9th 1861

Friend,

It is with pleasure that I attempt to write you a few [lines] this morning to let you know where I am. I am on the U. S. Packet Bostona on our way to Portsmouth. We are pretty near there.

We left Camp Clark [Springfield, Ohio] yesterday morning at 5 o’clock. We went to Cincinnati. There we took the boat there to Portsmouth. We are going into camp there. I am well at this time & hope these few lines may find [you] enjoying the same blessing of this life. The boys are all well & in fine spirits.

I have been out onto the Kentucky shore. There was a secessioner on last night but he smelt powder & left. It was well for him. He had run off from Kentucky about a week ago. He went back last night. When he got off, he said he would have to take the Oath of Allegiance before 12 today.

We did not get to go home when I wrote that we expected to, but the next evening after I wrote you that letter, Father came to see us. His visit was very unexpected to us for when we left, he did not think of coming to camp. He thought he could live in a place like that. The next morning there was 4 of the boys came down that we were acquainted with. Pap only stayed one night with us. Camp life agrees with me very well. I am cook.

The folks were all well then. Some of them has had the sore throat again. Mother was some better than we are just at past month.

Since I stopped, we have left the boat [and] marched to Camp Morrow. We are in sight of the Kentucky hills. The hills are very large. They look very low this morning. As we sailed along the shore of Kentucky, the men & boys, women & children were gathered on the shore in squads with music and the Stars & Stripes floating over them. As we passed, they would give the volunteers three hearty cheers, three for Lincoln, and then three for Kentucky. You’d better think they opened their mouths then. When we landed at Postsmouth, the people looked as though they had never seen anybody. I often think of home & of my home in Union. I think if ever I get home that I shall come to see you all. Tell the folks that I am well & that I like a soldier’s life.

Last night we slept on a bed for the first since we left home. Our trip from Springfield to Portsmouth will cost Uncle Sam over $300. You must give my respects to all enquiring friends. We don’t know how long we will stay here. Some of the boys here say that we will leave here tomorrow. There is ten companies here now & one to come. It will be split to fill up the other companies. No more at present. — Robert A. Dempster

To Sterlings