This letter was written by Eliza (Atkinson) Battin (1834-1871), the 1st wife of Asa Howard Battin (1829-1896) of Wellsville, Ohio. She wrote the letter to her brother-in-law, Howard Battin (1826-1882), a railroad conductor, who also kept a boarding house in Millersburg, Holmes county, Ohio.

According to an obituary, Eliza’s husband was born on a farm one mile west of Hanover, Columbiana County, Ohio, March 16, 1829. His boyhood and youth were spent upon a farm in the vicinity of his birthplace, and his early education was obtained in the district school. Later he attended a private school under the auspices of the Quaker church, of which both his parents and grandparents were members. He was studious and ambitious, and, at the age of eighteen years, he became employed as a teacher. The next five years he taught in the district schools of Columbiana County, and during that time he took up and pursued the study of law. He was admitted to the bar at New Lisbon in May, 1853, and in April, 1854, he began the practice of his chosen profession at Salem, Columbiana County. In December, 1858, he removed to Wellsville, where he opened an office and practiced law for ten years, with the exception of the time he spent in the army during the Civil War. He enlisted April 19, 1861, shortly after the rebellion began, as Captain of Company K, Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteers. He returned home from the field about May 1, 1862, broken in health. His one year’s service was chiefly performed in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Most of Eliza’s letter was devoted to copying one from her husband who wrote her from Clarksburg, Virginia, in early July 1861 where the 3rd Ohio Volunteers were encamped. She rewrote portions of her husband’s letter because his duties as captain left him little time to write to anyone other than his wife.

See also—1861: Asa Howard Battin to John & Sarah (Howard) Battin.

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

Wellsville, Ohio
July 7, 1861

Brother Howard,

Your letter received in due time & kindly welcomed. I always enjoy getting letters from my friends very much but I cannot say I like to write letters though since Battin has been away, I write one most every day & this is the third one for today. He does not have time to write to his friends now so I try to do so for him. I do not hear from him often now. They have to send their letters about 28 miles to mail them. I received a letter from him yesterday that I will copy for you. It was written July 2nd and mailed July 4th.

He says, “After leaving the camp at which I last wrote you, we proceeded a distance of five miles upon Sunday last, and encamped in a meadow on a hill where we remained until 10 a.m. this morning when we started for this place. My company was detailed as a rear guard for the baggage wagons, and of course we jogged along as the wagons did—sometimes fast and sometimes slow, but most of the way slow.

We arrived here at six p.m. having traveled a distance of 14 miles, & again encamped in a meadow on a hillside. It is rather a pleasant place & the water is better than we have had for some time. About half the Boys were sick yesterday from eating too much fresh beef, but since this tramp today they seem lively & feel pretty well. I came in for a share of it & could eat no breakfast but after going about 4 miles, Adam went out on a scouting expedition and returned with two tins of buttermilk & a piece of pone which eat better than anything I have had lately. I feel quite well this evening and can stand another day’s tramp tomorrow if called on, and I suppose we will go on toward south.

As I wrote you before, the secessionists have gone on ahead of us. We now hear of them 30 miles from here. There are but few secessionists around where we have been. All along the road we have met with enthusiastic receptions, and the people wish us God speed.

We have no idea where we are going to but our course thus far has been almost southeast. Get a large map of Virginia and find Barbour county & you will find where we are now. Give my love to all my friends and tell them that I have not time to write to them & attend to my Boys here, and they require my attention first. Address me at Clarksburg, Virginia, Co. K, 2rd Regt. Ohio Volunteers.”

I am tired writing & have scratched this down in a hurry. Do not know whether you can read it or not. We are well. Gertie looks better than she did when you saw her last. I think we will go to Hanover next Tuesday and stay a few days. I do not expect to go to Millersburg until winter. I shall be more lonely then & I will wait until then to do my visiting.

My love to Hellen. Tell her not to work herself sick fixing up. If you had lived near, I would have gone and helped her. I know it will be hard work to get everything straightened after being packed away for so long. Write soon. Yours &c. — Eliza

This letter was written by English emigrant William John Hurst (1837-1897) of Eat Liverpool, Columbiana county, Ohio, who enlisted in Co. K, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He enlisted as a corporal in late April 1861 and mustered out as a corporal in May 1864. He later served as a Color Sergeant in Co. I, 191 Ohio Infantry for 3 months in 1865.

William wrote the letter to his younger sister, Mary E. Hurst (1841-1918) who later became the wife of Major J. B. Mills of Co. I, 78th OVI.

Transcription

Elizabethtown, [Kentucky]
December 12th 1861

Dear Sister,

I received two letters from you today, one dated December 4th and the other December the 8th and was happy to hear that you was all well and I am happy to hear that you received that box as I did not want to lose it. I believe I am unlucky. I have lost one of them blue shirts which you sent me which I would not have took $4 for it. I also lost them bullets and one of my gloves and if I keep on I will lose my head, and then poor Bub will be gone up.

Well, laying all jokes aside, we will have a fight before long if Johnson and Buckner will only stand, and some say it will be the bloodiest battle that ever was if they will stand, as they have a large force there and are getting reinforcements every day. But I think we will be able to tackle with them and to clean them out like a shot gun.

It has been warm here in the middle of the days and cold in the night time. The regiment arrived here today and I have received five letters with them, two from you, two from Richard, and one from Alf Needs at Washington. And from what he says, they are going to fight pretty soon. But from what the papers say, that all the forces on the Potomac and in Missouri will be stopped and inactive until we have our fight out here and that that is all that they are waiting for. And I hope we will give the world satisfaction when we fo have it. The people place great confidence in our troops but they say that if we was to fall back, that their town and their lives would not be worth anything, and I do not suppose they would. This place is about as big as Wellsville and not a bad looking place. The Court House is here of this county.

I wrote a letter to you on the 10th of this month from here and sent another likeness in it which I hope you will receive it all safe. Direct to Elizabethtown, Hardin county, Kentucky. Write soon and oblige your brother, — W. J. Hurst

Give my love to Mother, Father, and George and tell Clara I will fetch Jeff Davis’s head for her to play with.

It is reported that we go back to Louisville for provost guards but I doubt it.