61st Ohio Infantry | Spared & Shared 23

This letter was written by 19 year-old Pvt. John F. Hoy (1843-1914) of Co. E, 61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). When he enlisted, John expected to be mustered into the 52nd OVI—as stated in this letter—but because the regiment was not yet full in mid-April, they were transferred to the 61st OVI to fill out that regiment. As such, unlike most Ohio regiments, the 61st OVI had members from nearly every county in the state. Nine of their companies were German speaking immigrants and two companies were Irish Catholics.

The Regiment fought at 2nd Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, the Atlanta Campaign, March to the Sea, the March through the Carolinas, and at Bentonville, North Carolina. The 61st served the entire war as part of Gen. Oliver O. Howard’s 11th Corp. They began their service with the Army of the Potomac; then were transferred to Gen. Sherman’s western armies in September of 1863.

John was the son of Judge John Hoy (1797-1873) and Elizabeth Traxler (1803-1866) of Franklin, Summit county, Ohio. He participated in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, from Chattanooga to Atlanta, the March to the Sea, and the march into North Carolina where he was taken prisoner on 11 March 1865 at Fayetteville. He was held in captivity for 23 days.

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Camp Dennison, Ohio
April 13th, 1862

Friend Swigart,

By ginger, I promised to write to you when I left home and when I promised I had intended to write sooner but I had so many things to call my attention to that I had forgotten all about it until today.

We arrived here safely on the 28th day of March and found an awful confusion, or it seemed so to me at any rate, but I have become used to it now so that I don’t mind it all. This Camp Dennison is an awful place. There are about five or six hundred men in this regiment at present. They intend to attach the 61st Regiment to this and fill it up and take us off. I think that the 61st will be here the beginning of this week. I think when they come that our days will be few here in Camp Dennison for I believe that when they come in here that the regiment will organize and we will leave here. Where our destination will be, I know not—probably in Tennessee.

We have it from pretty good authority that we will leave here in less than one week. There is any amount of swearing here in the barracks at present. There were about twenty or thirty of the boys went down to Miford (a place about two miles from here) this forenoon to meeting and they were to be back at twelve o’clock but instead of that they just came (2 o’clock) and dinner was over before they got back and some of them didn’t get any. They didn’t lose a great deal by not getting their dinner, but still they swear considerable about it.

For dinner we had dry bread, coffee and beans. Sometimes we have meat, bread and coffee. The boarding went rather hard with this child at first but I have become pretty well used to a soldier’s rations by this time so that I can get along very well. The beds are not of the softest kind but I can sleep as soundly on them now as I can in any other bed. We drew a blanket and a quilt the same evening we got here. We have the soft side of a board for a bed. I lay my blanket down and lay down and cover myself with my quilt and take my overcoat for a pillow and then I am all right. I did not sleep very much the first night or two but I can lay down now, fall asleep, and not get awake until morning. The mights must all be out at 9 o’clock in the evening and at 5 in the morning the drum will beat and then we must all be up for roll call, and if we are not up for roll call, they will put us in extra duty.

There is so much noise here that I must quit for this time, promising to do better next time. Yours in rags, — J. F. Hoy

Write soon and address J. F. Hoy, Camp Dennison, Ohio, 52nd Regt. O. V. USA, Care of Lieut. Leiter

Capt. Jacob F. Mader, Co. H, 61st OVI
(L. M. Strayer Collection)

The following letter was written by Jacob Frederick Mader, Jr. (1840-1922), the son of German emigrants J. F. Mader (1808-1888) and Johanna Sterr. Jacob was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, but came to Circleville when he was only 12 to learn the carriage painting trade. He then relocated to Zanesville where he partnered with brothers in the carriage making business.

In mid-February 1862, Jacob enlisted at Circleville in Co. H, 61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was mustered in as fourth duty sergeant. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 9 October 1862, and on 28 October 1863, he was transferred to Co. B which he commanded in the absence of its captain until 29 April 1864 when he was promoted to captain of the company and served as such until he was mustered out of service at Goldsboro North Carolina. He was slightly wounded at the second battle of Bull Run and also at Peach Tree Creek. He was engaged in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Freeman’s Ford, White Sulphur Springs, Waterloo Bridge, second Bull Run, Chancelorsville, Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Wauhatchie, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold, Knoxville, those of his regiment were in the Atlanta campaign, March to the Sea, and the Campaign of the Carolinas.

On his way home, he stopped at Washington D.C. and was in Ford’s theater on the night of April 14, 1865 when President Lincoln was assassinated.

Though he addressed the letter to “Mary,” most likely Jacob wrote his letter to his future wife, Maria L. Hartmeyer of Circleville, Ohio.

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In trenches near Atlanta, Georgia
August 7th 1864

My Dear Mary,

I received yours of the 1st yesterday & was not a little surprised as well as pleased while perusing your letter which contained news of me of which I was entirely ignorant. Well! I think it is necessary for me to make an explanation & clear the matter up as best as I can, or my carefully studied love making for the last six years might accidentally or providentially meet with disaster, which might become irreparable so as forever to cut the cord that binds us and separate us for ever, of which I have but little desire.

In the first place, to clear up this matter you should have given the name of the lady to whom I have been accused of corresponding to. In the second place, you should have stated whether you seen the photograph or not & if it was mine, for as it is now, you only have the sensationist’s word for it & neither you or I are convinced that the photograph is mine. So as the thing now stands, I am not the guilty one & have no forgiveness to ask. But when it is proven that I have deceived, or tried to deceive you, then I will most sorrowfully ask your pardon.

I am very grateful for praising me so highly to my correspondent in Lebanon, Ohio, & will try at any future time to reciprocate in a like manner but I hope more & I know more deserving than I am of the compliment bestowed on me. You say that your confidence in me is shaken—that it had been laboring in a great mistake. Now I don’t think that you have as yet any reason to make such a remark. You have had no substantial evidence that I am corresponding with a lady in Lebanon, Ohio, & have sent her my photograph with the intention of making love to her. You say that you should like to hear from me soon again if it is consistent to the happiness of my lady love & correspondent in Lebanon, Ohio. As for that, I know she would not think any the less of me. So you can depend on hearing from me often without giving her any trouble whatever. I will now halt for the present and commence on some other subject.

I see by your last letter that you are not yet aware of the death of Paul but ere this reaches you I have no doubt that you will know all. We are shelled by the enemy & in return shell the enemy every day. They throw over sometimes sixty-four pounder shells about the size of a gallon jug thirteen inches long, six inches in diameter 18 inches in circumference. It has powder in them the grains of which is the size of a hazel nut. One of these shells exploded near the trenches of the 14th Corps killing & wounding fourteen men.

Hoping that this letter may find you in good health, I will bring it to a close by remaining truly, your every day, — Jake

Write soon & often.