Lemuel Fuller (1832-1913) was a 30 year old farmer when he enlisted at Rockford on 8/9/1862 as a Private in Co. F, 74th Illinois Infantry and was mustered out on 6/10/1865 at Nashville, Tennessee. Of his war experience, an obituary in the Rockford Daily Register-Gazette (20 August 1913) states that though he was never wounded, he was in several severe engagements. He spent about 18 months in a hospital suffering from smallpox and was a prisoner of war as well. He was captured at Jonesboro and was then sent to Andersonville, where his comrade Roger Brown was a prisoner at the same time. After leaving Andersonville, he was taken to Savannah, then to Florence, South Carolina and was exchanged at Charleston. He fell ill shortly after the Battle of Stones River.

Lemuel was the son of John Fuller (1800-1858) and Lucy Wilder (1808-1895) of Rockford, Winnebago county, Illinois. He never married and carried on the farm that his father started in 1839.

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

“On Saturday, October 25, 1862, the Regiment camped at Danville, Ky.; and on the following night snow fell to the depth of three inches. On November 5, at 4 o’clock P.M., the Regiment crossed the line between Kentucky and Tennessee. The fact that the Regiment was, at last, in Dixie, was announced by loyal yells, hurrahs, and shouts infinite in number and variety of tone.”

[Danville, Kentucky]
Sunday morning
October 26 [1862]

Dear mother,

I once more write a few lines to let you know that I am as well as could be expected considering our circumstances. The boys are complaining of the cold this morning. The snow fell last night to the depth of 4 inches and it looks rather dubious this morning. We have not had a tent since we left Rockford. We make our bed the best we can. We built us a kind of shed last night and we are quite comfortable. We came to Danville Friday night and we leave here tomorrow morning for Lebanon 28 miles from here where there is a railroad station and we shall get some tents when we get there.

We have had some hard marching since I last wrote. I have not heard from home since I left. There has been a number of mails through to us and I have watched very watchful to hear my name called with the rest of the boys but it is silent yet and if I don’t hear from you when I get to Lebanon, I shall be very much disappointed. My fingers are numb and I quit.

I have got warm and feel a good deal more like writing. I have a chance to send my letter to Lebanon today and I shall close my letter to you. I understand that our knapsacks are in Lebanon and they are going after them and if we get them there will be great rejoicing among the boys for all their clothing is in them—only what they have on their backs. There are 25 of us have no blankets and if we could have our overcoats we should be glad for we could wear them today quite comfortable. It is so cold I can’t write.

I want you and all the rest of the friends to write and let me know how you all get along at home and how Jim gets along and tell him to write to me.

October 29. I was too late to send the other day for I had to go for wood and back. It was two and a half miles and the train was gone when I got back. But they only 11 miles and got marching orders and turned back and Monday we start for Lebanon. Yesterday we passed through it and camped 7 miles from town and our knapsacks came to us all right and I shall send my dress coat home. You will get them by calling on J. E. Andrew’s wife in Rockford. You will tell Dan and send it home. — Lemuel