Bird Point, Missouri | Spared & Shared 23

The following letter was written by John F. Kent (1836-1866), the son of John Greer Kent (1808-1862) and Margaret Hanna Gardner (1812-1900) of Cuba, Fulton county, Illinois. John was 25 years old when he enlisted on 25 May 1861 in Co. H, 17th Illinois Infantry and was promptly promoted to a corporal. He enlisted at the same time as his younger brother, David A. Kent (1838-1862), who was severely wounded in the Battle of Fort Donelson and died on the steamer D. A. January on 14 April 1862. Two other younger brothers, Elmer Y. Kent (b. 1841) and Charles W. Kent (b. 1848) also served in the war. Elmer a private in 17th Illinois Infantry and later in the 11th Illinois cavalry. Charles was in the 137th Illinois and 151st Illinois.

John survived the war, mustering out of the regiment in June 1864, but died not long after in 1866. He was married to Charlotte C. Corbin (1837-1918) in 1865.

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

Camp Lyons, Bird’s Point, Mo.
August 4th 1861

Dear Ellen,

I take my seat to write you a few lines to let you know how we are getting along in camp life. Well we are all well at present, hoping these few lines will find you the same. We have been over a considerable portion of Missouri since we left Illinois. We went from Alton into the northwest part of Missouri and then to St. Charles and then to St. Louis and then to Bird’s Point, Missouri, and we still remain here. We are now in an enemy’s land and we know not when we will be attacked by the Rebels as they are on all sides of us.

General Frémont says he is prepared for them at any time. General Frémont is a fine-looking man. He is here himself in command of the Western Division of the army. We are making great preparations for the fight. There is a detail of so many men from a company for work every day. When I say from the company, I mean the privates. Therefore, I am exempt from it. The work is throwing up breastworks. The present breastwork extends about two and a half mile in length.

I received a letter from Eliza when we was in St. Louis stating that you wanted me to write you a letter and let you know how we are getting along in camp life. I have hardly spoken to a girl since we left home. It would do me good to have the pleasure of conversing with some of the ladies of Old Fulton County, but God only knows whether I ever shall or not.

Ellen, you know a soldier’s life [is] very uncertain. We may be killed at any moment but we live in hopes that we will gain the day. We will try for it. There is several men here that I know. The health is pretty good here. I must close my letter. I will write more the next time. Please write soon and often. Please excuse haste with a bad pen. So goodbye. From your sincere friend till death, — John F. Kent

Direct to Company H, 17th Regt. Illinois Volunteer. Infantry, Bird’s Point, Mo.

Write all the news.

I could not find an image of Martin but here is one of Stephen A. Forbes who also enlisted in the 7th Illinois Cavalry. Martin and Stephen were approximately the same age. (Illinois Library Digital Collections)

The following letter was written by Martin L. Wallick of Orange, Knox county, Illinois, who enlisted in September 1861 to serve as a private in Co. D, 7th Illinois Cavalry. He reenlisted in March 1864 as a veteran but did not survive the war. He died of disease at Decatur, Alabama on 10 August 1865.

In the 1860 US Census, Martin was enumerated in his parent’s household in Knoxville, Knox county, Illinois. He was identified as a 16 year-old; born in Pennsylvania. His father was Joseph Wallick (1811-Aft1862). His older sister was Rebecca Jane Wallick (1842-1917).

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

Bird’s Point, Missouri
January 4, 1862

Dear Sister,

I take my pen in hand to inform that I am well at present and I hope that these few lines may find you all well. I received your letter day before yesterday and was glad to hear from you. I would like to know why you did not answer my letter sooner. You wanted to know about that paper and stamps that you sent with Lieutenant Hodge. Well, I got the paper and stamps also, the letter and the [ ] that cousin Rachel sent, and so the next day I wrote you an answer but never received any so the day before I started away from Camp Butler, I wrote to you again and have just received an answer. Now Miss Becky Jane, I want you to do better than this or I shall have too rake you over the coals.

The next day after I wrote to you, we bid farewell to Camp Butler and went to a little station on the railroad called Jimtown. We rode all night in the cars and till noon the next day when we arrived in Cairo. We came to what is called and I thought in was in old Pennsylvania for it was nothing but hills and hollows and timber for about fifty miles before we reached Cairo. We stayed in Cairo about a week when the order came for us to go to Bird Point so accordingly we loaded our horses and baggage onto a steamboat and came across to this place.

Birds Point is strongly fortified. There are ditches dug and embankments throwed up and about a dozen 24-pound cannons pointing over the top of the banks besides twelve brass cannons so you see the rebels would have some fun if they attempted to take Bird’s Point.

Cairo is right in the forks of Ohio and Mississippi rivers and you can stand in Cairo and look across the Ohio river to Fort Holt in Kentucky and you can stand in the same place and see across the Mississippi river into Bird Point in Missouri. It is very muddy here. We have not had any snow here yet. I suppose you have some jolly old times sleigh riding and going to parties. We had some fun on New Years day. Some of the soldiers dressed up as ugly as they could and called themselves Jeff Thompson‘s men and paraded around the camp. They were more like devils than anything else.

We have not drawed our arms yet. Some of the boys have drawed their sabers but I have not drawn any yet. Colonel [William Pitt] Kellogg has been in Washington for a month but he arrived here last night. I saw him today so that I know it be so. It’s thought the [he] has brought our arms with him. Some of the companies of this regiment that have drawed their arms have built themselves log cabins and day before yesterday the cabin of one company took fire and burnt up all their saddles and arms and all their blankets and clothing except what they had on their backs. The loss is about $4,000.

Some of our regiment have been out a scouting several times. Our company was ordered one night to go on a scouting expedition but they could not get the arms so they had to come back. But Lieutenant Hodge and three more of our men went along with the scouts. They [were] one day and night away and took 26 horses and mules and about sixty head of hogs and six prisoners and a lot of guns. There [was] no one hurt except that Lieutenant Hodge got kicked on the leg by a horse but is getting well fast.

The paymaster is in Cairo and he will commence paying the soldiers at this place on next Monday. I guess we will get our pay in about a week and then I will send you a letter about once a week. You said something about me sending you some money. Well, I will try to send you some. Now Jane, I want you to go to school. Tell Jim I want him to go too. Let [me] know when you write if you heard from any of our friends. I have not received any from anybody but you since I have been in camp. If you write to Pap, tell him to write me. Tell him how to direct his letter. Now Jane, you told me in one of your letters that Aunt did not want me to pay Woolsey for that horse but he has got the bonds for to show. He said that he took the bonds to Aunt but said she would not accept them. Now if aunt don’t want me to pay, write Wright Woolsey for that horse. She must get Levi to write to me that they don’t want to do so and they must tell whether Wright Woolsey did offer them bonds to aunt or not…

Our captain [Wright Woolsey] is sick about all the time. He is a going to resign and go home and we are a going to have Lieutenant Hodge for our captain and I am mighty glad of it, you had better believe.

Jane, I want you to excuse this poor writing for it is a pretty cold day and we have no fire in our tent and my hands are so numb that I can hardly write at all. Jane, I have not been inside of a house since we got to Camp Butler. Tell Jake I will give him a dollar for that valise if he will give you that chest. Nothing more at present. So goodbye. From Martin L. Wallick

Write soon and tell me all the news. Direct as you did box, only send to Birds Point, Missouri