Fort Donelson | Spared & Shared 23

This letter was written by Edward Ruger, a twenty-five year old surveyor living in Rock, Wisconsin in 1860. Ruger was the son Rev. Thomas Jefferson Ruger and Maria Hutchins of Janesville, Rock county, Wisconsin. Rev. Thomas Ruger was not only an Episcopal Clergyman, he was the Principal of the Janesville Academy which opened in 1844.

Ruger joined the 13th Wisconsin Infantry in October 1861 and was elected Captain of Company A. He was assigned to the General’s staff shortly thereafter at which time he was appointed an engineer. He was discharged from the service on November 19, 1864. Although his military records don’t support it, Ruger may have stayed on government payroll as the superintendent of the topographical engineers for the Army of the Cumberland for as late as October 1867. He had returned to to Rock, Wisconsin before 1870 and went back to civilian surveying. His affiliation with the military and government were terminated at that point.

Aside from describing his map-making activities in and around Fort Donelson in the summer of 1863, Ruger informs his father that he is sending two—maybe three—male runaway slaves to Wisconsin along with one female. He explains further that he is sending them as indentured servants, expecting them to pay back their traveling expenses, at which time his father was expected to give it back to them and offer them employment if they wanted to stay on for $5 to $8 per month plus board.

Transcription

*Addressed to Rev. T. J. Ruger, Janesville, Wisconsin*

Fort Donelson
June 3rd 1863

Dear Father,

I shall send to you in a few days two or three nigger men and perhaps a wench to Ma. They will pay their own expense home and after they have worked for you long enough to earn the amount, I tell them that you will pay it back to them, and after that, pay them so much a month or year. One of them has been my servant for a long time. He is very faithful. The other has cooked in my company. I have my eye on another man whom I think some of sending. I would give them from five to eight dollars per month and board. I only pay four here. There is a man of my company going home soon. If he does not go until Monday the 6th, I shall send them by him. I shall send them particularly to work in harvest as I have thought help will be scarce. You must make them mind and do everything just as they are told.

We are having a great deal of rain here and the Cumberland is very high. I am acting topographical engineer and am engaged most of the time in work pertaining to my profession. I have just sent to headquarters two plots accompanied by a report showing the obstructions placed in the river by the rebels. They consist of sunken stone barges. I shall not take the job of removing them if I can help it for I have all on my hands that I can do for four or five months. I am making a map showing the range of the guns mounted in the fort, together with the topography of the surrounding country. I have three of these to make. Then I have got to survey all of this country for thirty miles around and make a military map of it. This will take me a long time. I am in hopes to get through by fall for I don’t want much to do if Sarah comes down this winter.

Col. Lyon had a telegraph from Col. Lowe from Murfreesboro yesterday to the effect that he could come to the front if he would like to. I am in hopes that he will not say go for we are so nicely situated here. Bill and I are well. He is down at the fort most all of the time but I see him at meals. I expect to go out the first of the week on a a surveying trip.

Affectionately, — Edward

I could not find an image of Charles but here is a cdv of a group of guys from Co. B, 83rd Illinois Infantry that were stationed at Fort Donelson 1863-65. The men are identified (left to right) as Robert McClelland, Robert P. Morrison, Robert Gowdy, John M. Martin, Robert M Stevenson, John N Hogue, Josiah Moore, Marion Morrison, and 1st Sgt. William Struthers. Sitting in the front row are: James Neeley and Joseph Moore. (John Walsh Collection)

The following letter was written by Charles Wesley Harrison (1837-1931) of Victoria, Knox county, Illinois, who served in Co. K, 83rd Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Charles’ parents were Alfred Harrison (1808-1866) and Margaret Cherrington (1816-1846). He wrote the letter to his sister, Delilah Harrison (1843-1907).

When Charles enlisted in August 1862, he was described as a dark-haired, dark-eyed 5 foot, 11-inch single farmer. He entered the service as a private, was promoted to corporal, and finally to sergeant in March 1865, just before mustering out of the regiment on 26 June 1865 at Nashville. During most of their time in the service, the 83rd Illinois was garrisoned at Fort Donelson which they successfully defended in an attack by Forrest and Wheeler on 3 February 1863.

Transcription

*Addressed to Delila Harrison, Illinois, Knox County, Victoria, PO*

Fort Donelson, Tennessee
May the 16, 1864

Dear Sister,

It is with pleasure that I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines may find you receiving the same kind blessing the last letter that I had from any of you was dated April the 24th. The health of the company is good though there is several of the new recruits complaining. There is several of the new recruits complaining—none of them very sick. I have no war news but what you will hear before this reaches you. The news is good from every place though we are getting men killed by the thousands. Sherman is now fighting at Dalton or on the other side. There was seventeen hundred of our wounded came into Nashville yesterday and they are going to have a hot time there. There is a Captain here right from there that used to belong to our regiment. He was a Corporal when he belonged to the 83rd. He [is] now [a] Captain in a Darkey Regiment. He says that we have two men there to this one and that we are sure of success. Our regiment will send out about thirty commission officers.

L[ucian] S. Lambert has got a Captain’s commission in the First Kentucky Colored and still there is three more in the company that will get commissions. ¹ I think that we are sure of staying here at this place this summer again. Colonel [Arthur A.] Smith says that he has done his best to get us away and he can’t do it and we can make up our minds to stay this summer at Fort Donelson.

The weather has been very cool for this time of year so far but it now looks as though we are a going to have some warm weather as I have nothing of interest to write. I will close hoping to hear from you soon.

— C. W. Harrison

When this you see, remember me, while down in Tennessee. — Shakespeer

¹ According to Fold3, Lucian was commissioned Captain of the 8th Regt. U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery on 18 April 1864 at Paducah, Kentucky.