I could not find an image of Martin but here is one of Ezra Joseph Davy of Co. D, 121st OVI
This letter was written by Martin G. Modie (1840-1911), the son of William Modie (1799-1872) and Margaret Gates (1811-1880) of Chester, Morrow County, Ohio. Martin enlisted as a private in Co. G, 121st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) in August 1862 and served until April 1865 when he was discharged for disability.
Martin wrote the letter to his brother, George W. Modie (1838-1913) of Company A, 20th Ohio Infantry. George served with the 20th Ohio from October 1861 until July 1865 — nearly the entire four years of the war.
T R A N S C R I P T I O N
Franklin, Tennessee May 3rd [1863]
Dear Brother,
Yours of the 28th was received today. I am well and get along fine. We have to work on the forts here every day. 1 We got up last Friday morning at one o’clock and started out on a skirmish. We drove the Rebs six miles. The cavalry was ahead of us. They killed three or four and took about 25 prisoners.
Col. William Pitt Reid (1825-1879)
Dan Mathew is well and all the rest of the boys I believe. This is a very healthy place here and I expect we will stay here some time. Sam Corwin is here but I have not seen him. He is in the 125th Regiment. When you write, tell me what regiment Frank Gates is in. I forget whether he is in the 3rd or 4th. The 4th in here and the 3rd was but they have left. Dave Breece is well and Emory Wilson [too].
Col. [William Pitt] Reid has gone home. H[enry] Banning from Mt. Vernon is acting as Colonel now. We was mustered last Thursday. We look for our pay for the last of this month. Well, I have nothing of importance to write so I will close for this time. — M. G. Modie
1 Martin does not name the forts but he was likely referring to Fort Granger which was erected in late 1862 and early 1863 under the command of General Gordon Granger. It was located on Figuer’s Hill, northeast of town, overlooking the town, the Harpeth river, and the railroad supply lines.
The following letters were written by Rev. Robert Francis Taylor (1830-1866), an 1851 graduate of Hanover College who became a licensed preacher in the Presbyterian Church with pastorates in Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan and finally Vernon, Indiana in the 1850s. In 1860 he was supplying the pulpit in the First Presbyterian Church of Macomb, Illinois, when he resigned for health reasons and relocated to Rochester, Minnesota. In September 1862, he mustered into the 78th Illinois Infantry as its Chaplain, coaxed into the service by a Macomb parishioner. He resigned from the regiment for health reasons on July 8, 1863. He died just three years later from the tuberculosis that had plaqued him most of his life.
Robert wrote the letters to his cousin, Capt. David Taylor of Co. B, 113th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI).
Readers may also be interested in this article about Rev. Robert F. Taylor’s war-time experiences: See Rev. Taylor’s War-time Duties.
Letter 1
Vernon, Indiana May 6th 1863
Capt. David Taylor.
Dear cousin, have been here ever since having a grand time and growing in health & vigor amazingly. My friends tell me that I am looking better than I I am wont to appear. They urge me earnestly to enjoy their hospitalities a month longer so as completely to reestablish my health. But to this I cannot consent. In fact, I propose to start back to my regiment on tomorrow.
I hope you are making like progress, and if you should recover speedily that I shall see you soon in Tennessee. I should be glad to hear from you in regard to health, prospects, projects, &c.
Will you have the kindness to see whether there are letters in the office for me, and if so to forward them superscribing them Chaplain, 78th Illinois Volunteers, Franklin, Tennessee. Had a letter from there yesterday. Sickness prevails in our regiment in a distressing degree. We have but one Captain able for duty, and regimental officers have all been sick. Your regiment doubtless shares this trouble. They have been playing the handsome in our Division in the way of surprising and capturing the whole [?] 120 in number while asleep. They have been reinforced somewhat and are fortifying extensively & feel well prepared to receive Van Dorn & company warmly. They have cut down all surrounding timber and have fortified all the hills including the old bald hill to the north.
I look for stirring news from the Rappahannock today. God grant that it may be all that we could hope for or desire. My regards to all. I will write to your mother soon.
Yours most truly, — Robert F. Taylor
Letter 2
Headquarters 78th Illinois Infantry Franklin, Tennessee May 26th 1863
Capt. David Taylor,
Dear cousin, your favor of the 6th instant has just been received by way of Vernon, Indiana. Also one of later date was received some days since and the inquiries it contained replied to in a letter to your Mother.
I thank you for the interest you express in my health and situation. It would be pleasant for me to renew my visit and to sojourn with you under the shadow of your own Alhambra; and God may sometime in the course of my wanderings (I seem destined to be a wanderer) lead me that way again. If He should, of course I will stop and see you. In the meantime, may He restore you to health and vigor and to the pleasant home around which found memories cluster, and where reposes all that was mortal of your loved and lost.
Or rather, why do I say lost? Our gold is not lost when securely invested. Out intellects are not lost when unspeakably elevated and enlightened; even though the sphere of our conversations be somewhat changed. Our energies are not lost because they may have been transferred to a new class of objects. Neither are our loved ones lost because they have been removed for a time from our embrace. The whole truth or enough of it perhaps is embedded in that golden line, “Not lost, but gone before.”
Lady Huntingdon is said to have transferred a fortune to heaven in the shape of charities to the poor and contributions to the cause of human evangelization. It seems to me as much, and may hope as profitable an investment to transfer our domestic jewels to the Savior’s crown, “the olive plants,” from about our tables to the garden of the Lord. It seems to mem were I the Father of children I should rather have then in heaven than anywhere else, and especially if I could be sure of their being there as I doubt not you can in the care of your little ones.
Things here are in a state of status quoity. Extensive and formidable fortifications have been made, the timber all cut from the surrounding hills, and we think we can successfully resist an attack from five or six times our number. The enemy made a slight demonstration in front yesterday but we do not apprehend an attack. They probably are preparing to fall back and hope to keep us from pursuing by this means until their main force is out of reach.
Gen. Grant’s successes—have they not been splendid? If indeed we have not been deceived in relation to them? Thanks be to God for such tokens of His divine regard.
I shall be glad to har from yourself, wife, mother, and sisters, and all. My health is not good & fear it is declining again. I shall resign within a fortnight if I am not better. My contraband enterprise is a failure I presume. Yours most truly, — Robert F. Taylor
My letters were forwarded from Cleveland to this place & have been received.
I could not find an image of William but here is one of Pvt. Ezra Joseph Davy of Co. D, 121st Ohio Infantry (Ancestry.com)
The following letter was written by 23 year-old William E. Scott (1839-1911), the youngest son of Francis Scott (1791-1860) and Nancy Gadd (1793-1873) of Leesburg, Union county, Ohio. William enlisted in August 1862 to serve as a private in Co. I, 121st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI).
William had two brothers who served with him in the same company—Norton (“Nort”) Scott (1820-1905) who was the 1st Sergeant in Co. I, and Ross Scott (1828-1901) who was also a private. Nort was discharged for disability on 9 May 1863, no doubt as a result of the chronic diarrhea mentioned in William’s letter. Ross was discharged for disability as well.
The 121st OVI was organized at Delaware, Ohio, and ordered to Kentucky to pursue confront Bragg on his northern invasion. They participated in the Battle of Perryville and then pursued Morgan in the winter of 1862-63. After spending some time in Nashville, they were ordered to Franklin, Tennessee, where this letter was penned in mid-March 1863. They went on to participate in in the Battle of Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolina Campaign.
Transcription
Camp at Franklin, Tennessee March 16, 1863
Dear Mother and Sisters,
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines once more in answer to your kind letter of the fourth that came safe to hand on the 15th and we was glad to hear from you but was sorry to hear that Mother’s health is so poor. Well, mother, I enjoy good health at this time and hope that this will find you enjoying the same earthly blessing.
Nort is quite unwell, and has been for two weeks. He is quite weak. He has the diarrhea. I think it is something like the chronic diarrhea. He has not went to the hospital yet. I hope he will be better before long.
You said in your letter that you had not heard from us since Charles came home. I have wrote one letter since he went home but I suppose that you never got it for there is hundreds of letters that never reach their destination. I am glad to hear that Ross’s cough is better. I think he had better stay where he is for I don’t think he ever will be fit for service as it takes a well man to stand soldering. Tell Gerry’s mother that he is well and that he stands soldering with the best of the Boys.
Well, Mother, we are still here at Franklin, Tennessee. How long we will stay here, I can’t tell. We have moved our camp five times since we came here, and have to move again tomorrow. We have not moved one mile in all. One more move and we will be where we started from.
I want you to write and tell me whether you got the money I sent home or not, and if you have not got it, go and get it for it is there for you as I never heard whether you got it or not. The folks is making garden here now. The peach trees is in bloom. The sun shines so hot, it makes me lazy. So I will bring my letter to a close for this time, write oftener and I will answer them.
Spared & Shared 23 