Civil War Letter-Ohio 83rd-Yazoo-Vicksburg-Battle AR Post-Wounded List- Billhead

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Civil War Letter-Ohio 83rd-Yazoo-Vicksburg-Battle AR Post-Wounded List- Billhead:
$60.67

Welcome! Up for sale is a great letter (sadly only the 2nd page survived) written by Private George W. (or M.) White (1844-1864) of Company I, 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, sometime around the middle of January, 1863 after the Battle of Arkansas Post. It is written on a store\'s billhead/letterhead that was located in Friars Point Mississippi, which Pvt. White states \"...is all I\'ve got and is what the boys capured at friars point Miss.\" It\'s written in pencil and small parts are unreadable. Based on the wear, etc., it doesn\'t look like the first page had been attached for many years. I found the letter in with the bills and receipts of a Warren County, Ohio merchant. It\'s too bad the 1st page didn\'t survive. I\'m sure it must have had some great information as well. The paper measures 7 3/4\" x 13\" unfolded. Please read the condition description for details. The 1st sample scan is the closest to the original. In this letter (see the summary and then the transcription below) George relates news starting December 25th, 1862 during the Yazoo Expedition and continues through the Battle of Arkansas Post. He lists the nine men wounded in his company, where they were wounded and where they were from. Lots and lots of great content in this two-sided letter. Take the time to look it over. The description here is much longer than normal but there\'s a lot of detail not normally found. His company was mainly made up of men from Butler County, Ohio with a few from Warren County as well. Two other companies in the 83rd were mainly Butler County and the other seven were Hamilton County.George White would not survive the war (nor would two of the wounded he listed). He appears to have been sent home sometime during the summer of 1864 and died \"of disease\" at his mother\'s near Mason, Deerfield Twp., Warren County Ohio on September 7th, 1864. He was 17 when he enlisted and 3 months shy of his 20th birthday when he passed away. His grave (and other family members) is located in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Deerfield Twp., Warren County, Ohio.Summary: The news starts with a brief mention of thebridge burning at Dallas Station during the Yazoo Expedition on Dec. 25th. A very good description of the events can befound in the History of the 83rd. Thesecond piece of news about making breastworks and seeing Vicksburg is fromtheir arrival at Chickasaw Bluffs, some 3 miles from Vicksburg. He also expresses his opinion on Vicksburg andthe difficulties and mentions the number of men and women who came in to give themselvesup that day. Grant\'s Canal and progress on it isalso mentioned.

The main part of theletter comes next with his description of their part in the Battle of ArkansasPost. Interesting observations about theirLt. Col. Baldwin (not presented that way in the unit history) and the role MajorL\'Hommediu played in turning things around and what might have been if theirColonel (Moore) had not been sick at home.He then lists the nine in his company (I) that were wounded in thebattle, where they were wounded, and where they were from in Ohio. I have included additional information on each of them that was found inthe unit history. An interesting sidenote; one of the wounded, Peter Smith, transferred to the \"Mississippi Marine Brigade\", a \"regular\" (not state-based) Army unit that was part of the U.S. Ram Fleet but not recognized by Grant or the Navy for a while.

The online summary of a letter written after the battle by the Captainof Company I, Joseph Gorsuch that is in the Gilder Lehrman Institute of Am.History states that ”Nearly every one of thewounded are so disabled that they will never be fit for service. Taken alltogether it was a severe stroke on my company.”.

The letter continues with Pvt. Whitestating he doesn\'t know how many \"Secesh\" (slang for \"Secessionists\")died but states numbers of prisoners and arms, etc. taken after theirvictory. Mentions a Dr. Cox from hishometown area visited and finishes with a request for a bit of money be askedfor from his mother (father died in 1849) and to be sent in very small notes sohe can buy paper and envelopes. Mentionshere that all he has is this paper which was \"what the boys captured atFriars Point\". One source statesFriars Point, MS was partially burned and ransacked by the troops as revengefor the death of a union man there.

Places, expeditionsand battle mentioned, inferred or describedin the letter:

FriarsPoint, MS - Where paper obtained on which letter was written; abt Dec. 21, 1862.

Grant\'sYazoo Expedition

Milliken\'sBend, LA. and Dallas Station; Dec. 25-26, 1862.

Chickasaw Bayou, Dec. 26-28.

Chickasaw Bluff December 29.

Grant\'sCanal

Expedition to Arkansas Post, Arkansas, January 3-10, 1863.

Assault and capture of FortHindman, Arkansas Post, January 10-11.

Moved to Young\'s Point January 17. The letterappears to have been written while they were still at FortHindman sometime between January 12th and 16th or soon after arrivalat Young\'s Point on January 17th.

Author of the Letter:

Name: George M [or W] White

Residence: NearMason, Deerfield Twp., Warren County, Ohio

Father: WilliamWhite (1808-1849)

Mother: CharlotteH. Dodds White (1813-1889)

Birth Date: 05Dec 1844

Age at Enlistment: 17

Enlistment Date: 22Aug 1862

Rank at enlistment: Private

State Served: Ohio

Company & Regiment: Company I [MainlyButler & Warren County men], 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Survived the War?: No.

Death Date: 07 Sep 1864 at home \"fromdisease\".

Sources: Official Roster of the Soldiers of theState of Ohio Roll of Honor of Ohio Soldiers;Historyof the 83rd OVI; Online resources

Here is the whole transcriptas the letter continues from 1st page, pretty much as written with only a fewpunctuation, capitalization changes for clarity. Parts of it are illegible (for me) and aremarked as such:

we was along by a Railroad where the 83rd went to

burn the Bridge. wemade breast works out of fence rails

from where we was we couldsee Vicksburg. it is a

very nice looking town but I am afraid it will be a

hard place to take.There was 11 men and 1 woman

come over from Vicksburg and give themselves up.

They say [illegible...................]the Streets Entrenched

a 12 pound canon at every corner of each square.

There are 10(?) Regiments digging at the Canal. they

got it nearly done.Suppose you have heard

about the battle(?)of fort Hiniman [Fort Hindman/Arkansas Post).I will

give you a little discription. The 83rd was in the

hottest of the battle.The boys thought it was about

as warm a place as any was Ever in. They

Lieutenant Colonelwas Commanding. They had to

fall back about 200 yards.They say that they

was ordered. The nexttime the Major took his

Sword and waved it in the air and told

the boys to follow him.They made the rebels

Skidaddle out of their fortifications. Our Col(onel) is sick

at home if he had been there the boys would

never went back. There was none killed out of

our Company but 9 wounded [two die of their wounds soon after and two transfer to Veteran Reserve].

I will give you their names.Sgt. George Simpson wounded in

the left foot. he wasfrom beathiny [Bethany, Butler Co.].

Corporal Enos Scudder [LibertyTwp., Butler Co.] in the left Shoulder.

[Back side of page/ Page 2]

He was the Color Guard from our company.

finy Stewart in the left hand he was from

monroe [Warren County]. Thomas Dunn in the left hand.

James Clark had 2 fingers Shot off of his right

hand. Both fromMiddletown [Warren County]. Daniel Collins

in the thigh. PeterSmith in the right knee.

David finesy in the right arm. These was from Chester [West Chester Twp, Butler Co.].

Shot Cox was wounded in the left

side. I don\'t knowhow many Secesh [Secessionists] waskilled

but there was great many, most of them was

tore to pieces by the Shells from the gun boats. Took

6000 prisoners 20 canon9000 stands of arms 500 mules

and some Molasses Sugar and Corn meal.

Well I guess I have told you all the news.

I will send you a piece of cedar that was

Shot off by the bullets.Tell Mother that we have

not been paid off yet and I don\'t think we will

yet a while [not untilMarch]. I would like to have alittle money to

buy paper and envelopes.If you send me any send

it in 20 or 25 cent bills because we have to give too much

to get it changed and that is the only way that you

can send it. This isall the paper I have got and

this is what the boys captured at friars point Miss.

Dr. Cox and harper was down here but have gone home.

I wrote a letter to Mol last week. How does Flora

and the rest of the Stock get along Well I must bring

this to a close. Ihave a poor place to write. Guess at

what you can\'t read.Write soon and tell all the news.

Direct [mail] toMemphis

to follow the Regt. Geo[rge]White. Co I

List of nine wounded inhis company during battle at Fort Hindman/Arkansas Post on 11 January 1863:

1. George Simpson

Rank:Sergeant

Age:23

DateEntered Service: 15 Aug 1862

Remarks: Appointed Sept. 11, 1862; transferred to 43rd Co. 2ndBattalion Veteran Reserve Corps, Aug. 31, 1863; also borne on rolls asGeorge A. Simpson.

Quotefrom letter: \" Sgt. George Simpson wounded in the left foot. he was from beathiny [Bethany Twp., Butler Co.].\"

2. Enos H. Scudder

Rank:Corporal

Age:24

DateEntered Service: 18 Aug 1862

Remarks: Appointed Corporal Sept. 11, 1862; died Jan. 16, 1863 of woundsreceived Jan. 11, 1863 in battle of Arkansas Post, Ark.

Quotefrom letter: \" Corporal EnosScudder in the left Shoulder. He was theColor Guard from our company.\"

3. Samuel F[iny]Stewart

Rank: Corporal

Age: 23

DateEntered Service: 21 Aug 1862

Remarks: Appointed Corporal May 1, 1863 [afterArkansas Post battle]; transferred to Co. G Jan. 17, 1865.

Quotefrom letter: \"finy Stewart in theleft hand he was from monroe.\"

4. Archibald \"Thomas\" Dunn

Rank: Private

Age: 33

DateEntered Service: 14 Aug 1862

Remarks: Transferred to Co. G Jan 17, 1865.[From Middletown, see Clark, below]

Quotefrom letter: \"Thomas Dunn in theleft hand\"

5. James P. Clark

Rank: Private

Age: 19

DateEntered Service: 15 Aug 1862

Remarks: Died Feb. 5, 1863 in General Hospital at Memphis, Tenn.

Quotefrom letter: \"James Clark had 2fingers Shot off of his right hand both [Clarkand Dunn] from Middletown.\"

6. Daniel Collins

Rank: Private

Age: 18

DateEntered Service: 15 Aug 1862

Remarks: Discharged Nov. 20, 1864 at mouth of Whiteriver, Ark., on Surgeon\'s certificate of disability.

Quotefrom letter: \"Daniel Collins in thethigh.\" \"....these was fromChester.\" [most likely West ChesterTwp., Butler Co.]

7. Peter Smith

Rank: Private

Age: 30

DateEntered Service: 15 Aug 1862

Remarks: Transferred to Mississippi Marine BrigadeMarch 30, 1863.

Quotefrom letter: \"Peter Smth in theright knee.\" \"....these wasfrom Chester.\" [most likely West Chester Twp., Butler Co.]

8. David Finisy [Spelling from \"History of the 83rd...\"]

Rank: Private

Age: 27

DateEntered Service: 18 Aug 1862

Remarks: Transferred to 88th Co., 2d Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps,Oct. 31, 1863

Quotefrom letter: \"David finesy in theright arm these was from Chester.\" [most likely West Chester Twp., Butler Co.]

9. \"Shot\" Joshua A. Cox

Rank: Corporal

Age: 25

DateEntered Service: 21 Aug 1862

Remarks: Transferred to Co. G Jan. 17, 1865

Quotefrom letter: \"Shot Cox was woundedin the left side.\"

Combined Shipping lmost always available; Please request or wait for Invoice if you win/purchase multiple items. I\'m not able to get to the post office nearly as often as in the past so shipping time is now marked as 3 business days and occasionally it\'s four due to health and other factors. If you need something shipped faster, let me know and I\'ll do my best to get it accomplished
PAYMENTPayment willbe by Paypal (contact me if you don\'t have an account) and is required within 2 calendar days after the invoice has been sent or after the sale ends if you\'re only buying one item. For saleswith no payment within 3-4 days, it will be reported.

If you want to wait on making payment to offer on other items, that\'s great, no problem at all, just let me knowand I\'ll send an invoice with combined purchases and shipping when you\'re done (maximum one week).

U.S. Shipping

Shipping toanywhere in the U.S. will be calculated based on location and service chosen.

InternationalShipping

Available in most cases byFirst Class International (4 lbs or less),or by other options such asPriority Maildepending on the weight, your location and preference.

Be patient. Items can getslowed down in various places along the wayand what might \"normally\" take 1-2 weeks can sometimes take 4-6weeks, especially if it goes through the Chicago Customs office. Sometimes 4-6 weeks is normal. Tracking isnot alwaysavailable and in some cases Registered Mail will be required.International shippingcosts have risen a lotover the last few yearsso I do try and pack \"light\" but safe. Contact me ifyouwant to confirm the shipping costs. Sometimes it canbelowered a bit.

If communicating in English is a problem, Google Translate can help and I can readSpanish, Italian anda littleFrench but that\'s about it. Feelfree tocommunicate in your native tongue though andI\'lluseGoogle Translate to (hopefully) figure it out.

International Buyers – Please Note:

Import duties, taxes, and charges are notincluded in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer\'sresponsibility.Please check with your country\'s customsoffice to determine what these additional costs will be prior to offerding the itemisnot as described, returns are accepted for most items.Please contact me concerning the problem within 3 calendar days of receivingthe item. Due to prevalence of film and music copying; NOreturns of CD, DVD, or film-based products will be accepted unlessapproved beforehand.

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