Submitted by Herb Depke

Subject: Civil War Letter dated 24 September 1864 from Joseph Anderson, my great-great-grandfather, from Atlanta GA to his wife, Melvina Blakeney Anderson, in Catlin, Vermilion County IL. Military Unit: 125th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Company K. Joseph Anderson enlisted at Catlin IL August 13, 1862, was mustered in September 3, 1862 at Danville IL and mustered out June 9, 1865 at Washington DC.

Note: "Jonathan" mentioned in this letter was Jonathan Thornton also of Catlin IL.

Atlanta Gorgia

Deer Wife and Children

I now take the Present opertunety to right you a few lines to let you no that I am Well at Present and I hope when these few lines come to hand yhey will find you all well [.] Jonathan started home to days a go but I had not time to rite [.] I send you thirty seven Dollars by him and I hope he will get home safe with it [.]We have not received any pay yet but I hope that you can get a long til they pay us and then I will send you everycent they pay me [.] I am very [illegible] all the time for we [illegible] men beef all the time. I would be verry glad if you could send me to pair of socks by Jonathan [.] that is all I want for [.] I think that you will find me slipping in sum time this winter [.] I don’t want to try Just now for I am doing well at present [.] the weather is very whet at present [.] the boys are all well [.] I cant rite much this time for it ranes to much and I am out in it but I will rite a gain before long so no moor at present only rite sum [.]
From Joseph Anderson
To Melvina Anderson

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Subject: Civil War Letter dated 21 September 1862 from Joseph Anderson, my great-great-grandfather, stationed at "Camp Mitchell" near Covington KY, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, to his wife, Melvina Blakeney Anderson, in Catlin, Vermilion County IL. Military Unit: 125th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Company K. Joseph Anderson inlisted at Catlin IL August 13, 1862, was mustered in September 3, 1862 at Danville IL and mustered out June 9, 1865 at Washington DC.

Camp mitchel Sep 21 1862

Deer Wife and Children

I now take the Present opatunety to Wright you a few lines to let you no that I am Well at Present hoping that these few lines will find you all Well [.] I am still in kentuckey but Dont no how long I Will be thair [.] they rapourt is that we air a going to chicago but I donat think so [.] I think that We Will go south [.] We air in verry Warm Place an they {-17 ?-} our Pickets did a verry hard fight and We Was all cald out at one miits [minutes] notic and forty rounds of carige [cartridge] furnish us all With in five minits and Within twenty minits We Was in they field reddy for fight but thair Was nothing dun but I tell you thair Was a fu [few] boys bad scart sum crid and sum laft but it Was they sarriest night that I hever saw [.] They Wind bld [blowed] and the Dust flue so bad that We culd not see lick {-ohlr ?-} [.] We Was cept [kept] on gard all night long but no fight yeat nor I dont think that We will git to fight here [.] I think that We Will bee sent a weay from here [.] our Curnel is not a going to let ous [us] fight if he can help it for he says thiat We air so blud thursty that no man can control this ridgment [regiment] [.] it is said that this is the best ridgment in the field [.] I have trid to git my likeniss tuck [photograph taken] but I cannot git to town but as soon as the excitement is over We can git to town then they captin and my self is goin to town then I Will git it taken and send it to you [.] I hav gaind about 12 Pounds sance I hav been in camp [.] They boys air all Well except David Thornton [.] he as [has] a verry bad harm [arm] [.] sum kind of a gethering on it and he is verry bad With it [.] our furst lutenint is sick and goan to the hospitel [.] They stamps that I brought With me is all sailt [salt] [.] I swet so free on a martch [march] that run throu and stuck them to gether [.] this is to letters that I sent and no ancer [.] I wud like to here from you be fore I leave here so no more at Present [.] Direct your letters to cicinati ohio 100 and 25 ridgment care of Captain Cook [.] {fill ---?---} so no more at Present [.]
Joseph Anderson

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