A Camp near
Pilaca Tenn
Sunday September 6th 1864
Well Sade I take this present time too ansur your leter that I juste received from you and Jack too day your leter finds me all write in prety god health at this present time I hope when you get this leter you & all the wrest of the folks well be all write I was glad too hear that you got that scooll down thare I hope that you will have good times thare at Sams for I in care in working on the Breast works I think that it is nothing new too me too work on the fortifications. well I seen (--------) & Jacob Mutos & Jesse (-----) was all write when I Saw him all thoug he had knot got that ball yet & I gave him wone dolar too get it sent too him from Nashville for he had ben a little unwell & had got out of money I saw him a Bout the laste of the month he was glad too see me for he had not heard that I was in the army till the evning Before I seen him when he heard that I was in the 64 he came rite too see me all though I had got out & was a making my way too the 101 & first too see Jacob well all was well all though I have seen ye & as (----) over too See Jesse & got my super laste night the Boys was all write he had a Prety good super this is all of this. I saw Nathaniel Lybarger & he told me that he was a going too get his discharge & would be at home in a few weaks he gets an onerable discharge & gets all of his Pay I Say Buley for Nat this is all. well we have went about 2000 thous miles sins we left home & out of the 2000 we marched about 150 mils it went prety hard all thoug I was all write all though there was a great maney that got prety sore feet But they ar all write a gain I will Send this fotogrff Back too you again in this leter for it will onley make me think of home the more then if I will want too see them a gain I will & not send too son & you can send it Back too me a gain we have had Prety hard times while we was on the march for it raines Prety often down here for it rains juste when we ar on a march just like it usta well I shall send a few cane too you too plant in the spring think this is a litle sweeter cane than hours is there I will send a belo in this & a few in (-------) untill you will get a (-----) too plant a hill or too wel this is all at this time tell Jack & (-----) too write a Big leter a Bout the old catle & all than (----) heard that they no sold for 120 dol I good box thar when you want a tuns why just you (------) ware to of mine & work then & it will be all write
I still remain yours
JH Dicken
Direct your letters too
Co A 64 Ohio O.V.V.I.
2 Division 3 Brigade
Harmy Corps
USA Nashville
Tenn
Louisville Ky September the 23rd [1864]
Sister Sade
I received A Letter from you last evening and I hasten to answer it. I was glad to hear from you again and to hear that you was all well. I hope you will stay so. I am well and all right that Lieut that you spoke of in your letter happens to be A Corporal I think he must be sharp to say that he is A Lieut, and I think he is rather sharp in saying that I was sick and not able for duty I had the Diarhere when I first came from the Front to Nashville but I have got over that now. If I get my ways Sick I shall go to the Hospital but I don't whant to go when I am not Sick. there is about 500 of our Regt here to get Horses. we could not draw them at Nashville. we have got oor Horses and A very good lot of them two. we will take about 1200 Head of horses to Nashville. I think from the News that is A float that this Rebellion is A bout plaided out and I think this fall will see peace A floating on our Star Spangled Banner through this United States. you need not fret about me in the least for when I get Sick I Shall go to the Hospital. good by from Curt
Well Brother Will I will write a little to you. I hope that you are well and enjoying yourself. I suppose that you are getting to be pretty near A man by this time and I ges you are A looking at the Girls by this time. I want you to write and tell me how you and Rosseau gets along and tell him to write too for I like to get letters and we keep A going about so darn fast that I can not get A chance to write any at all. tell Haty to be A good Boy and mind mother and learn to Read so when I come home he can read to me A little. write soon
From Curt to Will
Address Louisville Ky
Camp Webster Near Nashville [Sept 1864?]
Sade
I received your very kind and welcome Leetter yesterday Evening and was very glad to hear from you but I was sorry to hear that Josh was Drafted but it cannot be helped and one year is not very long not quite so long as three is any way but it is long enough. it will soon be A year since I Enlisted the time rolls around like fun, but perhaps it does not to you. I am well and hearty as A Old Cow. Emma wrote to me and wanted to know if I wanted any thing I told her what I wanted but if you have A pair socks knit send them but if you have not you need not mind knitting any I hate to bother you and for I know you have more than you can do at home any how. give my respects to Sadie Ash and all of the folks around there.
I ges I will close for I am in A hurry.
Address Nashville
from Curt
Sade put this Leetter in my trunk for safe Keepping
Chattanooga Tenn
October 21 -/'64
well Sarah it is with the gratist of pleasure that I have too write a few lines too you too let know that I am injoying myself prety well at this time I feel all write sow far on this campagne & I still hope that I shall till my year is over well Sade I would a wrote sooner but I had knot time too do it there four you will half too excuse me for this time for a drfted man in a good thing well sarah you will half too get a long the best that you can & I will do the best that I can for I am in for the length of wone year or sooner kiled or die in some other way well the next thig is the camp it is a prety nice wone here for it is the valey between the lookout mountain & mishion ridg well this is all of this we ar assined too the 64rth Ohio ovvi I think that it is wone of the best regments in ohio ther four it has that name well all of the boys that went when I did ar all in this regment & in diferent campanys in this regment this is all at this time. Shall tell you the reason that I did not get afurlow was they examined us \r & Sent us rite over too the Island & then from thear to columbus & then from there too Indianapolis & from ther too Louisville & from there too Nashvill and from there too Chattanooga wher we ar at this time. I & Bateman hartsock & Sarick & S Frankhouser & C Brown & Jo Hapt & Stiger & C Thomis & D. Lewman & Seviar more that I will knot tell you at this time well I will be able too write mor the next time well then I close for this still hoping for the Best of health
I still remain yours
JH Dicken
SC Dicken
Directions
Direct too co A 64 Ohio
Chattanooga Tenn
I shall write a few times too further & there wrest of the folks at home I want you too let the see it & I want you too write too me soon as you get this sow good by
Chattanooga Tenn
October the 30/'64
Well Sade I just returned too camp a gain we was out down towards Atlanta we started down there laste Sunday & juste returned today just wone weeke lader. We marched about 40 mils & then we juste returned then. I thought that I would write a gain as I have knot got a leter yet from you. I stood the march pretty well for an old solger. There was a great many that fell out & there is too of our company that has knot got in yet, Da Stige and Sol Frankenhauser, but I think that they will soon be in. I & S. J. Dicken & W. Martin & several other boys that was in the 101 & in the 49 they was all write. I thought that they would get out of this infernal rebellion till spring but my opinion is that I drafted for wone year or relce sooner shot but I still hope that those boys is on the write side of the question that is about the wore. Well Sade this is all at this time. I think that I can stand it pretty well that is if there is nothing happens more than I now of at this present time. Well Sade I want you too write a leter wonce a week \r & then I think that that will be all that I shal ask of you for I have know wone elce too write too or at least it seems so too me there four I should like too write too all of my friends of that place all though they must have patience & then I shall write a leter to all of them. We can not tell how long that we will lay in camp at wone place for the order is that we leave here tomorrow morning & where too gow I cannot tell for there is now wone knows but the old Generall that is commanding this division. Well this is all at this time. Well Sade I want you too write & let me know how maney of the next thiry has too share the same fate with me. We marched out over the old battlefield wher a gredt many brave boys loste there dear lives. I saw the 9th Ohio cavalry but I had kno time too look for Curt but there was onley a few companys of them. I did want too see him bad I think that I will get too see him yet. Well as I have have knot got a leter from you I will half too close this leter buy telling you that I am all write & still hope that you are well. I thought that as it was Sundy today I would write a little too you sow that you would knot get mad at me there four this thing of solgring is knot got a bit beter yet there four I think that I can stand it juste as well as I did the other time that I was out. Well this is all (illegible) I want you too (illegible) that is a (illegible) juste tell Sade too send it in a leter too me. I want you all too write too me soon I (illegible)
J.H. Dicken
Direct to J.H. Dicken
Co.A 64 OVVI
2 Division Harney Corps
Camp Huddleson
Nov. 20 64
Cousin,
It is with profound deligh I acknowledge the reception of your welcome letter of the __ inst., reguarding as I do a missive from a beloved friend or relative a token of true respect and affection and in the same spirit I hasten to reply
Simultaneously with yours I received news from other direction of which however I defer to speak - Stop surmising - It was not from a True love nor Sweet Heart - You of course can testify that one William Cessna never did know, knows not now nor never will know what the terms True love and intended one mean - Stop. stop. I fancy I hear you say. can't testify to all that - Well if you can't pack it on me and I'll - I'll - do with it as you did with Mr. - _ sit up with ____. Next time you see Wm C Boor give him my best and tell him to write me concerning his family and its health - Assure him his will be honored by a revelation of things known and unknown - yet all terrestrial to me but perhaps celestial to him - zeca - with the rapture the astronomer gazes upon the Aurora-borealis in the hight of its splendor - the revelation would come to him - I guess I'd better stop lest you get to querying and quizing them _____ would be to pay for there is no such thing as mans getting rest or away from woman - 1st Because she wont let him - and sec Because he wouldn't if she would Enough of metaphysics - I now condesend to talk of things of daily occurrence - having bored you long-enough about a furture state (marriage) - In the first place - I wish to correct a rumor that I have reason to believe is pretty generally believe by all Ohioans - It is this - The soldiers of Western Ky are both starving and freezing - Never for a moment give credence to such rumors - They are base, inexcusable falshoods - the quintesence of the character of their inventors - My bill of fare read thus - For Breakfast Beef or Pork - Biscuit (light) warm or cold - Potatoes - cooked as I wish the - Rice do - Desert - Pies - two kinds - (-----)..cakes - Jellies and Sauce of various kinds - Privates of course do not fare as well - They lack dainties - Do you think I will starve?
To my breakfast add beans and various kinds of soup and you have my dinner and supper Great many are to lazy to cook -consequently they starve
Floyd will not fight - consequently we have nothing to do
Good By - Cessna, Willie
Direct as before
Camp Near Columba Tenn
Dcmber 21st/64
Mr L. Cessna
Dear Sir with my wife requested I shal tri to drop you a few lines too let you know that I am well & feel prety well on this campagne that is in progress at this present time & with the ide of Jeneral Hoods retreate towards the tennasee river well now there I shal tri too tell you a litle of our retrie from Pulaki too Nashville Tenn we had a prety good road too gow on that was some thing shre they mad us make quick time of it we travelled a bout 20 or 25 miles prday the distents between Nash & Pulaki was 75 miles we got a long as far as too spring hill firste till the Johneys trid too flank us there we had a quite a dandy old fight there with the mounted infantry the rather flanked us they on the a count of there haven a bout 6 too wone of us then dooring the knight we fell back too Franklin there we had another trille of it that is a trile that proved a perfect slater too the Johnneys all though we had a good maney of our very bravest boys killed then we had old Peter Sarge killed thare & a great maney others killed that well this ends this. then we lit out for Nashville then we went in too camp there for a few days & all this time the Johnneys tride too get in their town thru old Jeneral Hood told these men that if they would take the sity that he would dress them all in the darnd Yankeys clothe that is all officers uniforms there four they fought like tiger but Jeneral Thomas took them on the flank which did knot aggee with ther system. the fight commenced on our write flank on the morning of the 18 & we flanked theme out of there works on that side the uncore while our lines war 7 mils long there four we had 2 days prety hard fighting sow hard that the first to charge that we made on the firste day we gave back for a bout 1 hour thin hour darkess made a desperate charge on there lefte of them we wated in & gobleed a bout 5 thousand of them then they began too lite out of there hideing plases & know we have bin after them for a few days & have bin taken prisners every day untill too day But our cavlery is after there prety keen in all of the prisners that we had taken will amount too a bout 12 or 15 thousand But I cannot tell anything to the the sertenty a bout that for (----) have the papers thare & they can tell you the beste a Bout that therfour I will leave that subject with them & You too get a long with as well as you can well as for a chap too tell you a bout those 3 battles I was in them all But wone & than wone was at franklin
the wreason that I was knot in that Batle was this I was on guard the knight befour at spring hill & the regment left me in the rear too guard them too Franklen the teemes there I got threw before the fight commenced there four you can see that I was knot in too it but they all said that was the hardest fight of the 3. I was a litle sorrow that I was knot their But I looked on & wished our men well & I think that it was granted by the old gentleman that is a looking on with a long eye & says gow in yankeys the day is hours, yet all though the time of retreite that we just have ben a gowing there befour we gained the day over Jeneral Hood I thing that he is a litle demoralised I think that if thay would chase us like we have chaste them I think that but little fighitng they would get out of those yankeys of this department well I think that this will suffice for the firste leter knot knowing the sircumstances of your sittuation I think that I will half tooclose all though perhaps I did knot give you but little satisfaction about hour march & times that we have had all though I think that I could give you a prety good histry of it Bt time will not admitt it I will do bete the next time thus I will close I hope that those few lines will knot demoralise you sow that you will knot forget too write too me then I will close hoping too hear from you all soon but tell Tip too drop a line too me this is all \r & parley done
write soon
I Still remain yours as ever
JH Dicken
Directions & inspections
Co Your leters too
Co A 64 Ohio OVI
3 Brigade 2 Division
Harney Corps
VIA Nashville
Tennissee
