- 1. Note on the Transcriptions
- 2. A Call to Arms – Letter 1
- 3. Shively Presentation & Transcript – Recorded in March of 2021 on my most recent deployment
- 4. Letter 2 – From Mary to Jacob (31 August, 1862)
- 5. Letter 3 – Jacob to “Sir” and Mary
- 6. To the Defense of Cincinatti
- 7. Some Background – Jacob, the 89th and the letters
- 8. Letter to Mary from Camp King, Ky – 7 Sept, 1862
- 10. Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, Kentucky – 13 Sept, 1862
- 9. Jacob’s Journeys – a brief travel log
- 11. Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, KY – (Numbered 4), 14 Sept, 1862
- 12. Letter to Mary from Camp Shailer, Covington, Ky – (Numbered 5) 18 Sept, 1862
- 13. Letter to Mary – Published in Pat Medert’s “Dear Companion” – 21 Sept, 1862
- 14. Letter to Mary – Published in Pat Medert’s “Dear Companion” – 28 Sept, 1862
- A REVIEW: A Worse Place Than Hell
- Postbellum Coffee and Tea Consumption in the United States
- Nashville’s Maxwell House & Joel Cheek’s Coffee Empire
- Fort Mitchell, Kentucky – 5 Sept, 1862
- Kanawah Falls – 5 Nov, 1862
- General Hospital, Gallipolis Ohio – Jan 1863
- Jacob’s Visit to Maxwell House (aka, Zollicoffer Barracks) – Nashville, Tennessee
- Tullahoma Campaign – Taking Middle Tennessee.
- Chickamauga – Jacob’s Regiment is nearly destroyed
- Missionary Ridge – The Tide Turns
- Rocky Face Ridge – One of Jake’s Roughest Days
- Kennesaw Mountain – The death of a friend
- A Letter from Chaplain James Sargent to Jacob Shively during the Atlanta Campaign
- Marching Through Georgia – Jacob’s perspective
- Lincoln’s Christmas Present from Sherman – Savanah
- Grand Review and Touring D.C.
- An Interactive Shively Experience
- The Efficacy of the Civil War Chaplaincy:
OF NOTE:
Colonel John H. Marshall of the 89th was not long to be in command. More on him later, but between few organizational leadership skills, a love for the bottle and a terrible temper (on evidence in this letter), he would face a petition to the Governor for his removal from his troops by October – a petition that would be granted.
THE LETTER
No 5
Camp Shailer, Covington, KY
Sept 18th, 1862
Dear Wife,
It is with pleasure that I again attempt to write you a few lines although I know I am in duty bound and under promise to do so. Yet it is not an arduous task for nothing affords me more pleasure and enjoyment than to write to and receive letters from you at home. I am hearty and well now as I ever was and the health of our men is improving. There are about 50 of our Regiment in the hospital. Not many of them dangerous. In fact, not ¼ of them would be there if we had good quarters for them in camp. Col Rowe is very sick in the city.
We received ½ of our tents yesterday. I don’t know when we will get the others. Some of us have built fodder houses to shelter in. Our regiment has pretty badly used up ten acres of corn alongside our camp. We first used the fences for good to cook the corn and other and now we have taken every stalk of the fodder for beds and shelters. And this is not a solitary case. For it is so as far as I can see. Whole Regiments are camped in large and fruitful vineyards. At present we are camped on a beautiful ridge covered with a nice grove of sugar and beach. On the south end of the ridge is situated Licking Battery consisting of two 32 pounders. There are several 64 pounders situated around here in more important places than this. Every available place around here is fortified. And the work is still being perfected so that a possibility of taking the city in this direction is no more thought of. In fact, everyone is satisfied that there is no probability of an attack for some time yet. Today all the well-equipped troops in sight of here are leaving. I have not heard where they are going but they all are going in the direction of Covington. No doubt to be shipped elsewhere. Night before last we were serenaded by the band belonging to the 24th Wisconsin. Yesterday I saw Jacob Spivey. He belongs to the 73 Illinois, but they are all gone today and I don’t expect we will remain here long. And I don’t care how soon we go, I would like to get home to see you all before we go farther but I don’t expect to, nor do I trouble myself about it, for through a sense of duty, I am enabled to stay or go with my Regiment where it may, and be better contented than I possibly could be even at home, for the present time.
A few words about our fare – we have been eating hard bread since we left Denison. It is better than I expected to find it. We have coffee twice a day well sweetened. We get plenty of beans, rice, peas (dry), bacon shoulders and canvassed hams, about equal beef twice a week and vinegar what we want. Besides all that we can get all the cakes, pies, etc, that we want of citizens brought within our lines for sale. Yet all those who indulge in eating them have to pay dearly for it. But after all I think they are cheaper to us here than we could get them expressed to us from home, a common sized pie is worth from 5 to 8 cts. Light bread 8 to 10 per loaf. Sweet cakes about in same proportion. Fruit is beginning to sell very high as it is getting scarce around camp. In fact, there is not even a green hard apple left for miles around and everything else is becoming equally scarce and I can’t see how the inhabitance are to live for the most of them are poor renters. One man told me the other day that he payed 150 dollars rent for a vineyard and he has not received one cents benefit from it. Every grape has been taken yet the poor fellow appeared willing to sacrifice even more if he thought it would do any good towards aiding our cause. I was on picket near his house and his wife prepared me a good breakfast and only charged me 5 cts.
We were promised a flag today by the citizens of Cincinnati. It was to have been presented at 9 Oclock but did not come. We were ordered to put on our best black, our shoes and marched to our dress parade ground to receive the flag. After waiting some hours, our Colonel swore that the city might go to hell hereafter for what he cared if they thought we did not deserve a flag after lying outdoors three weeks to protect them.
The Colonel says he is going to give us one this evening himself and let the lying dogs go. He won’t have their flag since they lied to him once.
I have just heard that the troops that left this morning are going to the Kanawha valley. I want you to let me know whether you have received the clothes that I sent or not. A part of them I sent in a box with Thomas Augustus’ satchel and boots. The balance were put in Rosebooms trunk.
I would like to have you send me some postage stamps occasionally for they are hard to get here and I would rather keep what money I can for I may need it before I get more. Do not send very many at a time.
Your affectionate Husband until death
Jacob Shively,
Write Soon.
[UNDATED – Written on Scrap of paper with ink and paper that matches.]
I should like to write more about the injustice done to enlisted men here but I have not time at present. But Mr Kingrey’s case is not the only one I could tell of. But I hope someone will soon take some steps to have the Old Sot removed from his charge for we have hard enough times at best. But you may ask why don’t we do something. My answer is we can’t. We dare not. If we do we subject ourselves to a court martialing at once. An enlisted man here has about as much to do among officers of the 89th as a negro has among a pack of ruffians at home. I wish you here often to witness some things here as I do.
Yours,
Jacob Shively
“…nothing affords me more pleasure and enjoyment than to write and receive letters from you at home.”
Jacob to his wife, Mary.
A Thousand Thunders 