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 byContinue reading “Letter to Mary from Camp Shailer, Covington, Ky – (Numbered 5) 18 Sept, 1862”
Author Archives: Kevin Hostettler
Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, KY – (Numbered 4), 14 Sept, 1862
OF MARTIN AND MARY WRIGHT Jacob married Mary Wright on 23 August 1855. I think, though I can’t prove it, that Jacob became friends with Martin Wright before he met his twin, Mary. Martin Van Buren Wright and Mary Wright moved from Illinois after the death of their mother, Elizabeth Beaver Wright, into the homeContinue reading “Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, KY – (Numbered 4), 14 Sept, 1862”
Jacob’s Journeys – a brief travel log
Jacob’s war experiences began in 1862 and continued through the war’s end in 1865. His story diverges somewhat from the story of the 89th Ohio Volunteer Regiment – his letters help piece together a solid narrative. 29 Aug, 1862 – 5 Oct, 1862: The Call to Arms (Camp Denison, OH) and the Defense of CincinnatiContinue reading “Jacob’s Journeys – a brief travel log”
Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, Kentucky – 13 Sept, 1862
OF NOTE Jacob has only been gone for a few weeks and he’s starting to feel the frustrations of separation from home. He’s not feeling well when he writes this letter – and it shows. He’s still eager to get into a scrap with the opposing Army. While his belief in the justice of theContinue reading “Letter to Mary from Licking Battery, Kentucky – 13 Sept, 1862”
Letter to Mary from Camp King, Ky – 7 Sept, 1862
“…yet it is true we have comparatively seen nothing to what I expect to ere long.” Jacob to Mary, 7 Sept, 1862 MY NOTES: This letter, covering events of 7 – 9 September, displays some of the longing Jacob already felt for home after just a few weeks away. The hubris of the North (andContinue reading “Letter to Mary from Camp King, Ky – 7 Sept, 1862”
Some Background – Jacob, the 89th and the letters
I still pinch myself at my good fortune – not just in having access to my ancestor’s relatively unfettered thoughts and feelings through years of deprivation and war, but for the wealth of supporting extant documentation. My family’s collection of unpublished letters (over 125) with supporting documentation staggers me. The letters are outstanding, but theyContinue reading “Some Background – Jacob, the 89th and the letters”
To the Defense of Cincinnati
This is Jacob’s first numbered letter, consisting of several sheets over several days. This letter includes a hand drawn map of the defensive fortifications they were building to secure Cincinnati against the impending Confederate invasion. Letter No. 1 Camp Tailor, KY Sept 4, 1862 Dear Mary, I am thankful yet toContinue reading “To the Defense of Cincinnati”
Letter 3 – Jacob to “Sir” and Mary
Jacob’s Regiment, the 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was officially mustered into service on 29 August, 1862 at Camp Dennison. They were surprised with marching orders on 1 Sept. Jacob had hoped to get home before marching off to war, but as you’ll read below, he missed his chance and had to scramble to make whatContinue reading “Letter 3 – Jacob to “Sir” and Mary”
Letter 2 – From Mary to Jacob (31 August, 1862)
Mary wrote letters to Jacob – though not as many as he would have liked. I have seven of her letters – this is the only one that has survived (to my knowledge) from before 1865.
A Call to Arms – Letter 1
Jacob left home for war at the age of 29 in August of 1862 and reported to Camp Dennison (on the northeast side of Cincinnati, Ohio) from his family home in Frankfort, Ohio (near Chillicothe, Ohio). He joined in response to Confederate General Kirby Smith’s threatened attack on Cincinnati. The following is the first letter weContinue reading “A Call to Arms – Letter 1”
