Description:

Poignant Civil War Archive, 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Collection of Civil War dated correspondence written from encampments, battle fields, and hospitals in the Trans-Mississippi Region (Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi) between May 4, 1861 and May 5, 1869. An archive written by Mid-Western Union volunteers during the first years of the Civil War, remarkable in scope and content!

The archive is comprised of 46 letters written by at least six individuals with ties to Friendship, Wisconsin, many serving at one time in the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The letters overall are in very good to near fine condition, with expected paper folds, toning, and isolated weathering. The several pencil inscribed letters are sometimes difficult to read. Most are 4pp bifold letters measuring 4.75" x 7.5". Some letters feature stamped and embossed stationery with patriotic motifs. These motifs include a standing Columbia with a flag, an eagle with shield, the Stars and Stripes, the U.S.S. Monitor, George Washington, General McClellan, General Lyon, Major General Halleck, and a Zouve. A few images are accompanied by short poetic verses reiterating the righteousness of the Union cause. Letters are inscribed in pencil and ink. One letter from September 23, 1863 features a folksy pen drawing of an eagle grasping a ribbon.

The correspondents who signed these letters include Augustus A. Hill (1844-1862), Ennis E. Reed (died April 22, 1862 on the hospital ship City of Memphis), John Hill, Abraham Meyers, as well as "Will" and "Dwight". These men knew each other from their home in central Wisconsin. The letters discuss quotidian topics like camp food (mostly hardtack, bread, crackers, coffee, and bacon); clothing and equipment (overcoats, uniform, boots, and blankets); the weather (lots of mud ); health (updates on injuries and illness); and recent military activity. Homesickness is a constant theme, underlined by the plea to send more letters. Information, in the form of newspapers and letters from back home, was treasured. The soldiers' perceptions of their enemies are illuminating. To the 8th Wisconsin Volunteers, the Southern cause was unjust, unlawful, and ungodly. Confederates were just Rebels, or, more disparagingly, "Secesh".

See below for some excerpts mentioning the enemy:

November 6, 1861: "Oh Dear I wish I was there to go with you but have got to stay and watch Secesh...I don't want to come [home] until I shoot one Rebel...Tell your Ina (?) that I do not Black my boots or comb my hair quite as often as I did at home Reason: I am afraid that I will have a squad of secesh girls after me only think what I could do then..."

From an undated cross-written letter, circa January 1862: "I must describe the females (excuse my blunder) ladies of Missouri. Those that I have seen in the country would make good subjects for comic pictures. They are poor, ragged, forlorn, hoopless beings. Hoops are unknown, and I expect a lady from Wis. with full uniform on would frighten them out of their wits if they have any. They all stare with childish impudence at us as if we were from another world". On illiterate women from Georgia: "...consequently they knew nothing about secession only what they had 'hearn tell on'".

February 1, 1862: "One of our gun Boats arrived here this morning all knocked to pieces with a Rebel flag half mast and the Stars + Stripes at mast head waving over it inclosed is a sliver from the boat - shot - a rebel ball knocked off at the same time keep it to remind you of the death of one of the defenders of our flag, that was shot by a cursed Rebel".

Important Civil War leaders are mentioned throughout the letters, including Confederate leader M. Jeff Thompson (1826-1876) and Union Generals John Pope (1822-1892) and Joseph B. Plummer (1816-1862). One can trace the southern progress of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteers through Point Pleasant, Missouri through Corinth, Mississippi, where engagements occurred between March to May 1862. In addition, the Battles of Fort Verry, Little Rock, Chattanooga, and Knoxville are mentioned in the February 1, 1862 and September 23, 1863 letters.

The archive features many letters from seventeen-year-old volunteer Augustus A. Hill. As we know from details provided in a June 28, 1862 letter, Augustus died nine days after his eighteenth birthday after a five-day illness; he wrote his last letter home eight days before he died. According to Augustus's friend Will, Augustus's "grave is in a very pretty place in a Peach orchard in the shade of a large Oak tree" in Farmington, Mississippi. His body was later interred in Mount Repose Cemetery in Adams Township, Wisconsin.

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