Beschreibung:

First is from Fort Pickering, Memphis, TN, Jan. 30th, 1863. To Alfred Griffith, Vandalia, Fayette Co., Ill. from ?? Gruver. (Unable to locate any Gruvers in the databases from Illinois in service at this time. Several enlisted in 1864.) The first part of the letter is mostly personal, describing his recent illness, etc. He then tells his friend: …I don’t think that we will leave here during the war by all appearances. there was some talk of us going North again but that has played out. There was apart of our force had a skirmish with some guarillas yesterday about 5 miles from here. There was two of our men killed and about thirty of the Secesh. we heard hard fireing this evening but have not herd from them yet there is prisners brought in nearly evry day. You may think they have no money but there has none come in here but what has plenty of ____ ___ than any of Uncle Sams men ever have had yet they buy boxes of cigars and sit and smoke like gentlemen. You must take good care of the girls while I am gone for it may be along time before I get back it is hard but it is honest. Tell William I want him to write to me not hold of[f] for me to write to and for him to write and I will answer. It does me good for to get a letter from any body. I have not got two letters since I have been here and I have written more than a dozen since I have been here. I have very near run out of post stamps. They are might hard to get here. I must close for to night…. Second is from Madison Hospital, Indiana Section 4 Ward 5 April the 30 1864. Edward Camron to William J. Griffith. Camron tells his friend that he is getting better and thinks he will return to his regiment soon. He thinks they are going to Chattanooga for their remaining time in service, which is nearly out. Edward Camron enlisted in the 35th IL Infy. in August 1861 after Congress authorized half a million more volunteers on top of those Lincoln had already called in April and May. It spent the war in the Western Theater, fighting at Cross Hollows, Pea Ridge, the siege of Corinth, Murfreesboro, Stone River, Chickamauga, and many smaller battles before joining Sherman's Atlanta Campaign through the spring and summer of 1864. They mustered out at Springfield in September. Third is from Head Quarters Co. D. 41st Ills. February 6th /64. A.D. Twaddell (Aurelius D. Twaddle) to William Griffith ....Our boys have gone on a march they started day before yesterday in the direction of Jacksun yesterday all day we could hear the anon roar away to the south but it kept getting more indistinct all the time & last night some of the cavalry came back wounded & brought some prisoners. The rebels have a large force out there but our men were strong enough for them they took 20 days returning with them and I think they will go to Merridin. There was about fifty thousand troops left here they have been two days getting started. Most of the rest personal, a lot about the girls he has met, etc. He finishes with “I will be at home some time this spring I think as soon as the boys get back our company will start north on a furlough.” Aurelius Twaddle enlisted in July 1861 and was mustered into Co. D, 41st IL Infy. He veteranized in March 1864, the event referred to in his postscript to the letter. The unit mustered out in late July 1865. The 41st saw their first action at Fort Donelson, and the raw troops were overpowered by the Confederates. They lost some 200 killed and wounded and exhausted all of their ammunition. It then participated in both days' battles at Shiloh, again losing another 200. It moved with most of the rest to Corinth. From there it intercepted the Confederate army at the Hatchie River, and another group later on the Coldwater River. It spent the next couple months at Vicksburg, losing another 200. After their veteran's furlough, the 41st was at the base of Kennesaw Mountain when General Hood tried to make a run around Sherman at Atlanta. It moved to Savannah and was merged with the 53rd