Letters Home

During the years of the Civil War, newspapers in the North would publish letters written by soldiers from the local area. Below is a collection of such letters published by the Gallipolis Journal and transcribed by Eva Swain Hughes. This is a work in progress and will be updated as more of these letters become available.

Letter from Pierre Drouillard US Army 6th Division published August 8, 1861

Letters from soldiers in the 36th OVI beginning Nov. 14, 1861

Anonymous Letter from a soldier in the 41st OVI & dated Nov. 26, 1861

Letters from soldiers of the 18th OVI & beginning Dec. 5, 1861

Letters from soldiers in the 4th West Virginia Infantry beginning Feb. 25, 1862

Letters from C.C. Bowen of the 6th OVI beginning Feb. 26, 1862

Letter from soldiers in the 7th OVI dated Feb. 26, 1862

Letter from Lieut. B.F. Thomas of the Virginia Vol. Light Artillery dated Mar. 19, 1862

Letter from Ira W. Booton of the 73rd OVI dated Apr. 24, 1862

Letters from soldier in the 1st Minnesota Voluntary Infantry published June 8, 1862

Letter from soldier in the 33rd OVI published June 12, 1862

Letters from the RAM Fleet on the Mississippi River beginning June 20, 1862

Letter from soldier in the 173rd OVI published July 3, 1862

Letter from soldier in the 19th OVI published July 10, 1862

Letter from soldier in the 60th OVI published July 10, 1862

Letters from soldiers in 8th WV Infantry near Culpeper, VA, published Sept. 15, 1862

Letters from soldiers in the 91st OVI first published Nov. 6, 1862

Letters from soldiers in the 117th OVI (later 1st OVHA) first published Dec. 11, 1862

Letters from the 18th Battery Ohio Voluntary Artillery beginning Dec. 11, 1862

Letter from soldier in the 56th OVI published Jan. 1, 1863

Letters from an apparent war correspondent beginning January 22, 1863

Letter from soldier in the 5th West Virginia Infantry published Jan. 22, 1863

Letter from soldier in Jackson, Tennessee

Letters from soldier in 7th OVC beginning January 19, 1863

Letter from soldier in Horse Battery M, 2d US Artillery published February 26, 1863

Letter from soldiers in 81st OVI published March 26, 1863

Letters from soldiers in 69th OVI published May 7, 1863

Letter from soldier in the 12th OVI published May 7, 1863

Letter from the 8th Missouri Voluntary Infantry published June 11, 1863

Letter from the Ringgold Cavalry published June 11, 1863

Letter from "Benecia Boy" in 2nd OVHA published October 15, 1863

Letter from soldier in 3rd Iowa Infantry published November 23, 1863

Letter from soldier in California published March 24, 1864

Letter from soldier in the 11th Ohio Voluntary Infantry published April 28, 1864

Letters from soldiers in the 141st Ohio National Guard

Letter from soldier in the 8th Independent Ohio Sharp Shooters published February 16, 1865

Letter from 95th OVI published March 30, 1865

Letter from soldier in the 194th OVI published April 13, 1865

Letter from soldier in the 1st US Colored Heavy Artillery published May 4, 1865

Letter from soldier in the 60th OVI published May 4, 1865

Letter from soldier in the 195th OVI published May 4, 1865

Letter from 179th OVI