In the following letter, published in the Mount Vernon (Ohio) Democratic Banner on June 17, 1865, a soldier in the 61st describes life on the march under Sherman in 1864 and 1865. In particular he emphasizes his appearance at the end of the Carolinas Campaign. Cut off from their supply lines on the march from Savannah, Georgia to Goldsboro, North Carolina, Sherman’s soldiers replaced their worn out uniforms as they could.
(The author of the letter, “Jack”, was most likely James Long/Doyle. James Long was 15 years old when he enlisted on December 5, 1861 at Mount Vernon and served as a musician in Company G of the 61st. Re-enlisting in 1864, James later transferred to Co. G of the 82nd OVI on March 31, 1865 as the two regiments were consolidated. According to pension records, James Long was an alias for James Doyle).
Interesting Army Letter
Mr. Harper – The following graphic letter from one of Sherman’s drummer boys may prove interesting to many of your readers, and perhaps of special interest to yourself, as the writer was formerly a member of the Mt. Vernon Typographical corps:
Alexandria, VA., May 22d, 1865.
You will see by the date of this letter, that I am nearer home now than I have been for some time. One year ago, to-day, our Regt. (61st O.O.V.I.)[sic] was for the second time engaged with Hood’s army, after reporting back to the field from veteran furlough, and since that time we have been almost continually on the move, and we are now lying at rest near the Potomac, after one of the longest and hardest campaigns of the war. I will give you as nearly as I can the distances to the different places we have been marched. From Chattanooga to Atlanta, one hundred and thirty miles – Atlanta to Savannah, three hundred miles- from there to Goldsboro’, via Columbia and Winsboro’, S.S., four hundred and ninety-six miles – from Goldsboro’ to Raleigh, N.C., fifty-five miles – Raleigh to Richmond, one hundred and eighty-five miles – Richmond to Alexandra, one hundred and thirty-one miles; making in all a march of twelve hundred and ninety-seven miles. So you may well suppose we are sorely in want of rest. I had only two pairs of shoes and two pairs of pants in all that time, that I drew from the Government. If you had seen me when I came into Goldsboro you would have laughed. I was attired as follows: a Southern Confederacy Palmetto straw hat, with the rim half torn off, and my hair sticking out at the top; one old boot without a heel and one shoe, a number twelve, with the toes out front; a pair of rebel pants, with corporal’s stripes down the leg, and on one knee an enormous patch of U.S. blue; on the other a hole of about six inches in diameter, served the place of a patch. To crown all, a coat that had once been the pride of some dashing confederate officer, with a star on each side of the collar and two rows of buttons on the breast and gold lace on the sleeves, from the cuff to the elbow, not forgetting the spike tail, which came down to my “calves.” Of tails I suppose it once had an ample share, but when I got this never-to-be-forgotten piece of goods, (for you must recollect that spike tails are generally in two parts, and this was the case with mine,) was almost torn off, lace, buttons and all, and looked very much to me as if the gallant wearer had been in a very great hurry in getting through a thicket, with a Yank or two after him – for instance, in the fight of the 20th of July last, at Peach-tree Creek. Lastly, I carried, instead of a drum, a rebel carbine, which I had used to defend myself whenever attacked by a fat young hog or sheep – or when sometimes obliged to shed blood in the poultry yard of some wealthy old rebel, to save – not exactly my life, but my reputation as a forager, or commonly termed ‘brimmer’[sic]. I am not alone in [that] respect. The entire army were more or less dressed as I was. In fact, when our Regt. went to Newbern[sic] with prisoners, the people wondered to see rebels guarding their own man, for they could not see the difference, so far as costume, was concerned, and several asked me where I was captured.
But we are all sleek now as ever. You must not be in too great a hurry for me to come home, for the report now is that all the ‘vets’ are going to be kept for the term which we re-enlisted. I would sooner go home, but I think as I have stood it three years and more in the field, I can worry through twenty-two months in garrison, and besides, we will all get furloughs. We are now consolidated with the 92d [82nd] O.V.V.I.
All the Mt. Vernon boys are well. Colonel McGroarty is here, commanding the regiment.
Write soon, and give me the history of everything and everybody within the corporation, for the last six months.
Jack
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