American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

Approx. 76 war-date letters from Duncan Thompson to family members, spanning 1861-1864 (bulk 1862-1863), during which time Thomson served first as a private in Co. K, Ohio 19th Infantry, a three-months regiment, then reenlisted as a private with Co. G, Ohio 64th Infantry. Letters typically 2-4pp, mostly ink on lined paper. Thompson is reasonably well-educated and writes in a descriptive manner, though letters often employ phonetical spelling. Generally strong content throughout, highlighted by references to the 1862 Siege of Corinth, the Dec. 1862-Jan. 1863 Battle of Stones River, John Hunt Morgan's Kentucky raiders, and the passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River leading into the Chickamauga Campaign.

The earliest letter in the grouping (undated) is written from Camp Buckingham, Mansfield, Ohio, where the Ohio 64th Infantry Regiment was organized in November and December 1861. From there the regiment moves to Kentucky in early 1862, with the next letters coming from Bardstown ("it is [a] very pretty town but thay ar all Cesh hear thear is but few Union folks hear and what thear is we can't trust...") and Hall's Gap where the regiment built roads ("I am getting to be quite a chopper now we get 24 cents per day...there is four thousand at work..."). The regiment then advances to Bowling Green and on to Nashville. Thompson describes Nashville in a letter of 16 March 1862: "When we crossed over the river I was quite surprised to see such a big place ther is sum splendid buildings in the Sity and it is full of Sech...they [the secessionists) ar very bold the texes rangers pick our pockets of every night thay ride out up to our men and shoot...."

After Nashville, Thompson's letters resume in May 1862 as his regiment joined the Northern advance on Corinth. Thompson describes building entrenchments, heavy firing between Union and Confederate forces, the steady influx of Confederate prisoners, and his close proximity to the enemy: "our picket and the Enemay ar so clost that they holler at one another Bulls Run and our men hellered Pitsburgh Landing and I[s]land numbr ten our boys think it is fun to go out on picket..." ("Camp Neare Corenth," 21 May 1862). On June 1, 1862, Thompson writes a descriptive and animated letter relaying news of the Confederates withdraw from Corinth, saying in small part: "I have gust com from Corinth and ben al over the town our men tok Posion [possession] of it on 29th Rebels hav ben Avactued for 3 day but we dident find it out till thay had left about half of them went by the Railroad the pople in town have all left I hav Seen 3 woman that is all that is left...." He continues describing the aftermath of the withdrawal, noting that incoming Confederate prisoners were "Irich" and "Duch" and wearing "all kinds of uniformes...."

After Corinth, Thompson writes from Tuscumbia and Stevenson, Alabama, and again then from Tennessee and Kentucky, as the regiment pursues General Braxton Bragg. His interesting letters describe marches, skirmishes, regimental news, and guerilla activity and more. A letter from "Camp on Rock Rivr Nov [1862]" describes the 64th's pursuit of John Hunt Morgan and his cavalrymen, including multiple near misses: "the 6 Battry opened out on som of Morgens Cavrley som of our men took some persners thay was all dress in Citsons dress we camped that evening till Most dark whear old Morgen Camp the Night before his fiers was still Burning the Boys went to the Nerest house and striped them of evrything such as Chickens turkeys Corn Meal Blankets...the poples hear in the South ar as the wind thay chang arounds when Morgen coms it Huraw for him and thay stick out a union flag sum of them ceep two on purpose for that...." December 1862 finds Thompson and the 64th in camp near Murfreesboro. In a 2pp letter of 6 January 1863 (letter incomplete, unsigned) Thompson provides a detailed description of the regiment's movements from 26 December 1862 and up until the Battle of Murfreesburo: "...the next day [December 31] the dance went on in earnest we were a going to attact the rebels on the left and had started to cross the river againwhen Gen. Rosencrans sent us on over to renforce McCookon the right...the rebels were in the woods and in a cornfield they opened fire on us before we could see them with musketry and artillery when we got up within about 50 yards we began to give them the best we had we fired from ten to fifteen rounds apiece and were then ordered to fall back into the woods...."

Beyond battle content, Thompson describes the landscape and culture of the areas in which he is encamped. In an undated letter (likely June 1862), Thompson describes the "splendid" and bountiful Alabama countryside, and encountering enslaved African Americans: "ther is sum larg Plantation her I counted 303 Negrows In one field all plowing at onst you will see one old planter with a hole field full of negrows shoutes [?] I counted 40 small houses In fact ther is nothing but Negrows to be seen...." While camped near Stevenson, Alabama, Thompson writes that the regiment has "sum 800 Negrows hear to work evry day thay hav grat times on Sunday Thay hav Church evry Sunday and Shout ther is Slaves as whit as I am with white heairs lite eyes and ther hear as strate as mine that is slavry for you...."

Thompson's final letter in the archive is from April 9 (?), 1864. One month later, on 5/9/1864, he would be wounded in action at the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge during the Atlanta Campaign. Thompson died of his wounds seven weeks later.

[With:] One letter from Private Simeon Slusher, sent from General Hospital No.1, Chattanooga, notifying the family of Duncan Thompson's death. -- Two letters written by Thompson's father, Duncan M. Thompson, to Duncan while he was with the 64th. -- One letter from Mary Thompson, Duncan's mother, writing to her son Private Enoch Thompson, serving with the 115th Ohio Infantry, notifying him that they received notice of Duncan's death, and their father has started a journey to Chattanooga to see Duncan in the hospital, unaware that he has passed. -- One letter written by Duncan M. Thompson from Louisville enroute to Chattanooga, to his son Private Enoch Thompson, notifying him that he had received word of Duncan's death. "I never espected he would get better although i did not say much if they had took his leg of at the start there would have been some chance...." -- Three letters written by family members to Enoch Thompson while he was still in the field.

[Also with:] Manuscript poem by unidentified author (likely Sgt. Duncan Thompson), 1p, titled "Sleeping for the Flag Brother." -- A portion of letters accompanied by typed transcriptions.

Thompson first enlisted as a private on 4/23/1861, just weeks after the Confederate assault on Fort Sumter. He served three months with the Ohio 19th Infantry before mustering out on 8/31/1861. HDS indicates that Thompson enlisted again on 10/26/1861 as a 20-year-old private and mustered into Co. G, Ohio 64th Infantry. The 64th regiment was regularly engaged during its three years' service, including at the Battle of Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Stones River, Chickamauga, and during the Atlanta Campaign. Thompson was promoted to sergeant 3/1/1862. He was wounded 5/9/1864 at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, and after spending weeks in the hospital, died of wounds 6/28/1864 at Chattanooga, TN. He is buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery.