39th Ohio Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER From Kansas City, MO - Getting Ready For War
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:114717 |
CIVIL WAR LETTER
Thomas Hine (1838-1897) was the son of Joseph Hine (1809-1878) and Rebecca Ann Hill (1812-1890). Joseph was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and came to Mount Washington, Hamilton county, Ohio in 1832, where he married and took up farming. His farm can be located on the 1869 Map of Anderson township. See below:Joseph and Rebecca Hine may have had other children but there were only two enumerated in their household in both the 1850 and 1860 US Census Records—Lizzie..., born in 1836, and Thomas, born in 1838. From one of Thomas’ letters, we know his birthday was 5 December 1838. From his handwriting, we can conclude that Thomas had a limited education. He often misspelled common words and his letters were a bit of a challenge to decipher. But there was clarity of thought and a touch of humor in most of what he wrote that make them quite enjoyable to read.Tintype of Thomas Hine, Ca. 1875Thomas Hine’s Headstone in NebraskaFrom service records we know that Thomas enlisted on 20 July 1861 in Co. D, 39th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He enlisted with many other of the young men from Mount Washington whose names can be found on the adjacent farms in his neighborhood—Mears, Stoms, and Whetstone, for example. The regiment was first sent into Missouri, then to Mississippi, and Tennessee. But their mettle was largely untested until they joined Sherman’s Army and marched on Atlanta where they played a pivotal role in several battles. It took part in the battle of Resaca, the action at Dallas, then moved to Acworth, thence to Big Shanty, pushing the Confederate army to the base of Kennesaw mountain, where the regiment remained under constant fire until the enemy abandoned his line and took position near the Chattahoochee river. Then the regiment engaged in a successful assault on the enemy’s works at Nickajack creek and on July 22 assisted in repelling the attack of Hardee’s corps on the left flank of the Army of the Tennessee. This was the most severe engagement in which the regiment participated during its term of service, losing one-third of its number in killed and wounded.Though he promised his sister and mother he would not reenlist as a veteran after his first term of service, he did so and continued to serve until July 1865 when he mustered out at Louisville. After leaving the service, Thomas wrote that, “I have resided in Melrose Hills (Kentucky), Hamilton County (Ohio); and Dawson and Custer Counties (Nebraska) and my occupation has been that of a farmer. Prior to my entry into the service, …I was a man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a farmer. That I am now entirely disabled from obtaining my subsistence by manual labor by reason of my disabilities [rheumatism and chronic diarrhea] above described and received in the service of the United States, I therefore make this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States.” This was in 1891.After Thomas’ death in 1897, his widow, Mary E. Hine (formerly a widow of William Aker), filed for a Widow’s Pension in the state of Nebraska. In the application she wrote: “I am the widow of Thomas Hine. I was married before—married my first husband William Aker on 3rd day of May 1858, witness Anna Talbot and Frank Fiester. William Aker died 15th day of September 1861, persons present at his death were our neighbors. My two aunts have tried the neighbors to find but can’t get no clue of them. My two aunts are Dean. No public record of my first marriage and my marriage certificate was lost by fire and two witnesses of my first marriage are gone, I don’t know where. I have done all I could to find the witness of my first marriage and the proof of his death.”NOTE - The tintype image of Hine does not come with this lot.
TRANSCRIPTIONKansas City, Missouri
October 12th 1861Dear Sister and all, Your letter came to hand some days since but I have not answered for various reasons. In the first place, I have not had a sheet of paper nor a stamp or envelope. In the second place, I have not had time to write as I was appointed to oversee the cooking and cleaning of the camp kettles & mess pans some few days ago and have been very busy since. Our cook is still with us (but will not be any longer than we can get money to pay him). He has got to drinking too much to tend to his business. Consequently it was necessary that something be done to have things done as they should be and I was appointed to attend to it which kept me busy up to the present time. I have now got things cleaned and righted up so it does not occupy quite all my time and I am devoting a portion of it to you and the folks at home.I wrote to Henry about two weeks ago (that was since we have been here) but have not as yet received his reply. Whether or no he got it, I can’t say but hope he did. Even if he did not, you have heard from us since we got here through Dr. Nixon’s letters in the Commercial which Edd Stoms sent to Hor[ace G. Stoms] in a letter which is all true.I have nothing new to communicate to you unless it be that the health of our boys is better than it was a few days ago—at least I think it is. I know it is better in our company. We have again tents since we got here but of a different style from our others as 16 of us were in a squad before and now 7 which fills them so tight we have to lay on our sides and can’t turn or move. Some few of us have got our overcoats—some 12 or 15 in a company. All the non-commissioned officers in our company have got them and as I have been appointed corporal the 5th, I have got mine so I am tolerable well prepared for the cold winds of Missouri.When we will leave here, I don’t know, but think it will not be long. There has been a rumor in camp for some two days we would leave soon to go south from here but the boys don’t know anything about it.The letter you forwarded to me was from John Lewellin which was a long and interesting letter. You can tell his mother he says he is well and doing well and says he is coming home in the spring. He is still in the same place in the same business.I was sorry and surprised to learn of Aunt Butcher’s death. The last time I was there, she was enjoying very poor health and had been for some time now. Her sickness, sorrow, and pains are to an end and I presume it is better for her. She has endured much trouble and affliction but with her, it is no more.I must close. Write soon and often. Send me the stamps if they can be got. Yours truly as ever, — Yours, — TomTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
00068
Thomas Hine (1838-1897) was the son of Joseph Hine (1809-1878) and Rebecca Ann Hill (1812-1890). Joseph was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and came to Mount Washington, Hamilton county, Ohio in 1832, where he married and took up farming. His farm can be located on the 1869 Map of Anderson township. See below:Joseph and Rebecca Hine may have had other children but there were only two enumerated in their household in both the 1850 and 1860 US Census Records—Lizzie..., born in 1836, and Thomas, born in 1838. From one of Thomas’ letters, we know his birthday was 5 December 1838. From his handwriting, we can conclude that Thomas had a limited education. He often misspelled common words and his letters were a bit of a challenge to decipher. But there was clarity of thought and a touch of humor in most of what he wrote that make them quite enjoyable to read.Tintype of Thomas Hine, Ca. 1875Thomas Hine’s Headstone in NebraskaFrom service records we know that Thomas enlisted on 20 July 1861 in Co. D, 39th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He enlisted with many other of the young men from Mount Washington whose names can be found on the adjacent farms in his neighborhood—Mears, Stoms, and Whetstone, for example. The regiment was first sent into Missouri, then to Mississippi, and Tennessee. But their mettle was largely untested until they joined Sherman’s Army and marched on Atlanta where they played a pivotal role in several battles. It took part in the battle of Resaca, the action at Dallas, then moved to Acworth, thence to Big Shanty, pushing the Confederate army to the base of Kennesaw mountain, where the regiment remained under constant fire until the enemy abandoned his line and took position near the Chattahoochee river. Then the regiment engaged in a successful assault on the enemy’s works at Nickajack creek and on July 22 assisted in repelling the attack of Hardee’s corps on the left flank of the Army of the Tennessee. This was the most severe engagement in which the regiment participated during its term of service, losing one-third of its number in killed and wounded.Though he promised his sister and mother he would not reenlist as a veteran after his first term of service, he did so and continued to serve until July 1865 when he mustered out at Louisville. After leaving the service, Thomas wrote that, “I have resided in Melrose Hills (Kentucky), Hamilton County (Ohio); and Dawson and Custer Counties (Nebraska) and my occupation has been that of a farmer. Prior to my entry into the service, …I was a man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a farmer. That I am now entirely disabled from obtaining my subsistence by manual labor by reason of my disabilities [rheumatism and chronic diarrhea] above described and received in the service of the United States, I therefore make this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States.” This was in 1891.After Thomas’ death in 1897, his widow, Mary E. Hine (formerly a widow of William Aker), filed for a Widow’s Pension in the state of Nebraska. In the application she wrote: “I am the widow of Thomas Hine. I was married before—married my first husband William Aker on 3rd day of May 1858, witness Anna Talbot and Frank Fiester. William Aker died 15th day of September 1861, persons present at his death were our neighbors. My two aunts have tried the neighbors to find but can’t get no clue of them. My two aunts are Dean. No public record of my first marriage and my marriage certificate was lost by fire and two witnesses of my first marriage are gone, I don’t know where. I have done all I could to find the witness of my first marriage and the proof of his death.”NOTE - The tintype image of Hine does not come with this lot.
TRANSCRIPTIONKansas City, Missouri
October 12th 1861Dear Sister and all, Your letter came to hand some days since but I have not answered for various reasons. In the first place, I have not had a sheet of paper nor a stamp or envelope. In the second place, I have not had time to write as I was appointed to oversee the cooking and cleaning of the camp kettles & mess pans some few days ago and have been very busy since. Our cook is still with us (but will not be any longer than we can get money to pay him). He has got to drinking too much to tend to his business. Consequently it was necessary that something be done to have things done as they should be and I was appointed to attend to it which kept me busy up to the present time. I have now got things cleaned and righted up so it does not occupy quite all my time and I am devoting a portion of it to you and the folks at home.I wrote to Henry about two weeks ago (that was since we have been here) but have not as yet received his reply. Whether or no he got it, I can’t say but hope he did. Even if he did not, you have heard from us since we got here through Dr. Nixon’s letters in the Commercial which Edd Stoms sent to Hor[ace G. Stoms] in a letter which is all true.I have nothing new to communicate to you unless it be that the health of our boys is better than it was a few days ago—at least I think it is. I know it is better in our company. We have again tents since we got here but of a different style from our others as 16 of us were in a squad before and now 7 which fills them so tight we have to lay on our sides and can’t turn or move. Some few of us have got our overcoats—some 12 or 15 in a company. All the non-commissioned officers in our company have got them and as I have been appointed corporal the 5th, I have got mine so I am tolerable well prepared for the cold winds of Missouri.When we will leave here, I don’t know, but think it will not be long. There has been a rumor in camp for some two days we would leave soon to go south from here but the boys don’t know anything about it.The letter you forwarded to me was from John Lewellin which was a long and interesting letter. You can tell his mother he says he is well and doing well and says he is coming home in the spring. He is still in the same place in the same business.I was sorry and surprised to learn of Aunt Butcher’s death. The last time I was there, she was enjoying very poor health and had been for some time now. Her sickness, sorrow, and pains are to an end and I presume it is better for her. She has endured much trouble and affliction but with her, it is no more.I must close. Write soon and often. Send me the stamps if they can be got. Yours truly as ever, — Yours, — TomTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
00068
