Hymn & Letter By 49th Ohio Infantry Soldier Killed In Action Days Later
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:24968895 | Type: Manuscript |
| Original/Reproduction: Original | Modified Item: No |
| Conflict: Civil War (1861-65) | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
This is a very sad grouping -- two handwritten items (plus a partial envelope) from Isaac Niederhouser, an 18-year-old who enlisted in Company E of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on February 22, 1864 and died on May 30, 1864 of wounds received three days earlier at the Battle of Pickett's Mill. What's particularly heart-wrenching is that he composed his "Soldier's Hymn" -- about a young soldier on the verge of death -- on May 11th. The same day he fought at Rocky Face and then went o...n to Resaca, and then Pickett's Mill. The letter included here describes some of that.
The letter is is 4 pages, 7.75 x 5 inches, dated May 20, 1864. The handwriting is a bit challenging and the spelling is non-standard. Below is a transcript of some of the letter with spelling standardized and punctuation added. When you see _________ it means I could not read a word.
Since the 7th day of May we was fighting and skirmishing every day. On the 10 of May we was fighting at Rocky Face and on the 11 the balls whistled out over our heads. On the 12 we made for them and they ran like good fellows and we after them they did not stop til they came to Kingston. There they had heavy works. We __ _____ and then we went in to them. We charged on them and we took these first works from them. But then we heard the balls whistle and the canon balls cut the lines above our heads. There we ____ it to them and they to us. They was behind these works and we was in the open field. There we fought til 11 o'clock Sunday night. Then the Rebs broke for the _______, leaving some of their dead and wounded on the field. At once place there was 16 dead rebels all on one place. There was only 4 wounded out of Co. E: John Freese, Sid Graham, Taylor Michaels, Samuel Drenning. I wrote to pop this morning. We was ____ to march and we had to __ up so I did not get it finished but I sealed it and sent it off. Oh yes, General _____ was mortally wounded on Saturday. "
Now back to the Soldier's Hymn. Below is the whole text, to the best of my ability to decipher it. It is accompanied by the front (only) of the envelope in which he mailed it home to Ohio.
May the 11 A.D. 1864
Death is a melancholy ballA___ judgment for us allDeath takes the young well as the oldHe takes them in his arms so boldTis awful, awful, awful
There was a youth the other dayJust in his prime and looked so gayHe trifled all his time awayAnd dropped in to EternityTis awful, awful, awful
As he lay on his dying bedEternity he began to dreadHe says Oh Lord I see my stateBut now I fear it is too lateTis awful, awful, awful
His parents both were standing ______With tears a-rolling to the groundHe says dear father pray for me For I am bound for EternityTis awful, awful, awful
His brothers and sisters were standing byBegging dearest brother you’re young to dieA few more breaths may be perceived[?]Before this young man takes his leaveTis awful, awful, awful
Then he was laid beneath the groundWith brothers and sisters both weeping soundWith weeping hearts and troubled mindsTo think their brother in Hell confinedTis awful, awful, awful
Good lord what bitter groans and criesWith thunder rolling through the skiesAnd Christians shouting ___the hourAnd sinners sinking in despairTis awful, awful, awful
Written by Isaac NeiderhouserSoldier’s hymn
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From the American Battlefield Trust:
Following his withdrawal from Rocky Face Ridge, the first battle in Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's campaign against Atlanta, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston established a four-mile long defensive position protecting the Western & Atlantic Railroad northwest of nearby Resaca, where the railroad crossed the Oostanaula River. On May 13, 1864, Sherman tested the Rebel lines with little result. The next day, a full-scale battle erupted. Sherman attacked the Confederate center with the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland; Johnston replied late that afternoon with a counter-attack against the Union left. Neither attack was decisive. On the 15th, Sherman renewed his assault on Johnston’s right. Meanwhile, a division of Federal troops crossed the Oostanaula at Lay’s Ferry south of the Confederate line, effectively flanking Johnston out of his entrenchments and forcing him to withdraw. Sherman's overpowering advantage in manpower and his flanking technique would continue be used against Johnston repeatedly during the Atlanta campaign, usually with success.
From Wikipedia:
The Battle of Pickett's Mill was fought on May 27, 1864, in Paulding County, Georgia, during the American Civil War between Union and Confederate forces. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attempted an attack on the right flank of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.After the Union defeat at New Hope Church, Sherman ordered Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard to attack Johnston's seemingly exposed right flank. The Confederates were ready for the attack, which did not unfold as planned because supporting troops never appeared. The Confederates repulsed the attack causing high casualties. Author Ambrose Bierce fought for the Union at Pickett's Mill as a topographical engineer under William Babcock Hazen. Bierce's short story "The Crime at Pickett's Mill" is about this battle.Bierce reported that the battle took about 45 minutes; that the total loss was 1, 400 men; one-half were killed and wounded in Hazen's brigade in 30 minutes of actual fighting.
The letter is is 4 pages, 7.75 x 5 inches, dated May 20, 1864. The handwriting is a bit challenging and the spelling is non-standard. Below is a transcript of some of the letter with spelling standardized and punctuation added. When you see _________ it means I could not read a word.
Since the 7th day of May we was fighting and skirmishing every day. On the 10 of May we was fighting at Rocky Face and on the 11 the balls whistled out over our heads. On the 12 we made for them and they ran like good fellows and we after them they did not stop til they came to Kingston. There they had heavy works. We __ _____ and then we went in to them. We charged on them and we took these first works from them. But then we heard the balls whistle and the canon balls cut the lines above our heads. There we ____ it to them and they to us. They was behind these works and we was in the open field. There we fought til 11 o'clock Sunday night. Then the Rebs broke for the _______, leaving some of their dead and wounded on the field. At once place there was 16 dead rebels all on one place. There was only 4 wounded out of Co. E: John Freese, Sid Graham, Taylor Michaels, Samuel Drenning. I wrote to pop this morning. We was ____ to march and we had to __ up so I did not get it finished but I sealed it and sent it off. Oh yes, General _____ was mortally wounded on Saturday. "
Now back to the Soldier's Hymn. Below is the whole text, to the best of my ability to decipher it. It is accompanied by the front (only) of the envelope in which he mailed it home to Ohio.
May the 11 A.D. 1864
Death is a melancholy ballA___ judgment for us allDeath takes the young well as the oldHe takes them in his arms so boldTis awful, awful, awful
There was a youth the other dayJust in his prime and looked so gayHe trifled all his time awayAnd dropped in to EternityTis awful, awful, awful
As he lay on his dying bedEternity he began to dreadHe says Oh Lord I see my stateBut now I fear it is too lateTis awful, awful, awful
His parents both were standing ______With tears a-rolling to the groundHe says dear father pray for me For I am bound for EternityTis awful, awful, awful
His brothers and sisters were standing byBegging dearest brother you’re young to dieA few more breaths may be perceived[?]Before this young man takes his leaveTis awful, awful, awful
Then he was laid beneath the groundWith brothers and sisters both weeping soundWith weeping hearts and troubled mindsTo think their brother in Hell confinedTis awful, awful, awful
Good lord what bitter groans and criesWith thunder rolling through the skiesAnd Christians shouting ___the hourAnd sinners sinking in despairTis awful, awful, awful
Written by Isaac NeiderhouserSoldier’s hymn
----------------------------------------------------------------
From the American Battlefield Trust:
Following his withdrawal from Rocky Face Ridge, the first battle in Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's campaign against Atlanta, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston established a four-mile long defensive position protecting the Western & Atlantic Railroad northwest of nearby Resaca, where the railroad crossed the Oostanaula River. On May 13, 1864, Sherman tested the Rebel lines with little result. The next day, a full-scale battle erupted. Sherman attacked the Confederate center with the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland; Johnston replied late that afternoon with a counter-attack against the Union left. Neither attack was decisive. On the 15th, Sherman renewed his assault on Johnston’s right. Meanwhile, a division of Federal troops crossed the Oostanaula at Lay’s Ferry south of the Confederate line, effectively flanking Johnston out of his entrenchments and forcing him to withdraw. Sherman's overpowering advantage in manpower and his flanking technique would continue be used against Johnston repeatedly during the Atlanta campaign, usually with success.
From Wikipedia:
The Battle of Pickett's Mill was fought on May 27, 1864, in Paulding County, Georgia, during the American Civil War between Union and Confederate forces. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attempted an attack on the right flank of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.After the Union defeat at New Hope Church, Sherman ordered Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard to attack Johnston's seemingly exposed right flank. The Confederates were ready for the attack, which did not unfold as planned because supporting troops never appeared. The Confederates repulsed the attack causing high casualties. Author Ambrose Bierce fought for the Union at Pickett's Mill as a topographical engineer under William Babcock Hazen. Bierce's short story "The Crime at Pickett's Mill" is about this battle.Bierce reported that the battle took about 45 minutes; that the total loss was 1, 400 men; one-half were killed and wounded in Hazen's brigade in 30 minutes of actual fighting.
