33rd Indiana Infantry CIVIL WAR SOLDIER LETTER From Camp Near Danville, Kentucky
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:98720 |
CIVIL WAR LETTER
This Civil War letter was written by Private Franklin (“Frank”) Lesley (1836-1864) who enlisted in Co. K, 33rd Indiana Volunteers on 16 September 1861. The roster for the regiment does not indicate when he mustered out of the regiment. It isn’t known if he was among the 400 members of the regiment taken prisoner in March 1863 by Van Dorn’s forces near Columbia, Tennessee. Most of the members, including the paroled prisoners, re-enlisted in January 1864 but w...e don’t know if Pvt. Lesley was among them. Curiously, his headstone is located in the Old Thorntown Cemetery, in Thorntown, Boone county Indiana. The headstone application, placed in 1886, indicates that Frank died on 30 November 1864.Frank was the orphaned son of Aaron Lasley (1808-1856) and French emigrant, Louisa Dis Jorden (1814-1859), of Gallia county, Ohio, and later of Washington township, Warren county, Indiana. He had several surviving siblings, however, one of whom was Nancy Jane Lesley (1844-1902) who was living in Clinton county, Indiana, at the time she received this letter in 1863. Nancy married in 1868 to Alexander White Sims (1842-1922) and later moved to Washington county, Illinois.[Note: Most military records spell Frank’s surname “Lasley” but I have spelled it Lesley as that is the way he signed it and that is the way it appears on his headstone.]TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Miss Nancy J. Lesley, Jefferson, Clinton county, IndianaCamp near Danville, Kentucky
January the 16th, 1863
Company K, 33d Regiment Ind. Vols.Dear Sister Nancy, It is with much pleasure that I seat myself to answer your kind and interesting epistle which I received and perused last evening. I was much pleased to hear from [you] and of your good health. Your letter found me well and hope these [few lines] may find you enjoying the same blessing which is the happiest enjoyment of the human event. Sister, there is nothing that can surpass health and happiness.Now I suppose you had a good time at Christmas and New Years but as far as myself, I had a dry time. There was nothing here to interest me. Everything was still except some mule races but I did not go to see them so the day passed and nothing to amuse me and I stayed in quarters all day.Nan, I expect you and the school marm has a big time in playing tricks on each other and that young man that boards at your house. Nan, I would like to be there to help you play off some of them tricks for I was pretty good at such things once. I think I could help you yet of some good things some time.Nan, I have not heard from David for some time. He was at Helena, Arkansas, the last time he wrote to me. Nan, I have no news of any importance [so] I will close. So goodnight and write soon. Your brother, — Frank LesleyTERMS$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.
00159
This Civil War letter was written by Private Franklin (“Frank”) Lesley (1836-1864) who enlisted in Co. K, 33rd Indiana Volunteers on 16 September 1861. The roster for the regiment does not indicate when he mustered out of the regiment. It isn’t known if he was among the 400 members of the regiment taken prisoner in March 1863 by Van Dorn’s forces near Columbia, Tennessee. Most of the members, including the paroled prisoners, re-enlisted in January 1864 but w...e don’t know if Pvt. Lesley was among them. Curiously, his headstone is located in the Old Thorntown Cemetery, in Thorntown, Boone county Indiana. The headstone application, placed in 1886, indicates that Frank died on 30 November 1864.Frank was the orphaned son of Aaron Lasley (1808-1856) and French emigrant, Louisa Dis Jorden (1814-1859), of Gallia county, Ohio, and later of Washington township, Warren county, Indiana. He had several surviving siblings, however, one of whom was Nancy Jane Lesley (1844-1902) who was living in Clinton county, Indiana, at the time she received this letter in 1863. Nancy married in 1868 to Alexander White Sims (1842-1922) and later moved to Washington county, Illinois.[Note: Most military records spell Frank’s surname “Lasley” but I have spelled it Lesley as that is the way he signed it and that is the way it appears on his headstone.]TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Miss Nancy J. Lesley, Jefferson, Clinton county, IndianaCamp near Danville, Kentucky
January the 16th, 1863
Company K, 33d Regiment Ind. Vols.Dear Sister Nancy, It is with much pleasure that I seat myself to answer your kind and interesting epistle which I received and perused last evening. I was much pleased to hear from [you] and of your good health. Your letter found me well and hope these [few lines] may find you enjoying the same blessing which is the happiest enjoyment of the human event. Sister, there is nothing that can surpass health and happiness.Now I suppose you had a good time at Christmas and New Years but as far as myself, I had a dry time. There was nothing here to interest me. Everything was still except some mule races but I did not go to see them so the day passed and nothing to amuse me and I stayed in quarters all day.Nan, I expect you and the school marm has a big time in playing tricks on each other and that young man that boards at your house. Nan, I would like to be there to help you play off some of them tricks for I was pretty good at such things once. I think I could help you yet of some good things some time.Nan, I have not heard from David for some time. He was at Helena, Arkansas, the last time he wrote to me. Nan, I have no news of any importance [so] I will close. So goodnight and write soon. Your brother, — Frank LesleyTERMS$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.
00159
