Samuel Ross Moore (ca. 1870s)
This letter was written by Pvt. Samuel Ross Moore (1840-1925) of Company G, 95th Ohio Infantry. Samuel was the son of David W. Moore (1805-1851) and Hannah Heckman (1810-1886) of Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio. Samuel was married to Clara McCarty in 1871 and eventually settled in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio.
Samuel wrote the letter to his friend, Joseph Mast Maitland (1838-1918), the son of James Madison Maitland (1815-1864) and Anna Mast (1813-1896) of Kingston, Champaign County, Ohio. Joseph was employed as a school teacher prior to his enlistment as a corporal in Company G of the 95th Ohio Infantry. He rose to the rank of sergeant before being mustered out of the service. After the war he was married to Arabella Wharton (1844-1916).
1864 Letter
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Mr. J. M. Maitland, Headquarters Post, Memphis, Tennessee
Convalescent Camp near Nashville, Tennessee
December 27th 1864
Mr. J. M. Maitland
My dear friend,
Your very welcome letter of the 16th was just received by the politeness of Mr. Landis. I was very glad to hear from you. I have received no letters for about one month & I don’t know when I will as I am not with the regiment. Shortly after we came to this place, I was taken sick with the diarrhea & sent to the hospital & during the time I was there the troops advanced & then in a few days the hospital I was at was broken up — it being only a temporary concern. We were then ordered to report to the Convalescent Camp of our brigade which was the place that the regiment occupied at the outer line of entrenchments before they made the advance on the rebels. We had no shelter whatever as our tents were all stored in Nashville & I was left without a rubber blanket as I left both of mine for shelter for the boys when I went to the hospital. Wasn’t I in a bad predicament?
We were then ordered to the front but we could get no transportation & yesterday we received orders allowing no enlisted men to go to the front & the picket lines being drawn in left us outside so we received another order to move inside the pickets which we did & have now got our tents but they are in rather a bad condition & we can get no timber for bunks, for what little there is left here is strongly guarded.
There are but 14 of our regiment left here as convalescents. [William] McClurg & I represent Company G. Our chaplain Jesse [C.] Green started for the front yesterday morning. I don’t know whether he will succeed in getting there or not, but I hope he may for then our mail will be taken care of.
I was told that Lt. Allen C. Stover was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. His promotion was published in the Cincinnati Commercial but I suppose you are better posted than I.
Company G passed through the fight [Battle of Nashville] without the loss of a man killed or wounded — or that was the latest news — & I think they have had no fighting since they left Columbia. Orderly Biggs was killed. Sgt. [James] Price [of Co. H] killed [in the Battle of Nashville] & 6 others wounded. That comprises the loss of the 95th Regiment up to the last accounts.
I wrote to you shortly after our arrival at this place but I fear it never reached you. Jo, will you please do me a favor? Go down to C. H. Ebbert’s & Co., wholesale liquor dealers on 2nd Street below Union Street & pay him for a canteen full of liquor that I got off him the day we marched down to the boats. It will probably be $2.00. Give him my best respects & oblige your very sincere friend. And by the way, remember me to Goodman’s boys.
Well, Jo, I have got a very poor pen & nothing to write on, so you will please excuse such scribbling as I have done.
I like to forgot to ask you how you enjoyed Christmas. I suppose you were kept busy in the rooms of the C. M. Well, I spent my Christmas at a private house in the country but they have been eat out of almost everything. You have no idea of the destruction and extreme high prices of produce since Hood first advanced on this place. It is not necessary for me to give you the particulars for if you come to us at this place, you will see for yourself. If not, we may soon meet together face to face & then I can tell you them much better than by writing.
My health is rather delicate. I am still troubled with the diahhrea. If you receive this, write to me immediately & give me the particulars of what is going on in old Champaign [County] & Memphis & just direct it to Nashville. Leave off the company & regiment & if we should remain here a week or two, I will get it & if we leave, I will make arrangements with someone to forward it to the company & regiment, so I think there will be no trouble in it coming straight to me.
Yours respectfully, — Samuel R. Moore
Spared & Shared 9 