CIVIL WAR LETTER - 105th Illinois Infantry - AMAZING LETTER Fighting at Atlanta

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
CIVIL WAR SOLDIER LETTER - 105th Illinois Infantry
John Thomas Becker (1838-1917) was a young teenager when his father, Richard Becker (1813-1881) moved his family from New York State to the undulating Illinois prairie in 1852, settling in South Grove township, DeKalb county. Here, near Owen’s Creek and not far from the town of Franklin, John grew up working the land, raising wheat and livestock, hoping one day for a farm of his own. The family’s means were meagre and John’s opportunity for education severely limited in this rural farm community where most children attended school only when they weren’t needed in the fields. We learn from John’s letters, however, that he gained sufficient knowledge in the “three R’s” to teach younger children part-time for at least three years prior to 1861 but he readily acknowledged his own limitations.
A CDV of John Thomas Becker (1838-1917) taken after his discharge from the 105th Illinois Infantry
Sometime in the late 1850’s, John had an occasion to meet a young green-eyed, red-headed teen named Eleanor Belt (1840-1932) of Sylvester, Green county, Wisconsin. Eleanor—or “Ellen” as he called her—was living with her Aunt Amelia Wood in nearby Hicks Mills, Franklin Township, DeKalb county, Illinois. Perhaps she was teaching school there when they met. In any event, they became fast friends and developed an understanding between them that set them apart from other acquaintances. It seems clear they considered marriage before the Civil War erupted but Ellen thought it best they wait until the war was over. It would not last much longer, she contended, and she didn’t want to risk being a “war widow.”
CDV of Eleanor Belt (1840-1932) taken by Wm. H. Owen who opened a studio in Evansville, Wisconsin in 1866. Eleanor married Sgt. John T. Becker on 24 August 1865 just weeks after he was discharged from the 105th Illinois Infantry.
And so John enlisted in
Co. G, 105th Illinois Infantry
in August 1862 after the failed Peninsula Campaign convinced the North the rebellion could not be suppressed without a surge of troops. John was 24 years old when he enlisted, his induction record stating that he stood 5′ 10″ tall with black hair and black eyes. When he left home to join his regiment at Dixon, Illinois, John and Ellen pledged to write each other faithfully and, for the most part, John lived up to his end of the bargain.
John survived the war though he did not escape unscathed. He took a bullet in the arm at the Battle of Taylor’s Hole Creek in March 1865 and then contracted painful erysipelas in the military hospital at Fort Schuyler in New York before his discharge in July 1865. He then returned home to Illinois, married (24 August 1865) his beloved Ellen, and enjoyed a life in farming.
NOTE - The images shown in this description do not come with the letter.
A Ruby Ambrotype of John Beck and Eleanor Belt which is presumed to be their “wedding photograph.” The couple standing behind them may have been their older siblings who stood up with them at the wedding?
Transcription
Near Atlanta, Georgia
August 4th 1864
My Dear Ellen,
I have again been the recipient of another “real letter” (as you say) from you and as my time is not very much occupied just at present, I will answer immediately. You will see by the heading of this that we are not yet in that long contended place—Atlanta—but expect to be sometime id there is any virtue in powder and balls and stout hearts. It may take some time for even those to accomplish that object. Yet I trust it will not be very long for we have a long-headed General here and one that is determined to accomplish what he has undertaken.
We moved from the right—where we were when I wrote you last—to the center and are now on the front line, behind heavy breastworks, and where we can hear the balls from Rebel guns whistle around us occasionally. Also get a few of their “Coffee Pots” or “flying cats” as the boys call the shell and solid shot. We had several men wounded yesterday in our Brigade. Yesterday they fought on the right where we came from night before last. I have not heard the particulars of the engagement—only that our boys took some artillery from the Rebs. So I guess our boys were successful.
Well there, who would have “thunk it” that temptation such as I never can resist was so near at hand this morning, for lo & behold, just while I was writing along with thoughts all concentrated on one subject, here come one of my provoking guard with a whole pipe full of “Kenny Conic” such as I have not seen for many a day nor night and tells me it’s for me. Oh! how conscience smote me while taking it. But I verily believe that the smoke has seared it so that I am feeling much better—at least it makes the hard tack and coffee which I ate for breakfast feel better on my stomach. So I will forget for awhile that I have any conscience and as I can’t smoke and write both at the same time, please excuse me till I finish my pipe.
Well I am done with that & have been watching a pot of beans and pork until I shall have a good appetite for dinner—as good at least as it generally gets for pork & beans though it makes quite a change after eating nine meals of hard tack and coffee than one of that. You see it’s a change of diet & that is what the doctors recommend to persons unwell for the last month. I have followed it up regularly and still have hopes of a perfect cure, though as yet have seen no very good result for the better. But “time and patience” will do it, I presume. Oh it is a fine thing for the doctor to order change of diet when he knows that Uncle Sam only furnishes one kind of “grub,” The only way it is ever changed is when the commissary don’t get around in time to issue rations and we have a feast for two or three meals on imagination of a good meal when he does come. This, I assure you, is good for one’s health especially on a march. But I have written nonsense enough and must “to business.”
I will write to Father and give him your P. O. address and if you and him can make a bargain all right, you may suit yourself where to board. If you teach at all, I should like to have you teach that school for Aggie’s sake & I think should you get acquainted with mother, she will like you I know, and your company there would drive dull time away & you could cheer her up when she gets to worrying so about me which I know she does. I wish for her sake that we had been married before I came away. Then you would feel a little more at home there, but no more welcome than you would be received now by her. I tell you, Ellen, I would give everything if I could only see her now. Our folks write me that her health is worse that they represent. It seems to me sometimes as though it would kill me if she were taken away in my absence. Were it not for this, I could be a great deal more content here than I am. Of course I feel more anxiety about her than anyone else for the rest are all in good health and she is feeble and I know that my absence worries her so much—especially of late. I tell you, I am careful what I write to her. If she knew just how I am situated here sometimes, she would not take a minute’s peace. As soon as this campaign ends, I am going home if it takes a limb.
I
have not been paid yet and don’t think I can get it here anyway. There is some talk of the paymaster’s sending our money home for us. If they do, I will send the most of mine to you. Don’t wait to get another picture taken but send the one you have. I will make all proper allowances for the looks. Well, I must rest awhile. Then will try and fill another sheet.
Well, here I am again. Have finished eating the pork and beans which by the way was so thin for want of beans that I put sugar in the soup in place of vinegar to make it relish.
Confound that old gun. It makes my head ache. It is placed right on the line in front of us. It is one of our 20-pound Parrot guns & they have been throwing a shell every five minutes into the city. Since last night they have handed the Rebs 200 of these right into the town. I’ll bet it wakes some of them up there when the shells explode. It makes an awful noise when they fire the gun. Last night it disturbed my rest so that I dreamed I was in a fight all right and had a big time, but there was no having done, I guess.
I can’t think of anything to write now unless I tell you that I’m very much in need of a washerwoman as I have never learned that trade yet and my clothes are in need of a little soap and water. Well here is a man says he will wash them tomorrow so that is all right.
Oh! won’t I be glad when I get back to America again where I can get a sight of calico and plenty of tobacco, though I am not certain but both articles will cost so much that they won’t do me much good.
I stopped writing to see if I could not get some news to write and I found lots. Sherman has ordered our men on the right to charge and take the Macon & Atlanta Railroad at all hazards & I presume we will hear the roar of the conflict before long and perhaps have a little hot work to do here. Our boys are ordered to have their accoutrements on and ready for fear if the Rebs are driven there that they may attempt to break out here. Oh! there will be a terrible slaughter on both sides before night, I fear. I can hear the roar of artillery so I presume the work has begun so I will close for the present & as the mail does not go out until tomorrow I will wait till morning to finish this.
July [August] 5th. I have but little time to finish this before the mail goes out. We have not had a fight here although we advanced our lines a few rods and the skirmishers are keeping up a constant fire. We had two men wounded yesterday & one killed and one wounded today out of our regiment. Our men advanced their lines on the right and are now in position so that the Rebs cannot run their train on that railroad. We have got a bridge across the Chattahoochee and one train has just come up as far as our lines. They blew the whistle for a long time so that our boys and the Rebs could hear it and you ought to have heard the yell that went up from our breastworks.
Col. Dustin has just returned from home. He brought me a lot of things that Father sent me. But I must hasten so I will close here by sending you lots of love and promising to write soon again. Ever yours, — John
N. B. Send that picture for I shall look for it next time.
TERMS
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