CIVIL WAR LETTERS & DOCUMENTS - 44th Illinois Infantry Soldier - GREAT FIND !!

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTERS/ DOCUMENTS
Group of Civil War Letters & Documents - 44th Illinois Infantry
These Civil War letters were written by Alanson D. Parsons (1835-1864), the son of Samuel W. Parsons (1802-1866) and his first wife. Samuel was remarried in 1848 to Julia Ann Sharp (1803-1866) and raised a second family with her. Thus, Alanson seems to have struck off on his own at an early age, hiring himself out as a farm laborer until settling in Winnebago county, Illinois, where he was farming at the time of the Civil War.
Alanson enlisted for a term on three years in
Co. G, 44th Illinois Infantry
on 1 August 1861 at Rockford, Illinois, and remained with the regiment until 16 December 1862 when he was discharged prematurely from the regiment so that he could enlist in the 4th U. S. Cavalry, Troop L. Alanson’s transfer could not have come at a better time as the 44th Illinois Infantry participated in the Battle of Stones River at Murfreesboro two weeks later and lost more than half its number in killed and wounded.
Troop L of the
4th U. S. Cavalry
was on detached duty in the spring of 1863 as the personal escort of Gen. William S. Rosecrans who took command of the Army of the Cumberland in 1862 and effectively drove Gen. Bragg’s Confederate army out of Middle Tennessee.
The first letter in this small collection was written while Alanson was with the 44th Illinois Infantry in camp near Nashville, Tennessee, just before he was discharged from the regiment. The other two letters were written while serving in Troop L, 4th U. S. Cavalry.
We learn from military records that Alanson did not survive the war. Rather, he died of chronic dysentery at Annapolis, Maryland on 20 December 1864. A final payment receipt is attached below showing the money (5.11) authorized to be disbursed to his father, dated October 1866—nearly two years after Alanson’s death. Ironically, Alanson’s father did not live long enough to receive the money; he died in September 1866. Anticipating that he would not receive the money before his death, Alanson’s father actually included instructions for its distribution in his Last Will & Testament.
As near as I can tell from census records, Alanson only had one brother, James Harvey Parsons (1831-1904), who was spared from military service due to a disability. See posting of document below letters.
NOTE - The soldier uniform illustration was with the lot but I have no idea how/if it is related.
Letter 1
Camp Mill Creek
Dec. 13, 1862
Dear Father,
I received a letter from you the other day. Was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that you was in such poor health.
We are in camp about four miles from Nashville, Tennessee. Everything looks to me as though they were expecting a battle here. The rebels are reported to be at Murfreesboro about 75 thousand strong and are fortifying. It is thought by the most of the soldiers here that we will have to fight hard there if they don’t make an attack on us here which some think they will.
General William S. Rosecrans—“a splendid looking man.”
They made an attack on our wagons the other day. They was getting forage out near the picket lines. They throwed a few shells at the pickets and the train came in double quick. We was ordered out to the lines to await the coming rebels and waited till dark—then waited till morning—& then they did not come. We went to camp & have been in peace since but know not how long it will last—not very long, I don’t expect. But if they want to come, we will do the best we can & treat them the best we have got to such as iron & lead.
I was in Nashville yesterday. That is a nice town on the Cumberland river. I went around to General Rosecrans’ headquarters. The general was just leaving with his staff to go to the lines. He is a splendid looking man. I went to see something about enlisting in the Regulars. I think some of joining the 4th [U. S.] Cavalry but don’t know yet whether it is best or not. I can not think of much to write now. You must write soon.
From your son, — A. D. Parsons
Letter 2
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
March 6th 1863
Dear Father,
I received your letter the other day. I was glad to hear that you was getting better again. I don’t know that I can think of anything to write this time that is news. We are still on detached duty with General Rosecrans as his escort. Our duty is very light here to what it is on the lines.
You said something about taking an agency selling sewing machines & other articles. Now if you can make your living by it and not run any risk of losing your place & not fatigue your legs too much, I would say do it. You said that you would like to have me send you some money. That I will do willingly as soon as the government owes me 50 or 60 dollars now. If you can get any, you may depend that I will send you some the first I get. I think we will get some soon as the paymaster is here yet.
I cannot think of anything more to write now. You must write soon. From your son, — A. D. Parsons
[to] S. W. Parsons
Letter 3
McMinnville, Tennessee
August 10, 1863
Dear Father,
It is with pleasure that I am permitted this opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know of my health & whereabouts. My health is good at present & whereabouts is now in camp at the above named place. The most of the Brigade is out of camp on a scout. I was left behind on duty at a house. There is not any news here at present. The country around here is left rather desolate. There have been soldiers posted here of one army or another ever since the war commenced.
I would like to have you write one to me. I received a letter from [brother] Harvey whilst on the route from Murfreesboro this way. He stated that you had been very sick but was some better. I feel in hopes that you have recovered your health again before this.
I expressed a letter to you from this place directed to Burr Oak with twenty-five dollars enclosed on the 6th inst. which you will probably receive before you get this. When you get this, please write right away.
Father, now I would like to study on that machine that I wrote you about before. You said that you did not know how you could get the motion on it. Now I hardly have time to explain everything in writing but the more I study about it, the more I think it can be made to go so easy. Now you know that you used to make clock reel to count the threads in a knot of yarn. Now there was a thread cut on the shaft of the reel like screw & that thread mashed in short cogs. Now the screw was so small while the cage wheat was a considerable larger. Now if the thread was cut on the large wheel & the cogs on the smaller, wouldn’t the big make the little go fast as well as the little one, the big go slow so if you had a thread cut around the nut side of the fast wheel & let them mash in the cogs of a small piñon. Now if you make the cogs of the piñon to fight in the mashes of the thread then every time the thread moves the length of the cogs it has got to move & there is no stopping [ ] of it moves at all. Something has got to go. Please try it. I have seen you invent machinery that did not look half as simple to me as that.
No more at present. write soon. — A. D. Parsons
to S. W. Parsons
Two Documents
Form G
Treasury Department
Second Auditor’s Office
October 16, 1866
Sir:
Enclosed you will receive a Certificate No. 270.670 for 5.11, payable to you as Father of deceased or to your order, by any Paymaster of the U. S. Army being for pay due Alanson D. Parsons, a late Private in Captain ____ Company L, 4th Regiment of U. S. Cavalry, for services from the 30 day of June 1863, when last paid, to the 20 day of December, 1864, time of his death, and 0 Bounty allowed by Act July 22, 1861 less advance, .48 allowed for clothing, and 6.50 for retained pay.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, — E. B. French, Second Auditor
Samuel W. Parsons
Enclosed to C. D. Randall, Coldwater, Michigan
Certificate of Exemption for a Drafted Person on Account of Disability
This is to certify that James H. Parsons of Bronson, Branch county, State of Michigan, having been drafted and claiming exemption on account of disability, has been carefully examined, and is found to be unfit for military duty by reason of of Perment utraction of three toes on each foot, and in consequence thereof, he is exempt from service under the present draft. — R. W. Denison, Provost Marshal and President of Board of Enrollment. Dated at Kalamazoo this 30th day of November 1863
TERMS
.00 postage in the United States.  We accept Paypal.
Postage combined for multiple purchases.  Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise you will pay a higher rate.
For International buyers, we utilize 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 are 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 have been selling on eBay since 1998.   BID WITH CONFIDENCE !