1863 Union Soldier’s Letter – Musician Loyal B. Wort, 21st Ohio Infantry

Description

1863 Union Soldier’s Letter – Musician Loyal B. Wort, 21st Ohio Infantry
Offered for your consideration is a neatly written letter, penned by a Union musician soon after the battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. Headlined “
Camp of 21
st
Regt. Chatanoga
/
Tenn. Oct. the 7
th
/63
”, this letter is written to “
Dear and beloved companion …
”. The author states (in part) that “
… iam well at this time and hope those fiew lines will find you and our loved ones all well and in good Spirits the rebs Shelled our camp day before yesterday Some of the Shell went threw Some of the tents in our regt and they fell all arround but fortunately none of our men was hurt but itell you Some of us done a good job of dodging … this is the morning of the 8 and it Still finds me well it is all quiet along the line this morning our men fired afiew Shots with canon last knight but the rebs did not reply to it but we can See whare they are and can See them Stur around but idont think that they will ever atack us in our fortifications for we are pretty well fortified here …
”. He continues by saying that “
… i Saw a yong man from defiance …. By the name of Moats and him and me had a long talk about political matters but he thinks as ido that he will not vote atall this time ithink their will bee warm times at the elections this fall in ohio as ithink that they will try to hinder the democrats from voating this fall but the democrats wont Stand it …
”. Having recently fought in the battle of Chickamauga, Wort writes that “
… there is two drafted men in our company … they was luckey annuff not to get here untill after the battle but they may get in to it Soon annuff to get kiled yet as poor Jo Smith did he was kiled ded on the Spot but the lord has been merciful to me …
”. Records indicate that the author was a musician with the regiment, though his instrument is not listed (he was also somewhat older than most of those serving in the fighting ranks). It is interesting to read of the shelling (from both sides) that occurred during the siege of Chattanooga, prior to the breakout at the battle of Lookout Mountain. It may be possible to find a contemporary image of the various companies of the 21
st
Ohio Infantry, as many of these groups were photographed at the time (if so, it may be possible to narrow down the candidates for Wert due to his age and position). A great research project.
Loyal Barber Wort
was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania on December 6, 1830, moving with his parents to Ohio in 1832, first to Delaware County and then, in 1848, to Hicksville, in Defiance County. He was 31 years of age when he enlisted as a musician on August 29, 1861 (his residence was not noted). He was mustered into Company E, 21
st
Ohio Infantry on September 19, 1861, and served until mustered out three years later on September 19, 1864. Note: Wort is listed in the regimental roster as Wert, though another source (including other letters) indicates that it was Wort.
The 21
st
Ohio Infantry was organized at Findlay, Ohio and mustered into Federal service on September 19, 1861. They participated in numerous small actions throughout 1862, principally in Kentucky and Tennessee, with nine of their members volunteering for the famous Andrews’ Raid. They were present at the battle of Stone’s River (Murfreesboro) at the end of December, 1862 and the first days of January, 1863. They remained in the vicinity of Murfreesboro until June, after which they participated in the Tullahoma Campaign from June 23 through July 7. They served in middle Tennessee until they embarked on the campaign that would climax with the battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19 – 21, 1863 (they were instrumental in the defense of Snodgrass Hill, expending over 43,000 rounds of ammunition from their Colt Revolving Rifles, and losing 265 men of the 540 soldiers engaged). They were part of the siege of Chattanooga, and subsequently formed part of the assault column that carried the crest of Missionary Ridge. They participated in numerous engagements associated with the Atlanta Campaign, including (but not limited to) Buzzard’s Roost Gap, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Utoy Creek, and the flanking movement on Jonesboro. The regiment joined in General Sherman’s March to the Sea, culminating in the siege of Savannah. They were present at the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, the occupation of Greensboro, the advance on and occupation of Raleigh, Bennett’s House, and the surrender of General Joseph Johnston and his army, all during the Campaign of the Carolinas. They marched in the Grand Review on May 25
th
, and were mustered out on July 25, 1865. During its term of service, the regiment lost 6 officers and 166 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 218 enlisted men dead of disease, for a total loss of 392 men.
The presently offered letter exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by many years of proper storage. Light toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper an off-white to beige appearance. This toning is more pronounced at the edges and along the folds (especially on the back). Several foxing spots are scattered throughout the piece, though none of these are particularly distracting. Some weakness of the paper is noted at the folds, especially at the edges and the junctions (small holes can be seen where the folds meet, with only minor associated paper loss). Some fading to the lettering is seen, though this may be a result of the lack of ink at the time of writing (the ink seems to fade in one section, then strengthen again later, as if additional ink was added to the pen). The left edge is ragged, while the remaining ones are reasonably straight. Measuring approximately 7⅞ x 9¾ inches, this piece would make a wonderful addition to any Civil War letter collection, and a great project for the researcher.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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