12 March 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

They have marching orders but he hopes they will stay. There are so many dead Confederates in the river that "our men crossed on them dry shod."

GLC02739.041

15-16 March 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

Their orders to leave were countermanded. The graves on the battlefield sadden him to think of all the brave men lost on behalf of their country. The mail was robbed and this letter was taken but he found it floating in the river the next morning.

GLC02739.042

21 March 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

"The rebbels is failing in evry sense of the word." The Confederates attacked their pickets but his regiment held them off and will "slay them by the thousands if they try to take this place."

GLC02739.043

25 March 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He is glad she received the 30 dollars he sent. He is sorry for her hardships and "would do anything for you if I could."

GLC02739.044

4 April 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He was detailed and had to leave the 79th to work a twelve pound brass cannon in the 20th Ohio Battery. He does not feel in any more danger as "I can dodge a shell or canon ball some times but a musket ball I can not." The battery consists of two brass cannon and four rifle cannon. With note to Phebe Jane Walker on verso re: ballad composed in honor of Joseph Walker.

GLC02739.045

12 April 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He cannot pray at night in the 20th Ohio and must rely on secret prayer. All the prisoners "that we get say that the rebel armey is both starveing and getting naked for the want of clothes."

GLC02739.046

30 April 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

The men and officers of the 20th are all "persecutors of religion" but he will persist in his prayers. They expect a battle soon, "one of thee hardest battles ever fought in America."

GLC02739.047

9 May 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

"If general hooker is successful at [Fredericksburg] I think that will end the war." They get good news from the armies of the Mississippi and the Rappahannock every day. He wants a likeness of her and the children. He closes discouraged, having read that General Hooker was defeated.

GLC02739.048

13 May 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

The men of the 20th are by "far mutch the hardest men that I have ever bin with" but they treat him like a gentleman. They no longer expect a fight and he has no doubt "but that our forces have gained a complete victory at fredricksberg."

GLC02739.049

30 May 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

"I feel as mutch assured that I will git home alive as mutch as I feel assured that this war will end in the distruction of the southern confederacy." He believes that they will soon have Vicksburg and hopes to move to Fort Donelson soon.

GLC02739.050

31 May 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He thinks the war may end soon but wouldn't be surprised if it lasted a year or two more. Their latest news from Grant is favorable. He will rejoin Company F of the 79th.

GLC02739.051

3 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

They drove 40,000 Confederates towards Chattanooga and several corps are advancing behind them. Some Confederates say "they want to quit fighting that they have bin deceived long enough by the leaders of the south." He fears the letter will not arrive as General Rosecrans has stopped the mail "so that the rebel [guerillas] can not capture any thing and find out his movements."

GLC02739.052

7 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He has terrible pain in his head and had a tooth removed. He is still with the battery but will be with the regiment soon. "A man cannot git a discharge here until he is four days dead if he wanted it ever so bad."

GLC02739.053

11 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He expects the Union to take Vicksburg soon. He must sneak out to prayer meetings in town every night and could be punished if caught.

GLC02739.054

12 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He is still with the battery. Mr. Shorter will hand deliver the letter and tell her more in person.

GLC02739.055

16 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He has a shelter or dog tent which he stretches out on sticks to cover about five feet of ground. He fashioned a bedstead from an old stable door and uses his oil blanket and dress coat as bedclothes and his knapsack as a pillow. It would be worth "one thousand dollars to me now to spend one month with you."

GLC02739.056

26 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

They have been marching and fighting and drove the Confederates from the mountains and through Liberty Gap. Moving and placing the cannons in the mountains is difficult and the rain makes it more so.

GLC02739.057

30 June 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

The Confederates are retreating towards Chattanooga. The road is so muddy that they can barely get through. The 79th of Illinois and 77th of Pennsylvania defeated nine Confederate regiments. "The rebs having al advantages in the mountains we have had the hardest times for the last six days that we ever have had."

GLC02739.058

15 July 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph note signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He believes "Morgan the [guerilla chief] is neer his last end." The whole army is working well together toward a quick end to the war. The Union has control of Port Hudson and Bragg has left Tennessee. "His Armey is very mutch Reduced" and "general lee in Penn is stil in close quarters."

GLC02739.060

18 July 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He received the children's likenesses. She should not write to the captain asking for a furlough. He believes he has fought his last battle; "this armey may have a hard battle yet with brag but I don't expect to be in the engagement."

GLC02739.061

23 July 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He encourages her to go to Indiana with the children and Phebe Jane Walker. He is sending her 21 dollars inside a book of his writings with Lieutenant Williams.

GLC02739.062

31 July 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He has the opportunity to change his terms of service by being mustered out and then sworn in again but awaits her opinion. The new terms would offer him a furlough and a change in pay and length of service.

GLC02739.063

7 August 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

Mentions that he has atteneded prayer meetings led by Black church members. Refers to the educational disaparity between Black and White children. Writes, "if they had the schooling and chance that we have they could take care of their selves and be a smart people….You may believe evry word of uncle tom's cabin." Mentions befriending a Black enslaved boy who described how "his master would make him and al his hands work hard al day from daylight until dark and then he would have them tied up and have them whipped until they became al al bludy and raw from head to foot and then rub salt all…

GLC02739.064

22 August 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He describes the march from Tullahoma, Tennessee through the mountains. They may follow Bragg to Georgia.

GLC02739.065

26 August 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

The Union has captured Chattanooga and he heard that Charleston was taken. Their picket line is near the river and the Confederates are on the other side. The Confederates know "more about retreat than anything else." There are rumors that the regiment will go home to control Copperheads.

GLC02739.066