22 October 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his friends

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Informs them that he has been sick and confined to bed which has given him the opportunity to practice. Comments if he does not get well soon he will have to quit all exertions. Reports that they are short hospitals rooms for the rebel prisoners and they are dying off in great numbers. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Letter is addressed to his friends but envelope is addressed to his father, A. P. Kessler.

GLC03523.52.19

29 October 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Comments about the rainy weather. Reports they marched almost five miles and played music most of the way. Notes the recent visitors they have had. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Addressee name taken from envelope.

GLC03523.52.20

6 November 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from Camp Douglas. Informs him not to send him boots. Reports two cases of smallpox in camp. Notes all soldiers are to be vaccinated. Comments if it spreads to the rebel prisoners it will take them clean. Reports one hospital has over 200 sick rebels and many die every day. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.21

8 November 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Reports a few cases of smallpox and measles in camp. Comments he will not be able to take a furlough in two weeks. Notes that he and the boys are hoping to spend the winter at home. Warns another gentleman about enlisting and not to be deceived. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Addressee name taken from envelope.

GLC03523.52.22

13 November 1863

Guisse, John, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to the leader & steward of River Class

A notice of debt issued by the Official Board for the amount of $33.50. Requests the money to be paid immediately.

GLC03523.52.23

22 November 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from Camp Douglas. Inquires after his health. Discusses another family member who is in the military. Comments they were invited to play in the city. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.24

December 1, 1863

Kessler, A.P., fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary L. Kessler

A. P. Kessler, the father of Thomas J. Kessler, writes to his wife. Informs her to visit all of their friends and to let him know a few days in advance when she is ready to come home. Comments that they will kill and roast a turkey for her return. Instructs her where they will meet her. Writes that they had a good Thanksgiving dinner that was put on by the "Union Leak" [League] for the benefit of war widows. Relays a story about a young man who was injured from the mill. Discusses various townspeople and family members.

GLC03523.52.25

12 December 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from Camp Douglas. Informs him that he has been sick for a week with dysentery. Notes most of the camp has it. Discusses the President's message that allows prisoners to keep their property if they take an oath of allegiance. Comments that there have been nearly 200 prisoners from camp who have taken the allegiance and joined the United States Navy. Reports that he and a few other soldiers are still trying to get a discharge. Writes of Congress repealing the $300 bonus for joining the army. Believes that if Congress goes through with the repeal it will put the poor…

GLC03523.52.26

27 December 1863

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Complains about the rainy weather. Describes a dance that the sharpshooters had with the wash women. Requests that she send him his razor when his father sends him a turkey. Discusses the theater and the women showing their knees. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.27

January 10,1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from Camp Douglas. Comments how happy he is to hear that everyone is on the mend. Informs him that he cannot get a furlough. Writes of other men who are reenlisting.

GLC03523.52.29

January 18, 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Complains about not receiving any letters from home. Requests she begin making him a red quilt. Informs her he was unable to get a furlough. Provides her with a list of items to send him. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. A small fragment of paper is included.

GLC03523.52.30

circa 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Discusses the music his band is playing. Informs her they may get a discharge. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Addressee name and year taken from envelope.

GLC03523.52.31

February 3, 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his friends

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Informs them he does not believe that they will get a discharge and has given up trying. Notes two or three of the band members will be discharged. Comments their band finally got paid. Writes of the call for 500,000 more men to enlist. Relays a rumor about their regiment heading to Mexico to fight the French. Complains about the government's cheap clothing. Requests that they send him a shirt made out of a good flannel. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Letter is addressed to his friends but envelope is addressed to his…

GLC03523.52.32

6 February 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary L. Kessler

Writes to his mother from Camp Douglas. Reports they may be heading to Mexico within a month. Notes they will go to New York City and connect with General Ambrose E. Burnside's expedition. Comments no furloughs are to be granted to their regiment. Signs with his middle name Jefferson.

GLC03523.52.33

7 February 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Requests that she send him a shirt and a pair of boots. Informs her that another soldier wants her picture after seeing his picture of her. Discusses his picture and other soldier's pictures. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. A small fragment of paper is included. Signs with his middle name Jefferson.

GLC03523.52.34

February 14, 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Discusses his trip back to camp. Informs them that another regiment arrived at their camp to relieve them. Comments that they may be leaving camp Douglas soon. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.35

16 February 1864

Wirt, I.D., fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy S. Kessler

Writes to his cousin from Camp Douglas. Discusses the cold weather. Describes shooting a gun and beating her father at target practice.

GLC03523.52.36

February 24, 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to her sister from Camp Douglas. Discusses the nice weather. Comments that everyone is in high spirits and having a good time. Notes they may be heading to Michigan. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.38

6 March 1864

Wirt, I.F., fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother and sister

Writes to his brother and sister. Reports a lot of sickness and cases of smallpox. Describes attending three cases of small pox in one house. Comments that the whole town has been exposed to it and expects more cases. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.39

15 March 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his friends

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Reports they will be leaving camp Douglas tomorrow and will head to Annapolis, Maryland. Believes they will finally go into battle. Comments he did not get paid enough to send any money home. Informs them that he sent a small package with his band equipment home. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Letter is addressed to his friends but envelope is addressed to his father, A. P. Kessler.

GLC03523.52.40

29 March 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his friends

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Discusses the weather. Describes how green everything is in Maryland. Complains about another soldier exaggerating his sickness to get a discharge. Comments the other soldier should have been discharged a while ago. Notes he will not live long because he is consumptive (tuberculosis). The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Letter is addressed to his friends but envelope is addressed to his father, A. P. Kessler.

GLC03523.52.41

1 April 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from camp. Reports on the sickness back home and in camp. Writes, "we have 8 or 9 kinds of lice five or six kinds of [each] put these altogether would make it rather sickly…" Notes she should not fret too much about the sickness at home. Comments on the miserable food. Request she writes him back with the latest news. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.42

5 April 1864

Morgan, George, fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Libbie Kessler

Writes to his friend from Camp Blue Springs. Discusses the weather. Notes they will not be doing any hard marches before the fall of Richmond, Virginia. Writes, "the fall of Richmond which I judge will come to pass before long for Gen. grant is the man to take it if it can be taken." The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.43

7 April 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from camp. Reports they will not get a discharge. Comments the officers voted to keep the band and have promised to buy them new instruments, provide back pay, and have pledged themselves to prompt payment hereafter. Comments that he has two years left in the service and believes he can withstand it. Relays an incident involving two privates who robbed a church. List the prices of food. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.44

12 April 1864

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his brother

Writes to his brother from camp. Discusses the weather. Reports seeing General Ambrose E. Burnside pass through his camp. Notes there have been thousands of soldiers pouring into their camp. Describes oyster fishing and growing tobacco as the town's main livelihood.

GLC03523.52.45