Daily Archive

4pp. letter from John D. Messinger of the 104th Ohio Infantry, Company D. Written in ink and datelinedPulaski, Tenn.
November 20th 1864

Letter reads in part:

We are just getting the particulars of the Election, and as an old ‘darky’ in ‘Alabam’ said one day as we were passing a plantation where about ‘five thousand’ were congregated along the road side. One of the boys ask him what he thought of the music (our comet band was playing) - his answer was ‘dunno suh, but pears like tis getting mity glorious Shuah’ - it pears like the election news from Sherman, begin to make things look ‘mity glorious’ for the Union cause. As the particulars are brought out - the frauds on the part of the copperheads - their total everlasting defeat, it surely is encouraging to all. I believe the end is nigh. ‘Hood’ with his rebel hart is supposed to be on the southern shore of the Tenn. River, about making an attempt to get into East Tenn. I hardly think he will win for we have the army of the Cumberland and Ohio here to whip him with in case he wishes to fight or make a forward movement. I am longing to have this war play out that we may return home to the social haunts in our native town. I rather fear that all the young ladies will have taken the ‘oath of allegiance’ ere our time expires and we will be obliged to ‘migrate’.

Messinger mustered into Company D on 30 August 1862 and was later promoted to First Sergeant. He was reduced to Private at his own request on 7 April 1865 and mustered out on 17 June 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina. The 104th Ohio saw action at Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kennesaw, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Franklin and Wilmington.

Source: Nate Sanders online auction