Letter from an unidentified Union soldier of the 9th Indiana Infantry, Company K.

Undated letter reads in part

“I received orders early in the morning to cook three days rations and prepare for marching. There is considerable sickness in the army here. But no more or hardly as much as would naturally be expected. I am sitting under a little bower that McNeal, Himman and I have fixed up for our special comfort and can see the burying ground that is used by several Regiments, and I can see the boys now digging two graves, and I guess there average one burial a day. It is a solemn right to witness, a burial in the army. The burying ground is only a few rods from our camp and we can see or hear every one. The first that we hear is slow and plaintive tones of the martial bands then the slow and measured tread of a long line of soldiers and next we can see them winding their way through the woods. (it is all woody here) bearing the brave and honored child of Liberty and lover of his Country to his endless home, with the good Old Flag wrapped about him and then after he is laid to rest, the prayer has been made, the guard fired their farewell shot, we return to our duties and leave him with the honored dead.”

The 9th Indiana Infantry was engaged at Camp Alleghany, Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Stone’s River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Franklin and Nashville.

Source: Nate Sanders, July 2007