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John Clark Esarey Civil War Letters
John Clark Esarey, his father Jesse Clark Esarey, and uncle Jacob Esarey served in the local militia early in the Civil War. De La Hunt (1916:215, 237-242) details the highlights of the local militia's role in Hines Raid - a Confederate mission across the Ohio River in summer 1863. In late summer 1864, John Clark Esarey was drafted. In late September he was attached to Company G, 53rd Indiana Volunteers. By early November he had arrived just north of Atlanta - two months after the city fell into Union hands.
A pocket diary and a number of letters by or to John Clark Esarey of Perry County, Indiana are preserved from this portion of his Civil War service. He was enrolled September 27, 1864. wrote home from Marietta, GA, on November 8, just three days before he joined in on Sherman's March to the Sea, was present for the surrender of Savannah. Then he entered into Sherman's Carolina Campaign, participating in the Battle of Bentonville and was marching from Raleigh, NC when General Joseph Johnson surrendered near Durham, NC. He marched from there to Washington, D.C. where he mustered out May 31, 1865. He arrived back home in Branchville, IN June 14, 1865.
These letters have been previously published in Myra Esarey Evans' Esarey family history (1968) and are presented here with the kind permission of Patsy Van Kesteren.
[excerpt from January 20, 1865 letter to Barbara] "I have become weaned from home so that if I were a single man and had no family I would see this thing ended if I was permitted to live that long, but as it is I cannot stay, my memory will wander homeward and when I think of things that happened at home and the companion and the sweet little babe that I left I cannot reconcile my mind to stay away longer than my term..."
Below various preserved letters are combined with the narrative of events from John's pocket diary to form a single record.
DATE
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CALANDAR ITEM |
LETTERS |
| Sept. 27, 1864 | Enrolled as a Private (drafted) Company G, 53rd Indiana Volunteers at Jeffersonville ( Ind.)
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Oct. 28 - Nov. 7, 1864 |
Left Camp Carrington 28th; Louisville 30th, Nashville 31st; Chattanooga Nov. 3-5th (on Mission Ridge w/o tents or shelter), arrive vis train Atlanta 7th. |
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Nov. 8, 1864 |
In camp 1 mile south of Marietta, Ga. |
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Nov. 11– Dec. 9, 1864 |
His account says left Marietta on Nov. 11 and marched 29 days. |
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Dec. 20, 1864 |
Camp near Kings Bridge on the Canouches (Canoochee R.) near Savannah, Ga. |
Dec. 16 letter sent to parents (lost) Dec. 19 - letter received from Barabara (lost) |
Dec. 21, 1864 |
Surrender of Savannah, Ga. |
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Dec. 31, 1864 |
Camp near Savannah, Ga. |
Dec. 28-30 - letters sent to father and brother and received from Barbara (all lost) |
Jan. 1-5, 1865 |
Camp near Savannah, Ga James W. Jenkins died Jan. 5 |
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Jan. 6, 1865 |
Sailed on the Brig Pontiac for Beaufort, S.C. |
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Jan. 7-10, 1865 |
In camp on Beaufort Island |
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Jan. 11-14, 1865 |
Moved camp “back” five miles and in camp. |
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Jan, 15-24, 1865 |
BEGIN SHERMAN'S CAROLINAS CAMPAIGN: Marched and arrived Jan. 16 at Pocotaligo Station. In camp till 24th. |
~Jan. 17 letter to Mary Ann (lost) ~ letter sent from brother Jonth (lost)
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Jan. 25, 1865 |
Destroyed railroad |
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Jan. 26-28, 1865 |
In camp |
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Jan. 29-30, 1865 |
Marched from Pocotaligo Station, crossed Charleston & Savannah RR, Slight skirmish at Saltketcher Bridge. Marched all Jan. 30. |
Jan. 29 sent letter to Barbara that was returned to John Clark later (lost) |
Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 1865 |
Layed in camp. |
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Feb. 2 – 3, 1865 |
Marched |
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Feb. 4, 1865 |
“Come on the rebels in the evening. Skirmished all knight.” |
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Feb. 5, 1865 |
“The 53 rd skirmished here 48 hours the rest of the brigade passed by and had a hard fight at river’s bridge routed the enemy and drove them off.” |
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Feb. 6 – 7, 1865 |
Marched and arrived at Midway Station on the Charleston and Augusta RR. |
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Feb. 8 – 12, 1865 |
Marched. Crossed the S. Edisto River at Finnegin’s Bridge on the 10th. Crossed the N. Edisto River at Orangeburg on the 12 th. |
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Feb. 13, 1865 |
Destroyed railroad |
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Feb. 14, 1865 |
Marched 26 miles on the RR, burned the bridge at Kingville. [SC] |
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Feb. 15, 1865 |
Marched 27 miles. |
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Feb. 16, 1865 |
Arrived in front of Columbia, S.C. |
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Feb. 17, 1865 |
Columbia surrendered. The 4th Division, 17th Corps first to plant the flag over the capitol of S.C. |
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Feb. 18 |
Crossed the Congaree and Wateree Rivers. |
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Feb. 19 |
Marched through Columbia. The town burned. |
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Feb. 20-22 |
Destroyed railroad each day. |
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Feb. 23 |
Marched through Winsboro [Winnsboro, SC] |
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Feb. 24 |
Crossed the Catawba River and camped on Liberty Hill. |
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Feb. 25 – Mar. 3, 1865 |
“Marched through the mountains and waded swamps” [meaning the rough Piedmont hill country and swampy bottoms just behind the Fall Line.] |
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Mar. 4 |
Lay in camp in front of Cheraw [SC] |
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Mar. 5 |
Marched through town and crossed the Peedee River. |
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Mar. 6 |
Marched through Bennettsville [SC] |
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Mar. 7 – 9 |
Marched. Crossed the line entered North Carolina (8 th). |
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Mar. 10 |
Marched. Waded Rockfish River. |
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Mar. 11 |
Entered Fayetteville on the Cape Fear River. Slight skirmish. |
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Mar. 12 |
Lay in camp |
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Mar. 13 |
Crossed the Cape Fear River |
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Mar. 14 – 19 |
Marched |
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Mar. 20 |
Marched on a forced march to reinforce the 14 & 15 A.C. at ( Battle of) Bentonville. |
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Mar. 21 |
Arrived on the field of action, on the lines skirmishing all day. At night the rebels fell back across the Neuse River. |
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Mar. 22 |
Camped on the field. |
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Mar. 23 |
Marched and crossed the Neuse River and passed through Goldsboro and went in camp. |
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Mar. 24 – Apr. 1 |
In camp. Foraging (24 th) |
Mar. 30-31 two letter from Barbara and one from Amira. Letter to John and Jonth (all lost) |
Apr. 2 - 3 |
Out foraging near Kinston. [NC] |
Apr. 2 letter from Barbara sent At least six letters from Barbara lost by this date |
Apr. 4 – 9 |
In camp |
Apr. 9 letter to Jonth. (lost) |
Apr. 10 |
Marched out of Goldsboro in direction of Weldon, crossing the Weldon RR and campt. |
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Apr. 11 |
Marched on the roads very swampy camped on the Raleigh RR |
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Apr. 12 - 13 |
Marched, the roads all swamps |
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Apr. 14 |
Marched and crossed the Neuse River and then marched through Raleigh and camped. Went on picket. |
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Apr. 15 |
Received marching orders marched 2 miles the order countermanded so returned to camp. |
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Apr. 16 - 22 |
In camp near Raleigh [NC] |
Apr. 18 letter from Jonathon (?) sent
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Apr. 23 - 24 |
In camp. Reviewed by Gen. Grant. |
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Apr. 25 |
Marching on Johnson |
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Apr. 26 |
Marching, Johnson surrendered. Benjamin Sprinkle returned to duty. |
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Apr. 27 |
Marching |
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Apr. 28 |
In camp |
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Apr. 29 |
Marched from Raleigh crossed the Neuse River and camped |
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Apr. 30 |
In camp |
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May 1 |
Marched through Forrestville and Big Fork [NC] |
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May 2 |
Marched through Ridgeway and crossed the Tar River. |
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May 3 – 5 |
Marched and crossed the Roanoke River at Robinson’s Ferry, crossed the line into Virginia (on May 5). |
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May 6 |
Marched and crossed the Ottawa River |
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May 7 |
Marched and camped in front of Petersburg. [VA] |
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May 8 |
Marched through Petersburg, on review.
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May 9 |
Marched and camped in front of Richmond. |
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May 10-11 |
In camp. In Richmond on a pass (11 th). See the Rebel capitol. Libby Prison. Castle Thunder. |
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May 12 |
Crossed the James River, marched through Richmond, camped on the Chickahominy River. |
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May 13 |
Crossed the Chickahominy and camped near Hanover Court House. |
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May 14 - 15 |
Marched and crossed the Paumunkey River (on the 14 th) |
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May 16 - 18 |
Marched through Fredricksburg and crossed the Rappahannoc River. Capt. John Donnelley lost (16 th) and Ocoquan River (18 th). |
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May 19 |
Marched and arrived in front of Alexandria. James Artman returns to duty. |
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May 20 – 22 |
In camp, go to Alexandria on a pass (20 th), received 400 new recruits (on 22 nd) |
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May 23 |
Marched across Bull Run and marched through Alexandria and camped on the Potomac in front of Washington. |
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May 24 |
Crossed the Potomac and marched through Washington City on grand review and saw the President and capitol and marched 5 miles north of the city and camped. |
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May 25 – 30 |
In camp near Fort Kearney and Reno. In Washington on a pass (27 th), see Capitol, War Dept, Navy Dept, White House, etc. Take the chills (28 th). |
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May 31 |
Mustered out of service. |
Discharge papers for John Clark Esarey of Perry County, Ind. |
Jun 1 - 4 |
In camp |
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June 5 |
Leave Washington City at dusk. |
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June 6 – 8 |
On the cars. Pass Harpers Ferry, Cumberland, Md (6 th), Piedmont, Clarksburg (7 th), Reach Parkersburg, Va (8 th). |
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June 9 |
Pass through Parkersburg. Take transportation on Steamboat for Lawrenceburg, Ind. |
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June 10 |
Reach Lawrenceburg morning. Take the cars. Reach Indianapolis. Noon go to Camp Carrington. |
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June 11
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In camp |
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June 12
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Discharged. Paid off. Leave home by 5 o’clock train. The cars overset near Seymour, Ind. |
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June 13
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Pass Jeffersonville. Louisville, New Albany in evening. |
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June 14 |
Reach home. |
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