These are letters that Adam Bentz (1842-1886), a Union Civil
War Soldier from Meigs County, Ohio, wrote or received in the Civil War era. Reading them in succession from 1 to 18 gives
an interesting story. William W. Bentz
(1913-2001), Adam’s great nephew and my Dad, found these letters in the family Bible of Adam’s
parents, Michael (1815-1864) and Mary Harpold (1823-1912) Bentz. Emma Bentz Hayman (1854-1934) and Matilda
Bentz (1857-1944), Adam’s sisters, lived together in Syracuse, Ohio and had
custody of the Bible for many years.
Fifteenth Letter September 1, 1864
US General
Hospital
Chester Pa
September
the 1st 1864
Dear Affectionate Sister & all the ones
Your
most kind & welcome Letter came to hand this afternoon & I hasten to
reply. I was very glad to hear from you & that you were all well. I am getting along pretty well. I am not any worser than I stated in my other
letters one of the holes in my side is healing up nicely I shall get well
pretty soon by taking care of myself.
You need not fear of me dying yet.
Tell GrandMa & Aunt Sally not to cry to much so they can kill that
fat Chicken for me when I get home. Em I
cannot send you my Photograph this time but I will bring you one when I come
Home, I have sent 5 or 6 letters to you at Pomeroy when Pa goes to Pomeroy he
can get them & there will be one in the Box for Clarence Foster tell him to
keep it for me until I come. I expect to
leave the 10th of this month for Pittsburgh then to Wheeling &
then get my Discharge then take a Boat for Letart Falls. You need not write any more letters to me for
I wont get them I am very thankful to you for the $1.00 & Post Stamps. Give my Respects to GrandMa & Pa & Uncle George & to Aunt
Babara Mcdade &Aunt Sally & all enquiring Friends, tell Uncle George I
will bring him a big Winter Blouse for him to work in. I must close for I am tired & Sleepy so
good Bye.
Your
Brother
Adam
Bentz
To Emma
Bentz
PS I hope Henry will get home soon. I thought he was there by this time, if he
comes give him my respects, & tell him to stay at home till I come.
Give my
love to my Brothers & Sisters
Adam
Bentz
Bill Barnes sends his wishes to you all.
Sixteenth Letter May 1st, 1865
Hant Island N York
Camp af Hant
Barracks
May 1st /.65
Peter Bentz
Dear Brother
I am well
& hope you are the same. I have pretty
good news to write this time, that is we will be back Home in about 2 weeks or
3. We are 20 miles from New York
City. Well I don’t like this place one
bit for we cant get enough to eat, but I don’t care for that I go to the Sutler
& by things to eat. The boys are all glad that the war is over, they are
all going to be Discharged as fast as possible.
Peter if you
get any letters for me keep them until I come home. Wont I bore Lewis Raush when I come home
Peter tell Ma to put Stamps on that Note of mine. I sent you a $1,50.00 check, when I was at
Columbus did you get it keep it until I come home. I kept $50.00 fifty Dollars out of 2,00.00. we don’t get One hundred Dollar Bounty. I guess Henry will come home now & John
too. I will be so glad if they come home
wont you. Peter I had no chance to get
you a knife yet.
You need not answer this letter.
So good Bye.
Adam Bentz
Only $800.00 for about one Months
Soldering
Seventeenth Letter February 24, 1876
Plants Ohio
Feb24th/76
Henry
Kidderli
Washington
DC
Dear Sir
You will no
doubt be surprised in receiving a few lines from an old friend of your Camp in
the late War, and I hope you have not forgotten me, As I wish you to fill out this Blank
Certificate for me to the best of your Knowledge.
If you have forgotten me I will
state some things that will put you in mind of me.
You recollect at the Battle of
Winchester on the 24th day of July 1864 that I was wounded in the
left side between 7th & 8th Ribs, and I suppose you recollect
that you sent my Discriptive List to Chester Hospital near Philadelphia. I do not know whether you recollect of the
Veins being bursted in my right leg of which unables me from Traveling but a
short distance at a time & the wound in left side affects from work a great
deal. The Veins bursted in my Leg on the
Raid from Lynchburg. Enclosed find 50
cts for fees to be Sworn to then to send Certificate to me.
Please send as soon as
possible. John Hess & family are
& send their regards.
Hoping you will do the favor for
me which I request. You will
Oblige. Accept my wishes for your future
welfare.
Yours Respectfully
Adam Bentz
Plants PO
Meigs Co.
Ohio
To Capt H
Kidderli
Late Capt Camp H
5th
Regt Va V Inf
PS The Wound
in my side disables me from doing but little work.
ABentz
Eighteenth Letter February 22, 1866
Mount Vernon, Indiana 1866
February
the 22
Dear Cousin
I seat my
self to inform you that I am well at present and hope you are the same. I received yours on the 20th of
the month and was pleased to hear from you.
I was so glad to get your Photograph.
I think it is nice you are good looking man if that looks like you
Addam. I wish I had been there. I would knock off your hat and that segar out
of your mouth you art to have had another segar. I cant rite a very long letter for I don’t
know what to rite. Addam you must come
down here and get acquainted with some of the ladies in posey some of the
ladies are as pretty ladies as ever wore a dress, and the boy her turn to sugar
and you know that they are sweet Addam.
I haven’t got any of my Photograph at present but when I get my picture taking
I will send it to you. Did you get
Valentine I didn’t get any this year you must rite and let me kno whether Smith
Hester is up there or where he is Pa is as busy as a bee getting out logs for
the saw mill he is a going to have 100 hundred logs sawed up for lumber this
spring we live close to Blacks Meeting house and tolerable close to a school
there is a protracted meeting begins tonight and will last one week if nothing
happens the Welbern School house is about two miles from here Charley is ma’s
baby and he is three years old and he is as pretty as at Pink Pa hant shelled
his corn yet he has to shell and sack his corn and deliver it on the Bank Pa
put most of his ground in wheat this year he has clover and grass sown we have
tolerable good orchard we have got a nice young orchard the trees bore some
last year Addam you must rite soon and rite a letter as long as your mothers
close line this paper has got the yellow ganders that is what makes it so bad
tell cousin Petter to rite some and then I will rite to him I am great had to
receive letters and send letters it does me more good to get a letter than to eat
sugar no more at present but remain your affectionate Cousin until death.
Mr Addam Bentz
When
this you see
Remember
me
Mahala A Justice
Telll aunt
Mary that Mother will
rite to her
before long and aunt
Sallie to Father
and mother
went to the
sale today
miss m a
Justice is my name
And single
is my life
Mahala A Justice Ind
