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Civil War Soldiers' Letter Archive from Four Soldiers of the 7th Indiana Infantry.. ...
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Civil War Soldiers' Letter Archive from Four Soldiers of the 7th Indiana Infantry.Forty-two war-date letters totaling 144 pages, dated May 3, 1861, to July 6, 1864. Written by four soldiers of the 7th Indiana Volunteer Infantry (Alva C. Hadley, Egbert B. Hamlet, William D. Smith, and Erastus F. Hunt) this extensive correspondence traces the regiment's service from its formation through the campaigns of 1864, following the men from early skirmishes in western Virginia to the Shenandoah and Overland Campaigns. Together, their letters document the arc of the regiment's service, including Hamlet's death at Winchester, Hunt's wounding and recovery after Port Republic, and the later campaigns of Hadley and Smith in Georgia and Virginia. The bulk of the letters are addressed to Enos and Susan Hadley of Plainfield, Indiana.
One of the earliest letters is from William D. Smith, written from Philippi, Virginia, on June 18, 1861, while the regiment provided support in the region. He recounts the accidental shooting of an officer by a sentinel: "A few nights ago a Captain was shot by a sentinel...he was to see if the sentinels are on their posts and doing their duty. This captain thought himself rather sharp and had slipped onto several guards and got their guns while they were napping...this guard it is said called to him to halt as often as was necessary and the officer did not stop and the sentinel fired away and shot him through the heart."
By October 1861, the regiment was stationed in the Cheat Mountain District. On October 14, Alva C. Hadley writes from Greenbrier, Virginia, still awaiting further action: "We are still in this god forsaken valley, where chickens and newspapers and women are heard of but scarsly ever seen. Since the battle of Green Briar we have been laying here awaiting an attack. We are now strengthening our fortifications..."
Six days later, Erastus F. Hunt writes in defense of the regiment's reputation after reports that the men had fled the battle: "I am glad to know that you saw some responsible man from green brire to tell you the news correctly about the 7th running that is the most base line that any man could have thought of...You speak of a miss being as good as a mile I suppose it is but I would rather such bullets as that was would miss me a mile..."
Through late 1861, the 7th remained in western Virginia. On November 21, Hunt comments on the removal of General Fremont and criticizes Indiana men unwilling to serve: "You speak of the removal of Freemont. I have thought all the time that it was a very wrong piece of work...I have seen no just cause for removing him...you speak of the home guard being a failure. I am sorry to here of the young men of my neighbourhood being so near secesh & cowardly that they could not make up a company to defend the state against the most wicked & rascally rebellion that has ever been..."
In early 1862, the regiment joined the Shenandoah Valley Campaign under General Nathaniel Banks. Writing from "Camp Gavin" near Winchester in March, Egbert B. Hamlet expresses confidence that Confederate forces are on the run: "It seems that here lately there is no sight for the rebels at all it is victory after victory all the time we have lost all hopes of getting to go to Winchester..." Tragically, Hamlet's optimism was misplaced; on March 22, the armies collided at the Battle of Winchester, where he was mortally wounded in the fighting.
Three weeks later, on April 14, Hunt wrote from Edinburg, Virginia, where the 7th held Mount Jackson in the aftermath of the battle: "We are here in sight of the Rebbles & still fighting every day though it is mostly Artilery today there has been some musketry & we are prepared for a tramp in five minutes notice...You speak of Egbert. I miss him so much & can say for him he was a good soldier & was wounded while doing good service to his country he in his last hours did honor to his family."
On June 9, 1862, Hunt himself was wounded at the Battle of Port Republic by a shot to the knee. He was sent to Cliffbourne Hospital in Washington D.C., to recover. By late summer, he was struggling with infection and a slow recovery: "I have had quite a back set at first I taken fever & when the doctor broke the fever it fell in to my leg...I have had a hard time though I am now much better & I hope in a few days to be able to walk on crutches again. I shall be more careful than before I fear I started out to soon before my wound is not healed." Hunt was discharged due to his injuries in October 1862.
Meanwhile, Smith continued to serve with distinction, later transferring to the 53rd Indiana Infantry. Writing from Big Shanty, Georgia, on June 17, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign, he describes nearly continuous fighting: "We have been fighting ever since we came here. This evening we opened out with all our artillery on this part of the line they soon stopped the rebs sharp shooting all was quiet again save the booming of our artillery...we have only lost one more killed and eight or ten wounded. Co. 'A' had one man to shoot his own fingers off...the rebs charge our works on our right nearly every night but get hansomly repulsed every time with heavy loss..."
At the same time, Alva Hadley was with the 7th Indiana in Grant's Overland Campaign. Writing from Petersburg on July 6, 1864, he reports on the fierce combat during the siege: "We have bin doing some more hard fiting...on the 18 we made a charge on the rebs works and they just beet us down like grass I received a slight wound in the left arm but was not disabled...they have got tame and don't shoot unless every now and then...our boys talk and joke with them all of the time the 9 Corps keeps up a terifick fiering night and day."
Records show that Hadley was listed as a prisoner of war at some point after writing this letter. He was held at Salisbury Confederate Prison, a notoriously inhumane and overcrowded prison camp in North Carolina. He died of disease there on November 12, 1864. Smith served through the end of the war, mustering out on July 22, 1865.
Also included are related Hadley family documents: a receipt for Enos Hadley from "Twin Groves Nursery" in Hendricks County, Indiana; seven non-war-date letters to friends, dated 1855 and 1865-1880; three additional war-date letters to Susan and Enos Hadley from relatives; and twenty-two original transmittal covers.
Condition: Generally good. All letters age-toned with smoothed folds. A few letters (dated November 26, 1861; May 8, 1862; and March 30, 1864) quite faded. Minor to moderate wear throughout, including staining, chips, separations, and minor loss, occasionally affecting text; some repairs with archival tissue or tape.
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2025 December 8 Arms & Armor, Civil War & Militaria Signature® Auction #6325 (go to Auction Home page)
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