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Civil War Home Front Letter Archive from Ohio....
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Description
Civil War Home Front Letter Archive from Ohio. Fifty-six letters dated July 1861 to July 1862, with one additional letter dated November 1864, written by Lucy Coe of Painesville, Ohio, each addressed to her brother Henry H. Coe, Band Leader of the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Together with one letter from Henry dated May 28, 1862, and a small group of pressed flowers tied with ribbon, laid into one of Lucy's letters. Lucy writes with diligence and detail, reporting not only on domestic affairs but also on troop movements, military engagements, and the emotional toll of the war as it unfolded.Henry enlisted in July 1861, seeing combat with his regiment at the Battles of Cross Lanes, Blue's Gap, Port Republic, and Winchester. Lucy followed the progress of the war closely through newspapers and local reports, relaying news of major engagements and offering her reflections on Union setbacks and mounting casualties. Writing just days after the First Battle of Bull Run, the war's first major engagement, Lucy relays the shock and uncertainty that gripped the North in a letter dated July 22, 1861:
"Terrible news tonight. Federals retreated & entrenched on the heights...69th N. Y. nearly all killed and wounded-Estimated rebel force 90,000...There has been a defeat of our forces a terrible defeat but in the panic we may have received panic dispatches & we do hope the papers today may bring more encouraging intelligence...It says it is good news...Perhaps it is so, but at a shocking sacrifice."
In another notable letter, dated April 19, 1862, she comments on the aftermath of the Battle of Winchester, where Henry and the band had aided the wounded on the battlefield:
"Maj. gave the 'aid society' an address, by an urgent request...he mentioned to me, that he omitted one thing that meant to speak of, which was relative to the service of 'our band' at the battle...that the men in the Band of the 7th Ohio rendered invaluable service in taking care of the wounded & dead on the battlefield at Winchester..."
In May 1862, Henry was injured during the regiment's arduous march from New Market to Edinburg, Virginia. Writing from Parma, Ohio, while recovering, he describes the lingering effects of his injury: "That long march we made to New Market from Edinburg while I was weak, injured the muscles of my leg from which I have not sufficiently recovered as not to limp. I manage to walk about some with a cane. Enclosed you will find a Physicians certificate [not present] that I am unfit for duty...There has been general excitement here about Banks retreat. Enlisting goes on rapidly."
Lucy continued to write throughout his convalescence, responding diligently to news from the front. On June 18, 1862, following reports from Port Republic, she writes:
"It is so sad to hear that our poor soldiers are so many of them killed, maimed, & even maltreated after they are made prisoners. I do hope their fellow soldiers will not leave a stone unturned, that can in any manner relieve their sufferings...You probably have had enough to do since the battle without making music..."
Her July 4, 1862 letter expresses despair following McClellan's retreat during the Peninsula Campaign:
"We had such sad news from McClellan, 'that he had suffered a terrible defeat, retreated 17 miles, left his sick, wounded & dead on the field, & lost a thousand siege guns'-The greatest defeat ever known & that it should happen to that army, was almost beyond endurance. The excitement after Bull Run disaster was nothing in comparison."
The archive concludes with a letter dated November 11, 1864, suggesting that Henry re-enlisted after his prolonged recovery. Lucy addresses him as a member of the "Band 2d Brig. 3d Div. 23d A.C." and comments on his reception upon rejoining the army and the fraught presidential election of 1864, as well as news of Sheridan's movements:
"Election over, we feel quite calm, although the result is not just as we would wish, are thankful it is no worse...Our news from Sheridan last night is, that he has left Gen Thomas to look after Hood, & with a force of 70000, is marching on Savannah. That he left with 25 days rations after burning Atlanta...My great anxiety is to know where you will be...I was quite anxious to know what kind of reception you rec'd when you got to the Brigade..."
Together, this archive gives a comprehensive overview of the war as experienced by a woman on the Northern home front, paired with direct testimony from a regimental band leader serving in active campaigns.
Condition: Generally very good with expected toning and mailing folds. A few instances of separations, minor loss, and scattered staining, generally not affecting legibility of text.
Auction Info
2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts & Texana Signature® Auction #6328 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2026
26th
Thursday
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