1862: Walter Johnson Spaulding to Prior Spaulding

This letter was written by Pvt. Walter Johnson Spaulding (1840-1929) who served 3 months in Co. B of the 88th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). This regiment was mustered in on 26 June at Camp Chase and mustered out on 26 September 1862. Walter was carried erroneously on the company rolls as Walker Spaulding. In the letter, Walter mentions Allison Varney who served with him in the same company.

Walter was the son of Edmund Prior Spaulding (1793-1847) and Athaliah Way (1806-1886) on Munson, Geauga county, Ohio. He wrote the letter to his older brother, Edmond Prior Spaulding, Jr. (1838-1920). Walter was married to Jennie G. Carpenter (1847-1925) in 1866 and relocated to Mentor, Lake county, Ohio.

Pvt. Spaulding wrote the letter from Johnson’s Island near Sandusky, Ohio, which opened as a prisoner of war camp for captured Confederate officers in April 1862. A 15 foot high wooden stockade surrounded 12 two-story prisoner housing barracks.

TRANSCRIPTION

Johnson’s Island
August 17, 1862

Prior,

I received your letter yesterday and I was glad to hear that you had got so near through your haying and harvesting and that Frank was a going to help thrash. I am a driving the government team now but I shan’t drive it much longer if I don’t get over the Virginia quickstep [diarrhea] for it takes a man with a bear claw to drive them for they are as far ahead of the old browns as the browns are of linens could wear [?]. I should think they had got a bor [?] on old linen. I told [Allison] Varney of it and I thought that he would kill himself [laughing].

We have to draw in 282 loaves of bread in the yard. I throwed a loaf of bread this morning and hit a secesh right slap in the face and that raised his bristles.

Tell mother that Mr. Baker is sick. It is that woman’s husband that we saw up to Aunt Mandis’ last winter. Tell Bub that I will show him when I get to going.

— W. J. Spaulding

We went out on inspection this morning and the Captain said that I had the cleanest gun in the company. You said you would send me a list of the Carroll’s Sail [Carousel?] but I guess you forgot it.