Ella Corbin, Washington, D.C., pencilled letter, "Wed. Morn 12th," to "(Mine) Dear brother," Mr. Miner H. Corbin, Company G, 22nd Regiment Connecticut: "We have sad news from Byron. As L___ goes this morning, hastily I pack a little box for you. Much love from all. Be of good cheer. Your sister Ella. Trust in God!" On verso is a book agent's advertisement card, "Conditions for Headley's Life of Washington."

Private Miner H. Corbin of Union, Connecticut, enlisted into Company G of the 22nd Connecticut Regiment on September 5, 1862 and was honorably discharged July 7, 1863. Connecticut Adjutant General's Office, Catalogue of Connecticut Volunteer Organizations, With Additional Enlistments and Casualties to July 1, 1864, Compiled From Records in the Adjutant General's Office, and Published by Order of the Legislature, Horace J. Morse, Adjutant-General (Hartford: Press of Case, Lockwood and Company, 1864), 682; Joel Tyler Headley, Illustrated Life of Washington, With Vivid Pen Paintings of Battles and Incidents of the Revolution (New York: G. & F. Bill, 1859).

William Heafer, Suffolk, Virginia, to "Dear Sir": discusses the building of three forts; identifies himself as a member of Company D, 167th Regiment Pennsylvania, Peck's Division [Major General John James Peck, 1821-1878]; postscript is addressed to Elbina F. Bohn asking her to write and includes poem "if you love me as I love love you no [knife] can cut us in two"

Heafer is identified as "William Hofer" in Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers , 4:1123 and as Sergeant William L. Heafer, Company H, 205th Pennsylvania, 5:649.

Richard F. Bohn, Washington, to "My Dear father mother": written on read and blue bordered stationery of the "Ulster Guards, 20th Regiment New York State Militia, Colonel George W. Pratt, Commanding"; discusses transport of his regiment by rail to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Camp Curtin, and Baltimore (where he saw three to four hundred blacks) before arriving in Washington and bivouacked at Soldiers' Rest; 1200 men in the regiment.

[Unidentified], "Camp Near Front of Petersburg," to "My Dear love Elbina Bohn": hopes to send his photograph; mentions her brother's (Richard Bohn?) letter; recalls their courtship and promises to haul her carriage from Saturday to Sunday; asks for her photograph; remainder of letter is missing.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Front of Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": his regiment has worked at forts and constructed rifle pits for three days and "we are working like niggars"; pickets are firing at rebels as he writes this; bushwhackers are harassing them; mentions having received letters from Elizabeth Clay and Eliza Fisher; remainder of letter is missing.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": complains they have not written to him; regiment's colonel took them out for a night drill; effects of the shelling at Petersburg.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": building a fort, rifle pits and batteries; officers make "make a fellow work like a negro;" caught lazing and napping instead of chopping wood by an officer he calls "old Rich" (Captain Richard Boone?); describes a dinner of soup and hardtack; soldiers issued a loaf of bread; tells his sister Elbina that William Heafer visited the company; nothing here but sandy bottom and wilderness; postscript to his brother requests gloves, envelopes, stamps; lists the names of his brothers and sisters and adds a postscript "hurra McClennen" (general and presidential candidate George B. McClellan, 1826-1885)

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near front": has received his father's letter of the 16th; is on picket duty 8 hours daily; includes "Soldiers hymn For My Mother"--". . . Alone I Lay Angels watching over me mother till the Breaking of the Day . . . ," a jumble of sentiments of home, religion and fond memories of his mother and family; asks his sister to write and tell him where his brother Nathan is stationed; while on picket duty he is sitting on "a nice piece of wood" writing this letter.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": the soldiers are building winter quarters; Democrats in camp favor McClellan for president ; requests gloves and envelopes; a drunken soldier vomited into the cookhouse at City Point; claims Captain Franklin Schmehl is drunk nearly all the time.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents," on U. S. Christian Commission stationery: describes fighting on the 27th (engagement at Burgess' Mill or Boydton Plank Road) and the dramatic escape of a Union soldier briefly captured by the rebels; thanks his father for sending two dollars and asks for a pair of gloves; is writing this letter on his knapsack while lying on his belly.

Richard F. Bohn, Petersburg, to his brother]: [first page of letter is missing; begins "and i got the Receive of the Box and 16 post stamps"]; Colonel William F. Walters is the brigade commander (2nd Brigade, 3rd Division) and commands three Pennsylvania regiments (the 205th, 207th, and 211th); accuses Captain Franklin Schmehl of drunkenness; troops are so close to Petersburg that its church steeples can be seen.

Richard F. Bohn to his sister?: letter is incomplete, missing pages?; begins "Letter/Always When i Came to the Camp Last night they Said that they were some Letters here for me . . ."; had to go to Captain Richard Boone of Company E in order to get his sister's letter, and when he saw it he exclaimed, "hurrah for Bern Township girls I near throat [threw] my old shelter tent Down"; tells his brother of a Pittsburgh band, "they Play so good"; regimental drills during the evenings; a camp preacher prays for them; mentions a cousin James Adams; "yes i would [wish] war over father but every thing is Democratic here in our Army they holler like hell for [McClellan]."

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Dutch Gap," to "My Dear Parents": today is his birthday (but does not state his age); mentions a Jacob Heafer and asks him to write; discusses the presence of black soldiers and describes an incident during which a black Union soldier was arrested for shooting dead a Confederate soldier who was chopping wood; Pennsylvania infantry regiments nearby include the 200th, 205th, 207th, 208th, 209th, 211th, and the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery; description of the capture of the 209th's colonel by the rebels who stripped him of his clothing and made him walk barefooted [Colonel Tobias Kauffman was captured at Bermuda Hundred on November 17, 1864]; "we was shelling the Rebels like hell"; gives his mailing address as "Richard F. Bohn, Co. H, 205th (Pennsylvania) Regiment, Washington, D. C., Camp near City Point, Virginia, care of Captain Schmehl."

Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers , 5:710, 712

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": hard marching in heavy snow and rain to Stony Creek Station near the Blackwater River, he became separated from his regiment (during which he found lodging in a black family's shanty); detailed description of the execution by hanging of two deserters (Edward Row and Daniel Smith, 187th New York Infantry) who had joined and fought for the Confederate army until their capture by General "Sherman" in the Shenandoah Valley [Bohn means General Philip A. Sheridan, 1831-1888].

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Lovely Parents": graphic description of the capture and butchering of cattle: "us felled him with our knives and Cut his head off and then we skinned him he was fat we judge about 500 lbs he weight and the skin we [threw] in the water and the guts and . . . the heart we took and the Liver and then we Cut him up in quarters"; has received a letter from his brother Nathan stating that he had nearly drowned at Middletown; RFB reminds his sister to take care of herself "you know for what till he Comes home W. H." [William L. Heafer?].

Richard F. Bohn's address in case his family wishes to telegraph him: "Mr. Richard F. Bohn Co H 205th Regt P[ennsylvania] V[olunteers] 2th Brigade 3 Division 9th Army [Corps] Camp from S. Petersburg via"; on verso "here is some tobacco for you Brother/R. Bohn."

Mailing address label, "Mr. Richard F. Bohn, Co. H 205th Regt P[ennsylvania] V[olunteers] Washington, D. E. Camp Near City Point Via in Care of Capt [Schmehl], Box Direction, W. B./R. B."

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Sister": has written to his cousin Hetty Adams and a song "Prairie Flowers"; says he is "going to make hay" in Petersburg and Richmond; mentions family acquaintances; last page of letter lists several Bohn family members.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Near Petersburg," to "My Dear Sir," w/envelope (William Bohn, Berks County, Pennsylvania, in care of Elias Reben [Reuben?]): bottom third section of this letter is missing; is in good health; mentions Reuben; enjoys soldiering and hopes to enlist for five more years.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": comments on Elbina's [his sister] son who weights 10 and a half pounds; soldiers were paid March 2 and he sent his father a $50 banknote; praises his colonel [Joseph Ard Matthews, later a brevet brigadier general, ?-1872] as the best in the whole army because "he reported our Regt Condempt and they can't put us in a fight if our Regt is Condempt--Condempt is youse no not fit to go in a fight"; lists several members of the Bohn family.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": is concerned they have not received the $50 banknote he mailed; regrets the drafting of his cousins by the army; asks to be remembered to a Elizabeth Clay; promises to catch a muskrat.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Sister": expects a hard fight soon because headquarters has been moved; jokes about sending her son (his nephew) to the Petersburg front so that he may drill him as a soldier if he continues to misbehave.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp Front Petersburg," to "My Dear Parents": describes his participation in the battle of Fort Stedman (March 25, 1865); he captured 50 sheets of paper, 40 envelopes and tobacco from dead rebel soldiers.

Richard F. Bohn, "Camp at Berksville [Burkeville] South," to "My Dear Parents": had fought two battles on April 2; announces the capture of Petersburg and Richmond; describes the wounding (John H. Roth and Darling Meadler) and deaths of various comrades including Elias D. Hoch and First Lieutenant David B. Roberts; wounding of [Second Lieutenant Irwin S. Phillips]; has heard rumors of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's (1807-1870) surrender but says "they are fighting hard out about 14 miles from us"; lists several members of the Bohn family.

Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers , 5:649-51.