These letters were written by Abraham Jaquays, Jr. (1844-1864), the son of Abraham Frank Jaquays (1811-1862) and Mary Louisa McKensie (1810-1878) of Olmstead, Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Abraham enlisted as a private in Co. F, 43th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) in November 1861, claiming to be age 19. He died on 20 January 1864 in Pulaski, Tennessee.
TRANSCRIPTION
General Hospital
Lagrange, Tennessee
January 13, 1863
Dear Brother,
I take my pen and ink to write a few lines to you to let you know where I am and what I am a doing. I have been sick for more than 6 months with the fever but have been with the regiment all the time till they left Oxford and I hain’t heard from them since. That was 4 or 5 weeks ago. The railroad has been tore up and our mail stopped so I hain’t heard from home. We hain’t got paid off yet and don’t expect to right off for the army is scattered so I hain’t had any money since last August and now I am in a hard fix so far away from my regiment and can’t get no tobacco to chew—only what I can [ ] and that hain’t much.
This is my last sheet of paper and when it is gone I don’t know what I shall do to get more. They had a fight at Jackson, Tennessee, and I suppose that my regiment was there. They went there from Oxford. I can’t think of any news to write. I have got the rheumatism in my feet so bad that I can’t walk.
Now I must end. So goodbye. Write soon as you receive. Yours truly, from your brother, — A. Jaquays
Direct to General Hospital No. 1, Lagrange, Tennessee
TRANSCRIPTION
Cleveland, Ohio
August 26th 1863
Dear Brother,
I take my pen and ink to write a few lines to you to let you know that I received your letter last Saturday morning.
You wanted me to let you know when I could come home but that is more than I can tell for it is just as the doctors take it in their heads about it. And so I can’t tell anything what to do about coming home. When you have time, come out and see me and I will try to come home with you. If you come, I will be more apt to get a leave of absence for they won’t give any furloughs anymore.
They are a going to pay the boys off this week but I hain’t got my Descriptive List yet and won’t get my pay this time. There is 14 months pay a coming to me now and most one year clothing pay a coming. I shan’t go back to the regiment till I come home if I have to run away and take a french furlough.
I was down town yesterday and if I had any other clothes but soldier’s, I should get on the cars and come home and stayed a day or two. You have not better come till next week. Write and let me know.
U. S. Hospital, Ward H, Cleveland, Ohio
— Abraham Jaquays
Spared & Shared 18 
One correction: E.S. Jaquays was ENOCH Sylvester Jaquays, not Ebenezer. Enoch was my great-great grandfather and much revered by my family. By the way, he was not serving in the Civil War with his brothers Abraham and William because he was born with a clubfoot. He would have been ineligible for military service.
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Thank you for the correction.
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