98th Ohio Infantry Letter. Photographer Falls Off Lookout Mountain.Great content

Description

This letter was written from Rossville, Georgia by Private James A. Stewart of St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio to his sister Maggie Stewart.  James describes a dream that he had about being home on furlough and how wonderful it was.  He also talks about a bushwhacker killing one of their men, but most interesting of all he talks about a photographer getting drunk and falling off of Lookout Mountain. I have also attached a screenshot of a newspaper article from March of 1864 that describes a photographer falling to his death from Lookout.  It's a tragic tale....but it doesn't get much more historic than that!!
Rossville, Ga
March 21
st
1864
Dear Sister Maggie
Your very
Welcomed letter dated,March 10
th
was received yesterday (Sabbath) while out on picket.
So I will have no drilling to do this afternoon.
I thought I might as well answer it.
It is generally the custom to sleep the next day after being on picket but I seldom ever do it.
I try to ____the habit of sleeping in daytime_____as I am for it always spoils ones sleeping at night.
It has been very cool here for the last week or two.
I think very cool for what is called the sunny south. It was pretty cold on picket last night, but not near as cold as I have saw it.
My hours for standing
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____from 7 o clock until9 in the evening.
And from 3 to 5 in the morning.
The order is to walk our heal constantly during the two hours. But that is seldom every lived up to after night.
My heal lay on a large open field between two narrow breaks of timber.
I could see from one end to the other and it was a very pretty moon light night.
So for safety had there been any danger I took my position in the center of my heat by the side of a little stump. And there for two long hours I sat with my blanket closely primed to keep out the cold.
I could not begin to tell you have the thoughts that would come crowding in to my mind while seated for the lonely watch.
As it was Sabbath evening I tried to keep my thoughts from wondering on worldly matters, but that I could not altogether succeed in your letter which I read just before starting for my first, was fresh in my mind
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And thinking of the goodtime you had while on your late visit to W Va.
I could not but think of the week of jolley ____Joe and I spent over there some years ago.
I can imagine about how you carried on, judging from experience.
Ours was more of a boy spree though than yours. Little did we think then, of having to go to war so soon.
We differed a little then on some things butI am happy say that all are sound on the Union, and in favor of upholding the Glorious Stars and Stripes let the cost be what it will.
I believe with on or two exceptions that all boys I know over there are now soldiers or have been.
It is useless for me to say that I would have enjoyed the visit with you largely, but such could not be there case.
I think it was very kind of Mrs. Hanna to give you permission to go with them to W Va. And so the Capt is married. That kind of cuts you out don’t it?
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Well I have the tent all to myself this afternoon as Mack is on picket and John is out on drill.
If you were here I could tell you a great_____more thing and faster than I can write. I think I must tell you though what a pleasant dream I had last night while laying on the ground for a short time after coming off duty where I had so many pleasing recollections.
I dreamt that I had a furlough and was on myway home.
I thought every thing looked so nice about home. It was warm and pleasant.
The trees and flowers were all in full bloom and I thought the garden looked so nice. So I was going in to the yard and saw the kitchen door was open and I could hear them talking and laughing. But I thought I would take them by surprise so going up to the front door I gave a gentle knock.
I heard someone coming.
How my heart did beat.
The door opened and mother was the first one I saw but then my dream was suddenly stopped by the Sergeant calling out.
-all in second place I did not like it very much for I thought if he had waited a few moments longer I would have got to see the rest of the family. But here comes some little butternuts wanting to____coffee.
I will have to wait on them. Well they are ____bought live pounds at 50 cents per lb.
I would have sold them more but they were out of money.
We get plenty of rations and clothing now.
Also plenty of duty.
I would rather not have so much of the latter.
The boys all enjoying good health, and whenever the general command is ready to move forward we are.
There was a man wounded the other night on picket.
He belonged to Co E of ourRegt.
A bushwhacker slipped up on him during a thunderstorm and shot him.
Theball passing through his hand.
A man fell off the Point of Lookout Mountain the other day and was killed.
He fell about 60 feet.
I guess he was drunk and started to go the near way to Chattanooga.
It was the photograph artist.
He had his tent on Lookout Point.
I intended to go some day if I could get a chance and get mine taken but it is too late now as the artistis dead.
I would like very much to have one of yours.
I have the old one yet but it is faded a good bit.
Brother Jim