Letter from David J. Jones To his mother, Mary Thomas July 8, 1861
Biographical Information David Jones was born in Wales in 1831 to John and Mary Jones. In the 1860 census he is listed as a carpenter living with his mother Mary Thomas, his step-father Thomas Thomas and his nine year old half sister Mary Thomas. In later census records he is listed as a railroad clerk married to Mary (Mollie) Chamberlain (1843-1894) with children William, Norwood, Mary (Margaret), Ada and Laura. Jones last appears in the 1920 census living with his daughter Ada, her husband Howard Edwards and their children. He died on April 7, 1924 in Tulsa, Oklahoma according to the Spring Grove Cemetery records, which is where he is buried. Jones entered the war as 1st Sergeant of Company D in the 1st Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was organized at Camp Clay in Cincinnati, Ohio and was ordered to the Kanawha Valley of Virginia (presently West Virginia) in July. In November of 1861 he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and in November of 1862 to Captain. Jones participated in a great deal of fighting and marching throughout the war. His service began in the West Virginia Campaign and the 1st Kentucky was involved in skirmishes at Toney's Coal River, Gauley Bridge and a multitude of other small attacks and skirmishes in the area. The 1st Kentucky and Jones were later involved in the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862, the Battle of Perryville in October 1862, the Battle of Murphreesboro or Stone River at the end of December 1862 into January 1863 and took part in the Tullahoma and Chattanooga campaigns in 1863. On September 10, 1863 Jones was captured at Pea Vine Creek, Georgia and sent to a prison in Atlanta for a time before being transferred to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. Libby Prison was notoriously brutal and filled to capacity with nearly 1200 officers as prisoners. He was confined to Libby Prison until the night of February 9, 1864 when more than one-hundred men escaped through a tunnel they had been surreptitiously digging near the fireplace in their dirt-floor prison. Jones and others broke out and continued running for several days, often being given food and shelter from slaves that they met along the way. After time to recuperate, Jones rejoined his regiment at Ooltewah, Tennessee in April 1864 and then Resaca until June 18 where he was mustered out. Significance of the Collection The bulk of the collection is correspondence from Jones's war service. Most of the wartime letters are to his mother, but there are some to his sister Mary and his sweetheart Mollie. Some of the letters are in transcript form only, with the originals either not preserved or donated. Within the letters Jones tells of life during the war, including the horrors of battles, the monotony of camp life, the drudgery of endless marching in the rain and mud and his perceptions of his fellow officers and soldiers. Some letters and journal entries talk of the beauty of the countryside and his love of exploring caves and nature. The letters also show a man very much connected with his old neighborhood in Cincinnati's East End on High Street (now near Columbia Parkway, east of Martin Drive). His writing also highlights the conflict in Cincinnati between those who eagerly enlisted in the Union army, those who were ambivalent and concerned only with business and those whose loyalties were with the Confederates. Jones had nothing but contempt for his neighbors that did not fight or were vocal about their support for the Southern cause. The letters to his mother, sister and sweetheart show this. The muster rolls in oversized folder 2 are quite interesting and useful to anyone that desires the details of Jones' service. With only a few gaps there is a nearly compete record of Company D of the 1st Kentucky Volunteers including members, ranks, arms and where they marched and camped from1861-1863 when he was captured. There is his and the company's muster out rolls from June 18, 1864 as well. Though there are no stamps on any of the envelopes, many of them are highly decorated with patriotic themes. Some of these envelopes are scanned and attached to the box list. The embellished ones are more prevalent in the early years of the war and were often accompanied by matching stationary. You can see in this collection how, as the war progressed, the paper and envelopes used became more plain and utilitarian.
-Page 1- Camp Dennison July 8, 1861 Dear Mother, We are still comfortably quartered here expecting to leave this afternoon. I received orders yesterday to cook 3 days rations and to be ready to start at a moments notice. The orders read at dress parade last Tuesday were that we would leave Monday on the railroad proceed to Gallipolis and thence to Point Pleasant, Va. The supposition now is that we will go down to the river and thence up the river to Point Pleasant. We have been furnished new arms or rather old flint locks, altered to percussion which are but little better than the old ones we have been drilling with. You had better believe I have a load to carry. A cartridge box, cap box & bayonet, scabbard fastened on my waist & a heavy gun to carry in one hand is quite enough, but when I carry a knapsack full of clothes & a haversack slung on my left side, a sword on the same side and a canteen on the other side I will have as much as I can manage. There has been a great deal of dissatisfaction among some of the companies in regard to the guns we have received.
-Page 2- There is a court martial now being held over those who have refused the guns offered them. I saw a squad of 19 prisoners being escorted to the court room. Two of our men were in the guard house for a day and a half for refusing the guns. We expect to leave this evening at any rate. The camp is all bustle with packing up of things. The men are coming up at the rate of 1 a minute for passes to go out and get their pictures taken. Soldiers wives are plenty here today and tears are as plenty. We saw a black damsel on her knees before a greasy cook yesterday, we suppose beseeching him to stay from the wars. Such things are of common occurrences here every day. In regard to that watch I have fully considered the matter and have come to the conclusion that however much it may pain one to disobey your wishes it is still almost as necessary an article as any part of my clothing. All the roll calls drills and every thing of the sort depend upon me, and I cannot attend properly to it without something to tell me the time. Depend upon it that if should not return (as I hope I shall) the watch shall. I am fully aware of your feelings in the matter and I should be happy
-Page 3- to be able to act in accordance with them. And now I must bring my letter to a close. Depend upon it the counsel you have given me of late shall be no sooner forgotten than the salutary training of childhood. Leave me in the hands of the Being who has watched the happy days of childhood and who shall not forget the days of blooming manhood. You shall hear from me as often as I can get an opportunity to write. Give my love to all the folks and bid them all farewell for me. And now dear mother, perhaps for evermore, farewell. Your ever affectionate Dave