Jack Family - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Private Aaron B. Jack, residence of Attica, Fountain County, Indiana, mustered into active service with Company C, 86th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on 13 August 1862. Jack's tenure with the regiment was brief: he was subsequently discharged (apparently for medical reasons) on 15 December 1862. However, Jack's short time with the 86th IVI was apparently eventful since the regiment took part in the engagements resulting from Braxton Bragg's invasion of Kentucky, during the late summer of 1862, culminating in the horrific Battle of Perryville (8 October 1862). During this engagement the 86th IVI was maintained in reserve.

Here is a rough translation of Private A. B. Jack's missive for your perusal:

Nov 15th 1862

General Hospital No 7

Betsyjane

I receved your letter the other day i[t] was a new thing for me to get a letter here i am as well as comon only i feel s<l>eepy it was my turn to sit up the fore part of last night and after i went to bed at 2 oclock i di not feel like sleeping there is 50 beds in each ward and there are 5 nurses we take it turn about to sit up ther[e] are ten wards in this hospital there is only 2 or 3 that is very sick in our ward. you spoke about the treachery of gen Buel (if I should so tearm it) i believe i have heard him spoken of once or twice down here i have heard boys say that they just as soon shoot genl Buel as any rebel in the south there is boys here that was with him on his march to Louisville and on towards bardstown and Perrysville and they say that Buel could have taken Bragg if he wanted to. it seems that the authorities at Washington are going crazy how many more times are they a going to put Mclellen out and in again. but i am glad that they have got that old bold patriot husure in command [Burnside] but i expect the next news we get from Washington will be Mcleland has got the command of the ar[m]y of the Potomac. i wrote home for a box of things i dont know whether you have sent them or not but i would be very [glad to] get some butter and other things. we get a little butter but you know a little butter is an agg[r]avation to me i could get along very well without it but it would go better if i had some i dont know what the folks means up there that they dont write to me you must tell them to write and how to direct them tell them tell bill Ossborn [sp?] and Kib Smith and [the] Lucas boys to write One thing you have forgot tell me who was drafted in our county i read in the Louisville Journal that there was a man in Fountain Co[unty] that had the double pleasure of being drafted and the[n] arrested the weather here is very fine the people have a good time to get ready for winter i got acquainted with some boys here and we have fine times together a Cavalry man from Mich[igan] that lays next to me is a funny fellow he got his fo[o]t hurt by his horse falling [of-lined out] on it it has been very sore but it is nearly well now he got his boot on the other morning and he st[e]ped abo[u]t shoing his foot like a boy with a new pair of boots but he could not keep from limping a little then he would make expressions that would mak[e] a dog laugh he was at the battle of Bull Run he was at fa[i]rfax when Elsworth was shot he [saw-lined out] saw him a few minits after he says he never saw men do like his reg[i]ment did they were so mad that nobody could do any thing with them he calls me husure joe [hoosier joe] write every week to me

Aaron B. Jack

if you have any postage stamps send me a few.

Dec 4th 1862

General Hospital No 7

Nan

this is to let you know that i received that enormous box What on earth do you think i can do with all that w[h]y it is enough to kill any too men but i was glad to get it give my thanks to all who put anything in it the things carryed very well but one of them large cans got a dinge at one end and a little of the juice ran out uncle Billys Apple came all rite. i got a letter from Cousin Rosetta day before yesterday they are all well and i got a letter the same day from George Worrick and Cousin Mark george has got the Rhumatism and mark has got a touch of the yellow janders he says that they are having fine times now they have fresh veal and fresh pork to eat they are on the other side of Nashville. you went to more trouble about that box than i me[a]nt you to you have worked and swetted i expect more than a little. i will have to divide with the boys to keep some of it from spoiling there is some very fine fellows here there is one fellow here out of the 31st Ind[iana] i will divide with him he was in the battle of Donelson and pits burg landing was surrounded and fought his way out and never got t[o]uched. i am sitting up tonight no more this time

Aaron B. Jack