Wheeler, Lysander (fl. 1837-1903) to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07460.031 Author/Creator: Wheeler, Lysander (fl. 1837-1903) Place Written: Gallatin, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 May 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : clipping ; 20.5 x 25 cm. Order a Copy
Writes about Capt. Fields' visit to Sycamore, where Wheeler's family lives. He complains about Fields' multiple absences without leave and feels that the lieutenants are working against him. Asks that his family not tell anyone about Fields' predicament. He also mentions a convention of copperheads in Indianapolis in which some soldiers were wounded. He hopes that the draft goes on in the North and is anxious to fight copperheads. Writes that he believes copperheads in southern Illinois and Indiana will resist the draft. In a note dated May 27th, Wheeler writes about grading the banks of the Cumberland River in order to cross into the town of Cairo. Tennessee. A small clipping of a poem accompanies the letter.
Lysander Wheeler, a farmer from Sycamore, Illinois, enlisted in the Union Army on August 7, 1862 as a private. He was mustered into Company C of the 105th Illinois infantry and later promoted to sergeant. Wheeler was mustered out on June 7, 1865.
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