Publisher's Synopsis
This book contains transcriptions of 74 original letters sent to Lydia Santee, from her brother Charles Santee & her beau John Henry Wingert of Lee County, IL from September 1861 thru April 1864 with descriptions of Army camp life. They had enlisted together in Co. C, IL 34th Infantry Volunteers. Also included are pictures of letterheads, envelopes & other miscellaneous family material. Charles was one of the color guards and bearers killed carrying the Regimental Flag at the Battle of Stone's River near Murphreesboro, TN early in the morning of 31 December 1862. John Henry buried him on the battlefield & later disinterred him in March 1863 and then sent the body home in a zinc lined box. J. Henry wrote to Lydia through April 1864 continuing to describe the daily life and activity of the IL 34th. He may have written up to the end of the war and even later but we have no record of such correspondence. According to family stories, Henry & Lydia never married because he got tired of waiting for her to fulfill her obligations to care for her parents & other brother.
