Manuscript Database
Creator/Title
Ditter family. Letters, 1861-1863. 14 items
Call No.
Mss. C D
Content
In a letter to his father dated 14 Oct. 1861 from Camp Dick Robinson (Ky.), Ben Ditter of the 31st Ohio Infantry writes that Confederate forces in southeastern Ky. under "old Zollicofer" have fallen back. He predicts an advance on Cumberland Gap in order to link up with Tenn. Unionists. He describes a visit to a nearby town where he was surprised at the number of sick soldiers, noting that measles was spreading through the camp. In a letter dated 10 Nov. 1861 he reports that their advance on the Gap led the enemy to briefly threaten Somerset, Ky. In a letter from Somerset dated 15 Jan. 1862, he describes recent fighting near "Zollie's camp."
