Manuscript Database
Creator/Title
Jones, John P., 1836-1911. Letters, 1862-1864. 17 items.
Call No.
Mss. C J
Content
This collection consists of the Civil War letters of Lt. John P. Jones of the 45th Illinois Infantry who served in western Tennessee, the Mississippi River Valley, and Georgia. In addition to military life in general, Jones describes his unit's service in the Vicksburg Campaign, the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman's March to the Sea. He describes the people, terrain and weather conditions in the Southern states he marched through. In addition to denouncing Northern Copperheads, he criticizes the poor progress made by Union armies in Virginia. A devoutly religious man, he regards the war God's "fearful punishment" for the nation's sins, adding, and "our principal sin is the oppression of the African."