John Erwin Papers

The collection, dating from September 1862 to March 1863, consists mainly of 21 letters from John Erwin, of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, to his family and a friend. There are also several documents regarding John's pay, a short diary, a letter and a telegraph message to his family regarding his health, and, finally, a receipt for the transportation of one corpse and an attendant.

The letters are quite touching and show a great deal of sensisitivity and intelligence on the part of the author. Erwin seemed to have a good eye for detail as he described the daily routines of army life, the sites along his travels, the people he encountered, and the battle in which he fought. The Descriptive Roll almost brings John to life for the Reader with its description of an 18-year-old farmer, standing 5'8" tall, with fair hair, fair skin, and gray eyes. One cannot help but like the boy after reading his letters.

Historically, the letters provide a common soldier's view of the Civil War. Although John Erwin's perspective of this great conflict was narrow, pertaining mostly to Kentucky, his insights were keen. For example, he wrote from the hospital on January 3, 1863:

"Father isn't it discouraging the way this war is carried on. . . . It seems as though a victory or a defeat has just about the same influence on our military commanders both bring them to a stand point . . . . So a victory does not amount to much a defeat to something less."

John Erwin contracted the measles in January 1863 and, although he did rejoin his regiment, he never regained his health. John Erwin died, with his father nearby, in March 1863.