Linn Letters

Web Author's Notes:
The following letter of Thomas B. Linn, a drummer in the 16th OVI, was transcribed by contributor John M. Pierson who obtained it from Mary Bavender. The letters were part of a collection of papers from Linn and included a detailed diary. Combined, the letters and diary entries give us an intimate look at the life of a soldier in the 16th OVI during the Civil War.

These letters were all written or received while Linn was a Private in Company B. He was later promoted, on July 1, 1864, to Principal Musician, as a drummer, and transferred to Field & Staff. He survived the war and mustered out with the regiment on October 31, 1864, near Columbus, Ohio.

Letter addressed to Brother Brownhill

Vermillionville, La., Oct. 17, 1863

I must write a few lines to you if it is but a few. I have not heard a word from you for a long time and would like to have a few scratches from your pen. I suppose you are still at Mr. Martins, I shall direct this to Fredericksburg anyway hoping you will get it. I am well and last Tuesday put one of the biggest tickets in the ballot box you ever saw for Brough & Co. I went the Union Ticket wholesale and retail. But I must stop and eat supper and then I will tell you all about our election. We had four Valandinghammers in our Company and they were ashamed to vote an open ticket. The looked as though they had been stealing sheep - they came up to the polls and after turning round four times got as red as fire in the face and handed the judge a ticket folded so tight that you could almost hear the eagle squeal as it left their hand. There was a great deal of electioneering in Co. E. by the Valandingham men. Here is the vote of our regiment.

Co.	Brough	Valanding  Total  Co.	Brough	Valanding  Total
A.	  7	  9	    16	  F.	 12	  0	    12
B.	 16	  4	    20	  G.	 22	  0	    22
C.	 23	  1	    24	  H.	 19	  0	    19
D.	 18	  1	    19	  I.	 17	  2	    19
E.	  8	  6	    14	  K.	 15	  0	    15

Which makes the vote of the 16th Ohio stand - 157 for Brough and 23 for Valandingham a nice little majority of 134 votes for Brough. The 120th piled up the Valandingham vote pretty high - I do not know just how it did go. The 114th gave the old traitor 21 votes and 42nd did better yet as it only gave him six. These are all the Ohio regiments in our division. I long to hear the result in Ohio. There were but two scratched tickets voted in our Company - they were G. Volney Dorsey for probate judge. I will send you a ticket as voted by Holmes County boys of our Company. On the left is marked the number of votes against each candidate or Valandingham votes -- on the right the number each candidate got. One vote of our Company was in Wayne County and one in Coshocton County.

I must tell you where we are. We have been lying on Vermillion Bayou for several days, will likely stay several days longer. We are about 160 miles from New Orleans near Vermil- lionville, La., Fayette Parish, Louisiana. We heard cannonading in front yesterday morning and supposed the 19th Army Corps were fighting, sent the 4th Division on to reinforce them. I do not think our division will have any fighting to do while we are going through. We are to be last to leave this place and will form the rear guard. I must close as it is time for dress parade. Write soon as you receive this.