This letter was written by Charles John Bockius (1834-1918), the son of John Charles Bockius (1800-1878) and Rosanna Dorothea Keller (1806-1865) of Ohio. “Charley” learned the shoemaking trade as a young man and started a shoe store in Port Huron, Michigan, with his brother Henry in 1860. When he was 27, Charley enlisted in Co. E, 22nd Michigan Infantry and served three years, rising in rank to a 1st Lieutenant and serving as the regimental quartermaster.
After the war, Charley moved to Chicago, married Helen Mar Garlick (1845-1933), and became a watchmaker. His daughter Mary L. Bockius was born in Michigan in 1866, perhaps when the family was living in Chicago. After living in Chicago for a year, the family moved to New York City, where Charles worked as a watchmaker for 4 years. Sons John Charles (b. 14 Sep 1868) & James (b. 1870) were born in New York City. The family moved back to Chicago around 1872, where daughters Helen Rose (b. 1874) & Henrietta (b. Oct 1876) were born; son John Charles died in Chicago in Nov. 1876. Charles worked as watchmaker in Chicago for 3 years before joining the Marietta Barge Line Co. as Secretary and Treasurer about 1875. He moved to Canton, Stark OH in 1881 to join his brother Lewis as partner in the family shoe business. He later joined The Canton Glass Company (founded in 1883) in Canton OH, and moved to the company’s new location in Marion, Indiana after the Canton factory burned down March 23, 1890. He was Secretary and Treasurer of The Canton Glass Company in Marion, Indiana from 1890-1899. He was a member of the G.A.R. and held an interest in the Canton Glass Company.
Charlie wrote this letter on 18 July 1864 in the midst of the Atlanta Campaign to some unidentified correspondent he called, “my dear young lady.” From the content of the letter it is clear that the two do not know each other. During the Civil War—especially later in the war, it became common for soldiers to initiate “pen pal” relationships, particularly with young ladies, so that a lonely soldier might receive mail. Rarely did these correspondents have lasting relationships. Many young ladies answered ads placed in newspapers by soldiers requesting correspondents and they might have had several. For the young ladies, most of them saw this as a patriotic duty to encourage the soldiers at the front.
[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Greg Herr and is published by express consent.]
Transcription
Camp 22nd Michigan Vols.
South Side Chattahoochee River, Georgia
July 19th 1864
My Dear Young Lady,
Ten thousand pardons for not having answered your letter earlier than this but when you learn the reason of course you will grant my request. I received your letter on the first of June since which time our army has been on a constant move, stopping perhaps twenty-four hours, consequently having very little time to write letters even to our mothers or sisters. This is the first opportunity I have had to write to any person other than the above mentioned, not that I did not want to write to my —- unseen and unknown little correspondent. Do I use the word “little” wrong? You asked me to give you a description of myself to you in my answer. Now I shall give it and shall claim the same in return.
I am five feet six inches in height, light complexion, light hair, hazel eyes, am not what is known among young ladies as being good looking, nor “a love of a man.” Am the contrary. Am an ordinary looking young man. You also ask where I lived before I enlisted. I was doing business in Port Huron, Michigan. I have lived there about eighteen months, but concluded that my country required my services so enlisted as a private and served as such from the 22nd of August 1862 until the 27th of November same year when I was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant which place I held until the 17th of June when I was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and on last Monday I received a commission as 1st Lieutenant and Quartermaster of my regiment. So you now have my descriptive list and military history as requested.
Now in return for this, I should be pleased to receive something to show me what my correspondent is like. Now read what my opinion is. I think you are about fourteen. How is it? Am I not correct, or are you younger?
I see by the papers from the North that our army here has met with a defeat. It is not true, nor is there the least foundation for such a report. We have advanced steadily ever since we left Chattanooga in May, driving the enemy before us. We are now within seven miles of Atlanta, Georgia—the place we started for, having gained by fighting for it, and gained it foot by foot, one hundred and thirty-two miles of the enemy’s country. We occupy all the ground between here and Atlanta with the exception of one and a half miles. That does not read much like meeting with reverses, does it?
We are on the right of our army. Our line of battle is eighteen miles long. I will describe to you our line of battle as near as I can. [sketch] We are as you see almost on the extreme right of the line. The country over which our line is is covered with hills on which the enemy are strongly entrenched.
I am glad to learn that you take so much interest in the soldier as you say you cannot do too much for them. When short of rations, we hear very little complaint and when we can get full rations, we are thankful. We know that there is a plenty for us at the rear, and as soon as communications are opened, we get them.
I am yours, — Charlie J. Bockius, 1st Lieutenant RQM, 22nd Mich. Vols
Reserve Brigade, Army of the Cumberland
Spared & Shared 22 