AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED TO ISAAC MINOR'S FATHER FROM CAMP IN KENTUCKY, 12 FEBRUARY 1862

Kirby, Isaac Minor. AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED TO ISAAC MINOR'S FATHER FROM CAMP IN KENTUCKY, 12 FEBRUARY 1862. Camp Wood. 1862. (Letter in full) Camp Wood. Feb 12' 1862 Father, I have received your letter off Feb 5 still alarmed about my health. I tell you truly that I am almost if not entirely well. I get sleep nights at Col. Woods House. but go to Camp Every day. Stay out of Camp at night merely as a precaution. Dr. Lewis says that no doubt my sicknefs will do me good and thinks I would be stronger than I have been heretofore in the service. I don't want you to feel alarmed any more about me. And will promise you truthfully that if I get sick again I will come home and that I will always honestly tell you just how I am. Col Wilson was afraid a visit or two ago that I was going to fail Entirely and advised to go home and recruit. he probably wrote to his Wife about that time the difficulty is that people ____ Physicians dont give me credit for have the strength that I have got. most of them fail to stand as much as I do. I would even come home now to satisfy you that I was well. if it were not that we have orders to Keep two days Rations in our Haversacks and ready at a moments warning. I suppose it is merely to watch Buckner if he should attempt to go over the Tennessee River. We would by a rapid march cut him off. The roads are so terrible and weather so bad that I have no idea that we will move from here for some time unless some such necessity compels us. Lieut. Culbertson has received his commission as Capt. but there is no vacancy. There seems to have been some mistake in Columbus in regard to a vacancy in our regt. Culbertson will continue to hold his place in my company as Lieut. and if there was a command for him he would not leave me so long as i needed his services. I don't pretend to do anything till i get entirely well. Culbertson takes full command off my hands. We don't miss Bachtell. Our sergeants are valuable men, all understand and perform their duties well. Pettit is worth his weight in gold to us. There are few companies that have commissioned officers equal to him - particularly fortunate in both commissioned and non-commissioned officers. All admit that i am unequaled in that way. So you see i can afford to be sick and not trouble myself about the company. J.M. Kirby (Writing upside down on the recto, he advises,) "We have official notice that our recruiting officers will recruit for our regiment alone." Camp Wood was established near Munfordville, Kentucky. It is from this Camp that Kirby writes this letter. Kirby himself enlisted as Captain of Company I, 15th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry from April 20, 1861 to August 28, 1861. He reenlisted as Captain of Company D, 15th Regiment, OVI, on September 12, 1861 and resigned on May 12, 1862 to reenlist as Captain of Company F, 101st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry on July 30, 1862. He was promoted to Major with Field and Staff, 101st Regiment on October 14, 1862; promoted to Colonel on December 26, 1862 after the Battle of Stone River, Tennessee; and placed in command of First Brigade, First Division, Fourth Army Corp on June 10, 1864. He was breveted Brigadier General on January 12, 1865 and mustered out on June 12, 1865. The letter is single leaf written in very legible ink, It i accompanied by a 3 cent stamped envelope addressed to Dr. Jacob Kirby, Hillsborough, Ohio with postal cancel. Overall in vg cond.