Civil War Letter from Samuel Clock

On July 23, 1861, Samuel Clock from Monroeville, Ohio wrote a letter to his cousin David Clock. Samuel, who was born James Samuel Clock, was serving as a First Lieutenant in Company G of the Ohio 24th Infantry. He was at Camp Chase at the time he wrote the letter.

Sam discussed how the troops had been reviewed by Colonel John C. Fremont and Governor Dennison. They were soon to be receiving arms and overcoats, and he was to be ready to receive orders at any time. Most of Sam’s letter dealt with matters of the heart. He was not sure if he loved Linda or not, but he had hoped to spend time with her that summer, had he not enlisted in Army. A transcription of Sam’s letter is below.

Military records from the American Civil War Soldiers database at Ancestry Library Edition indicate that that a J. Clock resigned from the 24th Ohio Infantry on October 25, 1861. However, on March 20, 1863, he enlisted as a First Lieutenant in Company L of the Third Ohio Cavalry. Near the end of the Civil War, James Samuel Clock wat wounded at Macon, Georgia. He died on July 2, 1865, after the war ended. The book, History of the Firelands, by W. W. Williams, tells us that J. Samuel Clock was the son of Samuel and Maria (Vroman) Clock of Ridgefield Township, Huron County, Ohio.