John Hadley Mills
Content of the Letter
Our soldier named John Hadley Mills wrote a letter that was sent from Camp Loomis Tennessee on April 4th, 1863 to his father mother brothers and sisters. He tells his family about how he is in good health and how he received a letter from them on the 25th of March. The letter that was written by his family informed him that they were also in good health. He wrote two letters while he was at the camp, but he believed that neither of them were delivered. He was content with living at the camp because there were plenty of rations and it was very healthy. He made a friend named Limsy Green and they got along very well. He hadn’t heard anything about the packages his family sent from Mooresville even though they should have arrived at the time that he was writing the letter. There were a lot of citizens lying around with the colonel and they were all rebels. There was bad weather a few days before he wrote the letter, but the weather was pleasant while he was sending and writing it. He bought a soldier’s record before he left Indianapolis and Gary Jepherson was supposed to take it Mooresville and leave it there.
Transcription
Camp Loomis Tenn. 4th mo. 4th 1863
Dear father Mother Brothers & Sisters
I proceed to write you another letter in which I can inform you that I am in pretty good health and feel most *as tout [stout] as ever. I received a letter from you to day mailed about the 25th of last mo. which informed me of your good health which I was very glad to hear of. I have written 2 letters since we came here I believe but neither of them had been *rea [read] when yours of the 25th was started, we are well sadesfied [satisfied] with our camp here and it seems to be very healthy which is a good thing. Our company is on picket near 1 mile east of camp they have been there for 7 or 8 days and
Dear father Mother Brothers & Sisters
I proceed to write you another letter in which I can inform you that I am in pretty good health and feel most *as tout [stout] as ever. I received a letter from you to day mailed about the 25th of last mo. which informed me of your good health which I was very glad to hear of. I have written 2 letters since we came here I believe but neither of them had been *rea [read] when yours of the 25th was started, we are well sadesfied [satisfied] with our camp here and it seems to be very healthy which is a good thing. Our company is on picket near 1 mile east of camp they have been there for 7 or 8 days and
will likely stay some days yet I did not go out at first and went out day befar yesterday and stayed long enough to go to an old fellows house and get a couple of canteens of milk so I came back and stay in here I do not have but little to do here and get along very well Limsy Green stays in here, we mess together, we have plenty to eat we drew some potatoes the other day which were very good I have not heard any thing about them things that were sent from Mooresville they have had time to get here if they had came strait through. Father thee mentioned something about sending me some money if I needed it I do not need any money but would like to
have a fiew postage stamps if convenient there is a lot of citazons in our camp nearly every day laying round with our old Colonel they are all Rebels I have no doubt, but he seems to think more of them that his own men a greatdeal. we have just experienced a right coal spell of weather windy and unpleasant but it has blown off now about, and is very pleasant weather now. we see a lot of clothing to day I drew a blouse and 2 pair of socks. a blouse is a short tailed, loosecoat that is very pleasant to wear in warm weather. I wish to know wheather you ever received that Soldiers reccord that I bought before I left Indianapolis Gary Jepherson was to leave it at Mooresville pleas inform me in your next about it. No more at present
Your Wellwishing Son Jno Mills.
Your Wellwishing Son Jno Mills.
Thank you to the Plainfield Guilford Township Library for letting us use their Civil War letters for our project.
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Personal Information
John Hadley Mills was a quaker that was born, died, and buried in Mooresville. He was from the 12th Indiana infantry in company E. He had three children named Arthur Kellum, Lula Mills Craven, and Mary Laura Mills. His parents names were William Clarkson Mills and Rebecca Hadley Mills. He married Harriet Kellum Mills in 1839, November 13. He had two siblings named Charles H Mills and Amos H Mills. Him and his two brothers owned Mooresville Carriage Works. He went on a pioneer journey with his daughter Mary and their close friends the Shanfelts. They settled in Texas and lived a rough pioneer life. But when Mary died John moved back to Mooresville and finished his life in his hometown.
Military Career and Regiment Movement
John Hadley Mills was apart of the 12th Indiana Infantry and he mustered in as a private and mustered out as a First Corporal, which was organized in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 27, 1862 through August 27, 1862, and mustered in August 17, 1862, for three year’s service under the command of Colonel William H. Link.
The regiment was attached to Cruft’s Brigade, Army of Kentucky, August 30. Attached to 2nd Brigade, District of Memphis, Tennessee, XIII Corps, to December 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Memphis, XIII Corps, December 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, to July 1863. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, XV Corps, to September 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XV Corps, to June 1865.
The regiment was attached to Cruft’s Brigade, Army of Kentucky, August 30. Attached to 2nd Brigade, District of Memphis, Tennessee, XIII Corps, to December 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Memphis, XIII Corps, December 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, to July 1863. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, XV Corps, to September 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XV Corps, to June 1865.
This is a picture of the Private Rank symbol. This is a picture of the First Corporal Rank symbol.
This is a picture of John Hadley Mills' grave.
This picture is of a house that John Hadley Mills was believed to live in Mooresville.
This is the cemetery where John Hadley Mills is buried.
Resources
"Soldiers and Sailors Database." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Discover What Makes You Uniquely you." Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Soldiers and Sailors Database." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Discover What Makes You Uniquely you." Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.