| FOUNTAIN GREEN FAMILIES NEWS MEMORABILIA |
| Cyrus Geddes was one of four Geddes brothers, sons of Colonel Thomas M. Geddes and Susan Rebecca Walker, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.
This letter, sent to Cyrus' brother, Thomas, on September 24, 1862, is particularly interesting, with references to current events and other persons from the Fountain Green area. We are indebited to Jean Geddes Lynn for sharing this remarkable family keepsake. Cyrus wrote in clear, strong penmanship with an abundance of capital letters and a dearth of punctuation. The following text has been lightly edited for the sake of clarity. |
 
Camp Butler Ills
Sept th 24 1862 Mr Thomas Geddes Dear Brother, I have a chance to send this home today by Jimms Macintire and save the cents by doing so and I thought I would like to let you know what we were doing and like to hear from you also as heard by Alices letter that you were having some gay old times down home making cider and apple butter. I would like to have been there to have helped stir the butter of course I could not have drank any cider bekase I am a Good Templer but we have a little sport here once
in a while. We drill twice everyday and we were out on dress parrade yesterday evening. We had just got our uniform in the morning and the nine companies of Blue Coats made quite a show. We have the name of being the best company here and it is so. Col Dodd and Jim McConnell arived yesterday. We were all glad to se the C.O., as we had allmost quit looking for him. He brought several letters and some pisen things whitch were very acceptable. There has not been any of our Co in the guard house yet and we dont intend there shall be. The boys are all well and in good spirits. Thomas White is our Second Lieut and Chamberlin is Drummer and Ike Bullington is Fifer. We elected Chamblain and Ike this morning
and the rest of the Oficers will be appointed by the Captain this morning as it would take the men about two waks to elect them all, as they was but about 10 or 12 men in the company that was not rejoining and the men all came to the conclusion that the Capt had better appoint the non commisoned officers. The 68 Regt 3 months were here. Clark Leal is with them, he has been here for 2 or 3 days; he was at Washington and seen Old Abe; he was at Alexandria for about six weeks and seen Miss Fannie Campbell there; he says she had a good place to stay and nothing to do but write for the Physician. He said John Yetter was taken prisoner at Harpers Ferrey as wel as Old Daddy Birch and several others. They were all paroled and
were at Baltimore when he saw them. Clark is going to join our Co but he will go home first. Walk is going down to Springfield today. It is the first time he has been out of camp since he down here. I have been out of camp once. I went down to see our Artillery Company. They have 8 or 10 6 pounders and brass peices. Will Skinner is here and here he will stay for some time. He is down at Fiondays most of the time. But I must close. Give my love to all the family. Your brother C Geddes |
| "Walk" was Captain Alexander Walker Geddes, Cyrus' brother. Both Walker and Lieutenant Thomas B. White lost their lives in Mississippi, on May 16, 1863, during the Battle of Champion Hills. |
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