74th Indiana Infantry Civil War Letter To General Apologize Letter To General

Description

74th Indiana Infantry Civil War Letter To General Apologize Letter To General.
This letter is written from Jacob Pontious of the 74th Indiana infantry while at camp on May 30,1865 apologies to a General and begging for a pardon for so much trouble. He is asking the General to give your attention to pardon him for the offense of being absent from his company without leave in March of 1863. He claims taken out of the hospital by writes of Habies Corpus by Sarah Pontious (his mother). Being sick his mother took him home to Ohio until January 1864. He then reported to Lieutenant Chamberlain of the 74th regiment. They then sent him to his company as a deserter. Worse treatment, thought was legally discharged but Lieutenant Chamberlain told him his papers were not sufficient. After returning to his company charges were preferred against him, but he was never tried by court martial. On long and weary campaign throughly Georgia he wished to be relieved from a court martial and chose to make good while He was absent without leave. But now that the war is over he prays that the General will pardon him if by authority I can be mustered out of the US service.
An unusual civil war letter written by a deserter that after coming back to his regiment was involved in several battles.