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| Letter by Jacob S. Holtz, 164th ONG to his Mother 22nd June, 1864 |
Jacob Souder
Holtz, son of Jacob P. and Susannah (Huss) Holtz of Pleasant Twp.
Seneca County, Ohio, attempted to enlist in a volunteer regiment for Civil War
service. Due to a heart condition, he was rejected until May 2, 1864.
As General
Ulysses S. Grant came east to command all of the Union armies, he strengthened his
forces with the seasoned Union soldiers garrisoned at the forts defending Washington, D.
C.
Grant called up
national guard units to serve as replacements at the forts. Holtz enlisted on May 2, 1864 in
Company H of the 164th Ohio National Guard. He was mustered in May 11, 1864 at
Camp Cleveland. The 164th was composed of the 49th Ohio National Guard from Seneca County, Ohio and the 54th Battalion, Ohio National Guard from Summit County, On the 14th of May, Holtz was sent with the 164th to defend Ft. Woodbury, a part of the Arlington Line. The regiment arrived on the 17th of May. Others from the 164th defended Forts Smith, Strong, Bennett, and Haggerty
While stationed
at Fort Woodbury, Holtz suffered from typhoid fever. He died July 1, 1864 in
the hospital at Fort Strong, Virginia. His father brought his body home for
burial in the family plot at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, north of Tiffin, Ohio.
To learn more about Holtz, go here to read the description of the collection which is part of the Local History holdings in the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums' Local History Collection. The Holtz Collection was donated in 1989 and 2001 by Holtz descendants.
Fort Woodbury, VA June the 22 1864
Dear Mother
I thought I
would write you a few lines to let you know that I am grunting a little with a
cold but it is getting better. I do not know how I got it for I am very careful
what I do. I think I will be all right in a couple of days. We are getting
along very well. It is very warm and dry. There is not much news here now. It
is one thing every day but I am willing to stand it if they leave us here till our time is out. It is half out. It does
not seem a great while since we left home. If I keep as well the rest of the
time as I did the time that is gone I will be satisfied. A fella being here
will have some little spels that is shure but if a fella takes care of him self
it will not last long. I hope you folks are getting along well with the work.
when you write I want you to write how
you are getting along with the work. I thought I would get a letter to nigh but
did not. I gues I will tomorrow. I have nothing more to write. Write soon.
From your Son
J. S. Holtz
J. S. Holtz
My Love to all J
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