Your Affectionate Son
James Cleaver
"We pray Heaven she may have her reward in seeing rebellion soon crushed, the union restored, and every section, every State united in one eternal brotherhood, never again to be broken or rent. Then shall treason hide its accursed head in the dust and our native Eagle shall rise—soaring high in the heavens, flap his wings for joy and bear messages of freedom, peace, and good will, from the Northern lakes to the Southern gulf, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and all the nations of the earth shall do us honor and call us thrice blessed.”
— James Cleaver
— James Cleaver
About the Book
When Milann Daugherty came across a box of yellowed letters in the bottom drawer of an old dresser, she discovered not only that the letters were all written by her great-great uncle nearly one hundred and fifty years earlier but that they were a fascinating first-hand account of the Civil War as seen through the eyes of a young soldier.
Written in the elegant style typical of the mid-nineteenth century, James Cleaver’s letters reveal his passionate commitment to the cause and his abiding faith. They also give us fresh insight into the daily life of a soldier in the Civil War and the politics of the day. At a time when news traveled slowly and sporadically, it is remarkable how much James grasped about the big picture—the military strategies and the generals who sought to carry them out.
Over the course of three years, Milann Daugherty painstakingly transcribed each of the letters, which had suffered from the passage of time, and undertook research to elaborate on much of what James described. Her annotations enhance an already remarkable collection of letters that attest to the extraordinary courage of an ordinary soldier during a critical time in our nation’s history.
To honor the soldiers and to inform others of potential links to their own family tree, the roster for James Cleaver's company is provided below.
Written in the elegant style typical of the mid-nineteenth century, James Cleaver’s letters reveal his passionate commitment to the cause and his abiding faith. They also give us fresh insight into the daily life of a soldier in the Civil War and the politics of the day. At a time when news traveled slowly and sporadically, it is remarkable how much James grasped about the big picture—the military strategies and the generals who sought to carry them out.
Over the course of three years, Milann Daugherty painstakingly transcribed each of the letters, which had suffered from the passage of time, and undertook research to elaborate on much of what James described. Her annotations enhance an already remarkable collection of letters that attest to the extraordinary courage of an ordinary soldier during a critical time in our nation’s history.
To honor the soldiers and to inform others of potential links to their own family tree, the roster for James Cleaver's company is provided below.
| THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, EIGHTH RESERVE, COMPANY F |
| Recruited in Bedford County, Pennsylvania |
| Names in bold are mentioned in the letters |
| FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS |
| John Eichelberger, Capt. | John Paul, Sgt. | Edmund H. White, Corp. | George Horton, Corp. |
| Eli Eichelberger, Capt. | Jacob R. Callahan, Sgt. | John Q. Leichty, Corp. | George Juda, Corp. |
| Lewis B. Waltz, 1st Lt. | John H. Williams, Sgt. | George Heffner, Corp. | Wm. D. Ritchey, Corp. |
| James Cleaver, 2nd Lt. | David Horton, Sgt. | Luther R. Piper, Corp. | Wm. H. Dasher, Corp. |
| D. B. Armstrong, 1st Sgt. | Jacob B. Linn, Sgt. | John B. Tobias, Corp. |
| PRIVATES |
| Daniel Adams | Johnston Evans | Wm. Harry Kay | John B. Penrod Sr. |
| George W. Amick | Henry, Figart | George Leader | Lewis M. Piper |
| James Barber | Mark W. Foor | George Leichty | Joseph Ritchey |
| John Barmond | Samuel S. Foor | Joseph Leichty | Conrad Robb |
| Nathaniel Barmond | Wm. H. Foor | Jocob Lines | Oliver P. Ross |
| David Bollinger | Aaron Foster | Jacob Madara | David Scutchall |
| Emanuel Bowser | Robert Gamble | Charles Malone | Matthew P. Shaw |
| James A. Bradley | Christ C. Garlick | John S. Malone | James Shields |
| George Brown | Alexander A. Garrett | Wm. Malone | Cornelius Shoaff |
| Levi Brumbaugh | James Gates | B. Manspeaker | Henry Showalters |
| James Capstick | Abel Griffith | David Manspeaker | Simon Peter Showalters |
| John Carnell | Michael Griffith | Henry Marshall | Charles S. Smith |
| Joseph S. Cook | Wilson Grubb | David Martin | Thomas A. Taylor |
| Isaiah M. Davis | David Headrick | Joseph Maugle | George Tricker |
| Franklin Dean | Wm. Holdcraft | Daniel McFarland | Alexander Warsing |
| Christ Eastwright | Frank Holsinger | Joseph McFarland | Wm. H. Whisel |
| Allison Edwards | Zopher P. Horton | Alexander H. McKee | John P. Williams |
| Hiram Edwards | Aaron Imes | Henry C. Penrod | Alexander Young |
| W. H. H. Eichelberger | Daniel Jordon | John. B. Penrod, Jr. | Joel T. Young |
| OTHER SOLDIERS MENTIONED IN THE LETTERS |
| 39th Regiment, 10th Reserve, Company I; largely composed of under graduates of Allegheny College at Meadville, Pa. |
| 34th Regiment, 5th Reserve (Chaplain S. L. M. Consor) |
| 34th Regiment, 5th Reserve, Company C; recruited in Clearfield County (J. Harvey Larrimer, John W. Bigler) |
| 110th Regiment, Company C (John Ferguson, William College, Philip Croft) |