Civil War letters to home

Conditions for soldiers during war:

On January 20th 1862 Private Joseph Saberton wrote to his brother. In his letter he gave details on the weather at the time being snowy with some sleet. He talked about the spread of sickness and there were only around 500 men able to be on duty because the rest had cases of measles, or something of that severity.

July 31st 1862, Joseph Saberton wrote once more to his family mainly his brother and father in separate parts of the letter. He addresses his most recent march where six men had died to a heat stroke. He also is very encouraging of his brother, with words such as "Give the south particular hell when they come at you." From this we can assume that his brother also fought for the Union army.

November 19th 1861, Dirk Keppel writes to his brother-in-law about his time so far. He talks about the fortresses that they've captured along with the plantations they've cleared out. He also talks about the cold nights where they sleep outside, and how the men get sick and long to be home.

June 26th 1864, Private John Miller wrote to his father telling him about how they were driving the confederates back, and how he was doing. He told him how the rations were small and the heat and and rain were making the men sick, but he reassured his father that he had good health and wasn't in bad condition.

June 10th 1862. John Hurley his sisters from a POW camp in Mississippi. He informs them that he is getting better, but still has measles. He is at the camp after staying in a hospital for some time and talks about his friends who died from sickness.

All of these men were Union soldiers except for Private John Hurley who was a confederate soldier from Alabama. All these men wrote back to their families to tell their loved ones that they were still breathing and most were still in good health, but not all of them. Many soldiers through-out the war suffered died from diseases and illnesses from poor advances in medicine. It makes us wonder how many of these men didn't make it home not because of a bullet or bayonet but because of illness spread across both sides, North and South.

Sources:
Joseph Saberton letters
Dirk Keppel letters
John Miller's letters
John R. Hurley POW letters