Now I Take My Pen in Hand…
By Edgar Eno and read by Clint Hirschfield
Printed in 1998 by the Hillsboro Sentry-Enterprise for the Hillsboro Historical Society of Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
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Edgar Eno enlisted in the now famous Company I, 12th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment on October 4, 1861. His first letter home was written on October 24, 1861, in Richland Center, Wisconsin, enroute to Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin. His last letter was written from Nashville, Tennessee, on December 17, 1864. Eno was headed for Savannah, Georgia, to rejoin his regiment after a furlough home.
The letters are a challenge to read because there is no punctuation and plenty of misspellings, but well worth the effort. Eno’s Company I was involved with some famous events of the Civil War, such as, the Seige of Vicksburg and Sherman’s March to the Sea. In his letters he writes of their day-to-day activities as well as the battles.
Excerpts from “Civil War Letters”
October 14, 1861 – pgs. 4–6
August 12, 1863 – pgs. 69–71
Eno’s “Certificate Of Service” in the Civil War
Civil War Era Bullets and Pipe
The bullet on the left is a three-ring lead .54 caliber bullet used in a rifle or musket, next to it is a round lead .69 caliber bullet used in a pistol. The pipe is made of clay and the stem has probably been broken off.
Edgar Eno around 1900
Clint Hirschfield recording
“Civil War Letters”
The book “Civil War Letters” and more information about the Hillsboro Historical Society of Hillsboro, Wisconsin, are available online at the City of Hillsboro website and on facebook.
