William McCormick's Civil War letters relating his experiences while serving in the
16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Transcribed and Edited by William's Great-Great-Great Granddaughter, Joni Lynn Crane

Introduction

For decades, members of my family have passed along a pile of letters from one generation to the next. My father, David A. Hilliard, received these letters from his grandmother, Alice Armstrong (McCormick), daughter of John Bechtel McCormick. He opened a few and found them very difficult to decipher. Knowing they might have meaning to me, he brought them to my home. As we began reading the letters, we could feel the happiness and pain of the authors, as well as the receivers of these letters. I have been haunted by the stories these letters tell as they are indeed first hand experiences, not of the famous Generals, but of the common men and women who are my ancestors. It is not important that these people were not known for their individual acts of heroism, it is only important that their sacrifices are remembered and that their pain was not in vain.

I hope all who read these letters will value the lives they are able to lead, for their opportunities are due in part to the sacrifices of brave soldiers, wives, and families like these.

Joni Lynn Crane