Published December 27, 2015
By George Lewis
This story is about a grieving father, a small child, a letter passed down in one family, and a landmark barn.
On March 25, 1866, James C. Carpenter of Huntley Grove wrote a letter to Charles Edward Lewis, the namesake of Carpenter’s deceased son, who at the time was 16 months old.
Charles Edward Lewis was the 12th and youngest child of Henry M. Lewis who was a good friend of Carpenter. Henry M. and his wife, Sarah (Kelley) Lewis, were born in Kentucky. They settled in Adams County where he farmed. He was a deacon in the Pleasant View Christian Church. His home is illustrated in the Atlas Map of Adams County, Illinois, which shows a large prosperous farm in Sections 19 & 20 of Clayton Township.
Although Huntley Grove is in the far northeastern part of the state in McHenry County, and Adams County is in the far west, James Carpenter and Henry Lewis remained friends throughout their lives. The young Charles Lewis was named after the son of Carpenter, who was in the 95th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, and died of his wounds July 10, 1864. According to the regimental history, Charles W. Carpenter entered service in 1862 as a private but was later promoted to corporal.
The 95th Illinois, also known as Worden’s Battalion, was organized at Camp Fuller in Rockford in 1862, with recruits mostly from McHenry and Boone counties. The battalion existed until 1865. The volunteers were active in the western theater during the Civil War and in the major battles of Vicksburg, Miss.; Nashville, Tenn.; and later Atlanta.
Guntown, on Tishomingo Creek, was the location of the battle of Brice’s Cross Roads. It was fought in the northeast corner of Mississippi and resulted in a Union defeat by a much smaller army under the Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.
The 95th “… was in the thickest of the fray at Guntown and fought with undaunted bravery. Finally both flanks of the regiment were turned by overpowering numbers of the enemy and was obliged to fall back or suffer entire capture. In this engagement the 95th was nearly annihilated….”
The letter reads:
“Huntley Grove, March 25, 1866. To Charles Edward Lewis My Dear Young Friend, In consequence of the friendship that has existed between your father and myself for more than twenty years, he has seen fit to name you after my only son who lost his life in the service of his country, in the great war that has just closed, and to show him and his family that I appreciate this as a mark of his esteem, is my object in writing this letter. That I, a man passed the middle age, should write to you, an infant, may by some be looked upon as a childish act, but ideas sometimes live long after the hand that penned them lies moldering in the earth and the influence of example may extend beyond the period allotted to the life of man. Charles W. Carpenter was born on the 17th of June, 1844. Enlisted in the service of his country (95th REGT. ILL.VOL.) August 11, 1862, was wounded at the battle of Guntown, Miss., June 10, 1864 and died at the hospital in Memphis, Tenn., July 10, 1864. At home, he was everything his parents could wish him to be, correct in his habits and morals. At the age of 14, he took upon himself a vow which I believe he kept faithfully, to abstain from intoxicating drink. His character as a soldier was of the highest order, discharging every duty cheerfully and promptly, his pleasing manners good disposition, and fondness of sport endeared him to his companions, while his faithful discharge of duty, coolness, and reliability under fire secured the confidence and respect of all. His dying message to his mother was ‘tell mother I die happy. I have done my duty.’ This life is short and is preparatory to one that will be eternal; that our condition in eternity depends upon the manner in which we discharge our duties in this life is believed by a large portion of the wisest and best men. At the close of life may you be able to say – – – ‘I die happy, I have done my duty.’ In the journey of life never be afraid to do what is right, and never allow yourself to do wrong through fear of ridicule or from any other consideration. Enclosed you will find a picture of him for whom you are named and that you may bear that name with honor and be every way worthy of it, is the desire of your friend. James C. Carpenter I have read the above & can endorse it. Lydia Carpenter.”
Young Charles Edward Lewis remained a lifelong resident of Adams County. He farmed on land between Camp Point and Clayton about one mile north of Route 24.
He had the Lewis Round Barn built on his farm in 1914 and it was used until 1957. The barn was given by his nine grandchildren, the children of his son, Dana M. Lewis, to the Old Tyme Association of Adams County in 1999. The barn now is near the Adams County Fairgrounds.
Lewis retired from farming in about 1935 and moved to Camp Point, where he died on Sept. 24, 1952. This letter and photograph have been passed down through the Lewis family from the original recipient, Charles Edward, to his youngest son, Carl Lewis. It will now go to his namesake, Dr. Charles Edward Lewis II.
The letter speaks of the grief of a father proud of his son for dying in the service of his country and yet wanting his memory to live on.
George Lewis received his law degree from the University of Illinois in 1958. He practiced law in Quincy until his retirement. During his career he served on many business and community boards of directors, including Quincy’s first Human Relations Council and the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County.
Sources
95th Illinois Infantry Regiment. “Adjutant General’s Report.” Accessed Aug. 24, 2015.
http://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/
95th Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster- “Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, Volume 5,” revised by Brigadier General J. N. Reece, Adjutant General, 1900. Accessed Nov. 28, 2015.
http://www.civilwarindex.com/armyil/95th_il_infantry.html
“100th Year Lewis Round Barn.” Accessed Aug. 24, 2015.
http://adamscountyoldetymeassociation.weebly.com/round-barn-museum.html
Atlas Map of Adams County, Illinois. Davenport Iowa: Andreas, Lyter, & Co. 1872.
The History of Adams County Illinois. Chicago: Murray, Williamson & Phelps, 1879.
