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1864 Civil War Soldier Letter – Luke Whitney Bowers – 33rd Massachusetts Infantry – Lookout Valley, Tennessee – Original Lock of Hair
An extraordinary original Civil War letter dated February 7, 1864, written by Union soldier Luke W. Bowers from Lookout Valley, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, approximately three months before he suffered fatal wounds at the Battle of Resaca, Georgia.
The letter survives with its original stamped envelope and an enclosed lock of dark hair, an evocative nineteenth-century personal keepsake.
The Soldier: Luke Whitney Bowers (1822–1864)
Luke Whitney Bowers was born September 28, 1822, in Harvard, Massachusetts, the son of Capt. Joel and Rebekah Bowers. A shoemaker by occupation and resident of Acton, Massachusetts, he enlisted July 16, 1862, in Company E of the 33rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, subsequently attaining the rank of corporal.
According to the Acton Memorial Library Civil War Archives, Bowers was severely wounded at the Battle of Resaca, Georgia, on May 15, 1864. A historical account reports that his injuries required the amputation of an arm and a leg and that he subsequently died from his wounds. His name appears on Acton's memorial to its Civil War dead.
The Letter
Written in faded but substantially surviving manuscript, the letter is headed approximately:
“Tenn. Near Chattanooga, Lookout Valley, Feb. 7th /64”
It begins “Dear Sister” and concludes with the signature Luke W. Bowers.
The correspondence includes references to earlier Civil War campaigning and fighting, including apparent references to the Rappahannock River and events of July 1863. Portions of the manuscript are difficult to decipher because of fading.
References to Civil War Battles
Bowers's letter includes references to the Battle of Chancellorsville, fought in Virginia in May 1863, as well as the Rappahannock River and the fighting of July 1863. Written from Lookout Valley, Tennessee, in February 1864, the correspondence offers an intriguing retrospective account of earlier Civil War campaigns by a soldier of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry.
Bowers was subsequently severely wounded at the Battle of Resaca, Georgia, on May 15, 1864, and died from his wounds.
Though faint, the addressee isMrs. R. H. Houghton, Bolton, Massachusetts. Genealogical research identifies Rebecca H. Bowers Houghton of Bolton, Mass., daughter of Joel and Rebekah Bowers and wife of Quincy A. Houghton, as the writer's sister.
The envelope bears a 3¢ Washington postage stamp (Scott 65) with period postal cancellation. The reverse bears a handwritten notation, “Josephine,” possibly associated with Josephine Houghton, daughter of Quincy and Rebecca Houghton.
Original Lock of Hair
An actual lock of dark hair accompanies the letter. Such keepsakes were exchanged among family members and loved ones during the nineteenth century, particularly during extended separations.
Historical Significance
This letter was written while Bowers was serving in Tennessee during the winter of 1864, following the Chattanooga campaign and shortly before the Atlanta Campaign in which he received his fatal wounds.
The identification of the soldier is supported by the Acton Memorial Library Civil War Archives, which maintains a biographical record for Luke Whitney Bowers.
Condition
Original Civil War manuscript letter, stamped envelope, and accompanying lock of hair. The writing is substantially faded, with original folds, age discoloration, and expected handling wear. Some passages are difficult to read. Please study all photographs carefully for condition, handwriting, postal markings, and the enclosed hair.
From the collection of Dr. Allan C. “Doc” Johnson (1889-1941) of Clinton, Massachusetts, an active stamp collector during the early 20th century. Doc's collection has remained with his family for more than eight decades.
