This collection contains 3 letters (11 pages) that Private John Speer wrote to the Ihrie family while serving with the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment in 1865. He discussed his experiences in the army and anticipated the end of the Civil War. His letters are addressed to his aunt, uncle, and cousin, who lived in Lisbon, Indiana. Speer described military actions and other aspects of military life, attempted to describe his feelings during a charge, and listed the battles in which he had participated; he also discussed his political views, including his support for the Republican Party.
John Speer, a native of Pennsylvania, enlisted in the Union army in early 1864, when he was around 16 or 17 years of age. After serving with Company D of the 129th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, Speer transferred to Private Battery C of the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regiment. Speer, whose unit formed part of the Army of the Potomac, saw action in the Siege of Petersburg (July 16-17, 1864), witnessed the Springing of the Mine at Petersburg (July 30, 1864), and participated in the Battle of Chapin's Farm (September 29, 1864). His mother's brother-in-law, Lake Ihrie, lived in Lisbon, Indiana, in 1865.
