Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Resident of Chesire, Allegan County, Mich., who served in Company B, 19th Michigan Infantry, during the Civil War. Extensive and detailed letters, chiefly to his wife, describing his military experiences, including the battle of Thompson's Station, where his regiment surrendered, the siege of Atlanta, and Sherman's campaigns in Georgia and South and North Carolina.

The collection consists of approximately 300 letters written by Austin, chiefly to his young wife, Sarah. Austin's letters are rich in details about his military experiences, particularly in the areas of war maneuvers and events, officers and doctors, rebels and the South, and descriptions of camp life, as well as comments about the homefront and advice to Sarah and other family members at home. The letters are arranged chronologically. The collection also includes a full set of transcripts and a detailed index of topics prepared by Professor David J. Holquist of Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.) in 1990.