This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family, while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.
Young addressed his letters to his parents, George H. and Rebecca Young, and to his brother, Jacob B. Young. He occasionally signed his letters "Hardesty." He described his experiences at Vicksburg during the Union occupation, and recorded his impressions of African Americans and captured Confederate soldiers (April 24, 1864). Young expressed fondness for military life, which he preferred to farm work, and provided details about camp life and the size of his battery. In one letter, he suggested that his brother Jacob ride to Vicksburg to collect his pay, though he anticipated difficulties along the route, such as possible capture by Confederate forces (April 24, 1864). He drew a picture of a person carrying a letter (May 2, 1864), and wrote 3 letters on stationery from the United States Christian Commission.
George H. B. Young was born in Pennsylvania around 1846, the son of George H. and Rebecca Young. He had at least four siblings: Lucretia, Christina, Jacob, and Ida. The Young family lived in Rochester Township, Pennsylvania, in 1850, and Middleton Township, Ohio, in 1860. Young enlisted in the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery on February 23, 1864, and mustered out on September 2, 1865. He served at Vicksburg, Mississippi, throughout much of 1864.
