Scope and Contents:
Hiram Yerkes (1840-1913) served in Co. H, 63rd Ind. Vol. Inf. from Aug. 1862 to July 1865. Following the war, Yerkes lived in Fairmont, Illinois, until 1909.
This collection contains 30 letters written by Yerkes during the Civil War to his future wife, Hester E. Prevo. In these letters (which have been calendared), he describes his daily experiences in several states, and refers to battles at Wilmington, Nashville, and Atlanta. Also notable are his opinions on religion in the army and McClellan's nomination for the presidency.
In addition, the collection contains eleven newspaper clippings about the Yerkes family, 1897-1913, and two letters from Yerkes to his granddaughters, written from Colome, South Dakota, in 1910.
Charles M. Redmond loaned the originals to the Illinois Historical Survey for photocopying in 1972.
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