OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - The James Perry Fyffe Letters (Civil War) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darrold Crites DCrites642@aol.com July 16, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ JAMES PERRY FYFFE LETTERS The originals of the following letters were found among papers stored at the main Public Library located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They were donated by James Perry Fyffe Jr. upon his death. They were found by a sister of Jeff Fyffe, copied and given to Earl Fyffe, of Piqua, Ohio, in the fall of 1996. Earl was kind enough to loan them to Darrold Crites in April, 1997 for transcription and inclusion into the family genealogy database. When reading these letters you will undoubtedly find many grammar and spelling errors. When ever possible I tried to use the same spelling and punctuation as he did. Since what I was given was photocopies, often it was difficult to see the handwriting. Also, the form of handwriting common in the 1860's was much different than today. It is similar to old German Script, which is often next to impossible to read. Whenever you see "-------" in the letter it means I was unable to read that segment. I will continue to try to update these copies when possible. One day I would like to go to Chattanooga and view the originals to see if I could read them better. The more I read these letters the more inclined I am to make the trip. As of this date, May 9, 1997, I have been able to transcribe 15 of the 50 or 60 letters given to me. I will continue to try to do all of them because I feel they are worth the effort. Perry Fyffe offers us a unique glimpse into a fascinating part of our nation's past. His letters begin in early July, 1861 and continue until shortly before his death in January, 1864. Even though he served in the Mexican and Indian Wars he was not prepared for what he was about to encounter in the "War of the Rebellion". I find him to be a likeable fellow, idealistic but well intentioned. It is obvious that he loves his wife very much. I hope you enjoy reading his letters as much as I have. I wish to thank Earl Fyffe for allowing me the privilege of transcribing them. You will note that most of his letters are addressed to his wife Willa. Her maiden name was Willa Ann Mefford, daughter of Joseph Jackson Mefford. The J.J.Mefford farm (has been in the family since 1783) close to Maysville, Kentucky, April 6, 1864. James Perry Fyffe, born March 24, 1830, was a Lawyer, Judge of Probate court, Brown Co.,Oh. Fought with U.S. Forces against Indians in California; made a trip to the West Coast in 1849 in search of gold, and returned by way of Panama. Fought with the U.S. Forces against Mexico, returning as a Captain of Infantry. On his return from Mexican War was presented with handsome sword by the townspeople of Ripley, Ohio as a token of their esteem. The U.S. Government gave him a land grant in California but he never took it up. Was Colonel of the 59th Ohio Regiment during Civil War. Returned home fall of 1863 in ill health. The Battle of Chickamauga being his last battle, took pneumonia, dying January 5, 1864, the son, James Perry Fyffe, was born three months later.