George W. Fox, "G" 21 Indiana Infantry, mother Mary F. Beatty (certificate # 398,294) 1860 Knox County, Indiana, Vincennes p1094 Wm H. Beatty 40 Master Blacksmith born MD Mary J. 32 Ohio Francis M. 6 Ohio Geo Fox 17 apprentice Blacksmith born Ohio Michael Dutton 17 apprentice blacksmith Ireland Joseph Bulig 21 Plow Maker Canada John McGee 37 Blacksmith 1870 Knox County, Indiana, Vincennes, p201A Wm. H. Beatty 55 MD Mary J. 43 Ohio John A. 6 Ind 1880 4th Ward, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, p419D Mary Beaty 53 Ohio, VA, VA John Beaty 16 IN, OH, OH George enlisted on July 24, 1861 in Company "G" 21 Indiana Heavy Artillery at Indianapolis, Indiana. He was wounded in action at Baton Rouge, Louisiana August 5, 1862. He drowned in the Mississippi River August 6, 1862-"supposed to have been drowned on transport Whitman going to General Hospital New Orleans." In 1882 Mary J. Beatty of Hamilton County, Ohio states that she was the mother of George W. Fox. She was married to the father of George Fox, on April 20, 1842 in Covington, Kentucky. Wm. H. Beatty married Mary Jane Fox on December 10, 1851 in Hamilton County, Ohio. A certified copy of the marriage is in the file. In 1890 Alfred S. Holmes, aged 59 years, and Silvia S. Wood, aged 72 years, state they "knew intimately and well Adam J. Fox the father of said soldier George M. Fox and that he died in Cincinnati, Ohio in the spring of 1847 or 48 of cholera which seriously prevailed at that time." In 1891 Mary states "The names and relationship of all members of her family in 1862 are as follows: William H. Beatty, husband, aged 47 years Geo. W. Fox, the deceased soldier, 18 Frank M. Beatty, aged 8 years, son. In 1893 Robert W. Wood, aged 52, and Sophia Batenkamp, aged 62, of Ludlow Grove, Hamilton County, Ohio state they were "personally and intimately acquainted with said claimant and her late husband William H. Beatty and that the said William H. Beatty died March 21st 1877, aged sixty two years at time of death. He was nominally a plow maker by trade but being an habitually ?? and drinking man and made no provision for his family." In 1893, Mary Jane Beatty, aged 65 and a resident of Hamilton County, Ohio states "her home address in 1862 & until 1873 was Vincennes, Indiana, since then Clifton, Ohio. The only member of her family in 1862 was son William who died in 1864 age 5 years." Mary Jane Beatty was dropped from the pension rolls due to her death on March 5, 1909. Letters of George W. Fox {There are 11 letters in this file and I will transcribe several of these. I have preserved most of the original spelling but decided to capitalize "I" and add punctuation, which in large part is missing from these letters. } Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md, Sept. 23, 1861 Dear Mother and father, I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well at this time and I hope that when those few lines comes to hand they may find you enjoying the same health. Mother I think you must think hard of me for not writing to you sooner but I wrote last and have not got eny answer yet. I want you to write me as often as you can and let me now how we get a long. I wrote you and Frank a letter the same time and have not got eny answer. I think you must be pretty hard up there. We have not got eny pay yet but we expect to get it in a cople of days and then I will send you five or ten dollars. I think that I will get a bout twenty dollars or thirty. We don't now how much we will get yet. We have not got eny pay since we been in the ?? (two words obscured by fold) going to get new uniforms next week. I think by the way they talk a bout it, it is going to be blue the uniforms we got now is grey and it is not very good in ??? I ney well you art to be here and see us when we are eating it would make you laugh to see us. We use our floors for a table. We have tin dishes. I don 't think we will break them very easy, do you? Six of us bunks to gether. We have one fellow in our mess and his name is Bob and he looks a great deal Uncle Bob Wood and he is good to me as if he was my brother. I had my likeness taken when I was Indianapolis and sent it to you. I want to now if you got it and if you didn't I will get it taken and send it to you. I sent it by the Adams Express Co. My Captain says I am under his special care and he treats me like a father. I wrote Rose a letter and have not yet got eny answer yet. Want you to tell her to write to me or I will never write to her again. Mother I wish you would send me some post stamps and oblige me very much for I don't like to send a letter with out a post stamp. It looks like I was pretty hard up. I should think we drill six times a day that perty hard on a soldier. I think you ourt to see all of the Cannons there is here. There is about one hundred and fifty that a good deal I think. We are going to get riffles next week and they will carry 900 yards and kill a man every pop. I would like to get a shot at a desch??. I think I would go for him. I think I am a pretty good marks man with a rifle. We would like to get in a battle that what the matter you now tell Frank that I will send him a letter in my next letter that I send you. Frank I want you to be a good boy and mind what your mother says to you and you will be beloved by all. So no more at present but remain your Dear Son till Death George W. Fox Write Soon and Don't For get Direct your letters to George W. Fox 21 Regiment Indiana Volunteers Co "G" Baltimore Md in the care of Capt McLoffin Fort McHenry Baltimore Md Oct. 6, 1861 Dear mother it is with the greatest of pleasure I take my pen in hand to let you now that I am well at this present time and hope that when those few lines come to hand they may find you the same and enjoying the same health. Dear mother I wrote you a letter last week and have not got eny answer from you yet. I think you must have forgotten me. Now mother I want you to write to me as often as you can and tell me how you get along. Mother we got our pay yesterday you out to been in the post and seen us each up to the Captains tent for to get our money and as soon as we got money we had to pay one settler for what things we got and then the boys begun to get drunk. Thank God I don't drink whiskey and make a hog out of my self like great deal other men do. Mother I will give you my honor that I won't touch a drop of whiskey while I am in the service of the United States of America. Mother I will send you five dollars this time in my next letter if that will be any account to you. I will send you more next pay day. I owed the settler so much that all I could spare. I will send you some papers so you can read the news of Baltimore. I want you to send me the Vincennes paper so that I can read the news. We have not got our new uniforms yet but expect to get them pretty soon. I have not been in town since I been in the fort and another thing I have not been in the guard house. I always mind what you sayd to me to mind what my officers says to me. The Captain says that I am under his special care. He treats me like a father that what a great deal of call officers wouldn't do. I rote Mike Dailey a letter last week and have not got eny answer from yet. I am getting used to soldiering better every day. Who wouldn't be a soldier? I will rite Frank a letter the next time I write to you. Give my love to Mr. Beatty and all the folks. Mother we have a fine time of it. We can go a fishing when ever we want to. We can catch as many fish and eats as five men can eat. If a fellow can beet me eating fish he has to get up before day light I think! So no more at present but remain your dear son till death. Direct your letters to G. W. Fox Baltimore 21 Regt Ind Volunteers Co "G" in care of Capt. McLaflin This is on stationary with a Large Motto in red, the letters having a flag motive: "The Union and The Constitution" Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md October 28, 1861 Dear mother and father, It is with the greatest of pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at this present time and hope that when these few lines come to hand they may find you enjoying in the same health. Mother I wrote to you last and have not got any answer from you yet. Are you sick or what is the matter with you, you don't write to me oftener than you do? The last letter I got from you I was on guard and that same night I took sick and hant been abel to do eny duty. You sayed in the same letter that you opened the letter and there weren't one red cent in it. I was a going to send it in this letter and I was a feared you wouldn't get it so I sent it by the Adams Express Co. If you go around to the office I think you will get it. I got the receipt for it and if you don't get it I will go down to the express and see about it. We will soon be mustered in for another pay and then I will send you some more. I think you must be pretty hard up down there. You say you don't have a cent to buy any thing with. I will try and help you a long as much as I can. Han't Mr. Beatty doing any thing or not that you don't get eny money? I was sorry to hear that you have been sick so long. I got a letter from Mike Daily the same time I got yours and he says that he has just finished his first buggy. I guess he feels myty big now. I guess you will have a good ride in it. We got our new clothes and we cut a big swell once it you had better believe. It is getting to be mighty cold here now. We got one new blanket the other day. We have got to blankets a piece and when it rains the water runs through like a strainer but yet we don't grumble like we was when we were home. Who wouldn't be a soldier in the American Army? So no more at present but remain your Dear son until Death Write soon and don't for get Direct your letters to G. W. Fox, 21 Regt Ind Vol Co G, Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md Fort Massey, Baltimore, Maryland December 1861 Dear Mother, It is with the greatest of pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at the present time and hope that when these few lines come to hand they may find you well and doing well. I received the box that you sent to me, also the letter. I was very glad that you sent them. That is my Christmas present I guess. I am a thousand times obliged to you for them. You ought to been there and seen the boys run after me and stand around me to see what you had sent to me. We will soon get paid off, mother I will send you ten dollars more and some thing else. You need not look for my likeness, not before pay day. I would like to come home and stay a week or two. I am getting so that I like soldiering better every day. I am sorry to hear that Dick is so sick. When Mike Daily comes there take and ?? him for me. I guess he has for got me. Tell him to write to me when you see him. I have rote to him and have not got any answer from him yet. Our ?? Sargent will be down there next week and he will tell you what kind of a soldier I am. We will soon get paid off and then I will send Frank another pretty picture. I weighed the other day and I weighed one hundred and fifty five pounds. Who wouldn't be a soldier in the American Army? We have gone in to winter quarters and it looks a little like home. We have a dance most every night. It don't seem more than two months since I left home but these years will soon pass a way. I guess Mr. Beatty han't got as good helpers as he used to have when I was home but I used to get mulish but that time has past. Mother I tell you what we made that turkey fly. I tell you what them pickles was very good. I have not opened that other can yet. Them apples did not last very long. I have got every thing that you sent to me. The vest that you me it won't go around my waist. I have out growed it. We will soon get ?? now and I will get one as soon as enny body. They have changed the name of the post. They call it Fort Marshall. Direct you letters to Geo W. Fox, Baltimore, 21st Regt Ind Vol Co G. So no more at present but remain your Dear Son until Death. Write soon and don't for get. This last letter has an eagle holding an American flag in its talons and with a tattered Confederate flag behind him. The motto below the eagle "Majestic Monarch of the cloud defends the Banner of the free-While by lightening lances driven, the traitors flag in shreds is riven." Baton Rouge, La July 10, 1862 Dear mother, It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope that when these few lines come to hand they may find you the same. I received your kind letter yesterday while I was on Picket Guard and I jumped a bout five feet high when I heard there was a letter for me. I was mighty glad to hear from home. We have just ?? new huts and mosketo ?? they are only big enough for one man to sleep under. Tell Miss Labby that her son is well and doing well. He got a letter day before I got mine. Tell Miss Trenness that Billy is alive and is a getting better. He has been sick a long time but he is a getting well very fast. Tell Miss Trennes that she needent be uneasy a bout her son Billy. It is mighty hot down south. I wouldn't live in the State of Louisiana if a man was to pay me for it. At night when we go to bed the lizards runs all over as if they had a right to. Mosketoes are mighty bad here. I wish we would leave this place. I like to be a traveling and see what is a going on. I never got the news papers that you sent to me. Maybe I will get them this week. Mother I spent the poorest fourth of July I ever spent in my life. I wish this bloody war was over so we could come home and live in peace. It does well enough to play soldier but when it comes to the real thing it is no go at all. Excuse my short letter for I have taken sick and feel to bad. I have got the sore throat and it hurts me awful bad. So no more at present but remain your dear Son until Death Geo Fox Direct your letter 21st Regt Ind Vol Co G Baton Rouge Write soon and don't forget. George W. Fox died less than one month after this letter was written. Laurel Baty, L252