Veterans column: Capt. Levi Coman's last letter home to Newark before his resignation
On May 24, 1862, Capt. Levi Coman wrote a letter from a hospital in Tennessee. It is the last in existence. Fortunately, his wife furnished more details in her book, “Memories of Martha Seymour Coman”:
“Governor Todd of Ohio had sent Dr. Shipley of Zanesville to look after the health of Ohio soldiers at Shiloh. Even he succumbed to the poisoned air, lost his voice, and announced to Dr. Hood that he must leave, adding, ‘I am going to take Captain Coman with me.’ Dr. Hood said, ‘I can’t get him a leave of absence; he wouldn’t go when I wanted him to, and now General Wallace has given orders that no more officers shall leave.’ Dr. Shipley replied, ‘I am not under General Wallace; I report to Governor Todd,’ and began his arrangements for returning by having Captain Coman put in an ambulance. At the Tennessee River the guard would have stopped the proceeding, but looking upon him as a dead man (he was unconscious) allowed him to be put on a boat. He was sustained on the journey home with quinine, morphine and brandy only. From Cincinnati came a telegram to me, signed (apparently) by Captain Coman, saying he would be home in the morning. I was in great weakness from diphtheria, and though that I had scarcely strength to breathe. But I forgot that at once, sent for beefsteak, etc., for a good breakfast, made a dressing gown for Levi that night, and had all ready by train time. The omnibus drove to the gate, but to my surprise L.B. Wing and another of Levi’s friends were supporting him into the house. He could not eat and was got to bed, where he remained for weeks. When my strength gave out we had a nurse. During that long illness the children were left almost entirely with a maid who, Katherine says, told her that she was bad, and that made her afraid of me. It was after that illness that Levi rejoined his regiment at Pilot Knob. Falling ill again, he resigned at Arkansas Post.”
Veterans column: Book, other letters fill in gaps during which no Levi Coman letters exist
On Oct. 3, 1862, the 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry went into camp at Pilot Knob, Missouri. The health of the regiment improved greatly while there. Coman rejoined his men at this time. Six weeks later they moved down to Mississippi just across the river from Helena, Arkansas. They made camp and named it Camp Steele.
On Dec. 22, they began movements down the Yazoo River with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in the first expedition against Vicksburg. The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began on Dec. 26. Three days later several failed charges were made by Union troops on the Confederate lines.
The 76th was ordered to make the next charge. Before they began the attack, it was canceled. That night a cold rain began falling for the next for 48 hours. The men had no tents and were “soaked to the skin,” according to one soldier. The Union troops withdrew Jan. 10, 1863, and were moved to Arkansas Post, where they remained for four days. According to Mrs. Coman, it was here that her husband resigned and returned to Newark. His official date of resignation was Jan. 21, 1863. Levi Coman had served 15 months as the captain of Company C.
Doug Stout is the Licking County Library local history coordinator. You may contact him at 740-349-5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Veterans column: Capt. Levi Coman's last letter home to Newark
