Chauncey Hill, St. Charles Civil War Soldier: Part 1

By Craig Hilmer

The initial non-indigenous settlers of the St. Charles area experienced incredible hardship. They experienced no modern convenience, having given up any recent advances when they left the comfort of the East. They had to first travel incredible journeys just to arrive in a land that looked much different than St. Charles does today. That land needed to be cleared of rock and scrub trees so that it could be tilled for food for sustenance and income. Disease was ever prevalent, medicines were scarce and largely ineffective. Medical care was the same.

In early 1860’s settlers to the area were just calling Minnesota home when two crises broke out. The first was the uprising of the Native Americans, precipitated by encroachment of white settlers to the area. The next was the Civil War. Young men all over the new state and many from the St. Charles area were mustered into the Minnesota Reserves.

Chauncey J. Hill was one of those men. Hill was born in New York State in 1938. Somewhere along the way he and his family made a stop in Michigan, as, according to census records, he had a sister born there in 1856.

A picture of the newly married Chauncey and Sarah Hill. Sarah tells Chauncey in her letter that she doesn’t care for it as “they both look mad when it was taken”.By that 1860 census Hill, his siblings, and parents were residents of Saratoga. Hill served as a farm hand in the area as he turned to adulthood and from all available records seemed to be starting his own farming operation in 1864 when he was called into the Reserves to serve his newly adopted state of Minnesota.

Hill, emblematic of so many men called up for the Civil War, had already led a life of unimaginable challenge. At 26 he was claiming his life for his own. He had broken from the family, was starting his own farming and was in love with a young girl from another Saratoga family. Sarah Downing was a mere 18 years old and Chauncey’s Sunday School teacher.

As Hill prepared to go off to serve his state and county Sarah and he decided they would marry. The young lovers were both very literate and kept in contact through regular letter writing. Somehow, their letters survived all these years and were eventually donated to the Minnesota Historical Society.
Over the next several weeks The St. Charles Press will publish excerpts of their letters to each other as Hill first goes off to Fort Snelling in St. Paul to train for battle. Those letters will follow him as he joins up with Company K of the Minnesota Ninth Regiment and travels south to fight against the Confederate Army. Along the way Sarah’s letters express her concern for Chauncey and provide a picture, through her description of daily activities, of the life of a young woman on a pioneer farmstead.

Fort Snelling was built at the intersection of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers,
providing a natural defense for those inside.

Hill and fellow recruits arrived at Fort Snelling on March 2nd, 1864. He wrote his first letter to Sarah on his arrival:

My Dear Wife,
Here I am on an upper “bunk” in the quarters for new recruits of the 9th and 10th regiments. We got here this morning just before roll call; have had no trouble and do not anticipate any. The day is fine and we are just in from drill. 

We had a good ride up to St. Paul where we arrived last night after dark. From there we walked over half way to the Fort but found that we could not get here in time for roll call and stopped, walking up here this morning. I came through all right; Joseph was a little sick from riding and the fumes from tobacco but felt better after riding outside. 

You see we had a ride over 24 hours and felt rather sleepy last night so we slept soundly in spite of a hard bed. 

We have a bright sunlit day and all is alive and clatter among us. Just now comes the cry of “dinner” and away they rush below me, but I think this the best time to write. This seems like a rather odd life but I get along very well and hope to be able to write more intelligibly bye and bye after getting used to the confusion. 

We cannot tell how soon we shall be ordered south; may be kept here for a few weeks. If there is any show for us to get home we will do our best to go. 

There are now lots of new recruits here. Nearly all seem to be in good spirits, but we would rather get away from here soon though we are comfortable. I must quit for dinner. Keep cheerful and answer this so I can know how you are. May God bless is the prayer of your affectionate husband, C.J.

A view of the Fort Snelling barracks ca. 1865, roughly the time period
when Chauncey Hill would have been training there.
Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Sarah's reply:

Saratoga, March 4th 

Dear Chauncey,
I received your kind letter last evening. I was very glad to hear from you, it seems as though you have gone a long time. We are all well as usual and hope you are too. We are having a now storm today, it arrived last evening and is snowing yet. It is about 8 inches deep. 

Both of Mrs. Brussell’s boys have been very sick with the lung fever. Eddie is better now, but Willie is very sick yet. Isaac Boyd has been sick with the diphtheria, he is better now. 

I went to Elder Griswold’s donation. Mrs. Jefferson played on the organ and the St. Charles choir sung. I should have enjoyed myself very much if you would have been there. 

Mary Katley was married to Mr. Rice last Saturday evening. Elder Griswold married them. They tell of going home to Germany. I forgot to tell you how much the Elder received. He got 100 & 14 dollars in all. The church was crowded. 

I received our photographs last evening. They do not suit me very well and I guess they will not suit you. They look as if we were both mad when they were taken.

Next week this letter will continue and we’ll follow Chauncey as he travels to Missouri on the trek to battle with the rebels.