Chauncey Hill: Part 8

By Craig Hilmer

Chauncey J. Hill, in 1864, was a 26 year old farmer just married to 20 year old Sarah Downing. Both had family who farmed in the Saratoga area and were themselves just setting up their own household and farm when Chauncey was called up to offer his services to the Minnesota 9th Regiment, Company K for battle in the Civil War.

He and Sarah corresponded during the war and those letters were maintained by family until they were donated to the Minnesota Historical Society in the 1960s.  The Press has run seven weeks of these letters to date. This is the final installment of the letters

Private Hill, in our series, finally sees battle at Brice’s Crossroads, Mississippi. Sarah struggles to deal with not hearing from Chauncey, even as she learns that she is pregnant with his child.