This letter was written by Muscatine resident Daniel J. Parvin during the Civil War. Daniel James Parvin was born August 12, 1825 in Hamilton County, Ohio, to William and Hannah Wescott Parvin. The family came to the Iowa territory in 1839, where William Parvin purchased land from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Muscatine County. Daniel Parvin began to learn the trade of cabinet-making from his brother-the-law, J.P. Freeman, in 1845. In 1852, at the age of 27, Parvin moved to California to seek his fortune and remained there until 1858, when he returned to Muscatine. On September 21, 1861, at the age of 36, Parvin enlisted as a private in Company "H" 11th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Parvin served under commissioned officers and Muscatine fellowmen; Col. Abraham M. Hare, Col. Benjamin Beach; Adjt. Cornelius Cable Jr.; Capt. (Doctor) George O. Morgridge & Quartermaster Richard Cadle. Parvin re-enlisted as a veteran on January 1, 1864 and participated in the battle of Shiloh, TN; advance on the siege of Corinth, MS; the battle of Corinth; Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign including the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion"s Hill and Big Black River Crossing - all in Mississippi; the siege and surrender of Vicksburg; the Meridian Campaign; Atlanta Campaign (where he received minor wounds in July, 1864); battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, and the battle of Atlanta. It was at the battle of Atlanta that Parvin sustained a severe injury to his jaw. Following his injury, he was discharged from service on February 25, 1865 as a Corporal, and returned to Musacatine. Upon his return to Muscatine, Daniel Parvin once again took up trade as a carpenter. According to city directories, he worked with his brothers Josiah and William at Parvin Bros. Carpenters, on 3rd Street, Muscatine, Iowa, until his death in 1880. Parvin is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Muscatine. A transcript of Parvin's letter is attached. Content can be used with the following standards: SS-U.S. 9-12.23 Iowans Influence U.S. History in a lesson on Parvin's experience during the Civil War. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.010.029 [Letter]
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