I have been studying the War now for forty years and am always learning something new.

All of R.S. Dilworths letters can be read online. Using google enter R S Dilworth and it should be the first site.

Lt. Dilworth from reading his letters was deeply in love. He served with the 21st OVI and was killed at Kennesaw Mountain.

I get the impression that he was more of a civilian than a soldier. I know of at least one occasion had his superiors known what was in his letters they would have run him out of the army on a rail.

I am referring to the secret mission of the "Great Locomotive Chase" some of the soldiers were under his command. Yet he writes his wife and I am going to para-phase this "I should not tell you but there is going to be a secret mission and some of our boys are in it". and names the soldiers in his letter home! If Old Stars Mitchell had got a hold of that letter? Wow I don't even want to think about it.

I guess I am at the stage now where I really enjoy reading these old Civil War letters. Somehow the soldiers tell a better story than some authors. Not to take away from some good authors though.

Did this really happen? Well I agree with the previous gentlemans statement. I would not put it past Andrew Johnson for amoung other things he was a heavy drinker. Dilworth in the same respect had no first hand knowledge of this either. ie he was not there when it happened. So rather I see this being passed on from soldier to soldier, until Dilworth writes it down and passes it on to his love.