Civil War Halts Construction Of Lunatic Asylum; Johnson Will Be Hard On Confederates; Hanging Similar to John Brown's
3 pp, 5 x 8, Weston, W.VA. April 26th, 1865, Joseph Corbin writes to his brother David. Archival tape repairs, but easily read. “...Today the sun is shining bright and everything looks in splendor. The forest are getting green making the scenery beautiful. Weston is a town about the size of Gettysburg, situated on the east bank of the north fork of the Monongahela River. Here is where the state asylum is to be built. One wing of the building is already completed and if it had not been for the war, the entire work would be accomplished. The amount of ground it was to occupy was three acres.
The part finished is the model piece of workmanship. The walls are built with stone and slate roof. Our camp is about 500 yards west of town. Our quarters are equally as good as we had at Beverly...We drill twice a day in the sabre exercise and do guard duty about once in six days which you know is not very hard duty compared with being to the front fighting all day and standing guard at night. But I am under the impression that fighting is about played out or at least it appears so. There has been no fighting of any consequence since the fall of Richmond and I have almost come to the conclusion that the 4th of the July next will see the end of the Rebellion. Some say [that] will be sufficient to finish our work but I’m afraid they’ll be disappointed. It is evident that the south is whipped but their armies are not subdued and it is my belief that the death of Pres Lincoln will prolong the war at least one month longer that if it had not happened. Johnson will hardly be as easy with the traitors as Lincoln was and it is my opinion that the leading rebels know it. If they don’t and fall into the hands of the U.S. they will be likely to find it out at the time hemp is applied to their necks as John Brown’s was...Joseph H. Corbin, Co. G, 8 O.V.C. Weston, W.Va.”
JOSEPH H. CORBIN enlisted as a private on September 20, 1861, five months after the Civil War began. He mustered into G Co. Ohio 44th Infantry and was later transferred to the Ohio 8th Infantry. He was mustered out on July 30, 1865, at Clarksburg, W.VA. During his enlistment, Corbin was promoted to corporal.
His brother DAVID L. CORBIN enlisted as a private on August 7, 1862, and was mustered into B Co. Ohio 94th Infantry. He was mustered out on May 24, 1865, at Camp Dennison, Ohio. A few months after his enlistment, Corbin was taken prisoner at Nolensville, TN (December 30, 1862). David would later become a physician.
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