Transcription of a letter about Frank Edgar Woodruff by an unknown sender:
“Frank Edgar Woodruff son of Dea Allen Woodruff was born at Attica N.Y. May 16th 1838. Being the child of Christian parents he was in his infancy dedicated to God by baptism. In the Fall of 1845 he moved with his parents to Oconomowoc Wis. - In the winter of 1854 he was hopefully [unintelligible]: he [united?] with the Congregational Church of Oconomowoc. March 5th 1854. His desire to be in the highest degree, useful in the world, drew his thoughts to the ministry as the work of his life. With the view of preparing himself for this work he entered upon a course of education. He [unintelligible] for college mainly in the preparatory department of Beloit College + entered the college in the Fall of 1859. During the first terms of his sophomore year a long + severe sickness compelled him for a time to abandon his studies. At the opening of the war of the rebellion, he was [unintelligible] the first to offer his services to the government. When in the summer of 1861 the First Cavalry was being formed at [Regm.?], he went there for the purpose of enlisting. On account of the infirm stats of his health he was not accepted.
The next two or three years he spent in labor on the farm.
In the spring of 1864 he enlisted in the 39th Regiment, Co. B + was accepted. He proceeded with his Regiment to Memphis Tenn.- On the morning of Aug 21st 1864 when he was on picket duty an attack was made by a small rebel force under Gen. Forest upon the place + he was killed. A ball entering the left side + upper part of his face. His death wound showing that he died as he had lived in the discharge of his duty.
His comrades mourned for him as for a brother. They had his body embalmed + sent home to his friends + on the 18th of Sept with appropriate religious services + the sincere sorrow of the whole community it was committed to the Earth in the Cemetery at Oconomowoc where it still rests.
Mr Woodruff was a young man of solid worth - not brilliant + showy, but substantial + reliable of [spirit?], unobtrusive manners, [unintelligible] in his character + irreproachable in his life - prompt + decided + thorough as a Christian + ready always to do all his duty. He lived beloved + died lamented.”
