John Wesley Given (1816-1870) of Sharpsburg, PA served as a private and wagoner in the 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Older than most of his fellow soldiers, he wrote confidently of the larger forces behind the war, as well as offering descriptions of Malvern Hill and other conflicts. In the area of Fort Monroe, VA, he noted that several buildings surrounding the camp hospital 'are just filled with Negroes & some of the Yankee soldiers have established a Sabbath School among them, & some have learned to read already' (23 March 1862). While participating in the Siege of Yorktown, Given wrote 'I have been very sorry to learn that some of our croaking, cowardly abolitionists about home have been charging Gen. McC[lellan] with disloyalty &c. I think they would be fully convinced of their error if instead of lounging about with their heels higher than their heads they could summon courage enough to come forth & bear a hand in putting down a rebellion' [20 April] 1862. He witnessed the Battle of Malvern Hill from a bluff: 'I felt discouraged at one time to see our lines give back gradually for a short time but alas for the poor Rebels it brought them in range of our batteries . . . by which column after column as they advanced were mowed down' (9 July 1862).
After the war, he settled in Iowa and died in 1870. He had three children, including daughter Annie (1842-1911) who married in 1863 Baptist clergyman Joseph Daniel Herr (1837-1904). with--3 letters to Annie from John C. Wilson of the 123rd Pennsylvania Infantry, 1862-63. 'You wished to know whether our regiment was in the Battle at Fredericksburg. They were, and in the hottest part. . . . 1st Lieut. J.R. Coulter was killed in the field, shot through the breast and fell like a hero.' 18 January 1863 and 25 other family letters, 1861-1903.