Susan Rhodes to Richard Yates

                               Hobart, Indiana Sept 7th, 64

Governor Yates,

                 Dear Governor,

As you are the Soldiers friend; I Mrs. Susan Rhodes. of Lake County Indiana, do humbly ask you to grant a favor to my son; how nobly helped fight the Battle of Lookout Mountain and several of the Battles that has been fought under Sherman this summer and who is now very sick by being exposed to rain and hard marches in trying to get to Atlanta, which place is now ours, thank God, and the brave Sherman, and his noble boys;

     Thomas N. Rhodes is the name of my Son; he enlisted in Chicago the Garden City of your State, over two years ago, and has not been home since, His sickness is Rheumatism cronic diarrhea and scurvy;

He was taken sick near Atlanta and was sent to Chattanooga and from thence to Nashville Tennessee,

      Hon Governor, will you be so kind as to let him come home, and I will try and cure him so that he can go back and help finish this great and good work for which he enlisted for;

        I had one darling boy fall at the Battle of (illegible) Sept the eight 1862, he was only seventeen years of age; my Son Thomas enlisted in Illinois Battery Company M. 1st Regt. Illinois Light Artillery 3rd Brigade 2nd Division 4th Army Corps. his Captain name is Spencer  I have petitioned Father Abraham and Governor Morton on different ocasions and I believe they both granted my request and I hope Dear Governor that you will grant my third request  My Husband is a strong advocate of Father Abraham and personally acquainted with Mr Colfax and politically his friend;

Again I ask and beg of you to grant my son Thomas N Rhodes a furlough of 30 days or more until he get better; he is so sick that he cannot write his own letters, and perhaps he may be dead by this time, his Father would have gone to Nashville to see him but he has been to sick to go so long a journey;

    With much respect I remain yours truly

                                      Mrs Susan Rhodes

                                                Hobart Ind

I.B. My son is in Hospital No. 15 Branch 4 Nashville Tennessee

Rhoads Mrs Susan.

Hobart Lake co Ind Sept 7th 64

Her son is a member of of Miller's Battery Co 'M' 1st Ills Light Attly. & Enlisted at Chicago_ He is now very sick in Hospital No 15 Branch 4 Nashville. & she wants him sent home on a 30 days furlough.

Answ'd Sept 12th 1864. P_