Sarah V. Elder Dicken papers

The Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers consist primarily of correspondence spanning the years from 1854 through 1898, with some poetry or essays included. The letters were written by a variety of individuals, both family members and friends, but the bulk of the correspondence consists of Civil War era letters between Sarah (also referred to as Sade or Sallie) and her fiancée and later husband, Joshua H. Dicken. In a letter to her dated June 30, 1862 Joshua specifically requested that she keep the letters he wrote to her since he thought they would be interesting to read later.

The content of the early letters from family and friends, many still living in Pennsylvania, deal primarily with the activities of neighbors, friends, teaching school, and social events around the area. Joshua's letters written while in the army cover his service with the 21st OVI early in 1861, continuing service with the 49th OVI until early 1862 when he was discharged on disability, and later duty with the 64th OVI after being drafted in 1864. Additional Civil War letters were written to Sarah from her brother, Curtis who served with the 9th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry during the war. Other friends and relatives with Ohio units included Henry Dicken, John D. and George E. Cessna.

These Civil War letters provide a picture of conditions in camp, where disease was a serious concern, the hardship of long marches and short rations, and specifics of battles in which Joshua took part. Several early pieces in the collection, in the form of poems or "songs", give an indication of the patriotic pride in the actions of the 21st OVI during the 3-month service in its initial actions in West Virginia and the Kanawha Valley. A later letter from Joshua from late December of 1864 describes the situation around the Battle of Franklin.

Due to the deteriorated condition of some of the letters, the difficult handwriting, and for preservation purposes, transcripts have been provided for all the letters and other papers, although a few illegible or damaged sections have been noted.