This collection consists of a single letter written by William W. Tinkle, serving in Company F, 7th Indiana Infantry during the American Civil War. The letter was written to Captain J. M. Jones from the front near Petersburg, Virginia on July 10, 1864. After providing "a list of all the killd wounded and mising Axcept a few that was slitly wounded ..." from Company F during the previous 11 weeks, Tinkle describes the company's movements and battle engagements since May 4. He mentions a temporary truce on his section of the front and fighting between pickets and artillery in other sections. He then describes conditions in the breastworks ("It is very fatiguable lying in the ditches all the time and the heat makes it all most suffocating ...") and the beauty he finds in the midst of battle ("It is a nice show at night to see the artilery and Mortars work th[r]ow their shell in rain bow fashion leaving a long tail of fire behind ... I love to set and watch the pickets fi[r]e it is flash flash like so many fire flies ..."