John T. Hoblit was born on January 1, 1840, apparently in Indiana. He had a brother, Isaac N. Hoblit (1837-1932), also of Minneapolis, and a sister, Mrs. Ernest Cole, who in 1923 lived at Minot, North Dakota. John came to Minnesota with his parents in 1855 and settled in Minneapolis. His father, Mahlon, opened a butcher shop and involved himself in civic affairs.

In 1859 John edited the Dakota Sentinel, a small newspaper published at Nininger, Minnesota that may have been connected with Ignatius Donnelly. He later returned to Minneapolis and worked as a teacher. He became friends with the King family, owners of the State Atlas newspaper of Minneapolis. It does not appear that he worked full time for the paper but he became well acquainted with William S. King, an influential Minnesota congressman.

John and his brother Isaac both joined the First Minnesota Regiment. John was mustered into military service at age 21 on April 29, 1861, and eventually attained the rank of corporal. His first combat experience was at Bull Run. Isaac became ill shortly after Bull Run, and was discharged for disability in July 1861. In early August the First Minnesota was marching to the upper Potomac, and on August 16 they arrived at what would become Camp Stone.

John was asked by William King to report on the activities and conditions of the regiment, particularly stories about the men of Company D, who were predominently from Minneapolis. Hoblit wrote back home about the poor condition of the clothing supplied to the men. William King expounded on this theme until it created a small scandal for Governor Ramsey and Adjutant General Sanborn. Subsequent letters told of new uniforms and pay. He told of the skirmish at Edwards' Ferry (Maryland) and of small incidents of camp life. He also spoke of the first death from sickness and how most of the fever and ague stayed away from the Minnesota camp. His letters appeared in the State Atlas under the name "Persimmons."

Hoblit died at age 22 of typhoid fever at Camp Stone in November 1861. He was buried at Minneapolis' Layman's Cemetery (later known as Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery). In the fall of 1923 his body was exhumed and reinterred in Minneapolis' Hilllside Cemetery when it appeared that Layman's Cemetery was to be vacated for business development.

Most of the information above was taken from a First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry website (http://FirstMN.phpwebhosting.com/) maintained by Chuck Barden and Wayne Jorgenson.

Orison N. Washburn served in Company C of the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in on October 4, 1861. The company was headquartered at Lakeville, Minnesota, and consisted mainly of men from Dakota County. Washburn died at Farmington, Mississipppi, August 15, 1862 and is buried at Corinth National Cemetery, Corinth, Mississippi.

Hoblit and Washburn were apparently not related, but both were ancestors of the donor of the collection: Hoblit was a brother of the donor's grandfather; Washburn was the brother of the donor's grandmother.