At the age of 33, Darius Dean enlisted 6-21-63 into “A” Company of the 1st PA Battalion, a six month unit and mustered out on 1 - - 64. Eight months later he mustered into the 207th PA as a Sergeant Quarter Master. On 4-2-65 he was severely wounded in his left arm which had to be amputated. The 207th suffered severe casualties that day in defense of Fort Sedgwick at Petersburg with 37 killed and more than 140 wounded. This package includes 14 documents including orders dated 9-1-63 sending Dean to his C.O’s office, a letter from a Military Agency forwarding pension money and a note concerning the enlistment of his brother Cecil Dean (“E”E Co 52nd PA). Eleven letters were written to Dean by his two sisters, a friend and two by Cecil. In a 12-63 letter, his sister Ella urges him not to re-enlist as the family does not know what they will do without him much longer. Father says, “Everything is going to the D– as fast as it can.” A July 1864 letter from Cecil, a 1st Lieut, was written from Camp Bedford near Baltimore where some 5,000-6,000 troops have just arrived with scant rations from PA. They are expecting orders to move to the Shenandoah Valley. A July 1864 letter from Cecil to his mother tells her he has written to try to dissuade Darius from re-enlisting and writes at length on the issue. An August 1864 letter from sister Augusta to Darius fears that Cecil “is bound to have a rebel bullet in his person yet for he is contented no place but in the Army.”His sisters’ letters are warm and full of home-front news, but also contain some war: one man killed and three wounded in Asheville fighting, two died of starvation while imprisoned at Andersonville. A friend’s letter written shortly after New Year’s hopes that “our great President will bring peace throughout the land” and that the year ahead will be filled with fewer trials and tribulations for Darius. This is a nice grouping with each letter and document in very fine condition.