Christopher Van Loon (b. ca. 1818) was a farmer from Schuyler County, New York. He enlisted as a private in Co. H, 107th New York Infantry on August 4, 1862 when he was 44. The 107th NY was organized in Elmira in August 1862 and participated in the Antietam Campaign in September 1862. The regiment was on picket duty around Sharpsburg and Washington until December 1862 when it marched to Fredericksburg, served in the “Mud March” of January 1863, and was at Chancellorsville in May and Gettysburg in July. In September 1863, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and served in the campaigns around Atlanta and later in North Carolina. At the time of the 1860 Census Christopher Van Loon reside on his farm with his wife, Eliza (b. ca. 1828), and three daughters. He survived the war and died on June 2, 1877 in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. His letter is written to his older brother, Abraham Van Loon (b. ca. 1793), who owned a nearby farm. Christoper Van Loon served in Co. H with Frederick Van Loon (b. ca. 1840) and John Van Loon (b. ca. 1820).