Reese Harris Egbert was born on October 19, 1832 to Daniel Egbert and Sarah Harris in Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Reese Egbert’s father had died in 1850, and although he had had nine siblings in all, at the time these letters were written he only had four remaining: a brother named Daniel and three sisters named Elizabeth, Sarah, and Lydia. He was married to Margaret Rupert, with whom he had two children: Francis Martin and Sarah Lydia. Egbert mustered into service on February 28, 1865 with Company E, 74th Pennsylvania Infantry and died on June 20, 1865 in West Union, West Virginia.