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− | This | + | [1] |
+ | |||
+ | Camp “Stonewall Jackson” [Virginia] | ||
+ | June 19th 1862 | ||
+ | |||
+ | My dear Nannie – | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doc & Sam & I have come out a little | ||
+ | way from camp in a nice, cool, shady grove | ||
+ | to write letters. I received yours of June 12th, | ||
+ | containing one from Millie to Daniel, yesterday | ||
+ | evening – Sam also got one from his | ||
+ | [?] – I always love to read Aunt Judy’s let- | ||
+ | ters & wish she would write oftener. We have | ||
+ | moved our camp about a mile since I wrote | ||
+ | last, in order to get a better place –Are | ||
+ | now camped about a half-mile from James | ||
+ | River, opposite to & 1 1/2 miles below Drury’s | ||
+ | Bluff [Chesterfield County, Va.] – in a beautiful oak forest, with | ||
+ | good water near by – We expect to re- | ||
+ | main here, or about here for some time, | ||
+ | unless driven back by the enemy – which | ||
+ | I think is improbable. I like our officers | ||
+ | (I mean Regimental & Brigadier) very well, | ||
+ | except their profanity. We showed Col[onel] [John Thomas] Goode | ||
+ | [Captain] Baskerville’s letter & he has treated us kind- | ||
+ | ly. We showed the letter in order to get a | ||
+ | |||
+ | [Marginalia – top of page] | ||
+ | |||
+ | June 20th – all well – | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [2] | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) | ||
+ | |||
+ | sick furlough for Abe Daniel, and a discharge | ||
+ | for Johny Booker - & he aided us so that | ||
+ | we have succeeded in both. Abe was | ||
+ | sent to R[ich]mond Sunday quite sick – hav’n’t | ||
+ | heard from him since – am afraid he may | ||
+ | have the fever. Daniel B. is still in R[ich]mond, | ||
+ | and ought, by all means, I think, be trans- | ||
+ | ferred home for several weeks. I sent | ||
+ | Johny’s discharge this morning to Mr. Howison, | ||
+ | by private hands as the safest way of getting | ||
+ | it to Mr. B[ooker]. Hr. Howison has been very kind | ||
+ | to all of us, & I would be glad, if I could, | ||
+ | to do something to repay him – to show him | ||
+ | that we appreciate & feel grateful to him | ||
+ | for his kindness. There are a good many little | ||
+ | things, such as rice butter – eggs – fresh | ||
+ | meat – vegetables – fine game etc etc which it | ||
+ | is almost impossible for private families to | ||
+ | get in R[ich]mond – Should you every have an op- | ||
+ | portunity please send him something of the | ||
+ | kind. Corry Graham & [Helen?] home with you | ||
+ | & try to [?] them have a pleasant time | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [3] | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) | ||
+ | |||
+ | Col[onel] Goode’s Reg[imen]t is made up of heavy artillery | ||
+ | companies changed to Infantry. [underscored] You seem | ||
+ | to think that I write low-spirited. I have been | ||
+ | very much disturbed about the condition of | ||
+ | our company, as long as we were un- | ||
+ | organized, we suffered for proper com- | ||
+ | missary, quarter-master & medical at- | ||
+ | tention. This is all done [struck-through] remedied now that we | ||
+ | are in an organized Reg[imen]t. We had a great | ||
+ | many sick men, and had no surgeon on | ||
+ | medicines or ambulance – This caused great | ||
+ | suffering. Our officers were too ignorant, or | ||
+ | to self-indulgent & selfish to do anything | ||
+ | for their men. We are independent of them | ||
+ | now as regards such attentions. This | ||
+ | about our officers though harsh is true, | ||
+ | and I wish you to say nothing about | ||
+ | it to anyone. I wouldn’t write it to any one | ||
+ | but you. Yet I believe them to be pious | ||
+ | men, & as we have more religious privileges | ||
+ | here than we would have elsewhere I am | ||
+ | content to remain - Gen[eral] [Henry Alexander] Wise & Col[onel] Goode | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [4] | ||
+ | |||
+ | 4 | ||
+ | |||
+ | are both very kind to their men & attentive | ||
+ | to their health & wants. Our Surgeon, D[octo]r. | ||
+ | Mason, seems to be a gentleman, a good, | ||
+ | kind man, and a good physician – and | ||
+ | very [underscored] attentive to cleanliness about the camp. | ||
+ | Our duties are comparatively light, and our | ||
+ | discipline strict. [underscored] I like this too – it al- | ||
+ | ways make the men happier, though they | ||
+ | complain at first . I am as happy and con- | ||
+ | tented as I can be in the army – I cant | ||
+ | feel very [underscored] cheerful when there is so much | ||
+ | uncertainty about the length of time I may | ||
+ | be separated from you. I can stand the | ||
+ | Infantry service very well as long as I | ||
+ | am not required to carry my knapsack – on | ||
+ | all my marching I have carried my knap- | ||
+ | sack only 3 miles - & this worried me | ||
+ | more than all the other. It seems to af- | ||
+ | fect my head & spine – if I can manage | ||
+ | to get it along as I have done, I like | ||
+ | Infantry very well. My spirits depend very | ||
+ | much on the letters I get from you, and | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [5] | ||
+ | |||
+ | 5 | ||
+ | |||
+ | as they are generally cheerful – I generally | ||
+ | manage to keep in pretty good spirits. I know | ||
+ | I dont love you & Charley & Minnie more | ||
+ | times | ||
+ | than you deserve, darling, but I do some ^ | ||
+ | think that I have set my heart too much | ||
+ | on you – and then when I think of my | ||
+ | Negroes & farm & the condition of my | ||
+ | matters at home, (though I have perfect | ||
+ | & Smiley | ||
+ | confidence in your Pa & Mr. Harris & feel | ||
+ | very grateful to them for their kindness) I | ||
+ | cant always feel or write cheerful; and you | ||
+ | must excuse me if I write a little low- | ||
+ | down sometimes – and dont think any- | ||
+ | thing of it. [‘dont...it’ underscored] I am getting on much much ‘[much much’ underscored] | ||
+ | better than I ever thought I could in the | ||
+ | army. I dont write any of this in com- | ||
+ | plaint, but only in answer to your gues- | ||
+ | tions. God has been so kind to us, and | ||
+ | has blessed us in so many ways since | ||
+ | we separated, that I hav’n’t the heart to | ||
+ | complain of anything – I feel every day | ||
+ | filled with praise & gratitude to Him | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [6] | ||
+ | |||
+ | (6) | ||
+ | |||
+ | in His merciful kindness to us and ours | ||
+ | If you cant understand some of my | ||
+ | letters it is because I am frequently forced | ||
+ | [to] write very hastily, and sometimes sur- | ||
+ | rounded by a [?] boys talking loudly, | ||
+ | not only to themselves, but constantly to me, | ||
+ | And now about my farm – Tell your Pa to | ||
+ | sell as much of my bacon & corn & oats as | ||
+ | he thinks I can spare, at the price & time | ||
+ | he thinks best - & to pay all the money he | ||
+ | doesn’t need to Mr. Speed. I wish him to sell | ||
+ | [every?] thing pretty closely. Take great [underscored] care of | ||
+ | [?] salt – I had settled with D[octo]r. Wilson | ||
+ | before leaving – but owe him for Sarah’s | ||
+ | sickness – I like to be strict in my act’s with | ||
+ | [him?] – I mean, [underscored] to have everything right, [underscored] | ||
+ | [fir?] I understand he keeps no acc[oun]ts. | ||
+ | [It?] is my wish to pay off my debts as | ||
+ | quickly as possible – I do [underscored] wish to avoid | ||
+ | the necessity of selling our dear House. | ||
+ | I am always delighted, Nannie, when I | ||
+ | [read?] that you are cheerful, & I suffered | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [7] | ||
+ | |||
+ | much for two or three days after the latest | ||
+ | thinking how anxious you would be for me. | ||
+ | You have doubtless seen an account of the | ||
+ | daring exploit of Gen[eral] [James Ewell Brown "Jeb"] Stuart & his | ||
+ | Cavalry Brigade – We are in such | ||
+ | a retired place here, entirely cut off | ||
+ | from any other Reg[imen]t, off from | ||
+ | any road, except a small country | ||
+ | path, & nine miles from R[ich]mond, that | ||
+ | we get no news except from the pa- | ||
+ | pers. I like this retired place. I went | ||
+ | down in the deep oak woods a few days | ||
+ | since about day, - it was a beautiful | ||
+ | morning - & hundreds of birds were | ||
+ | singing – the first birds I have heard | ||
+ | since leaving Glo[uce[st]er P[oin]t [Virginia] – I felt for a | ||
+ | long time as if I were at home – I | ||
+ | had a long waking [struck-through] dream while awake | ||
+ | -Oh darling, you cant imagine how | ||
+ | happy I was until the old drum | ||
+ | beat for roll call, and dispelled | ||
+ | the bright [dream?]. Frequently when | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [8] | ||
+ | |||
+ | I think of how long we have been, & | ||
+ | how long we may still be separated, I | ||
+ | spend almost an hour, as if in a bad | ||
+ | night-mare, - and it is really a re- | ||
+ | lief to be called off to duty. We have | ||
+ | now only two hours drill in the morning, | ||
+ | and one in the evening, a great | ||
+ | many of our men are sick, but | ||
+ | only with diarrhea or dysentery, and | ||
+ | are I think getting better of it. They give | ||
+ | us now a little [underscored] molasses & vinegar, | ||
+ | and fresh beef occasionally. My mouth | ||
+ | is watering now at the thought that we will | ||
+ | have nice beef steak for dinner. But I | ||
+ | must close – Always mention in your | ||
+ | letters how they all are at Aunt Judy’s. | ||
+ | Sam always feels disappointed when you | ||
+ | fail to do this – Much love to all – | ||
+ | Kiss Charley & Minnie for me – When you tell | ||
+ | of their little ways it makes me more anx- | ||
+ | ious then even to see them. All of my letters | ||
+ | wont do to show – in fact I doubt if any | ||
+ | will – May God bless you – Y[ou]r husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins] |
Latest revision as of 16:14, 14 August 2017
[1]
Camp “Stonewall Jackson” [Virginia] June 19th 1862
My dear Nannie –
Doc & Sam & I have come out a little way from camp in a nice, cool, shady grove to write letters. I received yours of June 12th, containing one from Millie to Daniel, yesterday evening – Sam also got one from his [?] – I always love to read Aunt Judy’s let- ters & wish she would write oftener. We have moved our camp about a mile since I wrote last, in order to get a better place –Are now camped about a half-mile from James River, opposite to & 1 1/2 miles below Drury’s Bluff [Chesterfield County, Va.] – in a beautiful oak forest, with good water near by – We expect to re- main here, or about here for some time, unless driven back by the enemy – which I think is improbable. I like our officers (I mean Regimental & Brigadier) very well, except their profanity. We showed Col[onel] [John Thomas] Goode [Captain] Baskerville’s letter & he has treated us kind- ly. We showed the letter in order to get a
[Marginalia – top of page]
June 20th – all well –
[2]
(2)
sick furlough for Abe Daniel, and a discharge for Johny Booker - & he aided us so that we have succeeded in both. Abe was sent to R[ich]mond Sunday quite sick – hav’n’t heard from him since – am afraid he may have the fever. Daniel B. is still in R[ich]mond, and ought, by all means, I think, be trans- ferred home for several weeks. I sent Johny’s discharge this morning to Mr. Howison, by private hands as the safest way of getting it to Mr. B[ooker]. Hr. Howison has been very kind to all of us, & I would be glad, if I could, to do something to repay him – to show him that we appreciate & feel grateful to him for his kindness. There are a good many little things, such as rice butter – eggs – fresh meat – vegetables – fine game etc etc which it is almost impossible for private families to get in R[ich]mond – Should you every have an op- portunity please send him something of the kind. Corry Graham & [Helen?] home with you & try to [?] them have a pleasant time
[3]
(3)
Col[onel] Goode’s Reg[imen]t is made up of heavy artillery companies changed to Infantry. [underscored] You seem to think that I write low-spirited. I have been very much disturbed about the condition of our company, as long as we were un- organized, we suffered for proper com- missary, quarter-master & medical at- tention. This is all done [struck-through] remedied now that we are in an organized Reg[imen]t. We had a great many sick men, and had no surgeon on medicines or ambulance – This caused great suffering. Our officers were too ignorant, or to self-indulgent & selfish to do anything for their men. We are independent of them now as regards such attentions. This about our officers though harsh is true, and I wish you to say nothing about it to anyone. I wouldn’t write it to any one but you. Yet I believe them to be pious men, & as we have more religious privileges here than we would have elsewhere I am content to remain - Gen[eral] [Henry Alexander] Wise & Col[onel] Goode
[4]
4
are both very kind to their men & attentive to their health & wants. Our Surgeon, D[octo]r. Mason, seems to be a gentleman, a good, kind man, and a good physician – and very [underscored] attentive to cleanliness about the camp. Our duties are comparatively light, and our discipline strict. [underscored] I like this too – it al- ways make the men happier, though they complain at first . I am as happy and con- tented as I can be in the army – I cant feel very [underscored] cheerful when there is so much uncertainty about the length of time I may be separated from you. I can stand the Infantry service very well as long as I am not required to carry my knapsack – on all my marching I have carried my knap- sack only 3 miles - & this worried me more than all the other. It seems to af- fect my head & spine – if I can manage to get it along as I have done, I like Infantry very well. My spirits depend very much on the letters I get from you, and
[5]
5
as they are generally cheerful – I generally manage to keep in pretty good spirits. I know I dont love you & Charley & Minnie more
times
than you deserve, darling, but I do some ^ think that I have set my heart too much on you – and then when I think of my Negroes & farm & the condition of my matters at home, (though I have perfect
& Smiley
confidence in your Pa & Mr. Harris & feel very grateful to them for their kindness) I cant always feel or write cheerful; and you must excuse me if I write a little low- down sometimes – and dont think any- thing of it. [‘dont...it’ underscored] I am getting on much much ‘[much much’ underscored] better than I ever thought I could in the army. I dont write any of this in com- plaint, but only in answer to your gues- tions. God has been so kind to us, and has blessed us in so many ways since we separated, that I hav’n’t the heart to complain of anything – I feel every day filled with praise & gratitude to Him
[6]
(6)
in His merciful kindness to us and ours If you cant understand some of my letters it is because I am frequently forced [to] write very hastily, and sometimes sur- rounded by a [?] boys talking loudly, not only to themselves, but constantly to me, And now about my farm – Tell your Pa to sell as much of my bacon & corn & oats as he thinks I can spare, at the price & time he thinks best - & to pay all the money he doesn’t need to Mr. Speed. I wish him to sell [every?] thing pretty closely. Take great [underscored] care of [?] salt – I had settled with D[octo]r. Wilson before leaving – but owe him for Sarah’s sickness – I like to be strict in my act’s with [him?] – I mean, [underscored] to have everything right, [underscored] [fir?] I understand he keeps no acc[oun]ts. [It?] is my wish to pay off my debts as quickly as possible – I do [underscored] wish to avoid the necessity of selling our dear House. I am always delighted, Nannie, when I [read?] that you are cheerful, & I suffered
[7]
much for two or three days after the latest thinking how anxious you would be for me. You have doubtless seen an account of the daring exploit of Gen[eral] [James Ewell Brown "Jeb"] Stuart & his Cavalry Brigade – We are in such a retired place here, entirely cut off from any other Reg[imen]t, off from any road, except a small country path, & nine miles from R[ich]mond, that we get no news except from the pa- pers. I like this retired place. I went down in the deep oak woods a few days since about day, - it was a beautiful morning - & hundreds of birds were singing – the first birds I have heard since leaving Glo[uce[st]er P[oin]t [Virginia] – I felt for a long time as if I were at home – I had a long waking [struck-through] dream while awake -Oh darling, you cant imagine how happy I was until the old drum beat for roll call, and dispelled the bright [dream?]. Frequently when
[8]
I think of how long we have been, & how long we may still be separated, I spend almost an hour, as if in a bad night-mare, - and it is really a re- lief to be called off to duty. We have now only two hours drill in the morning, and one in the evening, a great many of our men are sick, but only with diarrhea or dysentery, and are I think getting better of it. They give us now a little [underscored] molasses & vinegar, and fresh beef occasionally. My mouth is watering now at the thought that we will have nice beef steak for dinner. But I must close – Always mention in your letters how they all are at Aunt Judy’s. Sam always feels disappointed when you fail to do this – Much love to all – Kiss Charley & Minnie for me – When you tell of their little ways it makes me more anx- ious then even to see them. All of my letters wont do to show – in fact I doubt if any will – May God bless you – Y[ou]r husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]