Difference between revisions of ".NTM1.NzAx"
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+ | |||
+ | Richmond [Virginia] June 1st 1862 | ||
+ | |||
+ | My dear wife – We are still all well. Last Wed- | ||
+ | nesday evening I had a little spell which | ||
+ | caused me a good deal of pain & which | ||
+ | left me so sore that yesterday they gave me | ||
+ | my choice of going back to the old camp, or | ||
+ | coming to R[ich]mond for a few days. As some | ||
+ | of our boys needed a few things I came | ||
+ | here – My sickness was caused by the passage | ||
+ | of a gravel from the kidneys to the blatter | ||
+ | which the surgeon says is a very common | ||
+ | thing in the army, & except the temporary pain | ||
+ | is of no danger, & accompanied with no | ||
+ | serious consequences. I am now well again | ||
+ | & will report back to my company tomorrow. | ||
+ | You will see an acc[oun]t in the tomorrows pa- | ||
+ | pers of a fight which took place yesterday | ||
+ | on the Chickahominy [River], in which so far as | ||
+ | we have heard, we whipped the Yankees | ||
+ | terribly. When I left our company Gen[eral] [Robert Emmett] Rodes’ | ||
+ | Brigade was all under arms to be ready to | ||
+ | march at any moment, but when there is | ||
+ | even a skirmish on any part of the lines | ||
+ | the whole army is always put under arms | ||
+ | it indicates nothing, & I have ascertained [pretty?] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [addressed envelope] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mrs. Nannie V. Watkins | ||
+ | Care Mr. Jos[eph] B. Daniel | ||
+ | Townesville | ||
+ | N[orth] C[arolina] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Send by Sass[afras] Fork [North Carolina] mail | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [2] | ||
+ | |||
+ | certainly that not only [‘not only’ struck-through] Gen[eral] Rodes’ Brigade was | ||
+ | not engaged. In fact, our Brigade has been | ||
+ | put under arms & had marching orders every | ||
+ | day for the last week, & sometimes we have | ||
+ | actually marched a short distance & then | ||
+ | returned to camp again. Met Mr. Howeson | ||
+ | yesterday & got a pass from the Hospital sur- | ||
+ | geon to stay at his house – will go there to- | ||
+ | day & see him & may be spend to-night | ||
+ | with him. He says that Aunt Judy is | ||
+ | very much disturbed about Sam not | ||
+ | getting enough to eat etc. – She is very | ||
+ | much mistaken – it has been only two | ||
+ | days since we left Glo[uce]st[er] P[oin]t that we | ||
+ | couldn’t get enough and that was | ||
+ | caused by forced marches – there was | ||
+ | enough in the commissary wagons, but | ||
+ | we didn’t have time to cook. We get | ||
+ | enough flour & meat always & some- | ||
+ | times other things – The only difficulty is | ||
+ | that we got tired of having the same thing | ||
+ | for every meal – We frequently get Coffee | ||
+ | & sweet cakes, & butter crackers, & loaf | ||
+ | bread of[f] wagons which move daily to & | ||
+ | from R[ich]mond. But we have to bring such | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [3] | ||
+ | |||
+ | things ourselves & of course they come | ||
+ | in as [?]. Sam & Abe are the | ||
+ | best contented of our whole mess, & | ||
+ | Sam about the best contented & happiest | ||
+ | of the whole army: I dont write this to | ||
+ | make Aunt Judy feel easy, but have always | ||
+ | made it a point of conscience to write | ||
+ | things home, just a I think they are. | ||
+ | We are all beginning to need some money, | ||
+ | I will borrow $50 of Mr. Howeson to-morrow | ||
+ | for our boys & as we have daily com- | ||
+ | munication with R[ich]mond, Mr. H[oweson] will | ||
+ | get such clothing for us as we need. | ||
+ | I will borrow the $50 in my name or | ||
+ | in Sam’s & Mr. H[oweson] will look to your Pa | ||
+ | or to Aunt Judy for the money. & we [‘& we’ struck-through] | ||
+ | I may give him my Bond, & then di- | ||
+ | vide with the rest – just as Mr. H[oweson] thinks | ||
+ | best. I would write you some news | ||
+ | I have collected about the battle of | ||
+ | yesterday, but know that you will | ||
+ | see much fuller & more satisfactory | ||
+ | statements in the papers – We all feel | ||
+ | confident of holding R[ich]mond, & feel to | ||
+ | that the tide of victory has finally | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [4] | ||
+ | |||
+ | turned in our favor – and that in a | ||
+ | short time this [?] & unholy war will | ||
+ | end. We have seen some rough times, but | ||
+ | nothing like some of our men have | ||
+ | seen, & we have all excep[t] Doc & Dabney | ||
+ | who were well provided for, been spared our | ||
+ | health & strength. If we could but be | ||
+ | thankful enough to our Kind Protector, & put | ||
+ | all of our trust in Him, & submit pa- | ||
+ | tiently if not cheerfully to His will. I do | ||
+ | not see but that every thing in connec- | ||
+ | tion with us (our home boys) is as well as | ||
+ | could be. Mr. H[oweson] told me yesterday he had | ||
+ | sent a letter for [Me?] & Sam to Gen[eral] [Henry Alexander] Wise’s Brigade | ||
+ | thinking our company was there – so we have | ||
+ | lost our last two letters from home unless | ||
+ | Gen[eral] Wise will take the trouble of sending them | ||
+ | back to R[ich]mond. Direct your letters as before - | ||
+ | Mr. N. V. Watkins – King & Queen Artillery | ||
+ | Care Capt[ain] Bagley, Gen[eral] Rode’s Brigade, | ||
+ | Richmond, & I will always get them. | ||
+ | Send me two colored shirts by Doc, made | ||
+ | just as my white ones are, & such as | ||
+ | will not fade if you can get the material – | ||
+ | Much love to all, oh that I could see you soon, | ||
+ | My God bless you & our dear children Y[ou]r devoted husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [Marginalia at top of page]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [Came near?] seeing Bro[ther] Dick yesterday he was well. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [5] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sunday June 1st 1 o.c[lock] | ||
+ | |||
+ | I am at Mr. Howeson’s – We have just received | ||
+ | positive intelligence, [‘positive intelligence’ underscored] that all our boys are safe. | ||
+ | Daniel Booker gave out before our Battalion | ||
+ | and is safe, | ||
+ | reached the battle ground & was not in the fight ^ | ||
+ | Sam & Abe were in but were not hurt. | ||
+ | This I learn from a wounded man of our | ||
+ | company who saw them after the fighting | ||
+ | was over Send this [if...?] to Mrs Booker [‘send...Booker’ struck-through] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [6] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Monday morning – I have seen Abe & Sam & Daniel – they are all | ||
+ | unhurt – Mr. H[oweson] & I heard yesterday that our Battalion was in the | ||
+ | fight & got in an ambulance to look for the boys – we got separated | ||
+ | but I found the boys in an our old camp near R[ich]mond] – They were | ||
+ | all three in the fight – Our artillery boys distinguished themselves, | ||
+ | & took a fine Yankee battery – Our company lost 5 killed | ||
+ | & 23 wounded (only 1 or 2 mortally) – 28 in all, they en- | ||
+ | tered the fight with 58 – nearly 1/2 killed & wounded – [Captain] Bas- | ||
+ | kerville is unhurt – [?] killed – B[askerville] is the only Capt[ain] | ||
+ | in his regiment unhurt [?][struck-through] his Col[onel;] was badly wounded. | ||
+ | Daniel B[ooker] had the top of his cap split by a ball. | ||
+ | How thankful we should feel that our little party | ||
+ | escaped – Y[ou[r devoted Husband – N[athaniel] V. W[atkins] |
Revision as of 13:06, 27 July 2015
[1]
Richmond [Virginia] June 1st 1862
My dear wife – We are still all well. Last Wed- nesday evening I had a little spell which caused me a good deal of pain & which left me so sore that yesterday they gave me my choice of going back to the old camp, or coming to R[ich]mond for a few days. As some of our boys needed a few things I came here – My sickness was caused by the passage of a gravel from the kidneys to the blatter which the surgeon says is a very common thing in the army, & except the temporary pain is of no danger, & accompanied with no serious consequences. I am now well again & will report back to my company tomorrow. You will see an acc[oun]t in the tomorrows pa- pers of a fight which took place yesterday on the Chickahominy [River], in which so far as we have heard, we whipped the Yankees terribly. When I left our company Gen[eral] [Robert Emmett] Rodes’ Brigade was all under arms to be ready to march at any moment, but when there is even a skirmish on any part of the lines the whole army is always put under arms it indicates nothing, & I have ascertained [pretty?]
[addressed envelope]
Mrs. Nannie V. Watkins Care Mr. Jos[eph] B. Daniel Townesville N[orth] C[arolina]
Send by Sass[afras] Fork [North Carolina] mail
[2]
certainly that not only [‘not only’ struck-through] Gen[eral] Rodes’ Brigade was not engaged. In fact, our Brigade has been put under arms & had marching orders every day for the last week, & sometimes we have actually marched a short distance & then returned to camp again. Met Mr. Howeson yesterday & got a pass from the Hospital sur- geon to stay at his house – will go there to- day & see him & may be spend to-night with him. He says that Aunt Judy is very much disturbed about Sam not getting enough to eat etc. – She is very much mistaken – it has been only two days since we left Glo[uce]st[er] P[oin]t that we couldn’t get enough and that was caused by forced marches – there was enough in the commissary wagons, but we didn’t have time to cook. We get enough flour & meat always & some- times other things – The only difficulty is that we got tired of having the same thing for every meal – We frequently get Coffee & sweet cakes, & butter crackers, & loaf bread of[f] wagons which move daily to & from R[ich]mond. But we have to bring such
[3]
things ourselves & of course they come in as [?]. Sam & Abe are the best contented of our whole mess, & Sam about the best contented & happiest of the whole army: I dont write this to make Aunt Judy feel easy, but have always made it a point of conscience to write things home, just a I think they are. We are all beginning to need some money, I will borrow $50 of Mr. Howeson to-morrow for our boys & as we have daily com- munication with R[ich]mond, Mr. H[oweson] will get such clothing for us as we need. I will borrow the $50 in my name or in Sam’s & Mr. H[oweson] will look to your Pa or to Aunt Judy for the money. & we [‘& we’ struck-through] I may give him my Bond, & then di- vide with the rest – just as Mr. H[oweson] thinks best. I would write you some news I have collected about the battle of yesterday, but know that you will see much fuller & more satisfactory statements in the papers – We all feel confident of holding R[ich]mond, & feel to that the tide of victory has finally
[4]
turned in our favor – and that in a short time this [?] & unholy war will end. We have seen some rough times, but nothing like some of our men have seen, & we have all excep[t] Doc & Dabney who were well provided for, been spared our health & strength. If we could but be thankful enough to our Kind Protector, & put all of our trust in Him, & submit pa- tiently if not cheerfully to His will. I do not see but that every thing in connec- tion with us (our home boys) is as well as could be. Mr. H[oweson] told me yesterday he had sent a letter for [Me?] & Sam to Gen[eral] [Henry Alexander] Wise’s Brigade thinking our company was there – so we have lost our last two letters from home unless Gen[eral] Wise will take the trouble of sending them back to R[ich]mond. Direct your letters as before - Mr. N. V. Watkins – King & Queen Artillery Care Capt[ain] Bagley, Gen[eral] Rode’s Brigade, Richmond, & I will always get them. Send me two colored shirts by Doc, made just as my white ones are, & such as will not fade if you can get the material – Much love to all, oh that I could see you soon, My God bless you & our dear children Y[ou]r devoted husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins
[Marginalia at top of page]]
[Came near?] seeing Bro[ther] Dick yesterday he was well.
[5]
Sunday June 1st 1 o.c[lock]
I am at Mr. Howeson’s – We have just received positive intelligence, [‘positive intelligence’ underscored] that all our boys are safe. Daniel Booker gave out before our Battalion
and is safe,
reached the battle ground & was not in the fight ^ Sam & Abe were in but were not hurt. This I learn from a wounded man of our company who saw them after the fighting was over Send this [if...?] to Mrs Booker [‘send...Booker’ struck-through]
[6]
Monday morning – I have seen Abe & Sam & Daniel – they are all unhurt – Mr. H[oweson] & I heard yesterday that our Battalion was in the fight & got in an ambulance to look for the boys – we got separated but I found the boys in an our old camp near R[ich]mond] – They were all three in the fight – Our artillery boys distinguished themselves, & took a fine Yankee battery – Our company lost 5 killed & 23 wounded (only 1 or 2 mortally) – 28 in all, they en- tered the fight with 58 – nearly 1/2 killed & wounded – [Captain] Bas- kerville is unhurt – [?] killed – B[askerville] is the only Capt[ain] in his regiment unhurt [?][struck-through] his Col[onel;] was badly wounded. Daniel B[ooker] had the top of his cap split by a ball. How thankful we should feel that our little party escaped – Y[ou[r devoted Husband – N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]