Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime

[DBF]

Once again I am reading poignant letters from wives to their husbands and it always surprises me how the one commander that you least expect is the recipient of such an endearing letter.

"It seems I never before realized how dear you were to me, & how hard it is to live without you. The past year was a blank except when I was with you; & I shudder when I think another, perhaps to be even more trying, is before me. I hate to have say 'good night' dearest - while I write, I am with you . . . Your hard soldier's couch with you was far pleasanter to your wife, than her soft bed without you."

This was written to her general before the Battle at Shiloh. She expresses more to her husband after hearing of the death of General Albert Sidney Johnston.

"I had taught myself to believe you could not be hurt . . . My great anxiety is the you have been overtaxed, tried to the utmost . . . Don't give up dearest - not for my sake, alas - not a feeble woman alone depends on you - but a nation in her tearful agony, looks to you for help."

This from the hand of Eliza (Elise) Brooks Ellis aka Mrs. Braxton Bragg. Although I am only a few pages into the book, the author has written in the introduction that she was always his greatest supporter.

As the song goes - "Everybody loves somebody sometime, Everybody falls in love somehow". It appears they did.

Braxton Bragg - The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy (by Earl J. Hess) Pages 31, 39.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

What a great thread, thank you! These names from the battlefield tend to be viewed that way- boy, this makes them more than human in a big hurry! Always gives me the willies a little, reading private letters but these are so sweet you would have to think they would be proud to know how much they're appreciated 150 years later.

Hope you run into more, and thanks again!

 

[donna]

Thanks so much for posting. Such a lovely letter with such expression of love.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Her obituary is interesting- died in New Orleans aged 83, on the anniversary of Chickamauga.

 

[DBF]

Thank you for finding and posting her obituary. She had quite a few years that must have been difficult for her - the years between her husband's death in 1876 and her death in 1908 (over 30). I enjoy celebrating an "eternal" love story.

Another interesting fact I discovered about Braxton Bragg was his friendship with General William Sherman - - - "Their friendship began in Louisiana, as their occupations developed and the northerner would share many meals with his southern friend. All this would come to an end in 1861 when succession arrived and the northerner went home to join the Union Army. The parting was painful and the southerner would declare; 'A similar duty of my part may throw us into an apparent hostile attitude, but it is too terrible to contemplate, and I will not discuss it.' After the war the victor would invite the vanquished to his daughter's wedding in 1874."

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/1-18-19-parody-bonus.153102/

 

[Nathanb1]

Thank you for finding and posting her obituary. She had quite a few years that must have been difficult for her - the years between her husband's death in 1876 and her death in 1908 (over 30). I enjoy celebrating an "eternal" love story.

Another interesting fact I discovered about Braxton Bragg was his friendship with General William Sherman - - - "Their friendship began in Louisiana, as their occupations developed and the northerner would share many meals with his southern friend. All this would come to an end in 1861 when succession arrived and the northerner went home to join the Union Army. The parting was painful and the southerner would declare; 'A similar duty of my part may throw us into an apparent hostile attitude, but it is too terrible to contemplate, and I will not discuss it.' After the war the victor would invite the vanquished to his daughter's wedding in 1874."

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/1-18-19-parody-bonus.153102/

Sherman certainly embodied the "brothers in arms" idea, as noted in Joe Johnston's bio (Wikipedia) "Johnston, like Lee, never forgot the magnanimity of the man to whom he surrendered. He would not allow criticism of Sherman in his presence. Sherman and Johnston corresponded frequently, and they met for friendly dinners in Washington whenever Johnston traveled there. When Sherman died, Johnston served as an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. During the procession in New York City on February 19, 1891, he kept his hat off as a sign of respect, although the weather was cold and rainy. Someone concerned for his health asked him to put on his hat, to which Johnston replied, "If I were in his place and he were standing here in mine, he would not put on his hat." He caught a cold that day, which developed into pneumonia. Johnston died several weeks later in Washington, D.C."

Like another guy we discuss often, wartime "bluff and bluster" made Sherman look like the very devil--but obviously, old ties meant more than the war that was over. Would that we could all get over it.

 

[DBF]

"If I were in his place and he were standing here in mine, he would not put on his hat." He caught a cold that day, which developed into pneumonia. Johnston died several weeks later in Washington, D.C."

That's sad - - but he believed in the respect he showed to his former enemy - now departed friend.

I think we always need to be reminded that "generals" were people at one point in their life times and developed other relationships outside of "war". I enjoy being reminded of every single story.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Weren't there quite a few friendships that war failed to sever? There's a terrific thread for someone who knows these stories. ' Killer Angels ' focused on the topic up although Armistead didn't survive the war ( and the famous ' goodbye ' party seems to have been not quite accurate? ).

I don't know. Maybe we like these stories so much because it's who we really are. Beneath the exhausting, divisive dreck we're all Americans. And extremely good at liking each other, given the chance.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

It is easy to forget that generals, officers, and other soldiers are mere humans like the rest of us. With a family and significant others at home. And many of the men were friends and even relatives to many of those on the other side. I've read some very sweet letters from wives, fiances, girlfriends, mothers, daughters.... heart breakingly so many were never delivered before the addressee fell in battle...

 

[DBF]

other soldiers are mere humans like the rest of us. With a family and significant others at home.

You are so right about the many letters that were "last" letters to sweethearts or wives. I found this letter and posted it earlier - - -

A Soldier’s Letter to His Wife | Soldier's Tales

Not much is known about 2nd Lieutenant Charles DeMott of Battery D, 1st New York Light Artillery. He was a son, he was a husband, he was a father. He took the time to write his beloved wife, Elmina (1835-1894) a letter from the battlefield in 1864. Based upon the 1st paragraph of his...

civilwartalk.com

 

[PrivateBrooke]

You are so right about the many letters that were "last" letters to sweethearts or wives. I found this letter and posted it earlier - - -

A Soldier’s Letter to His Wife | Soldier's Tales

Not much is known about 2nd Lieutenant Charles DeMott of Battery D, 1st New York Light Artillery. He was a son, he was a husband, he was a father. He took the time to write his beloved wife, Elmina (1835-1894) a letter from the battlefield in 1864. Based upon the 1st paragraph of his...

civilwartalk.com

Private Wesley Culp, of the 2nd Virginia Infantry, a native of Gettysburg, was allegedly carrying a letter for Jenny Wade... the only civilian casualty of the battle, when he was killed on his family's farm. The letter was, obviously never delivered.