Help to Decipher letter - Capt John Hampton Skelton

[lelliott19]

Skelton was born in Elbert County GA. He enlisted as Captain of Co C 16th GA aka "Hartwell Infantry" July 13, 1861.

Need help deciphering this letter to his sister:

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them ?????______ and some of them ????_____ just abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but ????W E Meyers??? and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some better but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J Kay will stay here. There (or Those?????) are fine (or five?????) Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

John Hampton Skelton would not die at Goldsboro, although many men in his Regiment would succumb to illness and die there. He would eventually be promoted to Major and be captured at Deep Bottom, VA August 20, 1864. He was sent to Fort Delaware and was released July 24, 1865. He returned to Georgia, and on March 26, 1867 married Mary Lavinia Richardson in Hart County, Georgia. Together, the couple would have at least ten children. He died Sept 21, 1893 and is buried in Hart County, GA.

 

[Allie]

Sorry, both my husband and I took a look at it and can't read it either. I think it says some of them down? And some of them just able (spelling) to ...? But I can't make it fit any word that I can think of to finish that sentence.

My guess is there and five but it does look like fine. Confirming whether there were in fact five regiments ordered with them might clear it up.

Can anyone else read it?

 

[John Winn]

I printed it out and looked at it with a magnifying glass but can't decipher any more than has already been done. I'm rather thinking that the author just left out some words - maybe thinking one thing but only actually getting part of if down. I wonder what the conditions were like when he was writing; might have been difficult circumstances.

 

[E_just_E]

cannot read it either (I think that the second unknown is "hurt",) but here it is 3x magnification with brightness and contrast adjusted, in case some one else can. (Click to make it bigger.)

 

[Mike Serpa]

some of them down and some of them hurt

 

[chellers]

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them ?????______ and some of them ????_____ just abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but ????W E Meyers??? and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some better but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J Kay will stay here. There (or Those?????) are fine (or five?????) Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

all of my officers are sick but W E Myers and myself
These are fine regiments

 

[lelliott19]

Thanks everyone!!!!

some of them down and some of them hurt

hurt abale[sic] to ?????

Can anyone read that word? Looks like "some of them hurt abale to nape"?

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them down and some of them hurt abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but W E Meyers and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some bitter[sic] but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J R Kay will stay here. These are fine Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

 

[chellers]

Thanks everyone!!!!


hurt abale[sic] to ?????

Can anyone read that word? Looks like "some of them hurt abale to nape"?

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them down and some of them hurt just abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but W E Meyers and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some better but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J R Kay will stay here. These are fine Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

It does look like his other "p"s in script but that word doesn't make sense.

 

[E_just_E]

Thanks everyone!!!!


hurt abale[sic] to ?????

Can anyone read that word? Looks like "some of them hurt abale to nape"?

How about "just able to nape (sic)" i.e. just laying down

 

[E_just_E]

Thanks everyone!!!!


hurt abale[sic] to ?????

Can anyone read that word? Looks like "some of them hurt abale to nape"?
"

How about: "just ab(a)le to nap(e)"? i.e. the only thing they can do is to lay down

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

This is letter is a challenge !

Like the others, I'm trying . . . but no luck.

But I will keep trying.

 

[lelliott19]

I am beginning to think @chellers is right and the words are
"Some are down and some just ab(a)le to ______"

Look at the word we thought was "hurt" and compare it to the word "just" in the first sentence
"I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place..."

Does it look the same to everyone else?

Just able to WHAT??? It really does look like 'nape' or 'nupe.' Was 'nape' a common mis-spelling for nap?
Uggghhhhhh.

 

[Allie]

I've considered the possibility that it may be an archaic double s but "just able to nasse" doesn't make sense either.

 

[PeterT]

I am beginning to think @chellers is right and the words are
"Some are down and some just ab(a)le to ______"

Look at the word we thought was "hurt" and compare it to the word "just" in the first sentence
"I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place..."

Does it look the same to everyone else?

Just able to WHAT??? It really does look like 'nape' or 'nupe.' Was 'nape' a common mis-spelling for nap?
Uggghhhhhh.

Can I offer another thought ... I think it could be ..."some are done" - they are not going to make it. Looks more like "done" than "down" to me.

"and some just able to make it". ...... But he misspelt "able" and left out "it". So "make" not "nape".

Anyway just a thought.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

You are all extremely good! Gosh. Speaking as someone with dreadful handwriting when not under his kind of stress, maybe don't try to interpret what it looks like- go with what makes sense? Peter's interpretation of ' nape' seems to fall into place. It's only an opinion based on not being able to read my own writing frequently.

 

[chellers]

some of them hurt abale[sic] to

but not able to go in to the fight

These two 'ables' do not look same and it seems odd he would misspell the first one.

 

[Georgia ancestors]

Skelton was born in Elbert County GA. He enlisted as Captain of Co C 16th GA aka "Hartwell Infantry" July 13, 1861.

Need help deciphering this letter to his sister:

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them ?????______ and some of them ????_____ just abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but ????W E Meyers??? and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some better but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J Kay will stay here. There (or Those?????) are fine (or five?????) Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

View attachment 76895
John Hampton Skelton would not die at Goldsboro, although many men in his Regiment would succumb to illness and die there. He would eventually be promoted to Major and be captured at Deep Bottom, VA August 20, 1864. He was sent to Fort Delaware and was released July 24, 1865. He returned to Georgia, and on March 26, 1867 married Mary Lavinia Richardson in Hart County, Georgia. Together, the couple would have at least ten children. He died Sept 21, 1893 and is buried in Hart County, GA.

 

[Georgia ancestors]

Thanks everyone!!!!


hurt abale[sic] to ?????

Can anyone read that word? Looks like "some of them hurt abale to nape"?

"Camp Annia(?) March 20th 1862

Dear sister I write in a hurry this morning as we just received orders to leave this place for Galesborough (Goldsboro?) NC to meet Burnside my Company is all sick some of them down and some of them hurt abale[sic] to ????_______ all of my officers are sick but W E Meyers and myself some of them will go any way. I am not well; but determined to go as long as I can we have a dreadful time of it now so many sick none of my men have died since Sanders left the Doctor says they are all better that was so bad when Sanders left Wily is some bitter[sic] but not able to go in to the fight we will leave him here J R Kay will stay here. These are fine Regiments ordered with us ---- we are determined to whip Burnsides if we meet him or all be buried in one common grave. I must come to a close for this time; and for all I know the last time; If I get killed I want to be carried home So good buy[sic] one more time
J H Skelton"

 

[Georgia ancestors]

cannot read it either (I think that the second unknown is "hurt",) but here it is 3x magnification with brightness and contrast adjusted, in case some one else can. (Click to make it bigger.) Some of them just aren't able to make it my officers are sick (nape is make)

 

[Georgia ancestors]

Some of them are down, just able make it. My officers are sick. (I can understand most of that letter. ) Nape is make