william42
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
- Location
- Evansville, Indiana
Camp near Dalton
April the 25th/64
Dear Sister:
I received you[r] letter the day I wrote to Sallie and was very glad to hear that you all [were] well. I would of answered your letter sooner, but as I am scarce of paper, I thought I wouldn't write. General [Joseph E.] Johnston had a grand review of his army last Monday [April 18]. Lieut [Harvey] Shannon [the Battery's commander], excused me from going out with the company and I went out as a spectator [and] took my stand right by Gen. Johnston, and Gen. Hardee's wife and daughters. I never saw so many men in my life. I got tired looking [at them], and went back to camp. I reckon you would like to know if Gen. Hardee's daughters are pretty. I don't think so. If you think Miss Anna Person is pretty, Miss Hardee is pretty also. Miss Hardee is about the size of Miss C. Trenton, and has a figure somthing like Miss C. Trenton; the elder one I am speaking of. [The] young one is not as pretty as the elder one. You said Miss Julia Barnett felt slighted by not receiving a note from Lieut. Shannon. He told me to tell Miss Barnett that he expected to thank her in person; that is he expected to get a furlough and come down there. He also said that he thought [there] was a great deal of impropriety in writing to a school girl.
We expect to have stirring times up here soon. Gen. J. is throwing up breastworks here. The Yankee prisoners say they think we will whip them in the next fight. Our army is in fine spirits. I expect to go over to see Bud tomorrow or the next day. Tell Webster and Forrest they must take good care of my puppy, and all of you must take good care of my chickens. I must go over to the guard house now as I am on guard. I will write when I come back.
I have just returned from guard mount and will take time to write. Gen. Shoup [Brig. Gen. Francis A. Shoup, Chief of Artillery, Army of Tennessee] wanted to turn our battery into a Parrott battery, but as he wanted to give us some guns that had been used, Lieut. Shannon would not take them. Captain [Charles] Swett [the former battery commander] is acting inspector general of artillery, and Lieut. S. takes command of our battery. Semple's Battery from Montgomery is in our battalion, [Maj. Thomas R. Hotchkiss' battalion], and there are some very nice boys in it. Powell is in that company. I went over to the 19th Louisiana yesterday and saw Sam ****ins. He is well, and says he has not got a letter from home in a long time. Give my love to Ma & Sallie & the n*ggers; Bill & Prince as well. I remain your affectionate brother,
J.P. Graves
from Warren County, Mississippi, of Swett's Warren Mississippi Battery,
Major General Patrick Cleburne's Division of Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee
From the document collection of Wiley Sword, published in Winter, 2008 edition of "Blue & Gray" magazine. Spelling, punctuation corrected, and brackets added by staff of "Blue & Gray".
April the 25th/64
Dear Sister:
I received you[r] letter the day I wrote to Sallie and was very glad to hear that you all [were] well. I would of answered your letter sooner, but as I am scarce of paper, I thought I wouldn't write. General [Joseph E.] Johnston had a grand review of his army last Monday [April 18]. Lieut [Harvey] Shannon [the Battery's commander], excused me from going out with the company and I went out as a spectator [and] took my stand right by Gen. Johnston, and Gen. Hardee's wife and daughters. I never saw so many men in my life. I got tired looking [at them], and went back to camp. I reckon you would like to know if Gen. Hardee's daughters are pretty. I don't think so. If you think Miss Anna Person is pretty, Miss Hardee is pretty also. Miss Hardee is about the size of Miss C. Trenton, and has a figure somthing like Miss C. Trenton; the elder one I am speaking of. [The] young one is not as pretty as the elder one. You said Miss Julia Barnett felt slighted by not receiving a note from Lieut. Shannon. He told me to tell Miss Barnett that he expected to thank her in person; that is he expected to get a furlough and come down there. He also said that he thought [there] was a great deal of impropriety in writing to a school girl.
We expect to have stirring times up here soon. Gen. J. is throwing up breastworks here. The Yankee prisoners say they think we will whip them in the next fight. Our army is in fine spirits. I expect to go over to see Bud tomorrow or the next day. Tell Webster and Forrest they must take good care of my puppy, and all of you must take good care of my chickens. I must go over to the guard house now as I am on guard. I will write when I come back.
I have just returned from guard mount and will take time to write. Gen. Shoup [Brig. Gen. Francis A. Shoup, Chief of Artillery, Army of Tennessee] wanted to turn our battery into a Parrott battery, but as he wanted to give us some guns that had been used, Lieut. Shannon would not take them. Captain [Charles] Swett [the former battery commander] is acting inspector general of artillery, and Lieut. S. takes command of our battery. Semple's Battery from Montgomery is in our battalion, [Maj. Thomas R. Hotchkiss' battalion], and there are some very nice boys in it. Powell is in that company. I went over to the 19th Louisiana yesterday and saw Sam ****ins. He is well, and says he has not got a letter from home in a long time. Give my love to Ma & Sallie & the n*ggers; Bill & Prince as well. I remain your affectionate brother,
J.P. Graves
from Warren County, Mississippi, of Swett's Warren Mississippi Battery,
Major General Patrick Cleburne's Division of Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee
From the document collection of Wiley Sword, published in Winter, 2008 edition of "Blue & Gray" magazine. Spelling, punctuation corrected, and brackets added by staff of "Blue & Gray".