Writing HOME

[Gettmore]

 

[FarawayFriend]

"My very dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days — perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more …

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing — perfectly willing — to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt …

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me — perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness …

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights … always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again …"





That of course is the famous letter of Sullivan Ballou, who was indeed killed a week after having written this, in the First Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/civil-war/war/historical-documents/sullivan-ballou-letter/

 

[mofederal]

http://www.historynet.com/o-sarah-sullivan-ballou-letter.htm

I have read several articles about the letter. It is far more than a simple letter, and questions who the writer really was. I also read about the letter in an article, maybe in the Civil War Monitor magazine. Somebody wrote a good letter. The original may have been buried with Sarah.

 

[FarawayFriend]

http://www.historynet.com/o-sarah-sullivan-ballou-letter.htm

I have read several articles about the letter. It is far more than a simple letter, and questions who the writer really was. I also read about the letter in an article, maybe in the Civil War Monitor magazine. Somebody wrote a good letter. The original may have been buried with Sarah.

To be honest, in this case when I posted the text I did not care about historic accuracy. I saw the young man and immediately that heartbreaking letter came to mind. Whoever wrote it, I'm sure it perfectly expresses the feelings of countless men on the eve of battle. And so I thought it a perfect match.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

View attachment 185640

A picture paints a thousand words ...

 

[Championhilz]

"Miss Sallie A. Austin,
Elkton, Tenn.
Dear Cousin,
Like a waif thrown out upon the stormiest sea, I cast this letter upon the wide ocean of this terrible revolution, trusting that some fortunate wind may bear it safely to its haven at last. Your country has been so long in the hands of the invader that I have never until now deemed it worth the while to attempt getting a letter to you since the fall of Fort Donelson. But affairs have taken a change recently which warrants me in making the attempt. If it reaches you it bears a joyous greeting of love and health and happiness to each and all my relatives in Giles. Mine has been a stirring life since you heard from me last, one such as a soldier lives under the leadership of Magruder and the glorious old Stonewall. We have marched and counter marched a distance of at least a thousand miles during the snow and frosts and stormy winds of winter and the burning heat of summer. We went from Leesburg to Yorktown, was in that retreat living on parched corn when McClellan drove us to the walls of Richmond. We were around Richmond during its long siege, and fought under Magruder at Savage Station and Malvern Hill during the 'Seven Days Fight.' We were at Warrenton in reserve during the repetition of the glories of Manassas. We stormed & took the heights of Harper's Ferry, and fought under Jackson at Sharpsburg. A few days ago we fell back to this place, and are again awaiting the renewed onset of the enemy. Yours have been the days of darkness and gloom during this revolution, but ours have been days of mingled gloom and noontide brightness. The army under Lee is an invincible one."

- Letter from R.T. Crenshaw, Company F, 21st Mississippi Infantry, to his cousin Sallie A. Austin, November 9, 1862

 

[Championhilz]

"Miss Sallie A. Austin,
Elkton, Tenn.
Dear Cousin,
Like a waif thrown out upon the stormiest sea, I cast this letter upon the wide ocean of this terrible revolution, trusting that some fortunate wind may bear it safely to its haven at last. Your country has been so long in the hands of the invader that I have never until now deemed it worth the while to attempt getting a letter to you since the fall of Fort Donelson. But affairs have taken a change recently which warrants me in making the attempt. If it reaches you it bears a joyous greeting of love and health and happiness to each and all my relatives in Giles. Mine has been a stirring life since you heard from me last, one such as a soldier lives under the leadership of Magruder and the glorious old Stonewall. We have marched and counter marched a distance of at least a thousand miles during the snow and frosts and stormy winds of winter and the burning heat of summer. We went from Leesburg to Yorktown, was in that retreat living on parched corn when McClellan drove us to the walls of Richmond. We were around Richmond during its long siege, and fought under Magruder at Savage Station and Malvern Hill during the 'Seven Days Fight.' We were at Warrenton in reserve during the repetition of the glories of Manassas. We stormed & took the heights of Harper's Ferry, and fought under Jackson at Sharpsburg. A few days ago we fell back to this place, and are again awaiting the renewed onset of the enemy. Yours have been the days of darkness and gloom during this revolution, but ours have been days of mingled gloom and noontide brightness. The army under Lee is an invincible one."

- Letter from R.T. Crenshaw, Company F, 21st Mississippi Infantry, to his cousin Sallie A. Austin, November 9, 1862

Robert T. Crenshaw was wounded at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, and had to have a leg amputated. He died at Chester Gap, Virginia, July 20, 1863.

 

[Northern Light]

Dear Mama, I am still alive, and so are my lice......

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I love reading these letters.

Although to our knowledge, no correspondence from my ancestors survived the War.
However, we're fortunate to have access to the letters of their fellow soldiers.

Surprisingly, many of these letters mention my direct ancestors.
Both "in the field " and "back home".

As we were a large family, some of my ancestors were mentioned as great officers . . . always trying to help the neighbor men.

Others in the family . . . not so much.

One guy wrote three letters to his wife during 1862, telling her at all costs avoid selling any of our cattle to
that Man, he'll never pay a fair price.

"That Man" was one of my GGG Uncles.

 

[lelliott19]

Camp Near Fredericksburg, VA
May 8, 1863
Dear Mother,

Knowing that you will be uneasy till you hear from me I will write to you for you will be sure to hear that I was killed in the fight last Sunday for it was currently reported that I was....We have lost a many a good solger during the time but the 3rd of May our Brigade got into it heels over head and our regiment lost more men than we ever have in arry fight yet. We had to fight them behind their entrenchments. There was some of our company killed fifteen steps of their trench.

Our company is nearly ruined. At last count we had lost three killed dead on the field and twenty wounded....Bill Wommack lost his right leg and died soon after. Thom Massey lost his left arm. Thom Weathers was wounded and died the next day. Elbert Daniels got shot through the thigh. I was slightly wounded in the hand but I am still with the company. I stayed at the hospital two days to wait on Jim Mathews and Bill Wommack. They was badly wounded. Jim was shot near the kidneys. The ball never came out and he was very feeble when I left him. I understand he died today, poor fellow. He said that a plain token come to him that if he went into the fight he would get killed. The poor fellow looked very pitiful at me when he got shot and begged me to help him but I had no time to lose. It was everyman for himself for they was falling on my right and left and my disposition inclined to try to return the fire with as much injury as possible.

We fought desperately to gain the day after all our destructive we captured the whole passel of the line that was fighting us. They raised from their trench with a white flag and surrendered to us like lambs..... I must brag although our Brigade suffered worse than any other but my heart is full of thanks for the great skill that has been manifested among us. During the fight we have defeated the enemy. In every attempt we have completed our designated goal....Our troops all seemed to go into it as cheerful as if they was going to their dinner and not very few stragglers behind either. The men would march with their heads up and energy shining on their brow and with such a spirit the victory will always be ours....
Your affectionate son,
E.P. Landers

~ Letter from Pvt. Eli Pinson Landers, Co H 16th Georgia Infantry to his mother. Landers enlisted Aug 1861 at 19 years of age. He survived his slight wound at Chancellorsville but died of typhoid fever later that year.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Dept of Cumb Chattanooga Oct 20 1863 My Dearest Wife: ... I am fairly domiciled here at Headquarters. Capt Young the chief commissary goes to Nashville, and I remain at Headquarters, as A C M for the Dept. That is I represent him in the field and am a general supt of mustering of the troops in the front, and have a house for an officer. Am very well, also Jesse.2 We are undergoing a change of Commanders to-day, Genl Rosecrans goes I don't know where, and Genl Thomas takes command. The change somewhat astonished the Army, but I cannot say that I was surprised. It has been evident to me for a long time that Genl Thomas would eventually command this Army.3 Anyhow, the efficacy of the Army will not be injured by the change. ... In haste your loving husband Alfred

Notes: 2 Captain Jesse Merrill, brother of Mrs. Hough, was Chief Signal Officer, Army of the Cumberland. 3 In a dispatch dated September 30, 1863, Edwin M. Stanton had advised the Assistant Secretary of War, C. A. Dana, that "all the Army of the Cumberland can need will be a competent commander. The merits of General Thomas and the debt of gratitude the Nation owes to his valor and skill, are fully appreciated here; and I wish you to tell him so. It is not my fault that he was not in chief command months ago." On October 16, 1863, in General Order No. 337, which appointed U. S. Grant to command the Division of the Mississippi, Thomas suc- ceeded Rosecrans. He formally assumed command of the Army of the Cumberland on October 20. Thomas B. Van Home, The Life of Major General George H. Thomas, New York, 1882, p. 152

Soldier in the West; the Civil War letters of Alfred Lacey Hough. ... Hough, Alfred Lacey, 1826-1908. Page 158
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005159283;view=1up;seq=170

 

[2nd Dragoon]

May 22nd 1863
Bivouac near the Black Water

Dear Sister Sophia,

It will be a week tomorrow since we left camp for the purpose of guarding the contrabands while they tear up the railroad track between the Black Water and Suffolk. Last Saturday morning we got up filled our haversacks with rations (junk and hard tack and some soft bread) and started a little before 5 o'clock. We marched to the westward from camp crossing the Nansemond. Struck off into the woods where the rebels so lately held. We passed our last picket post about a mile from the river. We march about nine miles passing several handsome places one house being painted. The rest were nearly worn and the land is very level and little stoney. We arrived at a place called the "deserted farm" where General Corcoran had a fight last January. Dead horses were lying all around unburied; we were here drawn up in line and stacked arms; we remained there until last Wednesday towards night.

We made huts out of bushes and the first two or three days passed very quietly but Tuesday morning before daybreak a volley of musketry was head and the regiment turned out. About five o'clock several regiments came in that had been stationed several miles beyond. With them came the ambulances bringing several wounded soldiers one of which died shortly after they arrived being shot through the head. These men belonged to a New Jersey regiment. They say they were fired upon on guerillas or bushwackes, the but their Colonel was so drunk that he could hardly ride his horse and the story soon got abroad that they were fired into by their own men. As soon as the regiments halted, the Colonel mentioned went to drinking his liquors when he laid down in front of his colors dead drunk. The dead and wounded were taken to Suffolk in the ambulances. About an hour afterwards they brought in another one on a streacher dead shot through the neck. He lay under a tree all day no ambulances being there to carry him to the city.

Our leader did not come with us as he had the rheumatism. Clarke became sick and went back to Camp Wednesday. We were then in no condition to play but Gen Corcoran was coming to see our Colonel and we were wanted to play. Our two 1st Ebs were gone but we played several of our heaviest tunes. Michael staid with our Colonel all night and next day had his quarters put up beside our Colonels, but he had barely got it put up when we had orders to move. We started towards night; marched about five miles and camped on the Petersburg and Richmond railroad where we are now.

I received a letter from you last night being the first one I have had since we left camp nearly a week. Our leader came out yesterday but he will go back today. He brought out some paper and envelopes with him; in this way I got a chance to write.

Some say we have forty more days to serve others say twenty five counting to the 15th of July. We don't have meetings so frequent as we did at Camp Metcalf. We generally have two or three a week; we had three since we left camp, one last night. The cars keep running carrying track into Suffolk.

Your
XDTingley

Note: Private/musician 11th Rhode Island

 

[2nd Dragoon]

To see more of these letters written from the front go to: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/a-collection-of-original-civil-war-letters.127927/

 

[Legion Para]

Technology has changed the Face of War and future letters like this will be no more.