Louden Ten. Aug. 23rd 1862
My Dear Wife,
Your very kind & interesting letter of 18 & 19 inst. found me well & my boys generally, except Wm. Bates. He is at a house & is doing very, he had a mild attack of fever. Samuel Bryson has a bad cough. All the rest of us that is here is well. Lt. Anderson was getting very weak from jaundice & I was afraid that he would have typhoid & Dr. Roane & I got him furloughed & he is gone home. I guess he will be there in a day or so. I wrote by him, he promised to get you some gingham for bonnets & some cotton flannel for baby handkerchiefs, as to the breast pin you sent by Col. Owens, he brought it safe. I will have my face put in it the first time I go to Knoxville. I think I will go up Monday with Joshua Bird, as he and his father arrived here this evening.
As to the salt from Hopkins. I suppose I bought it as Alis told me that he has salt to sell and wanted to sell some to me. I bought some fodder from Love’s Marth and Alis wanted it but said he has nothing to pay for it but salt. I let him have it and did not then get the salt, besides Alis and John owe me between 25 and 30 dollars but that matters not. If salt could be had I would pay it back or I am willing to pay them the money at the same price salt was worth at this time. Though I have no recollection about the salt. I wish you to write me the particulars about it, if it was borrowed and when and I will see Hop about it. John must pay me his dental account and for a coat and sheineal. I sold him several articles and charged it in his fathers account. You might show the account to John, what he and his father owes me. I am ready to pay my debts when they will settle. Write me and I will talk to Alis about it. I think this very unkind to ask for salt now when it cannot be had and especially when they owe me.
I have written you so often that I have nothing to write. I have no war news more than you see in the papers. Its reported Genl. Smith has Cumberland Gap surrounded. Col. J. H. Morgan has took Hopkinsville Ky and is routing the yanks in Ky. We need more Morgans. I have not heard from John Moore since I wrote you. Neither from our brothers in Va. I did not know where they was until a few days ago. I must write them soon.
I want you to write for Beng. To come down if Pa is not better and attend on him. Pa is too old to let a limpin disease work on him long. I hope he is better ere this reaches you. I don’t know what to say about Van Trammel bringing me a horse. Coleman says he has made application for me to go back and recruit my Co. I have no confidence in anything he says when it is an accommodation to me. I have called my boys together and told them that Coleman was barring down on them and I believed it was on my account and it was due them that I should resign. I was ready to do it, they say no, they come with me and have and will stick to me. They want me to stand and stick to them. I still hope that we will get shet of him or I will get my Co out. I am glad that the money all went safe that I sent you. I am proud to know that I have a wife capable of distributing & paying of nearly half of my company. Just such a wife deserves the love and confidence of their huband. Providence ought to have bestowed a husband more wealthy and with fine education, though I bet fortune was against you, you have got an uneducated, profitless man that cannot promise much of this worlds goods. I can only say as the compass needle is true to work to the North Pole. I am also true to work only to my devoted wife.
I will write you by Mr. Bird. Coleman says he will know in a few days whether I can go or not. I suppose Genl. Smith will have to act on it and he is in Ky. He says he has applied. I will close give my love to Matt, Pa & relations. Tell Liza and the nigs howdy. Kiss my babys for me often. I am anxious to see your brag baby. I think I now can improve on the next, if you will help me a little. I dream of you often.
Ever Yours, Alfa
Franklin, August 26th 1862
My Dear Husband,
I will write you a few lines in haste as Sidney Slagle will start this evening. I think perhaps you will like to get a few lines from me by him. Although I wrote you by Joe Young, which will not get there sooner than this as Sid says they will wait in Murphy until him and those who are going with him gets there. I fear you will get so tired reading when you get through with both letters that you will quit reading and burn them up.
I shall not attempt to write anything outside of my home affairs as Sid can tell you all the news of the county. I reckon you will like to know of the health of the family in the first place, well I am better. I do not know how long I will be so, for I am better and worse all the time. The baby does not seem to be much better and I do not think she is any worse, she is very fretful and coughs pretty hard. I am in hopes it will not prove to be the whooping cough. She kept me awake last night and night before, very near all night. Night before last I had to get up and rock her in the chair, before I could get her to sleep. I miss a good old man at such times. I am still giving her the medicine Dr. Woodfin gave me, have one more dose, I am afraid it will fail to regulate her bowels.
Well as usual I had to loan some of your men some money. I loaned Kill Morgan $5.00 for himself and one for Polk, also let him have two bottles of ink, one for himself and one for his mother. The old price of the ink was 15cents. One bottle had been remarked 20cents and the other had only 15cents on it. I reckon he will not want to pay more than 15cents for each. I also loaned Will Waldrop 5.00 dollars and I am to let Joe Youngs wife have a card of jewelry at $1.75 and let him pay you there, if it will suit you. I did not take their notes as it was Sunday and they were just starting. I thought they had paid you up so well it would be trouble for nothing. Joe Young saw me let them have the money. I hope I did nothing wrong as they said you had drawn their bounty and I thought they could pay you as soon as they went to camp. I seem to have their good will as well as their Capt. and I thought perhaps I had better keep it by being good to them.
I received your letter by Lt. Anderson Sunday. I did not see him. I had gone to Mrs. Reids after Fannie, he left it with your Pa, also some gingham, he got, there is enough to make the children some bonnets too, which I am glad of, as they need them. Matt says except her many thanks for hers, as to the cotton cards, I believe I would not get them, they are to much price. I think I can get along without them as I do not get any time to spin much now, for between nursing the babe, writing to you and doing other things I have to do and receiving company, my time is all taken up. Think not that I am grumbling because I have to write to you, it is always a pleasure under all circumstances to write to you. I took Liza and went to the farm and cut apples yesterday. I tell you the apple peeler is a great help, for which except my best thanks. I sent Liza back today. It is so hard to carry the babe out there and her not being well, and is so fretful that I cannot get to do much when I go. I thought I would just send Liza.
Your clover patch is going to force a fan fair, it is all burnt out or died out or something else, for it is gone. Baty did not sow all the seed and I think you had better have them sown in some other place. He is anxious for you to come home so that he can find out whether he is going to stay there another year or not, so that he may know whether to work or not. I think he is afraid to do more work than he can possibly help, unless he thought he would get extra pay for it. Gather Jacobs came and brought him some brandy and took another load of apples off. I do not think he will do much while his brandy last. You seem to think that I doubt you coming home. I do not know why I should, unless all reports be true among which reports are that you, Capt. Bell a man in whom every one had the utmost confidence as being a true dentist and virtuous husband, could play cards, drink whiskey and as many women as any man in camps and by so being had won the love and respect of nearly every man in the regiment, now I do not know what you may think, but I should think that by such acts I had to gain the love of men I should consider it deadly bought love, when I would consider that by so doing I would lose the love and confidence of a wife who had learned to place the most unlearned confidence in me. I do not say that such reports are true, I can only hope that they are not, if they are I see no earthly use why you should hasten home. If any other woman will do you as well as myself, I say now as I have often said to you that you need not put yourself to any trouble about me for I must confess that unless I can have the entire love of my husband I do not care much about a small portion, for according to your own words, a man who does the like does not love his wife as he ought to. If you are not guilty, I pray you to excuse all I have said and if you are, you are, even tempted again if you have the least spark of love remaining for your wife or children either, do resist the temptation and think that you still have a wife who had learned to bear up under all trials with the consoling thought that she has a husband whom she could look upon as a true devoted loving and virtuous one, who could when writing to her say of a truth, I am ever true to my trust. I must confess that I can see now although you have written me faithfully, which I do most sincerely thank you for and hope you will still continue to do, that your letters of late do not seem to breath forth the love and trust they were wont to do. They appear more formed and business like than they used to be, but believe me when I say that I am still as glad to get them as I ever was. I can imagine what you will think when you get this letter. You will say to yourself that she is a fool, like she always has been, but I beg of you to consider all things, how would you feel when you were not dreaming of any such thing, if such a report as that should reach you, you know my notions. I have always told you if such things as that should be true that I would feel as bad as you possibly could, such reports do not always start without some foundation, but enough. I will say no more on this subject at present. I will only add that if you are guilty I do hope that remorse of conscience will be so deep and pungent that you will have no rest neither day or night and if not may your thoughts by day and dreams at night be as peaceful and calm as the still waters of the unruffled ocean.
I must close as Sid will be waiting for my letter. I had almost forgotten to tell you that your Pa’s cough is still bad, he looks badly and is very weak. He has to lie down through the day. I hope you will come home soon. I shall look. Believe me as ever your true and devoted wife. Mary
Louden, Aug 27th 1862
My Dear Wife,
As Lt. Bird & father leave this morning, I thought I would write you by him. I went with him to Knoxville day before yesterday and came back yesterday. I had Jeff Davis’s face put in your pin and will send it by Mr. Bird. I saw a tory major that had deserted the yank army from Cumberland Gap. He said he and a Lt. & 16 men left at once. He says they have about 200 under guard to keep them from deserting. He says he went to fight for the Union and he is now convinced that is not what the yanks are fighting for. They are fighting for and to free the negros. He is now ready to fight them. He says 2 Regts have escaped from the gap through the mountains & there is not more than 6 thousand available men there & they won’t fight much, that they are completely surrounded & offered to surrender the gap to all if they could only be permitted to march off, but Gen. Smith would not trade that way. He says they have but 5 or 6 days provision and will be oblige to surrender all their men. Old StoneWall is still after Pope & fighting their pickets every day. Bragg has gone towards Nashville. I think will whip Hallock soon. I think the yanks are about whipped & will quit soon. Lord knows I wish how soon. I am tired of this war & am ready for them to recognize us as a free people, but not until then am I willing for peace.
I thought I would try and go home with the Birds, but Coleman is not willing without begging and I would see him in his box first. I ask him no odd & but little favors. When my commission comes I will probably decline to except it, under Coleman. I reckon it won’t be long before it will come. I don’t care how soon. I think I will be at home before long.
I will close as I have nothing else to write. I don’t know when we will leave this place. Bud Allman some of Robesons boys wrote was wounded slightly in the hand again, no others hurt. I am sorry to hear that Pa is sick. I want you to send for Beng if Pa is not well yet. Give my love to Matt, Pa and relations. Kiss my Babys often for me. Think of me often and consider me ever your true loving….. Alfa
Louden, Ten Aug 27th 1862
My Dear Wife,
I wrote you this morning by Mr. Bird and give you all the news we then had, but this evening presents something unexpected to us. We are ordered to leave for Taswell by tomorrow mornings train, which is 9 o’clock. We now have nearly all our tents struck & all our extra baggage carried to the rail road station and are preparing & cooking 2 day rations. We will go on to cars to Morristown then ride foot back to Tazwell, which is I suppose 30 r 40 miles. Tazwell is on this side and within 6 or 8 miles of Cumberland Gap. Our boys are all in high glee & are proud of our move. I am not keen to walk but willing to be moving. I think it time for us to do something. I now wish all my boys was here. I have but 16 men to take. I think all the boys at home on furloughs that are able & those that have none ought to come back forthwith. Coleman says those that come back voluntarily they shall not be punished much. I think if they would come & say little about it, probably there would be no notice of it. My advice is for them to come as quick as they can possibly. Their rout would be to come down the Ten. River to Knoxville & then to take the cars to Morristown. I don’t think of anything else to write. I believe if I was you I would take Mrs. Owens gold. I am very glad I sent my extra baggage home, as I expect we will have to leave everything. Only what we carry at Morristown. I shall hate to leave my mattress & comforter & pillow very much, but the best of friends have to part, so I shall not shed a tear about them. I hate the walking more than anything else. I will close and I wrote you by Bird all the war news & none has come today only conferring papers reticule & that our forces have the yanks lodged at the gap & have took 2 hundred wagons with supplys for the gap. Be not uneasy about me. I look out for No. 1 & Co B. I will write probably not so often as I have been doing but will write at least once a week & often. I reckon you had better direct your letters to Tazwell. I will write you as soon as we stop. I had better say as soon after as I can. I know I shall gald for I gald under the arms every day here drilling & I expect something else will gald by the time we march to Taswell. I sent your pin by Mr. Bird. I close ever believe me your devoted loving & true………Alfa
28th. All right we are moving to the R Road will be off soon, my sick are all better. I sent Fulcher & Arrowood to the hospital last night. I fear Fulcher is taking fever, Arrowood has measles, William Bates is improving, Bob Anderson is better and will start with us.
At Fathers, August 29th 1862
Friday Morning
My Dear Husband,
I will have a chance this evening to send this to the office and fear I may not have one tomorrow in time for the mail. I mailed a letter to you last Saturday, which I hope you have received ere this. I have regretted so much that you could not hear from me regularly. I hope you may have written as usual and that I may get a letter this evening. I have been out visiting this week and have spent the time very pleasantly. Monday Irene and I spent the day at Mr. Crawfords. Tuesday morning I went down to Uncle Jacobs and spent the day. Went to cousin Alfreds that evening and stayed till Thursday morning, when cousin Harriet and I went up to Mrs. Alison Hays and spent Thursday, cousin Alfred met us here in the evening to take cousin Harriet home, everywhere I went there were kind inquires made about you and all seemed so sorry that you could not come home. Little Nettie was sick last week with sore throat, through out confined to her bed but she is right well again. I left all the children but Harry with sister Nettie while I was visiting about. I did not see them from Tuesday morning till Thursday evening, and got nearly homesick, but heard form them several times and knew they were doing well. Father has had his thrashing done this week and had only 54 bushels of wheat. Jesse Guffie had 31 You had 4 ½ of your own and 5 form William Guffie, you have 16 ½ bushels of very good rye. Father has had it put up in the shop with his and marked. He wanted me to ask you what you wanted done with it and what was to be left out for seed, for it will soon be time to sow grain and I would like to know what land you want rented for that and who to. Father would rather you would give some directions about it than to take the ordering of it himself. He thinks that where you had rye this year if turned under would bring good rye again. Grain is very high and hardly to be bought, there is a great cry for seed of both wheat and rye. Wheat is bringing $4.00 in Haywood. Two bushels of your rye will have to go for the thrashing and about 2/3 of a bushel of wheat. Cousin Alfred has very fine corn in the bottoms, two patches of it. He told of a stalk that is so high that he cannot reach the upper ear by about three inches. He says he would have made good upland corn too, but for the dry weather. Uncle Jacob had 104 bushels of wheat and says it is a great thing for him to make more that Father. He is going to Murphy day after tomorrow and I think some of going with him. He was saying the other evening when I was there that he was going to drive Fathers Bald horse and I said I would like very much to go with him if I could and of course he wished he could have my company. I did not think then as I could possibly go, but was talking with Father and Sister Nettie about it this morning and they are anxious for me to go. I do not know how my music scholars will like it, but I am going to write a note down this evening to see if they are willing to le me off another week. I will leave the children here except Harry. I am so anxious to see sister and this seems such a good opportunity. I could not stay long and in this way I can come right back again. Ralph is setting in my lap and just now is helping me hold my pen. He seems to be right well now and it is the first time he has been so since the week after you left. It makes me feel happy to see him running about and full of life as he used to be. I think he would know you yet if you were to come. He always shows he knows who Father is when you are mentioned. I am very impatient for him to talk. Fanny and Nettie are well and playing now with their little cousin Eva and Ellen. Harry is asleep on the lounge. Cousin Harriet spoke of your letter the other day, said it gave her a great deal of pleasure, but that she had not answered it. I urged her to do so for I knew you would like so much to get a letter from her. I wish you would answer the inquires I have made in this, in your next letter and also tell me if you would like to have some clothes made for you here. Sister Nettie talks of making you some jeans when she makes Fathers and I have thought that perhaps you would like some flannel shirts or drawers or both. Please let me know what you will need of such things, so that I can be preparing in time. Wool is scarce. I have been trying to get some but have not so far. Cousin Jim is improving, looks much better than he did when he came.
It is so troublesome to read a letter interlined in this way that I do not like to write it so, but I am not quite ready to stop and my paper is written over. Since Cousin Sam has told me what the duties of your office were and how strictly all accounts have to be kept. I have felt a fear that in your dislike to anything that appears stingy or niggardly you might allow yourself to become a looser. I do not wish you to gain more than would honestly have come to you by any means or man would gain, but I would dislike to have you loose your earnings from a dislike to reasoning to be too particular. Please don’t think your little wife is meddling with things that don’t concern her dearest, or if you do try to excuse her. All send love to you and would like very much to have you write. Your sisters think you might write to them a little. I have tried to get sister Nettie to write, she never writes to anyone, but finally said if you would write to her she would try to answer it. Father I know would be very much rejoiced to get a long letter form you. Suppose you write to him about our grain and crops. I will do without a letter one week, if you have not time to write both. I can’t help looking for you a little yet, though I do not expect you either, but I want so much to see you that I think of you when the dogs bark or the gate opens. At cousin Harriets as it was getting dark one night I could hardly help looking for you to come down the hill. I have not time to write more now. God bless and keep you my precious husband and have mercy upon us. The time seems so very long since you left and the future often looks entirely hopeless, but He who can bring order out of confusion is still watching over us. I trust in him.
Your loving wife Jasy
Mr. Smiths little Ella died with scarlet fever and several others of the family have it now. Fain Sloane has a large fine looking daughter.