Franklin Nov 20th 1862
My Dear Husband,
I write you a few lines, as Capt. Crawford will start in the morning. I wrote you by last mail but I know you will expect a letter when he gets there and would think hard if you did not get one, at least I know I should and we are taught that we should do as we wish to be done by. I shall therefore try to follow that rule in this instance if Minnie will sleep long enough for me to do so which I doubt very much. I am so busy spinning in daytime that I cannot take time to write and the babe is so fretful at night that I can scarcely get to write. So you see that it is through great tribulation you get my letters and you ought to prize them very highly. Aunt Hall and Mary Roane spent the day with me today. Mary is going to buy that place where the Hopkins lives if he will give it up. Mr. Siler has let them sow wheat and rye there and hates to turn them off unless they are willing to go. Hopkins has been drunk nearly ever since he came home poor consolation to such mens wifes to have them to come home on a furlough. I do feel so thankful that I got a good sober husband. I never see a man drunk but what I think if that was my husband what would I do or what pleasure would it be to call him husband. Thank the Lord I have got one that is all I could desire him to be, except being religious and I hope that little tie he has in heaven will soon cause him to be (?) as sweet little Sallie. When I think that I can never more see that sweet little form nor hear that sweet prevailing voice it does my heart good to think that she is now a shinning angel in heaven and that if we only live and act aright that we can go to her. Oh can it be possible that we will miss of heaven when we have a dear little angel there to beckon us to come, God forbid it.
Fannie was in the yard playing with Laura Reed this evening and got to talking about Sallie and came running in the house crying like her heart would break. I had no idea she would miss her so much. She is so lost that she is constantly begging me to let her go and hunt somebody to play with her. Laura is staying with her tonight. I will be glad when I get up to Pa’s on that account for when I do not let her go, she slips off and I cannot have the heart to whip her for it. I will go to Pa’s and stay awhile anyhow and if I can be satisfied I will stay there until you come home. I gave Pa that over coat he is quite proud of it, as he had none. Emilus wrote to him that he sent him one by Bryant & Cordon but Cordon has never sent it to him nor sent any word about it. Pa sent him word this week about it, but I do not suppose he will ever get it. Auter is in bed sick, he is right bad off, cold I reckon. I was out of wood two or three days. I have a little now. Auter cut some before he took sick, but I could not get any hauled until Mr. Calloways wagon came over with a load of tan bark and they hauled your Pa and me a little load apiece. I expect I would freeze if I was to stay here this winter.
I have thought of you often tonight as I look at our bright cheerful fire and think how cold it is getting out doors and you without even a tent to screen you and nothing but a comfort to lie on and cover with. I had almost a notion to send you a blanket but as you wrote to me not to send you anything I will not do it. How are you going to make out with out your undershirts? If you want them write to me forthwith and perhaps I will get a chance to send them. I do not think Vanhook is going back with the wagon he said he did not feel able to go back yet. He looks bad. Cousin James was down Tuesday he says cousin Tom is improving some since he got home. If you need to get cousins Toms blanket at your cousins he said you could have it. Perhaps you can get this wagon that goes with the clothes to bring your trunk if you still want to send it that is if it goes to the Regt or you can get it to the wagon. I think they are going to bring the body of Russ Siler home. Capt. Crawford can tell you all the particulars about the death and burial of Jesse Siler. Some of Capt. Robinsons Company has deserted among whom is Bill Winstead. He can tell you about that also. Mr. Malonee is going to let volunteers wives have corn at $1.00 a bushel, I understand he is saving me some. I have not seen him yet he sells to other people at $1.50 a bushel. I paid Mrs. Sorrels her money and told Mr. Berry about his and sent word to Mrs. Gladwell by Mr. Pendland, they are to come and get it the next time they come to town. I have not paid North Allman any money yet. I would like to buy Martha and her child if Mr. Love would take a reasonable price for them and it would be advisable to buy negroes at this time, but I am not a judge of such things and will not say anything to him about it unless you were at home or would write to him. Dr. Lyle will not take anything but gold or silver for Sarah and I would rather have Martha anyhow if we were to buy any. I think from what Martha says that Martha Ingram has her eye on Martha and will get her I expect unless somebody gets her before old Dillard dies. I would rather have her than any negro I know of. Col. Moore has sold Clrinda to Mr. Sherrill on lufta. I will close as it is late. I shall expect a letter by Saturdays mail, please write often. I will write at least once a week and oftener if I can. I am ever truly your devoted wife….Mary
You did not tell me what our snuff cost. I expect it cost so much you are ashamed to tell.
Camp near Berryville, Va.
Nov 24th 1862
Dear Sister,
Yours of the 20th Oct came to hand a few days ago informing me of the death of your little Sallie. Sweet child, she is gone and it is doubtless a hard trial for you and Alf to give her up, but she has been called away form this troublesome world before she felt any of the sorrows or trials and before her little heart was polluted with any of its many sins; and has gone to a better world above.
There is beyond the sky
A heaven of joy and love
And little children when they die
Go to that world above.
Mourn not for her, she is better off. You have two more sweet little ones left and if the Lord permits you to raise them, spare no pains to teach them as to live that when they die they will go to meet their dear little sister Sallie in heaven. I am glad Sallie’s father was permitted to be with her during her sickness that will be some little consolation to him in his bereavement.
I have nothing of interest to write. There has nothing unusual transpired in this part of the army lately and we are so situated that we hear but little of what is going on in other parts. News papers have become entire strangers to us of late. We have suffered a great deal of uneasiness lately about the small pox, which has made it appearance to some extent in this army, there has been no cases of it in our Regt although is has been close to us. I am in hopes it will not spread much. We move our camp every few days, which I think is a good idea. Our Camps are now close to the foot of the Blue Ridge in Clarke County, 2 miles east of Berryville.
I have not heard anything of Joe since I left him about the middle of Sept. he thought then he would be able to join the Co in about two days. I fear he as had a bad arm of it since. I left Sam with him and have not heard of him either. The health of our Co is very good, at present we have but one on the sick list that is with us and he is able to walk about.
We have been looking for Charley & Lieut. McLoud back for sometime but I learned from a letter from Leon Siler that Charley’s jaw has not got well yet. As for Woot we know he will not come as long as he has any shadow of an excuse for staying away.
I must close and go to getting diner. My mess have got a fine large chicken to cook & have put it on me to make a pot of chicken & dumplings. Quite a rarity to us in camps.
Write soon & remember your brother……. I. E. Gray
Lenoir Station Ten
Nov 28th 1862
My Dear Wife,
Your very kind letter by Capt. Crawford of 20 inst come to hand day before yesterday. Found me pretty well & still remaining so. I thought I would write you a few lines as Rafel Bryson of my Co will start home in the morning. Though I don’t know that I owe you one now as I have recd but one since I left home though you say that you have written one by mail. Which I should like very much to get as you said nothing in the one by Capt. Crawford about the money, thread & other that I sent by Mr. Rhodes only said that you had paid some of the bounty. I am anxious to know whether you got all that was sent by him. I also sent four hundred by Denis Tippit. I hope all has gone safe. I also wrote by Capt. Albert Siler. I like your advice & hope we shall meet our sweet little Sallie in heaven. I am trying to quit swearing it’s a very vulgar bad habit & I have quit it nearly entirely & I hope I shall forever remain quit. I flatter myself that swearing s the worst habit that I am guilty of & thank God I have quit that nearly entirely. I think had I got your first letter that I could have now written you a more interesting letter as to buying Marthey you have got money & do as you like about that. I want the money paid out, if you fail to buy her you had better pay Allman some on our land deal & try to buy the adjoining land to our from Jesey Siler even if you have to pay a big price get you pa to talk to him but first to Mr. Love about Marthey. I am willing that you buy her if you can, your Pa can attend to the fixing up the papers act as though it was me for I am willing that you do to suit yourself for you will have money enough with what Berry owes to pay for her without taking you silver that I would not spend yet, but I want the other spent right off.
Jeff now owes me 3 months wages more. I fear I will send you more money than you can spend. I keep enough for my own use, get what corn you can from Mr. Malonee & flour, he is the only honorable man that I have yet heard of & Col. Moore. I like such men. I have nothing from John Moore his brigade left 4 or 5 miles above here for Murfreesboro a few days after I got here. They will have a big fight there soon its thought. I have no war news my boys are all getting well I have the biggest Co in the Regt, 41 men for duty, Crawford next – 33. We are ordered to Big Creek Gap, Col. Coleman went to Knoxville yesterday to get the order countermanded but has not returned yet. I cannot send my trunk by the wagon, it did not come here & I learned that it will be loaded. If we go to Big Creek I shall try & send it to my cousin Wils Bell at Loudon, so if Vanhook brings a wagon they can take it, they had better come down the river to the Hardin place cross & go to Loudon & If we are not here they can deposit there & we can get them from that place & the snuff cost 50cts for paper, cheep as tobacco is here or anything else & if you care to send my over coat I should like you do so. I don’t want any under shirts too many lice here for flannel or wool shirts now. I don’t know of any thing else. I sold my watch to Sam McCall for $30.00 or credit & he deserted, lost egg I reckon, I miss it but too late to grieve now. He is a scamp. I cannot think of anything else we have nothing from Alex Holbrooks or Sellers more than I wrote you before. Its getting late I’ll stop, hunt for lice, go to bed try to dream of you & my sweet babes home & friends my love to relations & friends kiss my sweet little babes often for me. Believe me ever your true loving Alfa & Omega & affectionate kind husband.….A.W. Bell
PS I will write you again in a few days, direct your letters to this place until further notice of our whereabouts.
Nov 29th no news this morning the weather looks like there will be a big snow. It has been snowing a little as for blankets I have my comfort & the blue saddle blanket I brought from home. I sleep & mess with the Anderson boys, 3 of them, they have about 2 blankets apiece, we do pretty well for bedding. Polk wants to start. Ill stop, I will write you as soon as I hear our destination.
Your True Alfa & Omega………..A.W. Bell
Hd Qrs. 39 NC Vols Lenoir Station, Ten
Nov 29th 1862
My Dear Wife,
I wrote you last night but as Jackson Moore starts home in morning I thought perhaps you would like to know our destination. As I wrote you last night that we was under marching orders for Big Creek Gap & that Col. Coleman had gone to Knoxville to get it countermanded if he could. Well he succeeded & the 3 Tennessee regt started for that place this evening & will remain here until further orders. Tell Vanhook to come to this place with his wagon. He can ascertain before he gets here & if we are gone he can turn & go to Loudon & ship his goods from there. If we leave here I will leave my trunk at Loudon with Cousin Wils Bell. I want the wagon to take it home all the troops have left here & those who come with him need not fear having their wagon & team pressed. I want them to be sure & take my trunk back, if we stay here Ill keep it with me other wise Ill leave it at Loudon, tell Vanhook about it. Send my over coat by him or as soon as a chance affords its self. Report tonight is that heavy skirmishing is going on near Murfreesboro & a general engagement is daily expected. I have not got your first letter yet. I hope Ill get it soon. I cannot think of any thing else to write. I hope you will succeed in buying Marthey & her child, get your Pa to attend to it, keep it from Ingram, get Marthey to talk to Dillard & if you think it nessary pay them a visit yourself, should you fail try to buy the land of old Jessey & pay Allman some don’t keep too much money on hand invest it for something. I will write you as often as probably you will want me too, as my letters are so unimportant, direct your to this place, my love to all our relatives, tell Pa I think he might send me a jug of brandy as it only worth $10.00 per gallon here of course I get but little. Kiss my sweet babes often for me, ever your true Alfa & omega & devoted husband………A.W. Bell
Tuesday morning Dec 2nd 1862
The mail has come this morning and brought no letter from you. I know there is one on the road that ought to have come, maybe it will come this evening. I shall expect one. I have paid out all the money you wrote me about or at least all except 80 dollars and I have taken that out and sent the rest $800.00 to the safe is that as much as you expected to have after paying all? I will get Pa to pay Mr. Alman some the first time he comes down if I think of it. The last we heard from Ann she could sit up but could not walk any the fever having fallen in one hip and leg. There is a great many children and some grown persons dying up in the mountains of sugarfork, there has been twelve buried at the baptist church and some other places. I heard yesterday Mary McDowel was very bad off with it, it seems that it will never stop. Altha has another child. I did not ask Aunt Hall what it was. I could not get but a dollars worth of salt from Dr. Woodfin. I think some did not get any. I shall be glad to get what you are sending in your trunk. I hope you will get to send it by the wagon that went with the clothes if you need anything write me and I will try and send by first chance. Don’t you want your undershirts and flannel drawers? Mr. Rhodes did not get me any cards I took one of the pairs you sent to Leon they are very good ones. Mr. Rhodes only paid me $10.00 you said you gave him $11.00 to get me cards. Dan Davis has returned he says he lied through the blockade he was in prison five months it is quite interesting to hear him tell of his adventures. Mr. Owens has sold everything he has in the North but cannot run the blockade on account of Sallie. Mr. Davis says he is nearly crazy to get his family, he wants Mrs. Owen to go to Newburn so that he can try to get to her but she is afraid to try it, she does not want to live in the North. He and Sallie had gone to Canada he wants to buy land there and get his family there if he cannot get home. I feel sorry for Mrs. Owens some of her children have this sore throat. She is in great distress this war is causing a great deal of distress when Oh when will it end? God grant that it may soon end. I spent the day at Mr. Silers last Saturday and Harriet seems to be in great distress about Jesses death, she talks about him and cries all the time nearly. Matt wants to buy that case of jewelry you bought for me, shall I let her have it or keep if for Fannie, if I sell it what must I ask for it & if you had rather I will keep it for Fannie. I will close for this time as I have written all that I can think of now. Please write as often as you possibly can and if you can possibly do so come home to stay, we have heard by some means that John Moore is Major. Good bye may heaven bless and protect you one dearest to me.
Ever your faithful wife………Mary
Lenoir Station Ten
Dec 3rd 1862
My Dear Wife,
Your very kind & affectionate letter of 7 Nov came to hand yesterday. I have been very anxious to get it hoping that it would give me all the news about the money not of bunches of thread, my powder & flask & cards I sent you also indega turkey read for Mrs. Allen, Leons cards & all of which I believe went safe. I gave Mr. Rhodes $ 11 to buy 1 pair of cards for you. These things I think you ought to have written me about, but you only thanked me for the thread & did not say how many bunches you got. I feel interested about my power flask, probably as much as you did about the snuff, you seem to appreciate that as quite a treat & a nice present, so do I about my flask as Lt. Anderson brought it from Camp Dick Robison Ky & gave it to me. You see that I appreciate a gift from a friend too.
Your letters was here your apology for slandering me was excepted & I do hope never to get another such a raking knowing as I do & in the present of the all seeing eye that I was innocent had I been guilty probably I would have cared less about it. I hope henceforth that I will not be condemned before I commit the crime. I feel now like I have abandon the last bad habit that I am guilty of that is swearing. I am doing everything in my power & guarding against it & I think I have & will finely succeed though the army is a poor place to try to quit such a habit. I hope to be religious this is a bad place to seek religion I want to meet our sweet little Sallie in heaven & will try to do so If I can not be religious here I can & will quit swearing. I have no news at all to write Gen. Joe E. Johnson passed down today to take command of Braggs Army at Murfreesboro I expect they will fight there soon. Reports say we will go to Kingston 18 or 20 miles below here on the Tennessee River. I don’t know nearly all our officers are gone to Knoxville to the court martial some to be tried others are witnesses. I have command of the Regt being Sen. Capt. our regt has nearly all gone some deserted some furloughed some sick there is but 90 men for duty in the regt now, Coleman has had all the boys that went home last summer arrested 20 in all 6 of my boys 6 of Crawfords & has them underguard & says he is going to have them court martialed. I don’t think he can hurt them. I think they will all be released in a few days, but I pity those that have gone now I fear some body will be shot for deserting before this is done with. I have not heard of Sam McCall & Jeff Martin since they got home. I fear the boys have got into a bad scrape.
I have quite a sever attack of dysentery today frequent stools very painful small bloody mucus discharges. I took a dose of castor oil & laudanum & am about well of dysentery, my back hurts me pretty bad to night & I have had piles for the last week. I fear I shall be an invalid of rheumatism & piles I will try to tuff it out, but if I get much worse off I shall have to quit the army I would like to quit could I do it honorably on the account of my family, though I wont forsake my men If I an help it unless they say I understand. Col. Davidson is going to resign & that would promote Capt. Strange Major, but he cannot act he has gone home to have an operation performed for piles, he has the worst case of piles I ever saw. Dr. Swaine says, Coleman says if Davidson resigns & I aint promoted to Major he will resign. I don’t know how it will work out, but should it work out that I then will be (the rest of the letter is gone)
Franklin Dec 6th 1862
My Dear Husband,
This is sabbath night and I have after several hard trials succeeded in getting Minnie to bed and have drawn my little table to the fire and sit down to while away a few moments in writing to my dear husband. It is always a pleasant task under all circumstances to write to you although it would be a far greater pleasure to me to have you here to converse with instead of writing, but that cannot be. I have to console myself with the thought that probably there is a better day coming, God speed that time.
I received your letters dated 28th and 29th I am so glad that you are so punctual to write it is a glimmer of consolation to me to think that I have a dear husband who is so remiss in the task of writing to his wife. You said in your last that probably you would write oftener than I wished you too. You need entertain no fears on that since your letters would always be interesting to me if they contained nothing only your whereabouts and that you were well. Of course it is natural to wish a long letter hence we are always pleased with long ones. I was sorry to hear that you had not received my first letter be patient probably it will come after a while, yours dated 16th which came by mail reached here the 29th if I had hold of some of the post masters or whoever is in fault I would give them a good shaking as my strength would permit and I feel like I could give them a pretty good one. I am glad that you have concluded to try to quit swearing. I hope you will succeed and that you will grow better and better until you will be a perfect man and model for society. I do hope our sweet little child in heaven will cause us both to change our mode of living. I feel like it will be my greatest earthly pleasure to try to live so as to meet my sweet little cherub in that world where there will be no more parting. The children are still dying here with this sore throat. Andy Carsons child was buried here today and Stephen Potts lost one today. There has been 14 buried at the Baptist church near Pa’s and some died up there that were not buried at the church.
Well sure enough Sam and Joe were taken at Millanville and Sam is at home now, Joe is at Petersburg, he talks sometimes of resigning after he is exchanged. His arm is not straight and is quite tender yet. Sam and me are talking of going to see Sallie week after next. Ben told Sam he would go with him from Clayton if he went & if we can make the arrangements and all keeps well I think I will go with him if the weather is not too bad. Sallie’s girl is going to leave her, she is in the family way, Sallie does not know what she will do, she wrote to Col. Moore to send her Marion but Sam said he said he could not spare him. I think I wrote you that the money and all you sent came safe, but for fear you do not get the letters I will tell you again. I send word to Mr. Love by Sam today to come over I wanted to see him. He said he would come tomorrow or next day. I am afraid I will not succeed in getting Martha. If they will sell how much will you be willing to give? I want to know the most you will give so that I will know whether to trade or not. I wish you were here. I do not much like to enter into such a big speculation by myself with another mans money. If they wont sell Martha would like to buy Liza if they would sell her. I am making a pretty good spinner out of her and I think perhaps if you were at home and we were out in the country she would do better. It would be better at least to own her than to have money on hands, that would be worth nothing and how much would you be willing to give for her, I want to have all the advice you can give me in my speculations.
Wednesday, Well the wagon has not come yet, they were looking for it every minute. It broke down yesterday as they were bringing it to town and are now mending it, they may not start today but for fear they do come I will finish my letter. Cousin Thomas Roane left here this morning. He looks pretty well at least a great deal better than he did when he came home. He told me to tell you to tell Wilbur that he was having them a pair of boots made and Jinnie Grant received a letter from Cousin Melville from Clarksville, Tennessee. She said that Melville left their house in Illinois the 2nd of Sept which was 6 days before she wrote and to tell him if he was there to write back if he could as her father was very uneasy for fear he could not get through. I am sorry he started I am afraid he cannot get here. She said that she was going to get one of her cousins to get the letter through. We could not make out where it was mailed but Leon thought it was Richmond it has a confederate stamp. I shall be quite uneasy about Melville now until we can hear something more form him, which we will not be likely to do soon, unless he succeeds in getting through after awhile. Mr. Love did not come over. I will write him a note by Martha she says she will beg him to sell her. She is sorter afraid that perhaps John Ingram will interfere as Mr. Love gets his advice in all his business, maybe if you would write to Mr. Love and tell him that I am very anxious to buy her and child and that you are willing it might do some good. I will send your over coat and the gloves that are in it. Your Pa also sends a jug of brandy. I must close as the wagon has come and wants to start.
Please write.
I am ever your devoted wife……..Mary