Franklin July 20th 1862
My Dear Husband,
This is sabbath evening and we are having a gentle shower which makes it quite pleasant. We have had a fine season for the last week every thing begins to look better and like we would still make corn enough to keep us all from starving. I have just been taking a long look at your likeness and now I do wish I could look at you instead of the likeness, it will be four months next Saturday since you left here and it does seem to me more like eight than four. I think sometimes surely it cannot be long until I will get to see you and then when I begin to think I cannot see any prospect of you getting to come soon. I was disappointed when I did not get a letter last mail and then I remembered that Mr. Berry had gone there and that I would certainly get a letter by him. I saw Joshua Franks come into town yesterday evening and I felt almost certain that he had a letter for me, but I will not grumble as you have done so well lately. I hope I will get one soon. I fear you will be somewhat disappointed as I wrote you in my last that I would write again by next mail and two mails have passed since and I have not written my reasons for not writing are these. I did not come from Pa’s until last Tuesday and I had no person to mind the babe for me and consequently could not write in time. I commenced writing by Saturdays mail and understood that Mr. Anderson was going to start Monday and concluded that I would wait and write by him and it would go as soon as by mail, but Mr. Kimsey told me that he had given out starting then, so I will have to wait until Tuesday to start this letter. Kimsey came yesterday and got your knapsack, said the understanding between you and him was that he was to get it. I paid Ike Henry five dollars while I was up at Pa’s. Stuman lost the soder and money he sent to his wife, I thought there would be nothing wrong in letting him have the money anyhow. I believe I wrote you that I loaned Joseph Young five dollars and took his note. He said that he would give you the money if he did not use it. I reckon you need it, as the report is that you gave the last dollar you had to Ike Henry when he started home. I reckon people think you are very kind hearted. I forgot to ask him if you was that hard run. If I knew you needed money and wanted it, I would send you some by Anderson why don’t you write me if you want some. I do not want to make you vain, but the news has got back here somehow that you are the most popular Captain in the regiment. I hope you will still continue to bear that good name. It makes me very proud to think that my husband is so popular, but I cannot see my self why every body does not like you. I mean most every woman thinks the same about her husband. I am glad you are not so closely confined as you were when you were first arrested. You must not get too saucy and get into mischief while you have nothing to do, if you do and I find it out I will request Coleman to put you to digging up stumps to keep you out of mischief. I am also glad to know that you think enough of the sword I sent you as to ask your Col. to take good care of it. I reckon he thinks you are very particular and quite saucy. I hope to hear soon that your difficulties are all settled. I tell them all I wish they would cashier you as I have a use for you at home. When I came home last Tuesday Matt had just started with a crowd to Nantahala fishing. I spent Tuesday night with Mrs. Reid and the rest of the time at your Pa’s. I stood in our old room, it brought to mind the many happy hours we spent there together. I even thought of the times we use to have catching fleas, for let me go where I will. I still have that to do.
It is nearly 10 o’clock and all are in bed but myself. I had to quit writing this evening and go to doctoring Fannie for the cough, she has been crying two or three hours with it and I have just got her quite and the other children to bed. I tell you I have my hands full sometimes and miss you very much. If my baby was not as good as she is I do not know how I could do without you. I have to get up of a night and attend to the children and if I was not stouter than I always am when my babies are young I could not stand it and even now sometimes it almost lays me up. Fannie has waked again and is crying. She is talking out of her head, the cough seems to affect her strangely. I am afraid that I will not get to go to bed tonight. I know I will not unless she gets quite. It is now eleven o’clock and I have to get Fannie quite again. If the children were to take whooping cough I should have to have you at home for I do not think I could do without you. Nolens children have it, I am trying to keep my children from it. I am uneasy for fear they will take diphtheria. Matt has a sore throat now. One side of her throat is swollen inside and has white pimples on it, I think perhaps hers is caused by cold. They stayed in an old camp in the mountains and it rained a great deal while they were there. Mr. Thomas P. Moores youngest daughter, Lilly died with diphtheria last week. Mrs. Moore and Jimmie has also had it. Jimmie they thought would die but he is mending slowly now, several more around here have had it. I will stop for tonight as Fannie seems like she will sleep, although she keeps groaning and talking on in her sleep. I cannot sleep as well when there is anything the matter with the children as I can when you are home. I know that I have to watch over them.
Monday night- I received your letter sent by Mr. Berry this evening was truly glad to get it, and glad to hear that you were well and that the health of your company was better. I hope your company will have no more sickness. I am sorry that your difficulties are not settled, and that you have so much trouble about drawing your money. I do hope the next letter I get that all will be right. I feel almost in hopes that you will be cashiered and then your men cannot blame you for leaving then. Perhaps you will think that I ought not to feel so, if you think it is wrong in me I hope you will pardon me, but you know how I am, I want you to come home so bad. I think you have done your share in the war. Please be calm and do nothing in your difficulties that you can be reproached with. I do not think you will do anything wrong, if you will govern your temper which I hope for my sake you will do. You want to hear all about the home affairs. My garden looks pretty well, my pigs are doing better since I had them turned out, they got so tall in the pen that I had them turned out and still have them fed on weeds and slop. Our cow is about to go dry, if I could do it I would swap my dry cow for one that is giving milk. She ran off and is up at Pa’s with his cattle doing very well. I saw Batey this evening he says the clover is doing very well. He is very anxious for you to come home, says there is not a day passes but what he thinks of you and wishes you were at home, says to tell you he has the best stand of grass on the meadow that has ever been there and last of all that if you will come home he will give you some cider and also some apple brandy as soon as he can get it made. I can hardly tell which wants to see you worse him or me. I promised him that I would go out to the farm Wednesday. I am going to take Liza to help him and Bill fix the pasture fence. He says the pasture is good and that he can make a fence with what nails are there, that will keep the cows in.
(This was all, 4 full pages)
Head Quarters Loudon, Ten.
July 21, 1862
General Order No.
Capt. A. W. Bell & J. G. Crawford 39th N.C. Regt are temporaily released from arrest in order to attend the funeral of a member of the order of Free Masons, whos funeral is to take place today.
Coleman, Col.
Comander 39th NCR
Franklin July 27th 1862
My Dear Husband,
Another week has passed away and this sabbath evening finds me alone. You can perhaps imagine what my feelings are about this time, when I tell you that I have had the blues ever since yesterday morning as bad as ever any mortal child could have them, without forgetting who they are or who they belong to. I have a faint recollection that I once belonged to a man who was called Capt. Bell, but what has become of him since he left here four months since I am not able to tell although I hear it rumored that he is somewhere in E. Tenn. and that he and his Col. have had a falling out and that he is now a prisoner. If you are aquainted with the above named gentleman tell him that his wife and children still live in Macon, NC and they would be more than rejoiced at any time to be blessed with his presence.
Matt has gone up to Pa’s today to see Charles, will be back this evening. Charles wound is right bad, he will not get well as soon as the others did, from what I hear the ball is still in his throat or mouth somewhere, it cannot be found.
I forgot to tell you that I went to church this morning. Rev. W. D. Moore had a kind of a prayer meeting to pray for the soldiers and the success of the south. Minnie and myself went, I left the other children with Barbara I could not manage them all myself. Mr. and Mrs. Reid was out, I almost begrudged Mrs. Reed her happiness although I reckon I ought not to be so selfish. I ought to wish other people happy if I cannot be it. Maybe my time will come after a while, God grant that it may, but I feel now as if I did not have a friend on earth and that happiness had taken wings and flew by and out of my reach. I have but one consolation, the hope that I will not always feel this way. I had been in such good spirits for a few days, I felt that it would not be long before I would get to see you but all at once those feelings left me and I now can have no hope of seeing you soon if ever. I will close as Mrs. Reid has just come in to see me.
Monday night, 9 o’clock, well the children have gone to bed and I have taken my seat to finish my letter. It has become a task for me to write although it is a pleasure for me to write to you, but I have to stop so often that I am afraid my letters appear unconnected and uninteresting but you must remember a woman that has several little children to contend with has to do the best she can.
Bob Cuningham has just left he still visits us occasionally, he requested me to say to you that he wanted to buy or borrow your rough bits for cavalry use, as he had a fine animal to ride and wished to have strong bridle bits. Joe, Bud Allman and Jesse Moore started to Richmond Saturday by the way of Walhalla. You must write to Joe he does not like it because he gets no letters. I gave him some paper for himself and Sam. Your Pa had his wheat thrashed today they are going to thrash mine tomorrow. I will write you how my large crop of wheat turns out and give you some of the bread also if you will come home. One of your men Jesee Ledford came to me to borrow some money today. I put him off by telling him that I did not have it to spare. I loaned him two dollars since he came home, so if you draw any money for him you can reserve that much as he told me you could do that. Ike Henry begged me out of ten dollars, I have his note for it. You must remember these things when you draw money for them if you ever do and if you do not I suppose I must be the loser as I was the lender.
I intended sending this letter by Mr. Anderson when I commenced writing as he and Kimsey expected to start in the morning but Col. Moore told me this evening that Kimsey thought he was taking jaundice and I suppose will not start. I do not know whether Mr. Anderson will or not. Did you know that your Pa was a candidate against Col. Moore for sheriff? I did not know it until I saw it in the Franklin Paper yesterday. I have not had the chance to say anything to him about it as he has been so busy today. I reckon he thinks he will be elected. I wonder who Sallie and John will vote for, it is Daddy on both sides.
Lizzie Woodfin was here the other day, she is as bitter against Coleman as any of us. I did not tell her that I had written to camps about her quarrel, although I expect she will hear it as it has come back here in some way, she will probably not like it if she hears it. I want you if you please to be guarded in all you say and do in connection with your Col. You know you have a harty high temper and you must remember that there is always a hereafter to everything and that you have a wife and children at home. Let him say or do what he will do, you do your duty and nothing more. I am in a dread continually for fear that you will in a mad fit do something you ought not to do. I hope for my sake and the sake of your little children, that you will be willing to take more than you would other wise do. You must not forget that you have a darling babe at home that you have never seen. She is now sleeping quietly in her crib. She generally sleeps well at night and it is a fine thing, for I have no good old man to light the candle and help me with her when she cries, it is Ma’s turn every time now, to light the candle when baby cries or the children need covering. You may think that I ought not to miss you now as I have done without you so long, but I do miss you in everything else as well as lighting the candle and covering the children. I miss you sleeping with me as much or more than anything else.
Tuesday morning , 29th , the baby is three months old today. If any person had told me the day she was born that you would not get to see her before she was three months old it would have made me mad, but I can only hope now that she will not be 6 months old before you see her. Perhaps I am more anxious and foolish about her than I ought to be, but she is such a sweet child, I cannot help it. Fannie and Sallie are now playing on the bed with her, she loves for them to play with and talk to her. Did you remember the 6th of this month that your wife was 28 years old? I believe that was the age you said I was to die and the 18th day you was 32, we are beginning to get pretty tolerably old.
Gibs McDowel is Major in Col. Loves regiment, I have not had the chance to speak to him since he came from Loudon. He has not brought your shot gun home yet, neither has Dee brought the one that he has. I have told him several times to bring it. I reckon he aims to take it to war, he belongs to Jule Silers company. It goes very hard with him for Bill McDowel to be Lieutenant over him. He tried to get Jule to give him a transfer to Dobsons Company. I hope I will get a letter this morning although I do not much expect one as Dr. Woodfin has gone to Loudon and I think perhaps you will wait and write by him. Mr. Reid said something about me loaning him some money, he said he told you to write to me about it. Would you like for me to swap any of your money for gold? Mrs. Owens exchanges her gold for paper money as she needs it. She let some person have 50 dollars for 60 the other day. I think it was the preacher, she did not say who it was, whoever it was offered her that. She would not let more than that go at one time but said the next she let go she would let me have it if I wanted it. I thought I would just mention it to you and see if you wanted me to. I must close as Mr. Owens had just came in and tells me he is going to start. I will send this by him as it will save ten cents and I reckon go quicker than by mail. Anderson and Kimsey are sick and not going. I did not get a letter this morning. I remain ever you true devoted wife. Mary
Loose from my Co. & they could not reflect on me for resigning. I suppose we will know pretty soon. Say nothing about it. I am tired of the war & wish to God that peace would be made so that I could enjoy the pleasures of my family, on my little country farm raising pigs, chickens & ducks a few sweet babys. I hope the day is not far distant when we will enjoy all those blessings. What do you say about these pleasures? Tell Vanhook I think he had better do as I wrote him. Come down the river for this place & should we leave before he gets here cross the river at Morgaton & go to Loudon. He then will ascertain our where abouts. If we leave I’ll take my trunk there & leave it with Cos. Wils Bell & I want the wagon to take it to you. There is nothing in it very valuable but I will not have the chance to take it if we leave.
I was glad to see Emelouses letter. He writes a very interesting letter, I wish mine was such. I would not care for writing often but a poor scribe, poor language & bad spelling & my subjects so scattered that I had almost rather take a thumpin than to write a letter. I am now out of any thing to write as I have answered your last by Crawford 2 or 3 times & I know you are tired of so many letters that has the same thing all the time, so I quit. Kiss my babys for me, tell Matt that I am very much oblige to her for her few lines & hope she will consider part of all my letters to her. My love to all our relatives & friends, believe me ever your loving Alfa & Omega A. W. Bell
P S Direct to this place, write often.
The above is two pages with out dates etc, but were in the order, I received them in.
July 31st 1862
Company C 37th Regt. N. C. troops
To Mr. Batie (?) appointed or recommended by Capt. O. N. Brown of Company C to fill the office of Third Lieunt. which is now vacant in it.
Sir you will perceive that the company was not informed of the appointment but expected that a man was to be taken out of the Company and therefore we are very much dissatisfied with the choice, while there is men in the Company that can fill the office equally as well as those that are now in office or anyone that they can bring in it from other Companys or Regts. Sir you will find that we as a Company do not look upon you with any disrespect whatever nor doubt your integrity any qualification as an officer, but we do look upon it as one of the grandest impositions that ever was thrown upon the Company, such an one that the Company will not except of the appointment. The following names will show to you that you will not be excepted as an officer in the Company.
P Torronce, J. W. Peters, W. L. Sample, W. W. Torrence, J. Kelly, D. H. Alexander, J. A. Gibbs, T. L. Warsham, H. F. (?), J. Z. Deton, J. N. Gibbs, J. S. Smith, R. S. Holbrooks, S. James Deaton, W. P. Hendrix, A. L. Black, J. F. M. Beard, Jno. C. Beard, John W. Bennett, R. A. Bready, J. A. Boyls, John McFadden, H. C. Hunter.
Md. Qis 39th Regt. NC Vols
August l, 1862
Special Order, No.
Capt. A. W. Bell, Co. B. 39 N. C. Vols. Is released from arrest by this Court Martial being ordered to adjourn from Hd. In Knoxville & will assume command of his company.
By order of,
Lt. Col. H. H. Davidson
Comandg. 39 Regt. N. C. Vols.
Mr. D. Cordun Adjt.
Camp. 37 Rg. N.C. T.
Aug. 4th 1862
Lieut. I do not desire any attention paid to the dissatisfied members of Co. C I had you appointed on the recommendation of Capt. Brown. I hope you will pay no attention to them & as soon as your health will admit with the discharge of your duties. They have no one in the company fit for the office & I shall not gratify them by appointing worthless men.
Your Friend
Neal M. Bartn
Loudon, Ten. Aug 17th 1862
My Dear Wife,
I write you a few lines as I have an opportunity of sending it by Mr. Joe Anderson. Who will leave here tomorrow for home with several other of the boys who came with him. I have nothing of interest to write, the war news is dull at present Old Stonewall has licked them again in Va. & Morgan has played another grab game between Nashville & Bowling Green, took a few tories & prisoners & burned the RR Bridges. A fight is expected at Cumberland Gap soon. I suppose you have recd my letters before now. I wrote by Sid Slagle sent four hundred & fifty dollars by him also by Will Roane sent five hundred by him also by Mr. Rhodes & sent one hundred by him. I wrote & sent by John Reid one hundred & fifty – also an apple peeler, of which you have never said whether you have recd or not, of course I don’t doubt but still I would like to know that you did.
Tell Matt that I hunted this town over for ginghams for bonnets & cotton flannel for baby hankerchiefs & neither was to be had here. I sent to Knoxville by Joe Anderson yesterday & it was so late he could not attend to getting it there as he left in the cars that night. I will get him to see if he can get it at Sweet Water if he does you must pay him there. I understand there is a few cotton cards at Knoxville at $6 for four. I will get you a pair if you say so. I see in the papers that there has landed a vessel in a southern port with a great many fans. I shall try & get Lt. Anderson off home tomorrow he is sick & looks very bad & I think he ought to go home awhile & recruit his health. The rest of my boys is well except Wm. Bates has a mild attack of fever & is staying at a house & is doing very well. The most of my boys has skiddadled & gone home, all on the account of our staff officers not only mine but from all the others Co. I am sorry such a state of things exist, but its true, the men say they not serve under them.
I know if it was not for leaving my boys, I would not serve under them. I had rather be a private under Morgan or Stonewall than a Capt. under our staff. We are of no service to the confederacy & a disgrace to N. C. Tell Pa I think it was a good thing for him that he was not elected, that I should not want that office at this time. Tell him not to keep much money on hands to invest it in land or property. I want mine invested, I want to buy the old Joe Welch farm down the river. I fear there is too much money for it to be good long after the war closes. I had rather have it invested in property. Say nothing about this but tell Pa what I think. Now is the time to make money but don’t keep it for fear of it being of no value. I believe this war will close before long. I believe the Yanks will recognize us & I fear that our congress will kill our money & it will be like the old continental money. I had rather invest it any how. I cannot think of anything else to night, My love to Matt & the babys kiss them for me. My love to all relations & friends, consider me ever your true loving husband. Alfa
P S, If any of the boys wish to give forty dollars for the gun that De has & twenty five for the one Moore took home for me they may have them. I don’t want to sell the one Gibs took home for me at all, shot guns is very high here from 30 to 100. If any body wants my riffle that Birt took for me they can have it for twenty dollars. Take good care of the powder I sent by Kimsey & Mr. Rhodes. I expect to need it before long, to go to the mountains, darling you doubt this. I don’t good night. Alfa
Lt. Anderson will get off home & I will get him to get the articles Matt wrote me about at sweet water if they are there. As for swapping money do as you think best. If we buy land paper will do as well as gold but if you want the gold make the swap. I send 2 late news papers to you by Joe Anderson. I heard from John Moore, they are at Taswel, he is well they expect to charge Cumberland Gap soon, I close , Your true, Alfa