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Confederate Letters

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STATE ALA
JACKSON CO

AUGUST 24, 1862

Dear wife and children and pa
this is Sunday morning. I am well as comon. I hope that the murseys of God these lines will comb safe to your distant sweat (sweet) hands and find you well and doing well.
 

I received your kind leter the 21 inst. that was Dated the 12. It Don my hart good to read it. It releaved me of a hevy wate to now that you was all doing as well as you ar. I hope you will all keep in good hart and do the best you can. I want to sea you all mity bad. But I try to pass of the time the best I can. I dremp of seing Davy last night. O Lord how long can I bee Before I can git to comb home to my sweat wife and Babys. it shorly cant Bee long but I dont no.The Yankees is close by they are on one side of the river and us the other. But we ar vary frenly. We can talk to each other as much as we please. They are as will to quit as we ar. They ar coming over and given up eve dayOur Regment is tore all to peases. Wee left three companeys in Charles to gard that Bridge. We left thar the 21 and landed at this plase to 22. They sent us hear to keep the Yanks from Crosen the River. This morning we have orders for three companeys to go to some Bridg to gard it. I dont no what company will hav to go. I dont thing we will have to do anything but Dog about and gard Bridges and clean up camp grounds. that is all we have Don yet.

Well hun my Mess is all sick by mee... Daniel and they is not much sick. They Can eat vary harty. Jehu was left in Charleston sick with the ganders. Dick was take vary sick last night with Bowel Complant. I hope he will be beter by night. We hated to leave Jehu mity bad but it was the best for him I think. He will be up with us in a few days. If we are one of the companys that has to leave hear I hope I wont have to leav Dick. Tel father and mother that Dick and Jehu I dont think is any ways dangerous and Jehu is whar he will bee tended tow and if I keep wll Dick wont lack for attention if I am permited to stay with him.
We are about 75 miles from Charleston. Tell Bob and Hamp that the Capt has rote to his on and giv him the authority to bring the boys thru.

Well lovin wife this is a hard life to liv But it has to Bee. I hope it wont last long. I think they ar fixen up to quit. it is the opinion of the people generly. Well my wife and Babys and I want you all to Do the Best you can and pray for my Saf Return and quick. This is the 9 leter I have rote to you. When you git this leter I want to to wright to me how many leters you hav got from me sens I left hom giv my Best Respects to Every Body that inquires after mee.
 

I am Seten on an old log and Rightin on a barel hed. Billy Kelly is with mee. I am going to right a leter for him when I finish mine. So I shal have to close for the lack of room and Somthing to right. Direct you leter to Chattanoog Tennessee. So I remain your and loven husban til Death Shal part us.

D.C. Gregory to M.A. Gregory his wife

 

DOLTON GEORGIA

May the 26/63

My Dear Wife
I seat My Self this morning to Right to you a few lines to let you now how I am. I am improven Som. I think I will get well. I hope these lines will find you all well.
I have jest red you kind leter that was dated the 14. Bob Brung it to me this Morning I wanted to go with them Mity Bad But Coldent. Tell Martha Bob is well and harty the Boys is all well. My Dear I hope that I will git to Comb home Before long I shal try to git to Comb.
Dan Bounds is hear he is not doen very well he loocks very Bad little Griff is Doing toleaBle (tolerably) well.
I am so pround that your wheat is So goo I do hope to God you wont Sufer yet. So turn over (he is asking her to turn to Page 2). Tel Sgt. Hufmon he is a white Man and is a gentleman. giv him My Best lov and respects tel him I Shal Ever Respect him.
I hope I will Sea you all Befor long. I wish I was thar to help you Eat letes (lettuce) and Shelots for I am starved out for greens I am so proud that Davy groes so fast God Bless his little Soul I want to sea him so Bad tel all the children to Bea good smart Children. tel Bud and Liga to tend to thar Colt and Stock til I git home. Hun do the Best you Can
I hop you will Do well give My love to all the Connection tel them to wright give my lov to Mother and father hun Right as often as you can. Direct to St. Mary hospittle Dolton Georgia. So I mus clos for this time.

D.C. Gregory to his good wife, M.A. Gregory.

 

ATLANTA GEORGIA

May The 20, 1864

Dear Wife and Children
I rite you a few lines to let you hear from mee. I am not very well. My bowels is running off but I hope they wont bea bad. I hope you are well and doing the best you can. Dear do the best you can. I hope I will get home before long.
Hun I dont no when you will git anuther leter from mee for the Yanks is a Kingston and I shant bee susprised if they ant hear at this place in ten days. If they do get hear it will be bad _____ for letter to pass but I shall rite ever chance and I want you to do the same for I want to hear from you all mity bad but I no there is no ____ chans yet but as soon as I am stationed I want you to wright to mee. I will send you ten stams that I found.
I hav fard very well sens left home. I intend to as long as I can. I shall leave hear at ten oclock today. I shall go thru Columba, Sdouth Carolina. I bin in company with a Mr. Van (Vaughn ?) that lived near Union Cort house. He nows all our connections.
Tell Martha I have all her things saf yet. Tel father I will rite to him as soon as I git with the boys. Tel Bety I will giv the boy the cake and cort him hard. Tel her and your Pa they must rite to me. Give my lov to all the connections and friends.
Hun I want you and to children to do the best you can. I hope you will have a good time so I am your true husban and father. Be good an kind to each uther. Take good care of Davy. So Good by for this time.

 

D.C. Gregory to his good wife, M.A. Gregory

 

November 25, 1862

My dearest Odessa,

It is with great pain, both physically and emotionally, that I write you this final letter. Though our forces fared well at Shiloh, I became injured during a frenzied fire battle in the pitch black pouring rain night just some 60 hours past. We had secured our post at Corinth and were called by a messenger to meet the forces of a General Shegog in Holly Springs. The march was met with various atrocities and sad sights along the way. Villages and small communities burned, children crying over the crisp corpses of their parents and siblings. Animals slain up and down the road. It looked as if the devil himself had lended the Yanks a hand.

There was fighting outside of Holly Springs. We marched in at dusk, and the air was full of white haze. The ground was black, as was the sky. We couldn't see two feet in front of us. We could only hear the report of the cannon and the pleading cries of men. Our regiment was separated in the fog and night but myself and a handful of men came across the river and followed the bank until we could find a summit to plan our move. We stumbled into a Yankee bunker, caught them by surprise and let them have it good. But our fire and action gave us away and the cannons flared in our direction.

I cannot explain to you the sensation of numbness that accompanied me when my legs were separated from my torso, and the blinding fear that rushed forth as I lay alive yet dying on that bitter field, damp with rain and blood and burned wood.

After their numbers had retreated, I was picked up and bandaged into a mess of tattered sheets, then sent here to Oxford, where the university serves as a hospital for the critically injured. Our numbers are not small, and there are blessed persons here gathering their wits to prepare for the imminent arrival of General Smith and his troops. Yet there is no need for promptness where I'm concerned. My life is spilling away in pools beside my bed. I'm numb with opium and my eyesight is fading.

There is a mad General Shegog here who is quarantining all the men into an underground shelter he has devised. He claims he's going to fight the Yankees from these underground bunkers. He has claimed all our valuable possessions, including, my darling, your ruby heart locket, which you gave me to wear on the battlefield. I had worn it faithfully until the General claimed it at our camp just the night before I reached my last battle.

If I die, and I know now that I shall, send my brother Maxwell here to Oxford to retrieve your ruby heart from the general.

I want you to know that, by the time you read this, I will have died in proud duty to my land and people. In the soggy mist of this Mississippi grove, I feel that all is not lost, nor will be. My spirit will live on and fight through these other scared, scattered men. Do not mourn the loss of my body, it is but weak flesh and form. I send my love and spirit with these words. I will be with you always and will remember you in heaven.

Your loving, dying husband,

John Lucas Beauchamp III

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