The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-10
United Daughters
 G The Confederacy


 | to occupy my time than anything else; | the people here are almost crazy. Ev- Lerybody's husband, brothers and sons | have gone from A1bermarle to the war, and the eighteenth starts for the front | tomorrow. Today came the order for the militia. All men between 16 and 45 to go. They are rushing about like madmen.~ Mother and I were at the | train to get off tent we had made for the chaplain of the Albermarle regi- | news came that 250 of the Georgtans had been surrounded and cut to pieces by the Federalists over in Western vir- ginia, and that our army over there was | retreating before them. They are hourly expecting a battle at Manassas Junction, and we all here think that General Scott will be in Richmond with his army before the 18th; isn't that awful! Oh, isn't this war horriblel A great many people think that before long the Federal troops will take pos session of Charlottesville, too. I am afraid, oh, so afraid, that our dear Southern soldiers are going to be beaten; the idea of their retreating- running; and in this section, too! One i hundred sick soldiers came up today on the cars. They were put in the east l ern and western ranges at the univer- sity; we are expecting a thousand more | this week. Mother and some other ladies will form a company to nurse | them. I suppose you know the univer- sity has been turned into a regular mill | itary school with fine officers. Sept. 3rd, '61. We have been looking very anxiously for the hospital box of supplies, but in some way it is delayed and something to eat is very scarce. In one of our largest hospitals last Saturday there | was not bread enough to go round, and not vegetable. The nurses complain bitterly, for it Is hard to see so much | suffering. We had at one time 2,500 wounded; now only 1900, as many as twelve a day having died. There are l so many here and so much needed for their comfort, for we have given all we had. There are many Alabama men here. more than from any other State. l have not been able to write since this last great battle. When the cars l of wounded began to arrive the excite l ment was intense. It was pouring down rain; the train was so long it reached from below town way above | the University with two engines, and at every point they could get at the cars they were taking them off-some | dead. some dying; the groans of agony of the poor sufferers was enough to make any one shed tears.
 The few hundred dollars the hospital | had went like wild fire; you may know that 1,S00 wounded men need many things. Two thirds of them come with nothing in the world but few dirty rags they have on.
 For every piece of bread, for every piece of fruit we can get, there are a dozen poor fellows hands stretched out for 1t.
 l Communication was attempted be- tween these two relatives until some time in 1863. for the next letters are dated:
 Piedmont" Charlottesville. Va,
 June End.
 My Dear: A short time ago I wrote you a very hurried epistle in- forming you of our very close proximity to the Yankees. I am happy to be able to tell you. however. that they. hearing i that we had large force here. "ske- dadled" in the direction of Columbia, 1 Theranna, where, after a fruitless at- | tempt to destroy the aqueduct, they de- l parted no one knows where. You will have heard of the bloody victory at Charlottesville, the glory of which is so decreased by our noble General Jackson's death, which we Virginians count much worse than a great defeat. We depended on Jackson for everything and looked to him for help. He fell right at the enemy's lines, and four men, in attempting to carry him off the | field, were all killed. He was terribly wounded in the right hand. his left arm having just before been shattered. It was afterwards amputated. If had a brother or any one dear to me, would rather he should fall on the field where StonewalI Jackson so nohly fell, If he had to die.
 
 My Dear: We have just heard of the many reports about Vicksburg. | Everyone seems to feel more anxiety about the place than was felt at the time Richmond was threatened. You just ought to see our Army of Virginia; the men are in such good spirits and the most excellent health. MT. W. E. Rieves showed father a few days ago a letter from General Lee, and have copied part of 1t for you. General Lee says:
 T believe I have the best army the world ever produced; they are braver and fight better than any other. and will do anything I command The night after the battle of Chancellorsville. af ter having won that hard-fought battle, I ordered them to march for Fredericks- burg. I heard not a murmur in the whole camp; on the contrary, they rose hurrahing and crying: Here's the army for you Two forty through the plowed fields Two trips a day. It won't be quiet along the Potomac tonight. have never seen them in better spirits in my life even at the beginning of this war. I hope the Army of the West evinces the same spirit and courage. !"
 You are mistaken at the Virgininns laughing at the hardships of the Mis- sisslppi Army I have heard men gay that our men should not complain to suffer for they had nothing to suffer in parison to the Westerners. The gallant defense of Vicksburg and Port Hudson was appreciated by us, and we think of those who fell defending Il ose places as those who suffered for the good of our country.
 Piedmont. July 9th. 1883. | My Dear-We have just had the dreadful news of the fall of Vicksburg, and are tempted not to believe 1t as the telegram Is in unofficial language, yet comes from Johnson. and Is as follows:
 T hear from an officer who has Just left that the garrison capitulated on the 4th inst" Let me turn to the brighter side and view our glorious Army of the Potomac. We are rejoic- ing from one days end to the other. Ewell now occupies the capital of Penn sylvania, while Lee is within six miles of Washington. At the victory of Get tysburg a few days ago we took 33,OOO prisoners; that is so, because Lees dis patch bearer passed through yesterday and said so. Courses Brigade is or