The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-02
Soldiers Letters Tell Graphic
Story Of Life in Lees Army
W. E. McCollum Brings to Light Interesting Relics
lroops Were Always Expecting Big Battle
Pay Day Seldom Came

~ Z L:uuk or family relics un-
.ouched and unexplored for many
Years. w. l.. McCollum. o! No. SIG
Draytop street, has discovered a num-
Der OF interesting letters written by
his father. the late Thomas McColurn,
TO his wife. during tho Civil war The
letters are tifne-worn and stained.
Tho writing. in some Instances, is
hardly visible. but they give an inter
osting insight into the history Of that
period.
Mr. McCollurn was a soldier i'm the
Confederate Army He left Savanna n
among the first TO answer to the call
OF the Confeoeracy after the secession
or Georgia. Fort Pulaski was his nrst
station; then he vas ordered TO Vir-
sinn. and became a member OF Reed
Battery. lie served with the Southern
Army until January 30 1865. when he
died In a hospital in Raleigh. y C.,
after having spent brief period in
Savannah on = furlouyh. visiting his
family His grave is one Of the many
unmarked ones which scar the face Of
the southland rs a reminder OF that
struggle.
TELLS OF Hnrdship..
The hardships which the soldiers
underwent from lack OF food ana
clothing are yividly portrayed IN this
series of letters many Of which were
guns, cchoinS from some distant bat
tie, at times possibly when the call TO
arms was expected 10 summon the nu-
thor to battle. There are two facts
which stand out wildly in these lot
ters- pay day was always anxiously
awaited, which would In a degree re-
ilevc the suffering OF the soldiers and
battle was always imminently cx-
pccted.
written on different kind or sta
'ionory. some, the writer states. had
1een captured from tho Yankees rev
are written ia Ink. which was harG
10 get and harder to keep during those
trying times. tho letters state
IN" nigh cost Of living is one OF
iite prescut-Gay trials but from the
prices Of the necessities OF life during
those days people OF to-day arc ION
velvet In one letter. dated Cam
Lee, March 80. 1862" tho author saws:
Things are very high. Sugar, 30 cents
per pound. butter. 90 cents; molasses
- per gallon; biscuits % cents per
uound; conec. SIPS per round" Ten
dollars can Confederate money! don [
stand any chance the author says
III another letter, dated Camp near
fredericksburg, Va. March II. 1858"
Mr. McCollum wrote: Suppose YOU
heard OF the battle We had here 7,
taken place. The Yanks laid opposite
us for three days within a half-miIe.
without rrinB gun from either side
Then they opened fire on us about sew
~ miles from here, and along the
same line they fought us before They
mad gained more ground this time than
they did oeforc l thought We were
gone up but Providence favored us, and
we slaughtered hem like bees But
We lost heavily. too"
Then, referring TO one incident dur
ing the engagement he continued:
The 'Yanlis' We're In fifty yards OF
our battery Oh three sides OF us. II
they had fred on US then every one
might have been killed. But We held
our ground until next day. then we
pitched into them. 1t was horrible 10
sec how they lay over the fcld, and
our men. too. We had lost pretty
heavily. but not as much as the Yanks
have seen in one lot about 5000 pris-
ouers taken by our men. principally
irish and Dutch. We had some taken
rom us but not so many"
sight for Hoy.
In each of the letters the thoughte