Year: 1862

~ The following secesh letters
have been furnished us by friend, into
whose hands the fortunes of war sent
them as contraband. They furnish an
inside view of the life these men are
leading, which may prove of interest to
our readers.


In CAMP Fourth July 1862


DEAR COUSIN JULIA You cannot
imagine with what pleasure your letter
was reed tho knew you hsdent for
gotten me yet your remembrance in the
form of letter took me conpletelEsbY
surpriss. I fully expected letter
from Kate and was surprised to hear
she had gone to Kentucky and would
have been displeased had she gone TO
Cincinnati on pleasure trip as she
wrote me by Mr. Williams


I heard of Will Shrewsburys death
by Hates letter and il threw a pail over
some of my most pleasant "reminiscences,
Willie with all his faults had an honest
generous heart May the earth rest
lightly above him! Ny greatest grief
is that he met not the death to which be
was entitled, to death of the Brave. /
would rather die on the field of battle
amid the roar OF cannon and musketry,
than upon the downiest couch of a
palace, tho surrounded by ministering
friends But l believe l had rather not
die at all yet awhile and will change the
subject on the next page.


This is Independence Day" the
Gal--orious Fourth Of July. Iwish l
had all the cake and ice-cream, to say
nothing of the chickens turkeys cucum-
bers d claret 1 have destroyed in former
times in honor of this day The above
mentioned delicacies are remarkably
rare in this part of "Jeffs" domain and
in announcing my bill Of fare l am COM
PEELED to admit that some of them are
wanting. Our fare is Bread and boiled
Beef, which we eat with joyful hearts
twice day, and what is the most pro-
vOking we cant complain for we keep
fat on it.


We have beautiful encampment in
woodland pasture beneath the spread
ing oaks ("Dood" has seen the place
often when she and bene used to drive
up to town to buy yard of tape or a
skein Of silk (they are both too stingy
to buy more -


The bright sun is looking down from
the cloudless azure sky, while the robin
Ger our heads and the partridge in the
distance are echoing peace and plenty.
But there is another voice which speaks
OF peace in accents stronger still, it
rises in thunder tones from the low
banks of the Chickabominy.-It is
hoped that, that bloody struggle will
be the last of this suicidal war. The
skies are bright. So mote a5e Amen.
l haven't seen Jim Fry for about too
week. He is looking better than /
ever saw bim before-almost handsome,
but poor fellow l know it will break
his heart when he hears that Sam
Smithers has taken his place in the af-
fections of certain fair cousin of mine.
/ must close this nonsense as DR. Pat
raick goes to Lewisburg in few min
uets when this will be left trusting to
chance for mail carrier from that place.
Give my love and kiss to "Lou" and
Ellen Lewis. Which I will repeat my
self when this unholy war comes to an
end. have a great deal to tell you
but will reservei it until peace is restored,
when l am going to your house and
stay three days so you can just reserve
three bottles Of catoba for the occasion.
Show this letter to ma as 1 won't have
time to write to her, tell her 1 am well
again as are all the rest Of the Rifle
men