We spend nearly our wages here and then don’t get more things than I have to have. #cw150

March the 21^st 1863

Camp near Fredericksburg Va

Dear Father

I now seat myself to drop you a few lines to inform you I am still in good health and good spirits and truly hope these few lines may come safe to hand and find you all well.  It is cold here now. We had orders to cook up 2 days rations the other night and be ready to meet the yankes but they whipped them and we did not have to fights. Since that we have been on picket at the river. I stood in talking distance of the yankes but I did not speak to them but they are trading fire all the time. I sent you $25 by Captain Snow he said you would leave it at John Joneses. When you get it let me know. I will draw my wages in a few days that was my state bounty. We spend nearly our wages here and then don’t get more things than I have to have. Every letter I pay the postage on costs me 25 cents paper 4 dollars a quire, pork is work $1.25 cts. per pound and brandy is worth 1 dollar a spoonful or 25 dollars a quart. The boys here is all right that you are acquainted with. So I must bring my letter to a close by saying I still remain your

Lazy boy

“Az”

Source: Christopher Watford, ed. The Civil War in North Carolina: Soldiers’ and Civilians’ Letters and Diaries, 1861-1865, Volume 2. (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003).

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Heard distinctly the report of two heavy guns… What a sad solemn sound it is! #civilwar150

January 5, 1863

Walked yesterday with Mr E to see the Ice House & very promising does it look, dark & cool & gives one an anticipation of Ice creams & Sherbet in the hot days of July & Aug. Heard distinctly the report of two heavy guns in the direction of Weldon. The boom was unmistakeable. I hope it was but for practice to our gunners. They have “Long Tom” & “Laughing Charlie.” There two notable guns captured from the enemy, the first at the first battle of Manassas, the second I believe before Richmond. What a sad solemn sound it is!  The deep toned roar! This note of horrid War which comes booming over th peaceful fields & through the still quiet swamps & woods, awakening echoes which until now have slept to all save peaceful sounds. It makes the blood tingle through ones veins & brings the war home to our very thresholds.

Went today with Patrick to Hascosea, he on farming bent, I on gardening. Commenced transplanting Grape Vine cuttings. Find that eight of the cuttings which Mr E brought from Wrightsville Sound, & Which in honor of the State where they originated we call “The Old North State,” have taken finely. This is a native Grape, said not to be inferior to Black Hamburg. If so it may yet makes its name in the world. Coming back as we stopped to let the horses drink in the stream at the Mill, Mr E grew eloquent in the praise of Running Water, thought if he had his choice to be any one inanimate thing it would be a running stream, strong, swift, exhaustless, always in motion, an emblem and type of purity and energy, sweeping along through sunshine & shade until it loses itself in the ocean of eternity. I believe I differ. I would be a tree, broad, umbrageous & lofty, anchored deep in the Earth, throwing my branches up to heaven, a refuge & a shelter to all who sought my shade. An Undine it too cold, too ethereal, too pulseless for me. I would be a Hamadriad, inhabiting one spot, a spot around which should cluster all the associations of home. But what folly to fill you O my Journal with the fancies & follies which amuse us for the passing moment. Have you forgotten, Madam, what is the price of paper, that there is a Blockade, & that a Yankee General taken prisoner by us said in derision of our home made letter paper, whity brown, or rather browny-white for the want of chlorine to bleach it, that “The Southern Confederacy had no yet arrived at the dignity of White paper” that you are thus discursive?

Source: Edmondston, Catherine Ann Devereux, 1823-1875, Journal of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston 1860-1866. Crabtree, Beth G and Patton, James W., (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979). http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/478.html

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When one goes to war he must expect to stand his chance of being numbered in the list of casualties #cw150

 

Camp Barton, Va., March 18, 1862

My dear Wife,

            I will commence by saying that I am in a precious humor.  I got back at 11 A.M. and have done nothing but pitch into everybody and everything that has come near up to this time, 3 P.M. I can assign no reason, but my own dear wife shall get none of it.  I was sorry, Honey, to have to write such a hurried letter last evening.  I wanted to see Mr. John Norfleet to take $75 home for me.  I have had no dinner—and had to see the Sec. of War and ordnance officer.  I went after muskets, accoutrements, but only succeeded in getting the promise of half I wanted.

            My letter cost 80 cents.  They had no writing material at the hotel so I had to buy one package envelopes 50 cents.  Ten sheets of this paper 25 cents, postage 5 cents.  You see it was a very heavy outlay.

            Col. Lightfoot has been assigned to duty outside of the Regt. and I hope he will stay altho we have gotten along very well lately.  Gen. [Robert] Ransom asked me to whom he might write at Salem about quarters for his family and I told him I know none better than Jake, and he said he should write him.  Mrs. Col. Chilton may possibly go up there also.  I held out the advantages of Salem in the strongest light.  I know you would enjoy the society of older army ladies so much.  Mrs. Ransom has the reputation of being a very nice person….

            Oh, Honey.  I hope my Regt. will do well when we may get into a fight.  N.C. troops stand so low in that way, but I believe it is because they have been so badly handled.  I can manage my men in camp, on the march, and at drill, but it remains to be seen how I can manage them on the field.  They all seem to have the utmost confidence in me and I hope I shall not disappoint them.  If I live twelve months I feel that I am bound to be promoted.  I believe I could get it now if I would get political influence.

            The enemy seem to be making preparations to come this way.  The big men in these parts think this is the point.  These war times you must be prepared for anything.  When one goes to war he must expect to stand his chance of being numbered in the list of casualties.  Honey, never let us forget one thing, education is far more precious and highly appreciated even in these days of money loving, than money.  I want to educate my children if nothing else.  Either of us is capable of carrying them pretty well along in the English branches, so if necessary we could educate them on small means.  And above all I want to see them fully imbued with reverence for things Holy.  I had rather see them Christians than princes.

            I have never suffered more from cold than for the last few days.  I cannot drill at all.  My throat has been very sore, cough, etc., but it is getting better slowly and in time… I hope to be well.  Do you know honey I have not heard from you since your letter of the 10th, but I do not blame you.  I always find that you do your part.  Honey, I hope this will find you all ready to start home.  My next will be directed to Salem.  I wrote your father a few days ago, but it was a short and poor note.  I hope you will find Mary all comfortably domiciled at Good Spring.  You would do a good business to open a house of retreat for refugees.  The Yankees will never get up your way.

            We have it reported here that they have unaccountably recrossed the river.  The papers of today state that it is rumored that the people of Md. Have risen up in their rear.  As to their recrossing, Col. Hampton told me and he keeps well posted with their moves.  We are certainly in a blue way, but I never have any apprehensions as to the result.  If we can hold them in check one month more, we will be all right.  And if they have retreated to the other side it would look as if something was going wrong with them.

            Honey, how are you and the children?  Well I hope.

            I saw John Pegram last night at Richmond.

            God bless you all.

Your devoted Husband

 

Sources: William Hassler, ed., One of Lee’s Best Men: The Civil War Letters of General William Dorsey Pender (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1999). William Dorsey Pender papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill. http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/p/Pender,William_Dorsey.html

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