Category Civil War

Mar 17 2013

”Dier Wife. . . I her canons ” Letters 3 and 4 of James DICKERSON

In the first two letters we find James reporting on his health and the status of the trees in Virginia.  He is concerned about affairs at home and probably in need of clothing for himself.  It seems as though he is anxious to receive a letter from his wife.  He is almost despondent sounding, reminding his wife to make arrangements should he die.

By the third letter he has heard from his wife.  Her letter took about 13 days to get to him. Again, he reports on his health and farming conditions but has probably seen something of battle and is looking for a little comfort or relief from his anxious circumstances.  Letters 3 and 4 are written in two consecutive days.  Again, the numbers in brackets are notes and are not in the original letters.

Number 3

Virginia Carliner County   May the 11, 1862

Dier wife      I reseved youre leter dated April the 29 witch gave me great plesier to read it      I am well at present      We expect to have a big fight here every minit      Tha is no corne planted her yet       I had a bad spell in Golesborro but I have got well     I want you to rite every weeke to mee and have your leter back right    tha last I reseved came to the ridment      I want it too come to Company D  45  Ga. Ridgment [1]      You wrote to me that you had some whiskey   Continue reading →

Mar 7 2013

Waiting for Battle – Letters 1 and 2 of James DICKERSON

Rappahannock River and view of Fredericksburg VA 1862 photo by Timothy O'Sullivan

Rappahannock River and View of Fredericksburg VA 1862 photo by O’Sullivan

James H. DICKERSON served the C.S.A. (Confederate States of America) as a private for 6 months from March 4th to August 12 in 1862. Twelve letters written by him to his second wife Clary were donated to the United States Military Academy Library at West Point in 1983 by Ethel Dickerson McCOY.

We have not viewed any handwritten images, only transcriptions of the letters as written, with no grammatical corrections.  It may take a couple of readings to understand what is being communicated because of the spelling.  Just think phonetic or text speak and you should be able to figure it out.

My research notes are indicated by [1], [2] etc. and are not part of the original letter.  If you have trouble understanding the content or words, please contact me and we’ll try to figure it out together.

Letter Number 1

No date but apparently mailed sometime in April 1862

Golesburror     North Caroliner [1] 45 G. Ridgment [2]

Dear Wife      I drop you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along      I am not well at this time though I am up and about.   Continue reading →

Mar 5 2013

Before the Curtain Opens – Program Notes

So, here are our Newly Discovered kindred.  A glimpse of them was caught in the post about Alethia DICKERSON HOLDER highlighted Feb 26 on ‘My Kindred Tree’.

James DICKERSON, Sarah HOBBS, and Clara McCOY are Alethia DICKERSON’s parents.  Two wives for one man without bigamy or polygamy?  Well, yes.  James married Sarah in 1845 when they were 21 and 19 respectively.  About a year later they had their first and only child, Alethia.  Just six years later Sarah would die at age 25 in young adulthood like many of her siblings (a story for another day).

Six more years pass and James marries Clara McCoy in 1857 during a time of great economic turmoil for the United States.  They both are about 32 years old on their wedding day in January.   Sometime in 1859 they have a son,  little George Monroe. The 1860 census reveals that James was working as a day laborer.  No extra people were listed in the household indicating that he did not have servants or own slaves. Continue reading →

Feb 19 2013

Newly Discovered

Last week we made several discoveries. While traveling through Augusta GA we were able to locate and visit the site of a place (see picture below) that employed several generations of kindred ancestors. Although it may look like a temple it is not, unless you worship your work.  Watch for future posts that will tell what, who and when about this place.  Very interesting.

Kindred Work Place Sibley Mills Augusta GA

The other discovery was finding another generation of kindred, previously unknown.
It’s been very exciting getting to know this new couple through a series of letters written during the civil war.  We rejoined Ancestry.com which enabled this newest discovery.  Look for a 2 part series revealing the content of the letters .

 

Jan 14 2013

War Fans the Flames of Love

Letter from TWG INGLETT to Martha A. PALMER TWG INGLETT letter to wife Martha A. PALMERThomas Wilkes Glascock INGLETT left his sweet wife, Martha A. PALMER, with 3 children to fight in the Civil War.  They carried on their courtship throughout the conflict through letters.  T.W.G. INGLETT was 25 years old when he wrote the above tender letter to his 21 year old sweetheart wife back at home in Columbia County, GA, outside of Augusta, GA.

At the time of the letter, T.W.G. or “Tommie” was part of an army of 52,000 men in General Lee’s defense of Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia.  The battle of Petersburg began in earnest in March of 1864, and in June alone over 11,000 Union soldiers lost their lives trying to take Petersburg.   Over 4,000 Confederate soldiers died in it’s defense.  There was a lull in fighting the first two weeks of July when Tommie wrote the letter.  Within weeks the fighting started back up.

General Grant commanded the Union forces that had little success during the summer of 1864, for the Confederates were protecting their Capital and the surrounding areas with great resolve.  The Union forces began a siege on Petersburg throughout the subsequent winter to cut off supplies to the Confederate soldiers.  The city finally fell  April 3, 1865 when General Lee abandoned both Petersburg and Richmond.

The siege of Petersburg is considered  the last significant stand for the Confederate forces.  The ultimate surrender took place at Appomattox Court House on April 9th, six days after the abandonment of Petersburg.  T.W.G. INGLETT returned home to Georgia and Thomas Jefferson (Sandy) INGLETT was born 16 May 1871, father of Essie Lee INGLETT.

The following is a transcript of the letter, with current spelling and punctuation:

                                          Camp Near Petersburg, VA

                                                      July 15th 1864

My dear little wife, I will drop you a few lines to inform you that I received your kind letter of July 1 and was glad to hear from you, but sorry to hear that you had got so poor. I am well and I hope this may find you and all the rest in good health.  My dear, I am worn out for I have been exposed to the fire of the yankees sixty days, but I am not whipped yet.  We have lost a good many men out of our Brigade.  One day we lost 57 out of one of our Regiments.  But it is not so bad as it has been, for we don’t sharp shoot as much as we did.  I got struck with one ball on the collar bone, but it did not enter for it went through a gun before it hit me.  Poor little Ned and Eli Beasley got killed on the 20th in a charge.  We just have to watch day and night for the mortar shells and dodge them the best we can.  The yankees are in 75 yards of us and it is a continual fire day and night.  My dear I can’t give you half of the news for it would take me a month.  Give my love to all of my folks and tell them to write to me.  Give my Respect to babe and to your Pa and Ma and to Emma and all the rest of Ben’s folks and receive the best portion for that sweet little girl Mattie that has got my heart.  God bless you my love.  How bad I want to see you.  I will close, my love, for this time.  Good Bye Mattie until I hear from you again.  Write soon to your love, Tommie Boy.

Mrs Mattie A. Inglet

My Pen is bad, my ink is pale

My love for Mattie will never fail

Look at this and think of me

T W G Inglet