|
Jesse Thompson Reveals
War Letter of His Father
Written in June of 1863
During Civil War; Tells of Hardships That Soldiers Had To Undergo
Mr. Jesse D. Thompson of Aberdeen hands the Citizen a
newspaper clipping of one of the letters of his father, the late Isaac
Thompson, which was written during the Civil War. The letter follows:
June 20, 1863
Richmond, VA
Mr. A. I. L. Cameron:
Dear Sir:
When you left
me at the Burgaw Station I promised to write you at some time, but owing to
our continual moving from one place to another, I have neglected to do so
until now. I have scarcely had time to write to my wife; therefore you will
excuse me for not fulfilling that promise sooner.
We remained
at Burgaw after you left us until that night. We then took a train for
Wilmington where we remained two days. We then started for Charleston. After
waiting at the wharf in Wilmington until midnight for transportation, we set
out for Charleston. After two days and a half travel, we reached the place,
expecting a fight immediately but found no indications of a fight there.
After stacking arms and resting for two hours, we took the train for
Socotaligo Station near Savannah. This being about the 20th of
February, we found peach trees in full bloom, gardens of the finest kind and
everything showing that summer was nigh; there was cabbage which had leaves
as large as a palm leaf and Irish potato tops knee high.
Took Up Camp
We took up camp at this
station in an old field surrounded by rice fields on every side entirely
covered by water. This was of course, called a sickly place; yet we enjoyed
good health, as the sickly season had not come on. Here we stayed for eight
weeks throwing up breast works all the time and expecting an attack by the
Yankees all the time; yet it was never made. After finishing the work
necessary to defend the place, which was a breast work three miles long made
of dirt, we were ordered back to Charleston. When we got on the train and
started, you ought to have heard the boys holler. Such a fuss you never
heard in your life. We all thought we were coming back to old North
Carolina, but when we reached Charleston we marched four miles the side and
took up camp in a beautiful grove between Cooper and Ashley river where we
remained two weeks, resting. We then came back to Wilmington, which all was
glad to see. We remained there but a short time before we were ordered to
Topsail sound. When we reached that place we were all delighted with it and
were in hopes we would stay there this summer. There we could get fish a
plenty and had boats to go across the sound to the beach and look at the
ocean and nearly everything beautiful there was to behold, but scarcely two
weeks had elapsed when we had to leave this beautiful place and go to
Magnolia. This, we all knew was making a start back to Virginia and
therefore but little hollering was done. After staying there two days we
left for Goldsboro, which was inching on to Virginia. Two weeks passed and
we were at Kinston. Here I saw the first man killed that I ever saw in my
life. He had made the attempt to go to the Yankees, for which crime he was
shot. A few days after this the Yankees came up near Kinston and surprised
General Ranson’s Brigade, carrying off a good many prisoners. Consequently,
we were ordered to pursue them, which we did, opening upon them with our
cannons whenever we could get in sight of them. We followed them within
seven miles of New Bern but could not get them to show fight at all .We then
returned back near Kinston and repaired our breast works which the Yankees
had torn down. After finishing this we came back on here to Richmond and
after marching 75 or 80 miles, we came back to the seven pines where the
fight took place last June and are now in camp. Sure, we can see plenty of
dead men lying here on the ground now and their bones are scattered over
ground in every direction. Mr. Cameron since I saw you I have been through
enough to kill any man. I have worked hard all day with but one meal’s
victuals. I have had to eat beef so poor that it would stick to my fingers
and I could scarcely get clear of it. I have marched through dust that would
rise up in my face till I could write my name in my face. I have marched 30
miles a day in this kind of dust; yet you cannot conceive the hardships I
have been through.
Mr. Cameron,
I have given a very brief history of my travels and hardships since I saw
you last, but time will not permit me to go to greater details at present. I
will just say that notwithstanding all of my hardships, I enjoyed as good
health as I ever did in my life. The regiment generally has been in good
health. George W. Davis of our company died a week ago. I had forgotten to
tell you that one of our men was shot near Petersburg as we came on here,
the court martial have sentenced him to be shot on that day for running away
five times. He was shot in less than one hundred yards of me. When they
fired upon him he fell instantly, crying out, Lord have mercy, and died
without a struggle or a groan.
Fine Rain
We had a fine
rain here night before last. I hope you had it also, for it was needed,
though there is nothing making here. It does look like starvation is at the
door and prices indicate the same. You can buy two eggs for one dollar and
everything is high in proportion. I would like to say something about the
length of this war if I knew what to say. When I came back I thought
starvation would have ended it before now; yet it is not so. The end looks
farther off than it did then; yet I hope that the Lord will look upon us in
mercy and will take us out of the hands of these wicked rulers who are now
trying to get the last poor man killed to get him out their way. Oh, that
the hand of their destroyer would overtake them and remove them from our
midst that peace and prosperity might again prevail over our once happy
country. But now, miserable, miserable country. Our leaders are getting so
bold in wickedness that I can but think that God will crush them for their
deeds, I believe that nearly all the soldiers in the Confederacy are for
peace; let it come as it will. I believe myself it would be better to be
subjugated and quit now than to fight on two years longer and gain our
independence?
For if I
fight at all let me fight for my family’s right. I am a southern man of
southern principal; yet I am not in favor of fighting until we are worse off
than we would be to be subjugated. I leave this subject now, knowing that
man’s wrath has got to such a place unless divine providence interferes that
neither party will so, for the want of means to carry it on.
I saw Angus
Smith a few days since and glad to see him, yet was sorry to hear of the
death of Daniel. He was in good health though he had not quite recovered
from his wound. I will now close my letter, hoping this will find you and
family all well and the neighbors generally.
The men in
our company are generally well. WE are getting a long some better than we
have done; please write soon and tell me all the news and everything and
anything else for anything does me good that I hear from that part of the
country.
Excuse bad
writing and spelling and all other mistakes for I am in such a hurry I
cannot write scarcely at all.
Yours very
truly and sincerely,
Issac Thompson
|
