| | 21 | Author: | Booker, James, 1840-1923 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription]  | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I seat my self, this beautiful
sabath morning for purpose of responding to your
kind favors of the 23 & 28 of Sept. which I received several
days ago, and would have answered them amidiately though I expected to have gon
home soon, and thought that I would answer them in purson as I am such a sorry hand to write , Though it was my s
mis fortune to be in
formed that I could not go yet a while, I took it for my share
and contented my self as usial, I think a soldier aught to be
satisfied to do as well as I hav
bindoing for the last few days. have a plenty of some thing good
to eat and a good apitite to eat it. that is good enough for
any body in war times. though
you know it is not natrial for human
being to be satisfied
the better thay get. the better
thay want. and the more thay
get. the more thaywant, And thare is non of them that knows how to appritiate a blesing until after thay are deprived of it, I
know this by experience. for when I was
permited to injoy the
comforts of good home and kind frends on everry side of me.
I was not satisfied. I wanted to change
my base of
operrations, thought that I could do better than what I was doing
ther,
O if I should ever be permited to injoy such comforts again. I
would know how to appritiate them. (God grant
that I may) Again I say it is not nartrial for
us to be satisfied, though I injoy more comforts
than I am worthey of, yet I am not
satisfied. I thank God that I have bin spared and
permited to injoy
such great blesings while so meney far better than I am have bin cut
down by both desease & the enimy. I have bin
permited to pass unhurt and
injoy
exerlant health, after all this I am not
satisfied. I think that I would be rather better satisfied if the
speculaters were all presed
in to service so the poor women and children could
get some thing to eat with
out paying five times the worth of it,
if thare is any thing
to sell, a speculater is after it, faster
than a hawk after a chicken, it would not do
for me to have my way with them,
thare is no news in this so I will hush it, unless I could say some thing
better about them. I dont
beleave thare is any news in camp of importance
everry thing seems to be verry
quiet a bout here
Gen Corses
[1] Brigade has came
hae here. thay were
sent to Tennessee when we first stoped here. thay say thay had a verry nice time while thay
were gone they did not
loose but verry few of thair men,
our Chaplin has bin
verry
un well for several days though he is proveing now hope he will be well again in few
days. I dont
think I have ever told you his
name it is R.W. Cridlin
[2]he is a verry nice young Baptist minister,
I got a letter from sister
Benson[3] this
morningthay were all well, accept
Johe was at home complaining
though I dont sepose that he was verry bad off. she said he was
going to see his sweet heart. John is gone to the cook fire to make a slise potato pies. I wish you
were here to take dinner with, I see a good meney Ladies
pasing about camp, the married men are sending
for thair
wifes and boarding them with the citerzens around camp, I wrote to
sister Mary the other day and for got to tel her that we did not nead any clothing. we drew a
new suit the other day
anddont
nea want any clothing from home atal
every thing you all sent in the box came
safte I am under many obligations to you all for
send ing us such a finebox it was a great treat to us, I will closes for the presant
youmust write me soon and gave me all the
news | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 22 | Author: | Booker, John, 1840-1864 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I ll take the presant
op potunity
portunity
of answering your kind letter of the 10
inst[2] which came to hand a few days
a go
you
dont
no what pleasure it was
afforded me to receive your letter an
here that you all
wer
gettin on well. I am sure thare is nothin that affords me more
plesure than to recieve a letter from any
of my frends or relation
at home. but
its
sildom I get a letter I had
bin
exspectin a letter from you too or three weeks before I received it I
wreaken I will have to excuse you this time far not
writen sooner an hope that you
will doo
beter next
time. this will in farm
you that my self
an Brother are both well an
much hopeing this will reach you indue time and
find you all injoying the same great Blesing and all all other
Blesing that home can afford, we have some sickness in camp now which come from
exposure I wreaken. Flem Gregory[3] has bin quite sick for the last four or five days. he has the pnuemonia
but is not dangers I dont
think, he is something better
today, he is all the one that is sick in our company an I hope he will bee
soon up
Plese excuse bad Writin
and Spellin for it is very Badly dun
Christmas is close by and I se no chance for me or
James to get home. I would like the best in the
world for one of us to get home by Christmas if we could and I think
one of us was to get a furlough and if the officers would doo
rite we would get one. but
if they can get g home whenever they pleas they dont care for us, I havent never applide for a furlo
but James have bin after one
an
cant get it started, I
beleave if Capt Herndon
[4] would start one for him he would get it but he is Just
too lazy to write it
out,
thare
is ent
a nother company in the regt but
wh what gets more furloughs than our company doo and I dont
be leave
its anything else but because
John Herndon
wount
dont
start them, I wreaken
the next time we orgune
Organize the armey we had
better
all bee
Of ficers or privates one for thare is too much dif farence
made in them,
Capt Herndon expects to get another
fur lough soon after Christmas to go home but if
I had it in power he would not get one til the
last man in his company get one. We are here now dooen
nothen in the wa world not eaven
pickett duty and my oppenion the most of the men that dont get
fur loughs
be fore
thare three years are out will go when thay are out
thay say so any how,
Plese
I dont mean to say that I will go home but
nearly all the men say they will if they
will
dont
call out all the men that have put in substitute
an furlough all the old soldiers that have bin out so long, I am a posed to desertion as much as any
boddy can bee but I say put every one on equal foottin for this is a rich mans war an a por
mans
fight,
[5] I be leave
thare are some of the men that have but in substitute are dooen a great eal of good but the most of them are doo en more harm than good
they are just speculaten
on the poor people, an
soldiers, I must stop a
bout the soldiers for I wreaken you think
I am going the other side of
my self, I dont think think
thare will be much Christmas seen here this time
but I hope you all will have a good time, I exspect there will be a
weding near you in the Christmas
Memory Inman[6]
starts home in the morning on furlou to get
marred I hope he will ge
have a good
time, I exspect he is going
to take Miss Mary
Fullar, I dont
no, I will stop James
& cousin Thom Joins me in love too you all, you must write
soon an give me all the news, no
mamare | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 23 | Author: | Booker, James, 1840-1923 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I was verry glad to hear of the cavilry
catching some of those worthless boys that are sneaking about trying
to keep from doing
thair duty. I hope thay may
suceed in catching all of them and send
them to the
Penitentary to serve thair time thare for
thay are not account at home and a
great eal
less here. so if thay
will put them in a lott and put a over seer
off over them to make them work thay do more good that way
than eny
other, if
thay were to bring them here thay would run way a gain | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 24 | Author: | Booker, James, 1840-1923 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I write you afew lines this eavning which will inform you that
my self & brother are bothe well and I much
Hope this may reach you in due time and find you
injoying the best of health and all other
blesing, We have had a
verry still Christmas un til
yesterday the last day we were caledout to Stop the enimy though fortionately for us thay
were stoped before we got
verry far from our camp, the
Yankees atacked our men at
Green ville
N.C.
about (35) thirty five miles from this place, our
men drove them back. I havent
hird the particulars about the fight, though it is
reported in camp that the yankees took one company of the 57
Va. Regt
prisners I dont
know wether it is true or not, I am verry glad thay
whiped the yankees back without our having to go down
thare, for the roads were
mudy and it was raining the most of the day, it is mostly clear to day and
verry
bloustry, it has bin
warm the most of the time sence we have bin
here it is much
pleasenter here than it is in northern
Va
and every thing is much cheaper, we
can buy potatoes and turnips here for
(3.00) three dollars per bushel by going 5 or
6 miles from camp, the most of the citizens
in the country seem to have a fine
chance of pork in fact everry thing is more plentyful
here than it is in
Va
whare the army has bin,
we have got an awful bad name sence we have bin here, the soldiers dont like the
N.C.
nor the
N.C.
dont like the
Va.
soldiers,
some of the soldiers does act verry
trifling it is enough to make any body mad with
them,
thay will steal, some
times thay go out and steal potatoes and
hogs, the
Gen sent an order here the other day for the
men all to be turned out on the parade ground and then search thair
houses,
thay did not find but
verry little meat in our Regiment though
thay found good eal in the 53
Regt I think thay
found two (2) whole hogs in one company; I hope the thiefs will be sevierly punished for doing so and I guess thay
will
the man that had the meat in our
Regt has
desirted
sence he was caught in his
meanness I expect he will go to the yankees,
he was a verry trifling fellow at his best I think any man that will steal like thay did aught to be whiped with a cow hide, I
have said enough about the rags[2] unless I
could say some thing in thare favor and it would not do for me to say too much about
them I might be caught some time
my self,
Some body stole upwards ($18 000)
eighteen thous end dollars from the QM of our Regiment a short time ago the soldiers were charged with it and I
expect some of them got it
thay was an old Lady
who lost a skillet of soup last night and she
came a round
to day
searching the soldiers houses for it She did not find it in our Regt She went to the
53
Regt I haven't hird
wether she found it or not
it is reported that Gen Barton[3]
said that his Brigade was composed of rags and thiefs for they were rags before thay left
home, I think he had better make some acceptions or mind how he talks ani, if he only new it is
not healthy for him to gave
honist people such a bad name because some men does
wrong, well
thare is no news nor interest in this to you so I
will stop it, | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 25 | Author: | Booker, John, 1840-1864 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I take this opportunity of responden to your most kind an
interresten letter of the 10th of last month which was so long coming to hand I had be gon to think that you had given out writen to me any more. or
had written an I had failed to get your letter. tho I serpose
your letter wer on the road longer than it ort to have bin, I wish I
had some good news to write you. but have nothen of interest to write. I believe the helth of the soldiers here are
very good
tho they all seem to be lo
sperited. They think the time is draw- en
ny when they will be cald
erpon
a gain to meet thare
ine myes on the field a
gain. an to think that thare is no relief for them but that they have got to still remain
in the
field, they have bin
try en to get the men to reinlist for the war an thare have
beena great meney of the men reinlisted The
Govenour[2] came
out the other day an made us a speech an tride to get the men to reinlist for the war, an when he had
quit speeken the Colonel had us all in line an then had the Cullars
cared to the front andthen
told all the men that he wanted all who wer
determen to be freemen to step out on the
line with the cullars
andall who wer
willen to be slaves for thare
enemyes to stand fast anI
wreaken
thare wer a bout one third of the men went
on line with the
cullars
andthe rest stood fast,
I dideant inten to reinlist nor I
wes not willen to be a Slave for my enemyes
and I
dident go on line with the reinlisted, and I dideant wish to
bee in eather line. Colonel
Cabel
[3]
new very well that
thare wer
nun of the men that thort
thot any thing of
them selves ar thare Country that wer willen to becom Slaves for
thare
enemyes. The colonel thot by telen the men what he did he would get all the men to
come on line with the Cullars
an be considered reinlisted. but he faild to get
them, tho thare have a great meny of them reinlisted
sence the officers thinks if we will reinlist it will have a bad er fect on the yankees. tho they have
past a bill to hold us in service andI dont no what good it
will dood for us to reinlist I am of the opinion that
if we wer to reinlist
it would have a bad effect on our leaden
men,[4]
it looks like our leaden
men thinks wee are willen to stay an fight all the time andnever
get tiered, an I beleave that as long as we will stay here anexpress a willinness
to stay here our leaden men will ceep the war up, I be leave that we mout have hud
piece
be fore this time if our head leaden men would would have tride,
when the enemy offered to make a complemise our men wount
here too it, so I am not in favor of reinlisten
tho all that want to doo so
I am wilin, I can bee
just as good a soldier without reinlisten as I
can with it. far I be leave
that we will all have to serve
any way without we desert and
that I never want to doo as long as they will treat
me like illeg. officers orte to
treat men, tho they are fitten a very good way now to make men wars
stil
dissatisfide than they are now. by given
the reinlisted men furlows first. I am due a furlow
now andcome next for one in our company by rights
but because I did not reinlis I get cut out of
furlough. anthey are due me a furlow for reinlis in sixty too, for thirty days
which I have never got, I refused to rein list this time an all of
our company did exsept two an they are both recrutes which is in
for twelve months longer any way, one of them
ha never bin in ranks
sence he be long to the
company he has bin acten as comimasary all the time an the
other one deserted the first time we went in to
Mary land
summer be fore last be
fore the serrende of
harpers farry
an stade at home a bout
fifteen months at home. and then came an joind the scitry
Betalion in Richmond an got
a fur low an went home
an wer er rested an Broat
Back to our company, this man now
reinlist thinken it would make his
cart marcial go a little lite er with him, gets a furlow an goes home be fore I doo that have bin here an
dun my duty all the time as a soldier art
to have dun doo you think thare is any justice in such a way doo en,
as tha I tel you thare is no justice in it, I went
up an give the
Col a talkin a
bout it last nigtn, and if he dont give me a fur lough be
fore he des this deserter I wil
bee very much
er temp er
to tel him what I think of him an take a discharge, I be
leave in the for thing al
ways if they wir not given no fur lows I could stay here
an nor think hard of it but when they a are given
furl
an it comes to my time I want it,
I will stop this chat for I wreaken you had
rather here som then elce that is more interrestin
Thare have bin a good eal of exsite ment here
to day
a bout the yankees makin a rade
below here be teen
Hanover Junction and
Lieueasia CH
and have bin
tar ing the track up
Thare have bin a continuel
canonaden down that way all day to day
an they have sent all of our Brigade from here
exsept our Regt
an a large potion of it is on
Pickett we have orders to be ready to fall in, in
a minute to Prevent ar rade,
Shouldent be serprised if we dont have to leave before day,
you wished to no what they had
don with
Curt Inman[5] he he
wer left at
newbon
I serpose he got
be hand the nigh we left
thare
an wer taken Prisoner
Some of the fifty third said he wer broken down I dident see him that night I saw him a few minutes before we
Started Back,
Memory Inman[6]
wer cart marcialed an his
sintance
wer to doo Po leas duty for his Regt one hour each day for seven days an the Cart said it
wes thus lenient on him on acount of his good conduct
be fore, he havent had to doo any of his duty yet
an I dont reaken he will
have to doo any of it, I hope not
Lin Cary Brown I have never herd any thing from him exsept what I herd from home, he never has come to his company yet, its
all together a mistake about his
comen to his
Regt at
Kinston
if he had of come thare I would have
herd som thing a bout it far we wer all rite
together
Capt.
Jno A. Herndon got a thirty
days furlow to go home to get married I reaken he is going
to take a Miss Beavers,
as my paper is nearly fild I
will have to stop I hope you will not think hard
of this letter for I have bin mad all day an could not write what I wanted to write, I dont exspect
you can read this last page I have wrote it by fire ligh, an thare wer so much fuss I could not rite | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 26 | Author: | Booker, James, 1840-1923 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | I write you afew lines This
eavning which will inform you that my self and brother are both well and geting on verry well. and I
much hope this may reach you in due time and find you all in
joying the best of health and all blesings that our kind Protecter sees fit to
bestow apon you all. I have no news of importance
to write. we are having a verry still time now in camp. though
I am fearful that it will not
remain so much longer if wether keeps open. I
think the spring campaign will soon commence.
and then we poor soldiers will see a hard time. though if it is the will of God for us to suffer why should we
complain when we know that he knows what is the best for us and will
do nothing but for the best. I feel thank ful
that I can cheerfully submit to his will If it is
the will of my maker for me to be cut
down in this war I dont ask to be spared for I
beleave that he will do what is the best for
me, thare is but few things that I would ask to
stay in this
trouble some world for,
one great consolation to me is that if I am cut down, I have a hope of
a better time in the
future whare thare is neither worries and troubles
thay was another lot of our prisners got to Richmond yesterday
paroled from northern prisons I havent
hird of any of my acquantance that came through with them infact I havent hird of any
Virginians that came through this time scearsley, I hope that
thay will parole all of them
soon, I have hird that two of our Co. D had taken the Oath of iligeans and joined the yankee
army. thay keep our men
thare in thier prisons and
treat them so badley that thay become so dissatisfied. thay
had almost as
live die
as to stay thare then thay will get them to take the Oath and jian
thier army, though if it is the will of God for the South
to over power the North.
thier swindling will not avail them any thing in the long run, it may make the war continue some longer. though thay will
see that it will do them no good, | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 27 | Author: | Booker, James, 1840-1923 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Chloe Unity Blair [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bookerletters | | | | Description: | It is with much pleasure that I embrace the present
oppotunity of responding to your kind and
interesting favor of the 17th
inst which came to hand in due time and
aforded me much pleasure to hear that you
were all well. I and would
have answered it amidiately though we had to
go on picket and I thought that I would wait until we came
bac to camp. and may be I
would have some thing new to write so I
have though it is not verry good if it is true, It is reported that Yankee is coming up the peninula I do
not know wether thay are coming in
force or not. or even wether
thay are coming atal, one of our men
were at a fishery about 20 miles below here yesterday he said that
thay were
expecting the Yankees thare when he left, it
maybe just a squad of cavalry aiming to drive our
men from the fishery. I havent
hird
any thing from thare this
morn ing, I hope the next time I hear
from thare to hear that thay are
all rite again. the 53
regt[1] has
bin down thare fishing for some
time, we have drawn fish one time since thay have bin fishing and I
guess will draw more soon if the Yankees dont
drive our men from the fisherry, some of
our men in camp has bin
cacth catching a good meny
fish lateley with hooks I
have caught
verry few my self, though I
guess it is my own fault be cause
I were two
lazy to fish for them, we are having beautiful
wether now for spring also a verry nice time in camp much nicer than I expected
some time ago. I made sure that we would have to fight
before this time. our army and the Yankee army are geting
verry close
to gather
in Northern Va I dont think that it will be many
days before thay
havewill have a
fight, thay had a small skirmish
yesterday morning with cavalry I beleave it is generally beleaved that the Yankees are going to do thier best for Richmond this campaign I beleave
that this campaign will decide the war hope it may
we have bin
verrysuccesful so
this far this spring and I hope and pray that we may
continue to be succesful this summer and
end this cruel war in our favor, We rec
yours and sisters[2]letters of the 24
inst
sence I comenced
writing verry glad to hear from you all though
verry sorry to hear of Martha[3] being sick much hope she
is well before this time, also
verry sorry to hear Ucle of
Uncle Drurys
sufering
with his caugh I much hope it will not pester him long,
[4]
well I beleave that I have
writen enough for the present so I will
close
hoping to hear from you verry soon
Gave my best respects to Uncle
Drury and the rest of the family also to Jennie and her family and til them all to
write to me as I am allways
anxcious to hear from them, | | | Similar Items: | Find |
|
