5 December 1863: “… the Rebels it appears have Smelt a rat and have all Skedadeled moving up towards Verginia…”

Item description: Letter, dated 5 December 1863, from Chauncey B. Welton to his parents.  He describes troop movements in eastern North Carolina near Greenville and mentions having gotten through “the Siege” all right.

[item transcription available below images]

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Item citation: From folder 4 of the Chauncey Brunson Welton Letters #3368, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

Saturday Dec 5th 63

To day the Rebels it appears have Smelt a rat and have all Skedadeled moving up towards Verginia by the way of Greenville, this morning the whole Cavalry Started out to heard them off all of Burnsides and the reinforcements that have just came up.  A large force is comming by the way of London and will soon be here.  So we are at last relieved and we feel some better than we have I can tell you but I must bring this to a close for the mail is going out in a few minutes and I hope it will not onely but soon come in and bring some news from home I presume you have been a little anxious to hear from me but you nead not be any longer for I have come through the Siege all right But no more at present my love to all write soon and often one and all of you

From your

affectionate son

Chauncey B Welton

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One Response to 5 December 1863: “… the Rebels it appears have Smelt a rat and have all Skedadeled moving up towards Verginia…”

  1. Buck Lawler says:

    I believe this entry actually refers to troop movements in eastern TENNESSEE, not North Carolina. Welton’s reference to “siege” probably refers to the siege of Chattanooga.