Author Archives: nkaiser

19 June 1864: “This has been an awful day; fighting, and cannonading and a dreadful thunderstorm.”

Posted on 19 Jun ’14 by

Item description: In this 19 June 1864 letter, George Hovey Cadman, a soldier in the 39th Ohio Infantry Regiment, wrote from the Marietta, Ga., area to his wife about a momentary truce between his company’s skirmishers and the “Johnnies” on … Continue reading →

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4 May 1864: “Why then does he wait for Grant to gather his strength?”

Posted on 4 May ’14 by

Item description: In this letter, Thomas L. Norwood, wrote from Richmond, Va., to his uncle Walter W. Lenoir, catching him up on news of the 37th North Carolina Troops, Company A. Norwood reported on the prosecution of the case against … Continue reading →

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25 April 1864: “I will let them rot and not disgace this Sheet by a recital of thier traitorous iniquities”

Posted on 25 Apr ’14 by

Item description: Chauncey Brunson Welton (1844-1908), a soldier in the 103rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army, wrote to his mother, Julia A. Welton, from camp at Bulls Gap in eastern Tennessee. His letter relates how his regiment had recently left … Continue reading →

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7 April 1864: “It may be a belief entertained and justly founded, but I am persuaded expression would be severely criticised.”

Posted on 7 Apr ’14 by

Item Description: In this letter, dated 7 April 1864, William Brown at Richmond wrote to Robert Lewis Dabney regarding edits to the manuscript biography of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson written by Dabney. Brown suggested that Dabney rewrite potentially controversial references … Continue reading →

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23 March 1864: “Considered a drawn fight.”

Posted on 23 Mar ’14 by

Item Description: In this diary entry of 23 March 1864, Kenneth Rayner Jones, then a lieutenant in the 27th North Carolina Regiment, described a snow fight between Cooke’s and Kirkland’s brigades. Twelve inches of snow had fallen the day before … Continue reading →

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28 February 1864: “I am heartily disgusted with public opinion.”

Posted on 28 Feb ’14 by

Item Description: William Dudley Gale wrote in this letter, 28 February 1864, to his wife, Kate Polk Gale, describing the destruction wrought by the Yankees on Meridian, Ala., and Enterprise, Ala., and defended the much maligned strategy of his father-in-law, … Continue reading →

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24 February 1864: “These times we hesitate not to ask favors of our friends & generally our friends are willing to serve us.”

Posted on 24 Feb ’14 by

Item Description: In this letter, Mary C. Ruffin wrote from Graham, N.C., to her nephew, Major Daniel Heyward Hamilton Jr., seeking his help in procuring kerosene oil and ascertaining the price and quality of cotton cards. She was sensitive to … Continue reading →

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22 January 1864: “…Every man ought to represent only such means as properly belongs to him; otherwise taxation might be very unequal.”

Posted on 22 Jan ’14 by

Item description: In this letter dated 22 January 1864, Gunn & Bowe Boot and Shoe Makers sent to Thomas Ruffin the remaining cents due on a note they had paid off in October 1863. Gunn & Bowe could not help … Continue reading →

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21 November 1863: “In Buncombe the cavalry are scouring the country gathering up every man they find of conscript age and they have taken some that are beyond the age”

Posted on 21 Nov ’13 by

Item description: In this diary entry, dated 21 November 1863, Samuel A. Agnew recorded some of his usual comments on the weather and his doings and also noted the cavalry’s apparent ruthlessness in rounding up conscripts in Buncombe, Miss. Samuel … Continue reading →

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13 November 1863: “…The loss of Slaves, fencing, stock subsistence etc will prevent our doing much in the way of farming for several years…”

Posted on 13 Nov ’13 by

Item description: In this letter, 13 November 1863, William Lenoir in Atlanta, Ga.,  wrote to his cousin, Rufus Theodore Lenoir, in Fort Defiance, N.C., with an update on the family’s business interests that were at risk during anticipated Yankee occupation. … Continue reading →

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