THE LETTERS

THE LETTERS - Part 3

LETTERS FROM MICHAEL AND EDWARD HOLMES, C.S.A, 1861- 1865

EDITED BY: GORDON W. HOLMES, JR.
January, 1995, Revised August, 2000

4 Miles from Manassas Junction
August l0th/61

Dear Mat
Thos Armstrong thinks he will git off home in the morning. I will write you a few lines. I have writen till I have got tired without I could git a letter from home. I have not had a word from home since those boys came up to join the Blues--neither from you nor from Ned. What is the matter the letters they brought me was very short. I do hope I will git a letter tomorrow. I have written five letters home in the last ten days. I have no news to write. We ar lying up in an old field drilling pretty hard. The weather is very warm here at this time. there is some talk that we will be mooved on towards Alaxandra soon but that has been the talk ever since we stoped at this place. We no nothing of the moovement of a large part of our army. We have no ida that we will be attacked soon. The Federal army is so much shatered & torn up that they cant posabley make a farward movement in several months if they ever do. I wrote Ned a long letter about the battle but dont no whether he got it ar not. I have got no (letters) since I wrote to him. I fear you ar low down in sperits from the tone of your last letters to me. You need not be uneasy about me. It is true I would like to be at home to see you all but I have no wish to be out of the servis as long as my country is thretned by a mercinary herd of scoundals whos watch word and war cry is Buty & Boothy. When my time is out I will come home for a while but shold the country need the servis of moore troops from Henry County and there is not anough who has not bin ar willing to go -1 will go in to servis again but I have no ida that will be the case. The war will be closed before our time is out. I am pretty shore I shal be home at court. I have writen so much lately that I cant think of any thing more to write. I was never in better health in my life. I have lost 20 lbs in waight since I left home & feel much better than when I was so fat. I have writen home what I wanted don. Jim Howerton will be home in a few days. He will tell you all about every thing. He is not able to stand the servis. Write me oftin & long letters.

Mike

East of Bull Run 4 Miles from
Manassas Junction

Dear Ned August 14th/61
I have concluded to write you a few lines tho I had about concluded not to write again till I recd a letter from home. I have not recieved a line since the McAllister Boys came on now nearly a month since that time I have written 6 letters home. I dont no what is the matter. It (may) be the way your letters ar directed you direct to the 1st Rifle Regment- that is not the way. Direct to the 6th Ala Regment with out any rifle too it. I have no news to write. We have a rumer here today that Gov Wise & General Johnson & Lee have thrashed the Lincolnits out in Western Virginia. It is reported that the enamy lost 1200 kild & that we lost 600 & that the enamy is uterly driven from Virginia. I hope it is so. [R.E. Lee & Gov. Wise attempted an action against federals in Kanawa Valley, Va.( now W.V.) there was no real action] We have herd nothing from the election at home only that Armstrong was elictid. The railroad between here and Richmond has bin broke down for the last two days consiquently we have had no mail. I have expected for the last week that Jim would git a discharge & come home. His health has improved so rapedly for the last ten days that he will not come home at this time. He is nearly as well as he ever is & I think sta(n)ds as good a chance to git through, he could not git a discharge at this time now how he has improved so much. I tell you there is very little chance for a fellow to git off unless he is d(y)ing. If I was to git bad sick I never would ask for a discharge - I would l(e)ave without any showing. Jim I dont think will have any need for a discharge he looks better than he has in two months. I think I will be home at court. We lost one of our men yesterday - Jackson Regester from dail (Dale County) - he had bin sick ever since we left Lynchburg. He had Measels & from that direah. There is seavrl other Measels casis that I think will stand a good chance to di yet. We have no new cases of sickness in our company. The boys ar in good spirits and think we would be hard to whip but dont think we will git a chance to fight. If the news we heare from Western Virginia to day is correct the war I think is about over. I am very sorry to see our people wanting to leave home. There is plenty of men out of Henry County now for one time. I think it hily ne(ces)sary for some to stay at home and keep things straight there. I am very anchus to hear from home at this time but do not expect to heare now til Mr Teaque comes back. We shall look for him next Sonday. tell Mr Howerton I will write to him soon. Jim says he wrote yesterday. I will write to Martha when I git a letter from home. I think now we will move farward a few miles pretty soon. Perhaps back near Farfax Station but direct your letters to Manassas Junction till further orders. Write to me often & all the news. I cant think of any more to write. I will close. Write me how much corn we will make. I have bin uneasy for fear we had not made anough to do us let me no.

Mike

Sangster + Roads August 16th/61

Dear Mat
I write to you this morning to let you know how I am giting on. I am tolerable well tho I have taken a cold which has set me back a little. We struck tents yesterday & mooved up to this place which is about 5 miles from where we were & on the road to Alaxandra. We ar now about one mile south of Farfax Station our old encampment. As we retreeted from Farfax Station 4 weeks ago we burnt down all the bridges on the railroad from Farfax Station to Manassas (5 in number) which is now being rebilt & will be done in a few days. Then the cars will run back to the station. So Farfax Station will be our office after this so direct your letters to Farfax Station in future. It is understood that we will stay here for some time. I would not be surprised if we stay here all winter. there is no dainger of atack in this quarter soon. The cowardly raskels dont dare stir out of Alaxandra- our pickets ar up in 3/4 of a mile of the city. I like the place we ar incamped now. It is a butiful place an the water good tho I feare not anough of it. The weather has changed very sudenly. The first of the week it was very warm- yesterday and today it feels like Oct back home. People who live here say there mite not be any more hot weather- I hope there wont be it is the suden change of weather that gave me a bad cold. The most of our company is well at this time tho we have two ar three men very sick. Fru Tiller will di if he dont mend soon he has bin sick two months & never will git well here if indeed he could any where. The Capt has tried to git him a discharge from the sirvis but has failed up to this time. The arangiments for discharging soldiers who is not able to stand the sirvis is miserable bad & I think inhumain. There is some war news of importans if it be true- We heare that Gov. Wise has whiped the dogs out of Northwestern Va. & the Yankees attempt to cross aver at Leesburg- after giting over about 1700 on the Va. side the river rose so rapedly they could not cross any more nor get back those they had over- while in that condishion our Folks attacked them & killed & taken the last one of them togather with all there arms & baggis- if that be the case it will be a sever blow on them. I think they ar about done all they can do. I dont think they will ever be able to make another big fight- there will be perhaps some s(k)urmishing yet but I think the fighting is about over- We heare heavy'cannonading this morning in the direction of Acquid Creek- I guess they ar firing at our entrenchments on the Potomac from there ships of war but they cant make any thing there- they try it every week ar two-they float up there vesels & fire at our Folks for a while till it gits too hot for them then they had to pull off. When ever one of there ships comes in raing of our guns they give them fits. I recieved a letter from you yesterday dated the 8th of August which was the first I had recieved from you in over three weeks - you wrote you was not well - hope you ar before this time. I will excuse your short letter on account of your being unwell. I have plenty of paper now so when you write dont leave non for me. I had sooner have the writing from you than the paper. I would be very glad to git a letter a week from home. When you write to me direct your letters as follows

M Holmes
Farfax Station Va.
ceare of A.C. Gordon Capt of
Henry Grays
6th Regment Ala Vol

If you will direct your letters as above & do it your self I will be very apt to git them. When you send them to Abbeville & depend on some body els to direct them it may not be done. There is some thing wrong some where ar I could sertainly git more letters from home than I do. I have recieved 2 letters from Mr. Howerton since I got one from home- till last nite- I will write to Mr Howerton soon. Jim will write him today. Jim is mending very fast & will not come home. George is well he never herd he was electid til last nite. [John Boatwright, spelling aside, mentioned this] He fixed up a band and mailed home. I think he will try to git to come home & fix it up but think it will be a bad chance for him to git off. Enclosed I send you a map of the Battle of Manasas-You be able to understand it well til I come home & show you all about it. I have bin over it & can show you how it all is. I think it is pretty acarut showing of the Battle field. I stop writing to eat dinner. We have got baked pork - cabbage- beets-butter beans- beef heals-buter-coffee & beef hash so you see we ar living very well tho it cost us some thing to live- every thing sell very high- I close by remaining

Yours forever Mike

Sangsters + Roads August 21st/61

Dear Mat
I write you a line this morning which leaves me well accept the toothach. I have had a sevear spell of that for the last two days. I did not sleep any last nite with it. It is a little easy this morning but I fear it wont stay so long. I expect I will have to have it puld out & I hate the ida of having to loose a tooth. I never have lost one & had hoped I never would. I have had a dentis here to work on it some & am going to git him to plug it and an another I have that has comenced to decay. He thinks he can save them both but I fear not. I recieved your letter socks & c by Mr Teague was very sorry to heare that you had bin sick. I shal be very uneasy about you till I git another letter. I am afraid you ar stil sick. I have not heard from your Ma in some time- dont no whether she is staying with you (I hope she is) ar whether she is at Georgis ar over in Georgia. I am sorry to heare that Jordan had lost his Baby. I have not recieved a line from him since I left. I dont have the chanse to write to any body but then I am oblige to- there is a vast differns [between] here and at home. If I were at home I could write a letter any time but it is not the case here. I have no news to write you. I wrote you a letter the other day. Since we mooved to this place we have had a turable wet spell. It has bin raing ever since we moved til this morning. This is a butiful morning clear & cool- the air feels pure & bracing. There is no late war news. The fight in Misoury [Missouri] has bin confirmed but I have only seen the Northern account of it which acknowledges there loss of 800 killed & wounded but there is no doubt but what there loss far exceeds that number. It is believed here that there rout in Misoury was as complete as it was at Manassas- [This was Wilson's Creek,10 August 1861, federal casualties-1317] the news we hear from the army the Lincolnits were retreeting and Gen Mculloch [Benjamin McCulloch] was after them and it is highly probable that we have captured there intire army. I sent the Richmond Dispatch so you git all the latest war news. It is a daily paper. Let me no whether the paper has come to you ar not. I also in my last letter enclosed a map of the Battle of Manassas. let me no whether it gits through ar not. I am going to git a map of Virginia with ----& the seat of war & send ar bring home. I shall not need any more cloths till I come home in Oct. You will have time to make what I want after I git there as I will stay two weeks. Tell Ned I will show him where I want cleard when I come. They will have no time to clear before that time. Aaron must stay where he is til I come home. Tell Ned if any person demands him not to give him up. Tell Aaron I think when Oct. Court is over he will go back up the country- he must be patient. You must git him & Henry what they need. I guess the(i)r crop made a failure. Have the hogs well attended to. You must make all the meet out of what hogs we have as Ned writes me he dont think he can by any. If Ned thinks our folks cant gather the crop without help he must hire some one but if you can git along without hireing it will be the best. Tell Ned I will write to him soon. I want you as soon as you git well to write me a long letter. Your last letters ar pretty short but I no you was not able to write me a long letter. Jim Howerton has mended some tho the weather has bin so bad lately that he has not mended as fast as he otherwise would. I hope he will git well git intirely well. Rube has got about well. There is not much sickness in the company at this time. Some little fever bad colds & c in my last I gave you instructions how to direct your letters so I will be shore to git them. the cars will likely run up to Farfax Station tomorrow so direct your letters to Farfax Station. I cant think of any thing els to write- George & Oren is well no more but remains

Yours as ever
Mike

24th of August 1861

Dear Mike
I write you a few lines this morning that leaves all well. I hope this may find you the same. I saw Bill Jackson, had a long talk with him. He tells very interesting news to one that knows as little about such things as I do. I have nothing to write you this time. We have no good fodder saved in this country. I dont know of one good shock. No cotton crop out at all as I have heard cotton is doing badely. For three weeks or more we have had rain every day & but little sun. You know cotton can not work much but rot all the time. The pea crop will be good, I think yours is. I know I put you up a hollow shoch of fodder the other day. I think [it] will keep though it were put up green. I dont no wether it will or not. I never saw one before though it is the only chance to save it. There is no appearance of fair weather yet, we have just finish pulling fodder & is getting some grass out of the potato patch today. I am helping George Roblers pull fodder today with Henry & Aaron -- going to hall some straw in Monday as we have not hauld but little yet. I am going to Franklin today to see Irwin (Irwin's Invincables) start to the war. I tell you when that Company gets off there will be but few men left in this part of the county. There wont be enough to keep up business rite, I dont think though there may. Every thing is going on smoothly at home, if anything works out worth riting I will keep you posted. I cant rite long letter working to nite, only what I have told time & again. Rite yourself & rite full. I hear that Jim Howerton is not coming home. If he don't tell him to rite me all the news. I have been looking for him home several days. Rite me where you think the next fight will be, if you have any mind. Some think you will attack Washington, some don't & some think you will attack Elaxander---

Ned Holmes

[Irwin's Invincibles became Company E of the Twenty Fifth Georgia Infantry, See 6/7/62, Ned eventually joined this unit]

Sangsters + Roads August 26th/ 61
10 oclock at night

Dear Mat
I am well to nite but feel so low that I cant go to sleep- The cause is that nearly every body accept me got letters from home to night- you must no that I have been very uneasy about you since I got your letter by Mr Teague in which you statid you had bin quite sick. I have not heard a word from you since it worries me almost to death not to git letters when others do. There must have bin 40 letters recieved in camp to nite mailed at Abbeville on the 19th of August. It does seem to me if there had bin any mailed to me & directed rite they would have sertainly have come to hand. I have written you two letters besides this since Tom Armstrong left here for home in one of which I gave special directions how to direct a letter. Now dont think I am out of temper but I cant help but feel sad & cast down when it seems to me that I cant never heare from home. What few letters lettes I git from you is all the sunshine I have in this dreary land. I am gitting along perhaps as well as any one in the servis. I have lernd to play chess to kill what few idle hours I have. I have not plaid a gaim of cards since I left home nor shant. What idle time I have is spent reading news papers (I git one nearly every day) writing to you & playing chess. I have not bin (c)rast nor put on duble duty since we came into servis. The officers ar very kinle to me- grant me any priveliges I ask of them though I dont ask for many. James Howerton left here last Saturday with the view of going home but it is not sertain that he will git through the lines. He left here for Lynchburg with the advise of the Capt. & Col. if he could git through to go home & stay til he got well. His health was very bad when he left. I shall be very uneasy about him till I heare from him. We have a grate many sick at this time. I think there is over 30 of our company on the sick list. Jacob & Toney Gamble is both down- they ar not danigers but have a rite tight case of fever. I have jest bin in to see them. I advised them to go back to Chalottsville or Lynchburg & stay a while this is a bad place for a sick man to stay particular in bad weather. We have had a few days good weather but tonite like rain again. I think it was the long wet spell we had that has made so many sick. Capt Smith has conciderable sickness in his camp. He buried 2 of his men yesterday A T Hardiwick & a young man by the name of Johnson- both dided Sonday. Burt Span(n) has bin sick. If you see his Ma tell her he is mending very fast & is in no daiger. Oats [Capt. Wm. C. Oates, 15^th Ala. Inf.] company came thrasy Manasas last Saturday. I have not herd where they stopped at yet. I think they ar 10 ar 12 miles above us near the battle field. If they ar I shall go to see them soon. There is no war news to write. Ther is some moving about with troops as tho ther might be some servis ahead but I cant tell any thing about it. I no we have a powerful army on the Potomac- It is late I will write no more tonite.

Mike

Sangsters + Roads August 30th/61

Dear Mat

Thas. Armstrong got into camp this morning. He brought me several letters & amongst them one from you- it was the first word I had heard from you since Mr Teague came home. I was very uneasy about you till I got your letter this morning. I hope you wont neglect writing to me so long any more. I have no news to write to you. Our company was all out on picket yesterday. Gard we had a bad time of it. It rained all the time we were out. We got in yesterday about 12 oclock wet & mudy. I expected to have cold from staying in the rain so long but I am all rite today. We have rite smart of sickness yet. Jake & Tony Gamble is still sick. I hope they ar better & will soon be well. Frank Culver is rite sick. The weather has cleared up today- if it will only stay so I think health will improve it--- thought we will moove from here in a short time up to Farfax Court House. If we go there we will not stay but a few days. There is some indications of a fight at this time in the neighborhood of Arlington Heights- there has bin some schurmishing yesterday & day before. Up about Arlington Heights our folks taken posesion of a high hill [Munson's Hill] from which they can see Washington five miles off. We only had one regment on the hill. Day before yesterday the Yankees went out with three regments to drive them off but they failed. Our troops drove them back and held the hill til our reinforcements got to them. Some think we will go up to the hill I speak of, some say to Farfax C.H. I dont which place we will go whether to ar one ar not. Direct your letters to Farfax Station. I think I will be home in Oct. I have not heard from Jim Howerton since he left. I would write a long letter but Capt Smith is going to start home now. I want to send this by him to Franklin. I will write again soon. I will write Ned tomorrow if we don’t moove. no time to write any more.

Yours till Death

Mike

(added later)

Sept 2nd Capt Smith failed to git off so I mail this to you. Nothing new to write. I very well write often

Mike

Sangsters + Roads Sept 1st 1861

Dear Ned

This is Sunday eavning. I will try to write you a few lines. I am very well but it is more than a grate many can say. We have now about 25 of our company on the sick list. Most of the cases is a low grade of fever if not Typhoid nearly as bad. Jake & Toney Gamble is both quite sick tho I think Jake is a little better this morning. We got a private house for him yesterday. About one mile from the camp & Jesee Bowen is waiting on him. We could only git a place for one & thought Jake was in more dainger than Toney so we mooved Jake & left Toney in camp. I fear today that Toney is as sick as Jake. We will try to git him a place tomorrow. I guess a list of the sick as reported this morning would be of as much interest as any thing I could write so I line you below the surgons report this morning. Several of those that is reported is not sick much- several of them going about tho they ar not fit for duty. The report is as follows, H. L. Crim, Thos. P. Doswell, J. Buffalo-- Wooton, H. D. M. Trawick, H. W. I. McMath, John Gamble, I.M. Gamble, A.W. Black, E. Roach, D. P. Brown, M. U. Kirkland, J. A. Corbett, Wm R. Stuart, J. H. N. Gilford, B. Starlin, A. Armstrong, J. A. Oats, [John A. Oates-See "Oates" pg X674] J. R. Hardee, W.H. Tiller, F. L. Tiller, J. T. Cubner, J. S. Calk, J. Newman, J. B. Casady, Tom Armstrong.
I have taken the above from the Morning Report. I hope we will have no more new casis but fear we will. I dont like the weather last nite- it was nearly cold anough to frost- to day the sun shines warm. As to war news I hardly no what to say- the future is rather in so much unsertainty that it is hard to come to an opinion about movements ahead. We heard bad news from the coast of N. Carolina this morning. The enamy has run in a big fleet-taken two forts and a number of prisoners. [Butler took Ft. Clark and Ft. Hattaras on coast of N.C. 8/26/61] I am very sorry to hear of it but dont think it will afect us but little. The point they have taken is worth very little to them & less to us -they will never be able to land troops from the island they have taken on (to) the main land. You will see full accounts of it in the news paper long befor you read this. If we may judge from the moovements of the Army at this time we will sertainly have a fight soon. There has bin several brushes in the neighborhood of Arlington Heights lately. Our folks has bin sucsesful so far-we now acupy a hill (withlin five ar six miles of Washington & (with)in sight of the town- whether we will attack ar not I dont no-for the last 4 days we have (been) expecting to march every hour. There bin three days provisions in the wagons ready to start at a minit warning- how long we will be in suspense I no not. If the enamy attemp to drive our folks from the hill I speak of it will bring on a general battle. I hope it will come - I have no fear of a general fight. I no we ar able to whip them any time on any ground with any thing like equal numbers. Our army is gradually mooving up the Potomac towards Harpers Ferry & if there is no fight near Washington soon to draw that wing of our army they will sertainly cross & attack Washington in the rear ar Baltimore. I am inclined to think if they cross That Baltimore will be the point of attack- we have fifty thousand friends in Maryland that is now not allowed to express thier sentaments- if we had a army in that state they would rally to our standard by tens of thousands. I have recieved very few letters from home in the last six weeks. I have written a grate many letters home in that time. I wrote a letter to Martha day before yesterday by Capt Smith- he left here expecting to go home but I hear he did not git off. He has resinded (resigned) & will go as soon as he can git off. I tell you that it is next to impasable for a man to git off from here now on any terms. I guess he mailed my letter to Franklin. I have no instructions to give about my business about home for I no you can tell better what aught to be done than I can. I have got Jim Howerton to look after my money matters if he gits home & is able. We have not heard a word from him since he left. I am very uneasy about him. I expected he would write me from Lynchburg but if he did I have not got it. I will write to him as soon as hear where he is. I want you to have the hogs made as good as they can be made. I dont no what the chans will be to by bacon bad I guess.

September the 2nd

I didnt finish my letter yesterday so I writ a little this morning. I heard from Jake Gamble late last nite he was better. I think he will git well. Toney is no better- I am going as soon as we git off of drill to try to git a house for him. I dont no whether I will suceed ar not- every house in this country is allready full of sick. I shal try very hard to git off home in Oct. but if there is not some change it will be a bad chance. You wanted me to write you what I saw on the battle field- I wrote you a long letter after I went over it- since that time I sent Martha a map of the Battle field- I also subscribed & sent to Abbeville the Richmond Dispatch a daily news paper that publishes all the late war news. I have not herd whether the map ar the paper ether got home. I thought you could git the paper from Abbeville 2 ar 3 times a week & by that means keep posted up with the war. Martha need not fix me any cloths til I come home if I git to come- if I dont I will write what I want. I wrote some time ago about Aaron- he must stay where he is til I come home- Clendenin holds me responsible for him- tell him there is no doubt but he will go up the country when Caxwells case is decided. Mr Teague is going to Manasas to day. I will have this mailed there. Direct your letters to Farfax Station til further notice. Teague wants to go so I must close. I think I git a letter from Jim Howerton today.

Mike

Sangster's + Roads Sept 5 1861

Dear Mat
I have not writen you in three ar four days soly becaus I had nothing to write. My health is very good. the health of the company is improving tho we report about 30 sick yet not many of them but what is able to go about. Tom Lightfoot has got about well- there was orders issued this eavning for all the sick that was at houses in the country to be brought to camp to be sent to the rear- that looks like our folks expectid a fight soon- there has bin conciderable activity in the Army for the last week- the Yankees came out yesterday & drive in our pickits killing one of the cavalry but they cut back to Alaxandra in a hurry- the Yankees were recinoriting yesterday eaving in a Balloon- we could see it very plain- it was near Alaxandra- it rose up til it appeard about as high as the sun does at 8 oclock- from where we were it looked about as large as a hamper Basket- we saw it for over one hour. [Prof. T. Lowe flew his balloon "ENTERPRISE" from near chain bridge on Sept 4, 1861] went down to Manassas yesterday to look after some freight & while I was there I saw President Davis-he has bin among the army for several days & looking round on the out post- in size he is about the size as Gen McAllister perhaps a little larger-I image about 45 years of age- he looks like he was in bad health- a person can see from the firm determed look of the man that he is capable of doing grate things- there is conciderable stir in camp this eavning fixing up to send the sick back & gess all the bagage that we cant tote will be sent back- My partishion for Furlow to come home has bin up to Bourigards Quarters today but I dont no whether it has bin approved ar not. as soon as I find out I will write you. I want to come very much. I wrote Ned since we was out at Springfield- I no you saw the letter so I need not say any thing about it again. I am giting short of ---. Tell Mother I recvd her letter per Hudsbeth & was glad she wrote to me -was also glad she was going to make me some Jeames cloth(e)s for I shall need them. I have had no letter from home since Dick came. I will write to you again as soon as I heare whether my papers ar fixed so I no whether I can come home ar not. Capt Gordon has bin rite sick but is mending- he is up (&) about yesterday & today. Still his health is not good nor want be soon he has rumatism which I fear will git worse as the weather gits colder. George is well- Orin is not well but up & about. He has bin out in the country 3 ar 4 days came in this eav(n)ing. It has bin so long since I was at home that I have lost the hang of my business. I dont no any thing to say about it. You must all do the best you can. I remain yours as ever

Mike

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