FRANKLIN COUNTY, GEORGIA
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Collection of Eason's
Letters
By
Charlotte Collins Bond
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Introduction to Collection of Eason's Letters
My sincere thanks to all the people through the years who preserved and passed along these wonderful letters to our generation. Somewhere out there, are a few more of these letters. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the owners would submit them?
The original letters were written in a beautiful script, but totally without punctuation. Capital letters were used at random. All spelling was phonic, i.e. they spelled by the sound of the word. These letters were most difficult to transcribe, therefore I have taken license to add punctuation, capitol letters and other necessary changes to make reading easier.
The author’s of these letters, for the most part, lived in the same community, as well as the characters mentioned. The community is still known as the Bond Community and there was no public school until Bond Academy was built in 1889. I assume that the Poor Schools were all the education that was available prior to the Civil War.
Charlotte Collins Bond ………………………………........................................................................... These five Civil War letters were from James F. Eason of Franklin County, Ga. He was the son of Elisha and Mary Eason and the brother of Emily Eason Sartain, widow of Vandiver Sartain. The original letters have been preserved by Eason’s descendants and are being held by one of his great granddaughters. To her we say THANK YOU. James was in Co. F, 37th Regiment, Army of TN, Franklin Rangers. It appears that he never left Georgia. Since he so often mentioned the hospital and he mentioned being one-handed, you might assume that is the reason he was near the hospital. Perhaps he was given light duty to help out at the hospital. Perhaps some of his descendants know what happened to his hand James mentions J. B. Bray. He married Polly Sartain and lived next door to Vandiver Sartain’ family in the 1850 Madison County census. According to the census records Vandiver’s parents were John Sartain, age 80, born in Va. and Anna Sartain age 45 born in NC. Vandiver was only 18 in 1850. James married Sara Crowe in Franklin County April 21, 1859. She was b. 11-9-1832 and d. 11-30-1912. She was the daughter of Thomas Joseph and Eliza Jane Crowe. James was b. 07-28-1831 and d. 05-24-1903 Their Children are: 1- John Wesley b. 04-06--1860 2- Mary [Jane?] b. 1862 3- Madison b. 1864 4- James b. Nov. 1876. ………………………………........................................................................... J. F. Eason Dear sister, I
take the opportunity of riting you a few lines in answer to yours and
nettys which I received yesterday and was sorry to hear of you having the
sour eyes. I hope they will get well soon. I was sorry to hear of the
painful death of Vandiver. It looks like they are going to keep the men
all in the war till they make a finish of all of them. I know you are all
in a heap of trouble, but try to fare it the best you can. We have all
got to die sooner or later and let us try to live so that when we come to
leave this world, that we may be received up in that brite and hapy world
whare parting will be no more. These lines leave me in common health
excepting back and legs. They hurt me very bad at times. I expect to
start to the company in a few days. I am getting tired of this place. I
have to stand guard every other day and we don’t get half enough to eat.
I know I can’t stand to march but I can’t get to come home and want to sea
the boys and I thought I would go and stay a while with them and if I
can’t stand it I can but come back. I still live in hopes that I will
fight through and get home safe again. I have been praying for that a
long time and I think my prayer will be received. I know it is a time
that prayer is needed if it ever was, Our world is in an awful condition
and we must look to a higher power for protection. You must all get a
long the best you can and take everything fare and easy and pray to the
food one for help. I hope we will meet some day. If we never meet on
earth let us try to meet in heaven. So I must come to a close. Rite soon
and let [me] know how you are all getting a long. Direct your letter to
Atlanta and if I leave before it gets hear, I will make arrangements for
it to be sent on to me. So I close, give my respects to Mr. Bray and
family. My love to you and Aunt Anna and the children. So nothing more
but remaining your loving brother till death. ………………………………........................................................................... J. F. Eason Dear sister
and family, I take pleasure in dropping you a few lines in answer to your
kind letter that came to hand last evening and was gladly received. I was
glad to hear that you ware all well. I can say to you that I am in very
good helth at present I weigh 188 pounds. I hope these lines will come to
you safe and find you and Family and the neighbors all in good helth. I
havent much to write that would interest you. They had a considerable
fight up at the front last Wednesday. The Yankees charged our men three
times. Our men drove them back out of their lines of brest works with
heavy slaughter. One of our brigades went in with one thousand men and
came out with 400. That was cutting them down very fast. Thare was two
or three divisions engaged in the fight. Our loss kild and wounded was a
bout two thousand, mostly wounded. A long train of them went by hear
yesterday morning going down to Greensboro. Oursick and wounded is
getting a long very well. We have a few caces of the fevor that is very
low. I herd a man say last night on the train that they cut off 86 lets
at Marietta the other night after the fight. You said that you herd that
Richmon was taken by the Yankees. It is a mistake. They haven’t got it
yet nor no likely hood of having it. I was very glad of the paper you
cent me for I am out of money and it looks like they never intind to pay
us any more. They have been saying they was going to pay us now for a
month and no money yet. Will I must close, rite often as you can. Give
my best respects to Mr. Bray and family and all the neighbors my best
respects to you and family. Your affectionate Brother till death. [This letter was postmarked Milledgeville, GA and addressed to Mrs. Immelie Sartain, Franklin Springs, Franklin County in one of the most beautiful scripts I’ve ever seen.] ………………………………........................................................................... J. F. Eason
Dear Sister, I am again permitted to drop you a few lines to let you know
that I am yet a living and is in tolerable fare health. Hoping and
trusting that these lines will find you and Family all joying [good]
health. Sister, I have nothing much to anticipate to you. Thare no news
much a stirring. Our army has tore up the rail Road from above Atlanta to
Brigport on Tennissee River and they are a going on in to Tennissee.
Thare is some Yankees in Atlanta and I hear they have come down 30 or 40
miles this Side and and is grinding up the peoples Sugar Cane and
foraging out this Country’s and haulling it to Atlanta. But they will
soon be routted from thare. They say thare is a part of them following on
after our Army and as soon as they get far enough so they can’t get back
they will run them out of Atlanta or make an effort Sister, we don’t have
quite as much to doe as we have had. We have got very few sick on hand
and we don’t get many more and I am glad of it for I am wore out and a
little rest won’t hurt bad. I am lisning every day for to have to move
the Hospital but I am in hopes we wont have to move before Spring for we
are very well fixed I hear, and I’d rather stay here till this winter is
over. I want to come home sometime this winter if we don’t have to move.
If we have to move we will have to go a good piece and if I don’t get to
come before we move I Shant get to come at all. Sister rite Soon and give
me all the news and how you are all getting a long with your affairs and
if J. B. Bray is at home or not. If he is give him and Family my best
respects and all the neighbors. I want to sea you all very much. Give my
respects to Aunt Anna and I wish to be remembered in your prayers. So I
close your Dear Brother till Death. Good By. ………………………………........................................................................... J. F. Eason Dear Sister and
family. It is a gain I am blest with another opportunity of dropping you
a line in answer to yours that came to hand a few days a go and was gladly
received. These lines leave me in very good health and I also hope they
may find you and Family all in good health. Sister I am at a loss what to
write. I have nothing to write that would interest you what ever. I have
no news from the Army to give you. The Hospitals has all moved out of
Georgia but this one. They Say that this one is a going to Stay hear. I
hope it will till I can get to come home. I want to come some time
between this and Christmas if I can get off. I got a letter from Sarah
the other day and she said that She had gave birth to a fine son and you
can guess that I wont rest much till I sea it. She has got a head of
me. She has got so she can make Soldiers whether I am thare or not. I
would be glad She wood stop now till the war closed. She has forgot that
I cant use but one hand. I hope She will have mercy on a poor one handed
creater. Sister I don’t know what to say to you a bout your case you Spoke
of , hireing out your black ones and renting your land as you havent made
a nough to doe you all. Likely it would be best if you could a nough for
them. I am at a loss what to advise you to do. May be you know best.
Try to get advice from somebody that you can depend on. If Lincoln is a
lected a gain witch I Suppose he is, Davis has ordered 40 thousand Negroes
out to be put in while men’s places that is detaild back in the front and
cend every man to the front, that is able to toat a gun and it is
recommended to congress to put every man in the field from 17 to 60 and if
so this thing is a going to be crushed out one way or the other between
now and next August. We can only live and hope for the better. Sister
excuse this badly ritten letter. I was in a hurry. I have a heep to
attend to. I rote to you a few days ago. I am your Same Loving brother
till death. My best Love and respects to you all. Good by. ………………………………........................................................................... Georgia Franklin County March the 15th 1870 Mrs. Immelee
Sartain and Family a few lines to you to let you know how we are all
getting a long. We are all sorter about but, Mary Jain. She is in a
quare fix. She has been for three weeks in a curious condition. She has
got what is called The St. Vitus dance. It is a curious complaint. It
works in hir nerves and mussels. She cant hold hir self Still one minure.
She is constant in a work ringing and twisting her self about. I tell you
she is very troublesome. She has nearly lost the use of hands and arms.
Dr. Tucker is attending on her but he don’t appear to doe hir any good. I
think I shal try Adaholt next. I hope these lines will find you all
well. I am looking every day for you to come up and see us. I wish you
could come. I want to see you all very bad. I am getting on with my
grinding finely. Tell John L. Cape I have been looking for him up but I
havent seen him yet. He said when they was up heare that he would come
back the next week. Immelee I want you to rite as soon as you get this.
I want to hear from you all. You must excuse this short letter. I will
doe better next time. I must close for this time for I have to get this
to the office tonight. So I will close. Our love to you all.
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