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Letters
from James Douglass [1820-1899] to his family - wife Sarah Breese
Douglass [1826-1885], son, 1. JANUARY 1, 1865 [pages 1-2] Jan 1 65 Near Petersburgh New Year Sunday Night Dear Sarah I now seat myself to let you [k]now that I am well at present and am enjoying myself as well as I can under the circumstances and certinely hope this will find you enjoying yourself better than I am. I am impatiently looking for a letter. I haven’t received but one letter -the first one that you sent to Carlisle. I got that a week ago yesterday. I have written too[two] since. I hardly know what to write. I haven’t heard from home in so long but I must scratch something. I don’t want you to trouble about me for I will get along I ges [guess]. They all think the thing is favorable. Well I don’t (k)now much about it. Well we got started [startled?] a little yesterday morning when I woke up . They was firing perty smart. We could hear them holler plain. They husseled our regiment out in a hurry just before daylight but we had not got our guns. Some did not go out but it was nothing but the pickets. The Rebs undertook to come over. There was about a hundred come over all at once. They come in from 6 to 10 a day. [Deserters? Surrendering? - bh] Well, enough about that. This is a perty dirt New Year for me, but I hope that most of you will enjoy it. It is perty cold weather. I think it must be perty cold up there. Well, I would like to just pop in and see what you are doing tonite but I cant so I will just have to think about it, so you write. My respects to you. I remain your most [???] husband JD to SJD
[page 3] I thought I would just say a few words to let you [k]now that I think of you. I would like to be there to help you get wood but I can't so I want you to do the best you can and be a good boy til I come and wate on your Ma and do the best you can. Take good care of the cattle. Be careful of your hay for I guess it is a cold winter. This is a rather dull new years for me. I hope you are enjoying it setting by a good fire if nothing else. I want you to write to me and tell me how your getting along. Tel(l) Uncle Charles to write to me and not wate for me to write for it is a job for me to rite. You rite and tell me how the cattle gets along. Tell me all the news. So no more. This from your father to his son JD to CD
[page 4] I thought I would rite a few lines to you so you would not be jealous. I cant think of much to write only I want you to be a good girl and help your ma. I sent a brest pin in my last letter. I got a package(?) around it. If it don’t sute [suit] you let Carry [her sister] have it and be good girls. I went over and seen Hank today. He is well. Feels first rate. I want you to rite to me and tell all the children to put in a word. I would like to see you all and I hope I may before too long. Tell Granma to rite a word and the girls. So good by. Rite often. This pa to daughter, M.A.D. The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865,[2] during the American Civil War. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the railroad supply lines through Petersburg to Richmond, and many of these caused the lengthening of the trench lines, overloading dwindling Confederate resources. (source: www.wikipedia.org) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2. JANUARY 12, 1865 [All in one letter - four sides of paper]
[page 1] Dear son [Charles]
I thought I must write a few lines to you
in answer to your kind letter. I was glad to hear that you was
getting along so well. I am getting along first rate for me. I
stand it better than i espected to so far. I cant tell you what
to do but I want you and ma to do the best you can. Keep things
together as well as you can an be a good boy. I cant rite much
this – well hear comes the sergeon [sergeant] , says Douglas,
your on picket [duty] tomorrow so we got to go out in the
morning. Have to stay twenty four hours on and four off so ive
got to close. Charles (w)rite as often as you can and I will do
the same. Do goodby. This from your father to his son
[page 2-4] Dear Companion I am once more seated to let you know that I am well at present. Hoping this may find you as well as it leaves (?) me. I received your very kind letter last monday and was glad to hear from you again and that you was so smart. I was so glad to hear that Kate [could be Sara's sister or James' sister] was with you. I feel glad somebody thinks fo(r) [of?] you. I think of you awake and asleep but that is all I can do for you at present is to think but I hope that the time will come when I can do something. My health is first rate so far. I went out last Friday on picket [duty] for the first time and it rained all day and all nite so I had a gay old time but I stood it first rate. Saw a fine lot of rebs. Our pickets are about 100 yards apart. The next night after i was out the rebs came over and took nine of our men prisoners, wounded one. I hadn’t ben out since. I don’t want you to worry about me as long as I am well. I seem to stand it first rate so far. Hank [James' brother] was over to see me last nite and is all rite. Feels first rate. I have not been to see Ira [James' brother] yet but think I shall soon. The weather is fine now but we have had some pretty cold and rainy weather. Havnt seen snow enough to cover the ground since I ben hear. We have to drill every day so I cant get time to (w)rite much. It takes me so long to rite a little. I had to stop and go out on parade [drill]. Well, Sara, I want you to do the best you can and take good care of yourself and not worry yourself sick as you have got kate thare with you. Let her c--- She can do it. Tell Kate I want her to stay and comfort you all she can and when I come I will settle with her you and ma. You said [you were] talken of sending a box of stuf. It would come very good but I fear you have enough to do to take care of yourselves but if ma sends to Hank put in a few notions. Some butter would go first rate. Tell Lit [?] to save me a chunk of cheese and I will settle with her when I come home. Give love to all and --- to---- So good nite. This from your husband and best friend J D to S J Douglas Sara Douglass was six months pregnant in Jan. 1865 for her last and ninth child, Catherine, who was born March 3, 1865. BH CIVIL WAR TERMS (from http://www.civilwarhome.com/terms.htm)
(Background: first page of James' letter of January 12, 1865.) |