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| Gilmer Letters | Civil War Letters of Russell County |
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Camp near Culpepper July the 26th 1863 Dear Parents It is with great pleasure I seat myself this beautiful sabbath morning to write you a few lines to inform you that Cummings & myself are well. I wrote a letter to Martha while we was at Winchester but it is uncertain whether it went or not. We left Winchester some five or six days ago Our brigade come in front of Lees hole army, we had to wade the Shanadoah river & it was tolerable flush we had to carry our cartridge boxes on our guns to keep them from getting we it just as much as we could do to wade it. The same day we come to Chestnut gap in blue Ridge their we had a little skirmish with the yankee cavalry the yankees killed too & wounded one in our Regiment with their cannon they blonged to one of the Tazwell Companies they was about 50 yards in rear of our company on the mountain our company was sent on before as skirmishers but we wasent engaged in any musket fight. the next morning we got reinforcements Mclaws division drove them back & we come on that was the last I heard of them I havent seen Rieves no heard any from him since he started into Mariland but if he is alive and well I dont expect we are very fare apart. I have give out getting any more letters from home but I will write once & a while to let you to let you know that I am still on the land of the liveing I see in the papers that the yankees have been in Wythville & tore up some of the Railroad but I cant hear any thing old Russell I reckon the people in Russell think we are all killed & their is no use of writing, but they are mistaken Old Lee has a right smart little squad out hear yet liveing on beef & bread and blackburies & still have courage enough about them beleve that they can never be maid a slave off by such unhumanly & ungodly set of people as we are fighting agints it is a sight to see & to think of what has been destroyed in this war both of men & property. The sun is shining so hot I will have to quit we have had a great deal of wet weather for the last month. Their are a great many barefooted men in our army Cummings come from Winchester to this plase barefooted & wee travailed part of the time after night but I reckon they will all get shoes now their couldent be any shoes got up about Winchester tell Charles M. Browning to write to me & havent time to write or I would write some oftener So nothing more this time but write soon your Son Charles Gilmer pleas excuse bad writing A few words to the boys from James to Marcellus howdy to you all I can appearently see you all some playing about creek some in the yard & perhaps some learning their Books & maby one gone to the flat woods with pa boys you all are seeing a glorious time if you knowed how to enjoy it when I was your age I thought I saw dreadfull time but I was badly mistaken heard times hadent sprouted then but it has come up at last & growed to be a tolerable big weed but this may not be the heardest time yet but I hope it is with me you boys may work tolerable heard of the day but when knight comes you have some thing nourishing to eat & a good plase to rest at knight. I would like to see you all the best kind & hope I will before many more months, tell Marcellus Cum is barefooted that wasent him he saw the other day Charles H Gilmer | |