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| Gilmer Letters | Civil War Letters of Russell County |
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Camp bartow Pocahuntas co Va November 7th 1861 Dear brother & sister I received your kind letters yesterday eavning and red them with much pleasure I am well and hope these few lines will finde you all well Hayes you said you hoped that I had plenty to eat and a good stomake I have the stomake but not much to eat. we are still in our tents and it is getting verry cold out hear the mountains are white around hear with snow I was on guard last nite and it rained and hailed snowed and blowed and it has been so windy to day that the smoke has hurt my eyes so that I can hardly see to write you said our olde mill had stood all the freshes I was glad to hear that the olde mill was still standing unhurt she may be some help to you all this winter evry little helps and now is the time you all was sending me a great many things that it would take a heap of cover to keep me warm but they keep us out evry three or fore nites on guard they keep such a large picket that it keeps us out evry three or fore nites. there is a great many of our men on the Aligany mountains building huts. I expect we winter up there one of our men come down this morning he said the snow was shoe mouth deep up there There is not any snow hear but the mountains are white around us but we have plenty mud which is worse than snow the mud in our streets is shoe mouth deep that is disagreeable you know. If they dont take us to winter quarters befor long we will burn our clothes up standing around the fire our far pickets has to stand these cold nites without any fire we have a hard time standing guard these cold nites. The yankees still come down evry once and a while and fire on our pickets they come down the other nite and fired on our pickets our pickets killed four of their men and took three prisoners they had whisky with them our pickets found two or three canteens partly filled with whisky. Martha you said that you thought that I had been away from home long enough to come home a while it seems so to me but I am verry well sadisfide I think I can stand it my twelve months out. we are looking for howards wagon shortly. Martha you said that you thought that I did not get the letter that was not seiled but I got it I think I get all of your letters you said the boys was pulling corn in the lot I would like to be there to help them shuck it and get some milk and corn bread once more I havent had any milk for so long a time that I expect if I was to get where it was I would take a founder but I reckon there is no danger of me foundering on milk and corn bread shortly. maby I will get home and get some milk and corn bread some time the spring I hope so any how Tell all of our folks howdy and tell Bate and Jim that thank them for the chestnuts whether I get them or not Tell peggy that I also thank her for the comb as my eyes are about smoked out and it is getting late I will bring my letter to a close so no more at present but remain your affectionate brother Charles H Gilmer William R. Gilmer Martha J. Gilmer | |