Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, September 9 and 10, 1864
Title
Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, September 9 and 10, 1864
Subject
Description
In his letter on the 9th, Capers describes the destruction he sees around him and remarks on the efficiency of the Yankee army. He commends them for properly burying their dead in marked graves while the Confederate army dumps their bodies in unmarked holes. He also condemns some of the Confederate generals and the inefficiency of the postal service. In his letter on the 10th, Capers describes a buggy ride he took but is surrounded by the destruction of war. He reminisces about happier times and the importance of memories. He closes the letter by asking Lottie to send him socks and shirts and hopes that will be able to spend Frank's next birthday at home.
Creator
Source
A1961.1, Box 3, Folder 29
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Relation
Ellison Capers Collection
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/502
Date Valid
Audience
Text
[Page 1]
Jonesboro Ga.
Sept 9th 1864
My darling wife
We have gone into Bivouac in front of this dirty little R.R. town. It is almost depopulated, & the poor people left are compelled to draw rations from our army. The enemy effectively destroyed the R.R. from his late position near Lovejoy along his line of retirement towards Atlanta. What with the dead horses, the debris of the enemy’s camp in this vicinity, and the ruined, broken, charred & pillaged homesteads & farms, Jonesboro and its surrounding neighborhood sickens the heart & stomach!
Our Generals (?)
[Page 2]
are quartering themselves & their staffs in the best that is left, & our troops are shooting the last cow, pig, chicken or sheep to be found in the country! The sugar cane crop is all that the enemy left to this bereft people, & our men are gathering it to eat by the arms full. And yet we boast a superior civilizations to our foes! Ride over a deserted federal camp & compare it with one of ours! His offal is raked up & hauled off -- his grounds are clean -- his sinks are regularly dug & observed by the men -- his dead are carefully buried & every grave marked & fenced in! Our gallant men sleep in
[Page 3]
holes (not graves) where they fell, and in 9 out of 10 cases, not a line to tell who he was. In front of our position, held on the 1st inst. I counted 234 of the enemy’s dead. Every one neatly buried & his grave marked. I rode back by one of our Hospitals, & saw four of our dead being covered up in a hole & the dirt drawn up over them like an Indian mound. Who are they? Don’t know, was the Confederate reply! There is a way to find out, & the Yankee Surgeon would have taken it. Their army is vastly superior to ours in discipline & drill, essential to success, and their Generals have shown (to me) a capacity & energy far ahead of the starved &
[Page 4]
wretched gentry of our people that send inadequate orders by Staff Officers & couriers from safe positions, one, two & three miles in the rear! But I am in too much of a disgusted humour to write on this subject. There is nothing so sickening as to be commanded by your inferiors, & feel but little confidence in your leaders. God for the right, and the right for the victory!
By this time I trust that you have received letters from me by both Hill & Torley. I almost despair of ever getting a letter from you by mail. Hood has not brains enough to spare a little attention to this important subject. On the morning
[Page 5]
of the 26th of August I read a Cincinnati, & a Louisville paper of the 23rd, each, left by the enemy when he quitted our right at Atlanta. Wheeler was in his rear too. And yet it takes a month to get a Charleston paper! Oh! Confederate Energy & Enterprise!
Tell Lize I can’t find Joe. He has gone off sick, & is probably with his Mollie, somewhere. When I learn where he is, I will send Lize’s letter to him.
Saturday Morning
10th Sept. 1864
We had, as usual, my darling wife, no mail on yesterday, & I could not mail you this letter. I will send it today by my
[Page 6]
friend Pinckney Maxwell who goes to Macon. I will write a private note to Genl. Hardee today and call his attention to the subject of our communication with our families. He can influence the matter if he will.
Yesterday evening I put my brown horse in my buggy and took a very pleasant ride. But all of our rides lead us over the track of war. The blasted path of the invader. I could, but think, what a peaceful pleasure it would afford me to ride along some shaded road, where the hamlets on the way were undisturbed, & the beautiful trees unmarked & the whole scene just as God made it! Such a ride you may take, my precious
[Page 7]
wife, but I can’t find it here. We used to find those sweet groves in years gone by! And our hearts there took in more of happiness than we know of now. Thank God, darling, while we retain our reason, we will retain our memories. They reveal a store of precious recollections which are all associated with the happiest & holiest days of our lives. They hold in their sacred keeping the hours when first we met -- the seasons of our early love. They revive the brightness of beautiful spring in our lives -- the tenderness of many an anxious, loving look -- the plighted faith -- the days of suffering -- the angels that came to
[Page 8]
bless us, & then went away to the skies -- and all the peace & joy & love of the past! Precious recollections! We dwell in hope, & in thee! You must note this letter & let me know if you get it.
If you get this letter before Hill passes you back, I want you to send me two good pr. of socks by him. I need two new shirts, too, darling. Of this I will write more particularly hereafter.
My cold holds on to me. Remember me to the family. Kiss my dear little daughter and Frank. Tell him Pa hopes to spend his next birthday with him.
May God grant it to us & bless & keep you, my own precious wife.
Ellie
Jonesboro Ga.
Sept 9th 1864
My darling wife
We have gone into Bivouac in front of this dirty little R.R. town. It is almost depopulated, & the poor people left are compelled to draw rations from our army. The enemy effectively destroyed the R.R. from his late position near Lovejoy along his line of retirement towards Atlanta. What with the dead horses, the debris of the enemy’s camp in this vicinity, and the ruined, broken, charred & pillaged homesteads & farms, Jonesboro and its surrounding neighborhood sickens the heart & stomach!
Our Generals (?)
[Page 2]
are quartering themselves & their staffs in the best that is left, & our troops are shooting the last cow, pig, chicken or sheep to be found in the country! The sugar cane crop is all that the enemy left to this bereft people, & our men are gathering it to eat by the arms full. And yet we boast a superior civilizations to our foes! Ride over a deserted federal camp & compare it with one of ours! His offal is raked up & hauled off -- his grounds are clean -- his sinks are regularly dug & observed by the men -- his dead are carefully buried & every grave marked & fenced in! Our gallant men sleep in
[Page 3]
holes (not graves) where they fell, and in 9 out of 10 cases, not a line to tell who he was. In front of our position, held on the 1st inst. I counted 234 of the enemy’s dead. Every one neatly buried & his grave marked. I rode back by one of our Hospitals, & saw four of our dead being covered up in a hole & the dirt drawn up over them like an Indian mound. Who are they? Don’t know, was the Confederate reply! There is a way to find out, & the Yankee Surgeon would have taken it. Their army is vastly superior to ours in discipline & drill, essential to success, and their Generals have shown (to me) a capacity & energy far ahead of the starved &
[Page 4]
wretched gentry of our people that send inadequate orders by Staff Officers & couriers from safe positions, one, two & three miles in the rear! But I am in too much of a disgusted humour to write on this subject. There is nothing so sickening as to be commanded by your inferiors, & feel but little confidence in your leaders. God for the right, and the right for the victory!
By this time I trust that you have received letters from me by both Hill & Torley. I almost despair of ever getting a letter from you by mail. Hood has not brains enough to spare a little attention to this important subject. On the morning
[Page 5]
of the 26th of August I read a Cincinnati, & a Louisville paper of the 23rd, each, left by the enemy when he quitted our right at Atlanta. Wheeler was in his rear too. And yet it takes a month to get a Charleston paper! Oh! Confederate Energy & Enterprise!
Tell Lize I can’t find Joe. He has gone off sick, & is probably with his Mollie, somewhere. When I learn where he is, I will send Lize’s letter to him.
Saturday Morning
10th Sept. 1864
We had, as usual, my darling wife, no mail on yesterday, & I could not mail you this letter. I will send it today by my
[Page 6]
friend Pinckney Maxwell who goes to Macon. I will write a private note to Genl. Hardee today and call his attention to the subject of our communication with our families. He can influence the matter if he will.
Yesterday evening I put my brown horse in my buggy and took a very pleasant ride. But all of our rides lead us over the track of war. The blasted path of the invader. I could, but think, what a peaceful pleasure it would afford me to ride along some shaded road, where the hamlets on the way were undisturbed, & the beautiful trees unmarked & the whole scene just as God made it! Such a ride you may take, my precious
[Page 7]
wife, but I can’t find it here. We used to find those sweet groves in years gone by! And our hearts there took in more of happiness than we know of now. Thank God, darling, while we retain our reason, we will retain our memories. They reveal a store of precious recollections which are all associated with the happiest & holiest days of our lives. They hold in their sacred keeping the hours when first we met -- the seasons of our early love. They revive the brightness of beautiful spring in our lives -- the tenderness of many an anxious, loving look -- the plighted faith -- the days of suffering -- the angels that came to
[Page 8]
bless us, & then went away to the skies -- and all the peace & joy & love of the past! Precious recollections! We dwell in hope, & in thee! You must note this letter & let me know if you get it.
If you get this letter before Hill passes you back, I want you to send me two good pr. of socks by him. I need two new shirts, too, darling. Of this I will write more particularly hereafter.
My cold holds on to me. Remember me to the family. Kiss my dear little daughter and Frank. Tell him Pa hopes to spend his next birthday with him.
May God grant it to us & bless & keep you, my own precious wife.
Ellie
Collection
Citation
Capers, Ellison, 1837-1908, “Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, September 9 and 10, 1864,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 28, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/502.