Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, October 16, 1862

[Bunker Hill, Va., October 16, 1862.]

I am sitting in my tent, about twelve miles from our “war-home,” where you and I spent such a happy winter. The weather is damp, and for the past two days has been rainy and chilly. Yesterday was communion at Mr. Graham's church, and he invited me to be present, but I was prevented from enjoying that privilege. However, I heard an excellent sermon from the Rev. Dr. Stiles.* His text was 1st Timothy, chap, ii., 5th and 6th verses. It was a powerful exposition of the Word of God; and when he came to the word “himself” he placed an emphasis upon it, and gave it a force which I had never felt before, and I realized that, truly, the sinner who does not, under Gospel privileges, turn to God deserves the agonies of perdition. The doctor several times, in appealing to the sinner, repeated the 6th verse — “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” What more could God do than to give himself a ransom? Dr. Stiles is a great revivalist, and is laboring in a work of grace in General Ewell’s division. It is a glorious thing to be a minister of the Gospel of the Prince of Peace. There is no equal position in this world.

Colonel Blanton Duncan, of Kentucky, has presented me with two fine field or marine glasses. He has apparently taken a special interest in me.

_______________

* Rev. Joseph C. Stiles, D.D., who had been a pastor in Richmond, from which he was called to New York to the Mercer Street Church, of which he was the pastor for some years. At the breaking-out of the war he went South, and cast in his lot with his own people.

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 362-3

Major-General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Mead, September 11, 1863

Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, September 11, 1863.

Everything remains quiet and in statu quo. Humphreys has gone to Philadelphia for a few days to see his wife, who is in the country, and will call to see you, and give you the latest news from camp. I wrote you in my last, of being the recipient of a bouquet from Wisconsin; but since then I have been honored with two very valuable presents. The first is a handsome scarf pin of gold and enamel. It is accompanied with a very flattering note stating it was made in England, and brought over by the donor to be presented in the name of himself and wife, as a tribute of admiration for my great services in saving the country. The note is signed W. H. Schenley, and I think the writer is a Captain Schenley, of the British navy, who many years since married Miss Croghan, of Pittsburgh. Captain Schenley says he intends visiting the army and making my acquaintance.

The second present is five hundred most delicious Havana cigars, sent to me by a Mr. Motley, of New York, whom I accidentally met at the sword presentation to General Sedgwick, and to whom I must have been particularly civil, or in some way made a great impression on him, to induce him to send me five hundred cigars. So you see there is some compensation for the misery we have to suffer.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 147-8

Brigadier-General Thomas Kilby Smith to Elizabeth Budd Smith, September 27, 1863

Headquarters Second Brigade,

Second Div., Seventeenth Army Corps,

Natchez, Miss., Sept. 27, 1863.

My Dear Wife:

My reception at Natchez has been very brilliant, splendid dinners, suppers — all that sort of thing, with speeches, and songs, mirth and hilarity. My command is magnificent. I have six regiments, and a battery, one regiment cavalry, one of mounted infantry. My quarters are literally a palace, one of the most elegant houses in or about Natchez, situated in the most lovely grounds you can imagine, within about a mile from the city.

My troops are all camped close around me on the grounds of neighboring villas, which, combined, have heretofore given the name of “Dignity Hill” to my own general encampment. One of my regiments is in town on duty as provost guard. The residue keep close guard and watch upon their chief, and no baron in feudal hall ever had more loyal subjects. The rides and walks about are all most charming, especially at this season of the year, and I am in a constant state of regret that you cannot be here to enjoy it with me. If there was any indication as to how long I am to remain, I would send for you; but I may be ordered away at a moment's notice. Indeed, I have no expectation of staying here more than eight or ten days at the furthest. I shall either be ordered back to Vicksburg or directed into the field. Meanwhile I shall take the good the gods provide me.

SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 338-9

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Sunday, September 27, 1863

It continues quite warm and all is quiet. We had company inspection early this morning, after which those not on duty were free to go about, and I attended services at the Baptist church in the city. It seemed like home to attend a regular church service on a Sunday morning. This church building is of brick and during the siege four or five cannon balls passed through the walls at different places.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 144-5

Diary of Charles H. Lynch: January 1, 1863

When off picket duty try to keep comfortable by the picket fires and chopping wood for the large camp fire just outside the church. No place in the church for fires.

SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary, 1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 13

120th Ohio Infantry

Organized at Mansfield, Ohio, August 29, 1862. Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, October 25; thence to Covington, Ky., and duty there till November 24. Served Unattached, Army of Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 9th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 9th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf to November, 1863. Plaquemine, La., District of Baton Rouge, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, to November, 1864.

SERVICE. – Moved to Memphis, Tenn., November 24-December 7, 1862. Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862, to January 3, 1863. Chickasaw Bayou December 26-28, 1862. Chickasaw Bluff December 29. Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3-10, 1863. Assault and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10-11. Moved to Young's Point, La., January 17, and duty there till March 8. Moved to Milliken's Bend March 8. Operations from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage March 31-April 17. James' Plantation, near New Carthage, April 8. Dunbar's Plantation, Bayou Vidal, April 15. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Duty at Raymond till May 18. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Near Jackson July 9. Siege of Jackson, Miss., July 10-17. Camp at Vicksburg till August. Moved to New Orleans August 18. Duty at Carrollton till September 3, and at Brashear City till October 3. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 30. Duty at Plaquemine, La., till March 23, 1864. Moved to Baton Rouge March 23, and duty there till May 1. Ordered to join Banks at Alexandria on Red River Expedition May 1. Embarked on Steamer "City Belle." Action en route at Snaggy Point May 3. Most of Regiment captured. Those who escaped formed into a Battalion of three Companies and marched to Alexandria. Retreat from Alexandria to Morganza May 13-20. Mansura or Marksville Prairie May 16. Duty at Morganza till September. Expedition to mouth of White River and St. Charles September 13-20. Expedition to Duvall's Bluff, Ark., October 21-27. Consolidated with 114th Ohio Infantry November 25, 1864.

Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 17 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 275 Enlisted men by disease. Total 300.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1546-7

Review: The Long Road To Antietam

The Long Road To Antietam:
How the Civil War Became a Revolution

By Richard Slotkin

September 17, 1862 was the bloodiest day in American history.  Well into the second year of the American Civil War the blue-clad Union Army of the Potomac clashed with the gray and butternut clothed Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, and by the day’s end nearly 23,000 Americans lay dead, wounded, were prisoners of war, or missing.  Tactically the battle ended as a stalemate, but General Robert E. Lee’s decision to withdraw his troops from the field of battle, gave the strategic victory to the Union’s commander, Major-General George B. McClellan.  It was with this slim margin of victory that Abraham Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and changed the direction of the war from a restrained war against an opposing army to a war not only on the armies of the South, but also on its society and economy.

Richard Slotkin, an emeritus professor at Wesleyan University, covers this shift in Lincoln’s war policy in his book, “The Long Road To Antietam: How the Civil War Became a Revolution.” In it he details the war from its beginning stages until McClellan’s removal as Commander of the Army of the Potomac.  Contrasting the difficult and often antagonistic relationship between Lincoln and McClellan against that of the cooperative one of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, while weaving the political, social and economic motives of both sides Professor Slotkin has set them against the backdrop of the Battle of Antietam, and by doing so gives his readers a nearly panoramic narrative of but a small segment of the war.

When historians write about George B. McClellan, they generally fall into two camps, those who think McClellan was a paranoid and scheming buffoon, and those who think that he did the best with what he had.  Slotkin, clearly falls into the former, and more populous, group rather than the latter. Be that as it may, McClellan certainly gives his critics more than enough ammunition to fire at him, and thus his the wounding of his historical persona is somewhat self-inflicted.

In searching through Slotkin’s end notes, his book is largely based on secondary sources.  Though doing some internet searches of quotes within the text of his book leads one easily to their original primary source materials.  One must wonder why Mr. Slotkin chose not to rely more on primary sources.  His heavy use of secondary sources, may have negatively impacted his view of the Lincoln-McClellan relationship, and McClellan, the man himself.

I would heartily recommend “The Long Road to Antietam” to anyone interested in the American Civil War.  Over all the book is well written and informative, though the narrative is considerably slowed by the blow by blow account of the Battle of Antietam.  Professor Slotkin’s research stands on somewhat shaky ground where primary sources are concerned.  Nonetheless Richard Slotkin, makes his case as to why Antietam and the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation should be considered a turning point in the Civil War, but calling it a “revolution” falls a little flat

ISBN 978-0871404114, Liveright, © 2012, Hardcover, 512 pages, Photographs, 8 Maps, 10 Illustrations, Chronology, Antietam Order of Battle, Endnotes, Selected Bibliography & Index. $32.95.  To purchase this book click HERE.

Governor Henry A. Wise to Lydia Maria Child, October 29, 1859

RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 29th, 1859.

MADAM; Yours of the 26th was received by me yesterday, and at my earliest leisure I respectfully reply to it, that I will forward the letter for John Brown, a prisoner under our laws, arraigned at the bar of the Circuit Court for the county of Jefferson, at Charlestown, Va., for the crimes of murder, robbery and treason, which you ask me to transmit to him. I will comply with your request in the only way which seems to me proper, by enclosing it to the Commonwealth’s attorney, with the request that he will ask the permission of the Court to hand it to the prisoner. Brown, the prisoner, is now in the hands of the judiciary, not of the executive, of this Commonwealth.

You ask me, further, to allow you to perform the mission “of mother or sister, to dress his wounds, and speak soothingly to him.” By this, of course, you mean to be allowed to visit him in his cell, and to minister to him in the offices of humanity. Why should you not be so allowed, Madam? Virginia and Massachusetts are involved in no civil war, and the Constitution which unites them in one confederacy guarantees to you the privileges and immunities of a citizen of the United States in the State of Virginia. That Constitution I am sworn to support, and am, therefore, bound to protect your privileges and immunities as a citizen of Massachusetts coming into Virginia for any lawful and peaceful purpose.

Coming, as you propose, to minister to the captive in prison, you will be met, doubtless, by all our people, not only in a chivalrous, but in a Christian spirit. You have the right to visit Charlestown, Va., Madam; and your mission being merciful and humane, will not only be allowed, but respected, if not welcomed. A few unenlightened and inconsiderate persons, fanatical in their modes of thought and action, to maintain justice and right, might molest you, or be disposed to do so; and this might suggest the imprudence of risking any experiment upon the peace of a society very much excited by the crimes with whose chief author you seem to sympathize so much. But still, I repeat, your motives and avowed purpose are lawful and peaceful, and I will, as far as I am concerned, do my duty in protecting your rights in our limits. Virginia and her authorities would be weak indeed — weak in point of folly, and weak in point of power — if her State faith and constitutional obligations cannot be redeemed in her own limits to the letter of morality as well as of law; and if her chivalry cannot courteously receive a lady’s visit to a. prisoner, every arm which guards Brown from rescue on the one hand, and from lynch law on the other, will be ready to guard your person in Virginia.

I could not permit an insult even to woman in her walk of charity among us, though it be to one who whetted knives of butchery for our mothers, sisters, daughters and babes.  We have no sympathy with your sentiments of sympathy with Brown, and are surprised that you were “taken by surprise when news came of Capt. Brown’s recent attempt.” His attempt was a natural consequence of your sympathy, and the errors of that sympathy ought to make you doubt its virtue from the effect on his conduct. But it is not of this I should speak. When you arrive at Charlestown, if you go there, it will be for the Court and its officers, the Commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff and jailer, to say whether you may see and wait on the prisoner. But, whether you are thus permitted or not, (and you will be, if my advice can prevail,) you may rest assured that he will be humanely, lawfully and mercifully dealt by in prison and on trial.

Respectfully,

HENRY A. WISE.

SOURCE: The American Anti-Slavery Society, Correspondence between L. M. Child and Gov. Wise and Mrs. Mason, of Virginia, p. 4-6


See Also:

• Lydia Maria Child's Reply to Governor Henry A. Wise

Major-General William T. Sherman to Major-General John Schofield, October 17, 1864

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

In the Field, Ship's Gap, Ga., October 17, 1864.

General SCHOFIELD:

Your dispatch is received. Hood is not at Deer Head Cove. We occupy Ship's Gap and La Fayette. Hood is moving south, via Summerville, Alpine, and Gadsden. If he enters Tennessee it will be to the left of Huntsville, but I think he has given up all such idea. I want the road repaired to Atlanta, the sick and wounded sent north of the Tennessee, my army recomposed, and I will make the interior of Georgia feel the weight of war. It is folly for me to be moving our armies on the reports of scouts and citizens. We must maintain the offensive. Your first move on Trenton and Valley Head was right; the move to defend Caperton's Ferry is wrong. Notify General Thomas of these my views. We must follow Hood till he is beyond reach of mischief and then resume the offensive.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 39, Part 2 (Serial No. 79), p. 335; John Bell Hood, Advance and Retreat, p. 264

John Brown to John Brown Jr., July 9, 1847

Akron, July 9, 1847.

Dear Son John, — I wrote you yesterday to urge your coming here to keep up the family for a few months, as I knew of no way to provide for Jason or Owen's board; but that matter is all got over, and the probability is that Jason will have a wife as soon as you. We mean to have the business done up before we leave, so as to have no breaking up of the family here. I would now say that if you can get ready and meet us at Buffalo on the 14th or 15th, we shall be glad to have you go on with us. I would be willing to delay for a day or more in order to bring it about. It would seem as though you might bring it about by that time, so early as to get here on the 16th, as you wrote. As matters now stand, I feel very anxious to have you go on with us, — and partly on Frederick's account. I sent you yesterday a certificate of deposit for fifty dollars, directed to Vernon, care of Miss Wealthy Hotchkiss.¹ Should it so happen that you get to Buffalo before we do, wait for us at Bennett's Hotel; or we will wait for you awhile. Inquire for us at Bennett's, or of George Palmer, Esq. If you get this in season, you may perhaps get to Buffalo before we can. Mary is still quite feeble. Frederick appears to be quite as well as when you left. Say to Ruth I remember her.

Affectionately yours,

John Brown.

_______________

¹ Soon to be Mrs. John Brown, Jr.

SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 144-5

Major Rutherford B. Hayes to Sardis Birchard, July 21, 1861

Columbus, Sunday morning, July 21, 1861.

Dear Uncle: — I came in last evening to attend a little tea gathering at Mr. Andrews’; shall return this morning. We are now in condition to move on a few days’ notice, and expect to go soon — say a week or two. I constantly at camp am reminded of you. You would enjoy the company we have and the amusing incidents which are occurring. The colonel of the Twenty-fourth¹ next us is a character. He has been an army officer (West Pointer) many years, a teacher of mathematics, etc., in different colleges, and has seen all sorts of life. He is a capital instructor in military things, and finding Matthews and myself fond of his talk, he takes to us warmly. Dr. Joe is now settled with us, and we are made up. We have had good visits from Mr. Giddings, David Tod, and other State celebrities. . . .

It would have been a great happiness to have spent the summer and fall fixing up around Spiegel Grove. But in this war I could not feel contented if I were not in some way taking part in it. I should feel about myself as I do about people who lived through the Revolution, seeing their neighbors leaving home, but doing nothing themselves — a position not pleasant to occupy.

I hope you will be well enough to come down. If not, I do not doubt we shall be together again one of these days. All well here.

Sincerely,

R. B. Hayes.

S. Birchard.

_______________

¹ Jacob Ammen

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 39

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, October 6, 1862

Bunker Hill, Oct. 6th.

I am glad that you were privileged to keep Thanksgiving Day. We did not enjoy that blessing, I regret to say. I trust it was generally observed, and that rich blessings may flow from it through our ever-kind Heavenly Father. I also hope that on that day large contributions were made to our Bible Society. You and I have, as you say, special reason for gratitude to God for His goodness and mercy to us.  . . . The citizens of Frederick did not present me the horse, as was published, though a Marylander gave me a fine-looking animal, possessed of great muscle and fine powers of endurance; but he was not gentle, and of this the donor notified me. Notwithstanding the notice, I mounted and rode him that evening, and he did well. The next morning, however, when I attempted again to ride him, he reared up and fell back with me, hurting me considerably. Miss Osbourn, of Jefferson, sent me some excellent socks, and a beautiful scarf, which I wish my darling had. Our friend, Mrs. Graham, of Winchester, sent me two nice sponge-cakes last week, and a Mr. Vilwig, of the same place, sent me an excellent arm-chair for camp use. I wish I could keep it until the close of the war, as I think my esposa would enjoy it. You are earnestly remembered in my prayers

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 360-1

Major-General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Mead, September 8, 1863

Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, September 8, 1863.

Yesterday I reviewed the Third Corps, commanded by General French. The day was pretty hot, and I had to ride six miles to the review and back the same distance. I received recently a very handsome bouquet from two ladies in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; I send you the note accompanying it. Likewise a curious letter written by a rebel refugee in Canada. I am in receipt of such curious documents all the time.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 147

Brigadier-General Thomas Kilby Smith to Elizabeth Budd Smith, September 20, 1863

Headquarters Dept. Of The Tenn.,

Vicksburg, Sept. 20, 1863.

Mail of this morning brings your congratulations. I have been so long a brigadier that the mere rank added makes but little difference in my feelings.

I wrote you yesterday, urging you to write to General Grant; a few minutes since he showed me your letter to him of even date with mine, eloquent and well expressed, but brief. You must write to him more at length. In my judgment he will be confined to his bed for a long time with his injury. Such letters as you could write would interest him more than you can well imagine. . . .

I must tell you an incident which occurred to me the other day, before I went to New Orleans. The city of Natchez had sent up a delegation to wait upon General Grant, who turned them over to me. I was to escort them around the fortifications, and the General gave the principal man, the mayor, his war-horse to ride — a splendid cream-colored stallion, a little vicious. I was riding Bell, a horse you have never seen, but confessed the finest horse in the army, East or West; all have said so who have seen him — a large powerful brown or mahogany bay, great in battle, one who will yield the right of way to none. Well, we were riding in a very narrow gorge, the mayor had dismounted to lead his horse over a bad place, being in advance of me, when all at once he turned and a terrific conflict took place between the two horses. I seized the bridle of the General's, endeavoring to manage both; at the same moment mine reared straight upon his hind legs. I dismounted in the expectation that he would fall upon me, and as I touched the ground fell. Then these two great stallions, full of fire and fury, fought over my prostrate body, their hoofs struck together and each trampled within an inch of my head all around and over me. I lay still as if I had been in bed; I knew my hour had not yet come. My own horse was the first to perceive my danger; he retired a little from regard to me. Those who were by were speechless and horror-stricken. I rose unharmed, mounted and rode forward. I have never been in greater peril of my fife. God watches me in calm and in storm.

My old regiment wanted to make me a present of a saddle and bridle, and I am told raised in a few moments $975 for that purpose, and the thing was to be extended to sword, sash, pistols, everything complete.

SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 337-8

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, September 26, 1863

There is still some shaking with the ague among the boys, but the health of our regiment is gaining slowly. We have no drill in camp at present, but we are on duty almost every day, our routine running as follows: Picket duty every other day, and the alternating days on fatigue duty either in Vicksburg or in camp, and then, once a week for twenty-four hours at a time, we are on provost duty in Vicksburg.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 144

Diary of Charles H. Lynch: December 31, 1862

We passed a very uncomfortable night in old dirty box cars. After a ride of sixty miles we reached a station known as Monrovia very early in the morning, just before daylight. Pickets were soon posted on the roads crossing the railroad. A sharp lookout was kept. After daylight we took possession of a small Quaker church and sheds for our quarters. We were obliged to, as we did not have any tents. Started off in light marching order. Most of the inhabitants were Quakers, very fine people. Kind to us. The warm rain turned to snow with freezing weather, making us feel very uncomfortable for picket duty.

SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary, 1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 12

119th Ohio Infantry

Organization of Regiment commenced but not completed.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1546

Harriett Newby to Dangerfield Newby, August 16, 1859

Brentville, August 16th, 1859.

Dear Husband:

Your kind letter came duly to hand, and it gave me much pleasure to here from you, and especely to here you are better of your rhumatism, and hope when I here from you again you may be entirely well. I want you to buy me as soon as possible, for if you do not get me some body else will. The servants are very disagreeable; they do all they can to set my mistress against me. Dear Husband you ___ not the trouble I see; the last two years has ben like a trouble  dream to me. It is said Master is in want of monney. If so, I know not what time he may sell me, an then all my bright hops of the futer are blasted, for their has ben one bright hope to cheer me in all my troubles, that is to be with you, for if I thought I shoul never see you this earth would have no charms for me. Do all you can for me, witch I have no doubt you will. I want to see you so much. The children are all well. The baby can not walk yet all. It can step around everything by holding on. It is very much like Agnes. I must bring my letter to a Close as I have no newes to write. You mus write soon and say when you think you can come.

Your affectionate wife,

Harriett Newby.

SOURCE: H. W. Flournoy, Editor, Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts from January 1 1836 to April 15, 1869, Volume 11, p. 311

Major-General William T. Sherman to Major-General George H. Thomas, October 16, 1864

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

In the Field, Ship's Gap, October 16, 1864.

General THOMAS,

Nashville:

Send me Davis' and Newton's old divisions. Re-establish the road and I will follow Hood wherever he may go. I think he will move to Blue Mountain. We can maintain our men and animals on the country.

 W. T. SHERMAN,

 Major-General, Commanding.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 39, Part 2 (Serial No. 79), p. 311; John Bell Hood, Advance and Retreat, p. 264

John Brown to John Brown Jr., April 12, 1847

Springfield, Mass., April 12, 1847.

Dear Son John, — Yours of the 5th is just received. I was very glad to learn by it that you were then well. I had begun to feel anxious, not hearing for so long a time since you wrote, that you were unwell. My own health is middling good; and I learn that all at home were well a few days since. I enclose ten dollars; and I must say that when you continue to make Indefinite applications for money, without giving me the least idea of the amount you need, after I have before complained of the same thing, — namely, your not telling me frankly how much you need, — it makes me feel injured. Suffice it to say that it always affords me the greatest pleasure to assist you when I can; but if you want five, ten, twenty, or fifty dollars, why not say so, and then let me help you so far as I am able?  It places me in an awkward fix. I am much more willing to send you all you actually need (if in my power), than to send any when you do not tell what your wants require. I do not now see how we could make the exchange Mr. Walker proposes in regard to sheep, but should suppose it might be done to his mind somewhere in our direction. I should think your brother student might pay the postage of a letter ordering the “Era” to you at Austinburg till the year expires. I have ten times as many papers as I can read. Have got on middling well, since I wrote you, with the wool-trade, and mean to return shortly, and send Ruth to Austinburg. Do not see how to take time to give you further particulars now, having so much every hour to attend to. Write me on receipt of this. Will send you a Stenbenville report.

Affectionately your father,

John Brown.

P. S. Had I sent you twenty dollars, you deprive me of the comfort of knowing that your wishes have been at all complied with.

SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 143-4