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**FDTaylor** · 12-29-2006, 10:42 AM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

I'd be interested in reading the other letters, either posted to the AC or sent privately by e-mail, fdtaylor@cox.net . I had a number of relatives in the 14th North Carolina, which was brigaded with the 4th for much of the war.

Thanks,
Fred D. Taylor
Co. G, Porsmouth Rifles
9th Virginia Infantry

**Vuhginyuh** · 12-29-2006, 10:56 AM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Does anyone else want to see the rest of these letters? I've obtained copies of his and his brothers.

Please post them Chris.

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-29-2006, 12:03 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Ask and you shall recieve. I'm planning to post Walter's letters here and his brother's in another thread.

Richmond, VA., June 15, 1862

Dear Mother:
I hope you are not uneasy about me because I have not written before. I knew if I wrote it would take a week for you to get it, so I put it off till I could send it by Mr. Albert Farmer, who will go tommarow. The Surgeon of the hospital has given me a passport to stay wherever I please in the city and report to him every week. I believe I should go crazy if I had to stay out in the hospital where everything is so dull and disheartening. In fact I don't believe I am the same thing I was two weeks ago, at least I don't think as I used to and things don't seem as they did. I don't believe I will ever get over the death of George. The more I think of him the more it affects me, and unless I am in some battle and excitement I am eternally thinking of the last moments of his life. How he must have suffered, if he was conscious of it. I shall never forget it. I think a long letter from some of you would make me feel so much better. I shall send by Mr. Farmer my watch, sleeve buttons, also the shirt I wore off. Everything I ought to have brought I left behind. I only brought one flannel shirt, and by the way I'll send this one back and try this summer without them, as they are very heavy for summer wear. The war news you read every day in the papers, but Capt. Billy Brown came down from Gordonville with some of Jackson's prisoners. He says he was in Lynchburg. Twenty-Two hundred were sent in and that thirteen hundred were on the way.
The Yankees are near Richmond, we don't hear anything of, everything is quiet. Please some of you write me soon.
Your loving son,

WALTER

**Vuhginyuh** · 12-29-2006, 12:14 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Chris- What is Walter's full name and where is he from? Any idea where the letters are going?

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-29-2006, 04:22 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Garrison,
His full name is Walter Battle, I'm not sure where in North Carolina he is writing to. Anyway, on to round 3

Headquarters, Anderson Brigade,
Ripley Division, August 11, 1862

My dear Mother,
I am sorry I have kept you waiting so long before writing to you, but I thought I would wait until I could have a talk with General Anderson to find out what I was to do before writing. I sent word by John Hines, also Dr. Barham, that I was well and for them to tell you all the news. When I arrived at the Camp of our Regiment it was gone to Malvern Hill to have a fight with the Yankees. They did not return in a day or two. General Anderson went to Richmond immediately on buisness, so I did not have an oppurtunity of speaking with him until this morning. He was perfectly willing for me to come back into the office, so I commenced duty this morning. We have a very pleasent place for our quarters, a large two story house with plenty of shade, in an open field, where we have the breezes from every direction.
I don't know yet, but I may come up here to mess and sleep, though I thought I would wait a while. I haven't slept in a tent since I've been in camp, but once. That was last night. It rained yesterday morning, and the ground was wet, and the air rather cold, so I thought I would go in the tent, as it was convenient. I shall go in bathing tonight to cool off, and sleep out doors. We have an excellent place for that purpose, that is bathing. It's been awfully hot here today. I believe it is warmer here than at home.
General G.W. Smith was to-day assigned to the command of our Division. I understand he is an excellent officer. Some of our regiments in this brigade have recieved their conscripts. They are a very good looking set of men seen drilling in a field. as they were this morning. It looks right funny to see men so green, but I suppose all of us were so at first, and we ought not to make fun of them. Dossey's Regiment is only about half mile from here. I went ofer to see him last Saturday. He is very well. I went up to see Dunham when I passed through Richmond, but he had gone home the week before, so I was disappointed. Give my best respects to all friends, and my love to all the family, some of you write often and tell me everything that happens about town.
Goodbye, as ever,
Your loving son,

WALTER

P.S. I've got to endorse this letter for want of stamps. I haven't written any in so long a time that my hand is stiff as if I had been mauling rails, you can readily see the difference now and some time ago. I hope it will soon get better.
I forgot to tell you that our whole brigade was throwing up breastworks every day, about two miles from here, that is the only duty they do now, no guard duty.

**NC5thCav** · 12-29-2006, 05:30 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Originally posted by Vuhginyuh View Post

Chris- What is Walter's full name and where is he from? Any idea where the letters are going?

Garrison, I can get to the ASU library and check the NC roster series sometime this weekend. I'll post whatever I find.

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-29-2006, 06:19 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Head Quarters, Anderson Brigade,
August 15, 1862
My Dear Mother:
As Mr. Parker will leave in the morning for home, I thought I would avail myself of the oppurtunity to let you hear from me. There is nothing new to write in the way of "War News." You hear everything that we do, and that's in the papers. Everything on our lines is quiet. We were put under marching orders a day or two ago, with the expectation of making another march to "Malvern Hill," but the Yankees left and it saved us the trouble of running them away. Eight hundred of the Brigade are still working on the breastworks, some two miles below here. I am in the hopes the Yankees will never get near enough to Richmond for us to have to fight behind them. The other regiment in the Brigade has received their conscripts, ours is the smallest one and we haven't recieved a single one, and I hope we won't.
General Anderson was making a calculation this morning and he says that we have lost 226 men, killed and died from their wounds, since the day we went into the fight at "Seven Pines." The Regiment is now under the command of Pat Simms. All of our company are in very good health. I don't believe we have a single man on the sick list, and I believe it is owing in a great degree. It is the best we have had since we've been in Virginia. I am getting along very well indeed, enjoying excellent health, and have a very pleasant time.
We have very little writing to do, not half as much as we had at Manassas. General Anderson has no Adj. General yet. I would not be suprised if he was not waiting for Dunham to get well. I believe he likes Dunham better as an officer than any man in the Brigade. He has one of his brothers (Walker) as one of his Aides. I wish you would please look in my trunk and send me that brown veil you will find. I want it to put over my face when I take a nap in the moring, to keep off the flies. You never saw any flies yet, you can measure them by the bushel here. The mosquitoes are terrible here, too. I shall put it over my face when I sleep out of doors, and that's every night that it don't rain. I've just learned from Mr. Parker that little Leon is dead. Poor little fellow, I never thought that when I left home it would be the last time I should see him.
Give my love to all the family, my respects to all my friends. Write soon, tell me all the news.
Your affectionate son,

WALTER

P.S. Please send the veil by the first one coming to our camp. Give my respects to all the boys that you see.

**Dignann** · 12-29-2006, 08:22 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Chris,

Great stuff. For provenance sake, where do the original letters reside?

Eric

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-29-2006, 09:45 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

I believe the original letters reside at Wake Forest.

HEAD QUARTERS, ANDERSON BRIGADE,
30 MILES FROM RICHMOND ON MANNASSAS RAILROAD
August 23rd, 1862

My dear mother,
This is the first oppurtunity that I have had to write to you since we left our camp near Richmond. Mr. Christman left us, or rather parted from us, in Richmond as we passed through on the march. Blake and myself did not get the barrel that was sent by Mr. Christman, though we had just as much fruit and irish potatoes(that the company received) that we could eat. We left the very next morning after the night Mr. Christman arrived. The first day, we marched about 14 miles and camped in an open field, the next day we march all day until dark. We stopped, ate our supper, spread our blankets and was just going to sleep, nearly every man, nearly every man exhausted, when the drums sounded and the order was given for every man to be under arms. In ten minutes, the Brigade marched off and we continued the march until nearly day. The next morning, that is those who kept up, ( the road for 10 miles was strewn with men who had fallen out of ranks from exhaustion.) We are now encamped at the place we arrived at that night. We have been here three day and it is impossible to tell when we will leave. This is a very important position for the Aides of General Jackson. The Yankees are about twelve miles from us and it was supposed that they would make an attack at this point, is the reason we were in such a hurry to get here that night. We would have made a very poor stand if they had. I don't suppose we had more than one third of the men when we arrived here that night, when we came through Richmond. I had a very good oppurtunity of judging as our company was detailed that day as the war guard of the Brigade, to prevent straggling, and I marched behind with them for company. It's no use trying to make a broken down man get up and march. We didn't know but what the Yankees were near or advancing on us, but the men would lie right down side of the road and swear they could not go one foot farther, Yankees or no Yankees. They are still coming in though it has been three days ago.
You may say what you please about marching twenty or thirty miles a day in warm weather, but I don't believe in it. The last day we marched twenty-six miles, we started at daylight and didn't stop until nearly day break the next morning, with about one third of the men, when we got to the end of our route, we had when we started and they were good for nothing, with their feet all blistered and sore. Mine have just got so I can walk without limping. You may direct your next letter to Richmond as heretofore, putting on the back "Smith's Division," and I reckon it will be forwarded. We have a very pleasent place to camp. I wouldn't care if we were tp stay here for a month, General Anderson and his Staff are in tents at present, no house being near. Col. Grimes arrived this morning. The men are all very glad to see him return. They all love him since the fights he had led them in. Give my love to all the family. Tell sister to write. I have written, I believe, three letters homw and haven't recieved but one.
Your affectionate son,

WALTER

**Vuhginyuh** · 12-30-2006, 12:19 AM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

I found them. They are Wilson County, Co F boys.

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-30-2006, 11:44 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

Sorry about the delay .

HEAD QUARTERS, ANDERSON'S BRIGADE,
SOUTH SIDE OF THE POTOMAC, OPPOSITE BERLIN
LOUDON CO., Sept 5, 1862

My Dear Mother,
I guess you are all very anxious about me, that is to know my whereabouts. Since I last wrote you I have been through the most hardships that I ever have before. Today makes eleven successive days that we have been on the march, without resting a day since we left Anderson's station, the place from which I last wrote you. We are now on the side south of the Potomac, opposite a place called Berlin, where there is some Yankees, don't know how many. We have our brigade and a tolerable good force of Artillery at this point. What we intend to do or where we are going, it's impossible to say. The men are all very anxious to drop over into Maryland and I don't know but what that will be our next move. We have stopped for the night, after a march of about twenty miles. I'm in a hurry to finish before dark, as we have no candles or lightwood. Mr. Ed Marsh will leave for North Carolina in the morning, and he will carry our mail. We haven't had a chance to send off our mail before, since we waded the Rapidan River. Day before yesterday we marched over the battleground that Jackson had been killed on. All of our men have been buried, but the Yankees lie just as they were killed. I never saw such a scene before. I saw just from the road, as I did not go out of my way to see any more. It must have been nearly a thousand. Our wagon actually ran over the dead bodies in the road before they would throw them out, or go around them. The trees were literally shot all to pieces. The wounded Yankees were all in the woods, in squads of a dozen or more, under some shady tree without any guard of any kind to guard them. I recollect one squad on the side of the road with their bush shelter in ten steps of a dead Yankee, that had not been buried and was horribly mangled. I don't suppose the dead Yankees of this fight will ever be buried. It will be an awful job to those who do it, if it is ever done. There is some five or six of our company that have not come up yet. Blake is among the number. They are not sick, merely broken down. The Second N.C. Regiment haven't more than half of the men with them now, that they had when they left Richmond. It has been an awfully hard march. Two men died in one day from sun stroke. The weather is not so warm now as some days ago. It takes two or three blankets to keep us warm at night, it is so cool. The days are very warm. I hope to gracious that we will stay here tomorrow and rest a while, it's a beautiful place on the side of the Blue Ridge. The sun will not strike the ground where our headquarters are during the whole day. I don't know where you may direct your next letter. Richmond, though, I reckon. Give my love to all the family. Goodbye. I'll now cook my supper. I'll have an excellent one tonight, chicken, and sugar and coffee and biscuit.
Yours, etc.,

WALTER

P.S. I bought sugar at 12 1/2 cents per pound and coffee at 25 cents per pound this morning in a store on our way.

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-31-2006, 12:35 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

HEAD QUARTER'S ANDERSON'S BRIGADE,
MAR. BUNKER'S HILL, VA., Sept. 29, 1862

My Dear Mother,
It has been some time since I last wrote you. I hope you have not been uneasy about me, for I have never been in better health in my life. During the past two months we have been on the march almost constantly, sometimes resting one or two days, but never longer.
On Sunday, the 14th of September, we left our camp at 4 o'clock in the morning and marched some six miles to the top the Blue Ridge and drew up in line of battle. We were not long in waiting for the Yankees, they came in very large columns and we fought until after dark. That night our troops fell back through Boonsboro some few miles and drew up in line of battle little after sunrise, very little fighting was done that day, only some cannonading. We continued in our position until the 17th inst., when we had almost a general engagement. The line of battle of our Brigade was some two hundred yards in front of a house in which General D.H. Hill and General Anderson had their Head Quarters. The fight commenced in the morning before I awoke (long before sunrise), soon after light wounded from the Artillery commenced coming in, pretty soon the wounded infantry came in by the dozens. There wasn't a surgeon on the battle field from our Brigade, but Gus Stith. He stayed there to the last. He, his two assistants and myself dressed the wounds until the Yankees got in 30 yards of the house. General Anderson was anxious to get off before the Yankees got nearer. He did not want to be taken prisoner by them. He would prefer being shot through the head, so Capt Gales, his A.A. General, myself, and two other men from the Ambulance Corps carried him through a field that looked like it was impossible for a man to walk ten steps without being killed, though we got out safe. A piece of shell struck me on the knee, which occasioned some little inconvenience for a few days, but nothing else. The house on which we were was the hottest part of the battle field, we were exposed to a cross fire of two Yankee Batteries and from the front by musket balls. The house, kitchen, trees and everything else were torn and shot all to pieces. We had a large pot full of chicken on the stove, cooking for dinner, when a bomb took off one-half of the kitchen and turned the stove bottom upwards. That stopped the splendid dinner we had in preperation. You must get Gus Stith to tell you all about our campaign, adventures, etc. He can do it better than I can write it. Every day's march through Maryland I could write a long letter, but when it is all past and forgotten I can't think of one thing that I wished to write. If I ever live to get home I can think of one thing at a time, and tell you a great many incidents of interest. The Northern part of Virginia and some parts of Maryland is the most beautiful country that I ever saw. I don't know how it is in the winter, but from the looks of the soil, it's as muddy as Manassas, I reckon. We (our company) lost several in the two battles, none killed, but some badly wounded, others taken prisoners or have not come up yet, may be wounded and left on the battlefield and had to be left in the hands of the Yankees when we fell back this side of the Potomac. We are now encamped on the Turnpike from Martinsburg to Winchester, some ten miles from the latter place.
I don't know where to tell you to send your next letter, Richmond, though, I reckon. Our mail for this Brigade is at Winchester, we will get that to-day. I hope to get some letters from home when it comes. I must close this so as to have it ready when Gus Stith starts, he can't tell when, so I must have it ready. I may get something in the mail before this gets off.

Your loving son,

WALTER

**Chris Suppelsa** · 12-31-2006, 03:03 PM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

NEAR BUNKER HILL, VA., October 1, 1862

Dear Mother,
I have just recieved a letter from you, dated Sept. 2nd. It is the first word I have heard from you since I left Richmond (I forgot I did recieve one letter down at Anderson's station, 30 miles from Richmond). It appears you have not recieved the letter I wrote from the Potomac, opposite Berlin, though you must have gotten it before now. I heard that Pat Simms will be in Wilson for a short time as detail for our winter clothing. He can tell you all about that trip. It has been so long that I have forgotten almost all about it. I shall send this by Dr. Stith, as he starts in the morning. You can get him to tell you a good deal of news if you choose. Dr. Stith and Pat Wooten came up this morning. I haven't been up to see them yet. I must sleep and stay at head quarters nearly all the time, as it is more convenient and I get plenty of something to eat, and often something extra. If Pat Simms goes home, as I think he will, you may send me my two flannel shirts and my drawers, also two pairs of woolen socks. I reckon I will have to make out with shoes this winter, though if you can have me a good pair of winter sewed boots made (large 6s) you may send them also, and the price. If I can't wear them myself I can sell them for any price, If I choose to ask. See if Pat is willing to bring them first and if he is certain that he can get them here without being lost. Write often by some of the boys that are coming.

Your affectionate son,

WALTER

**Chris Suppelsa** · 01-01-2007, 01:04 AM

Re: 4th North Carolina Letter

HEAD QUARTERS, ANDERSON'S BRIGADE,
November 14, 1862

My Dear Mother:
As I have another good opportunity of sending a letter the other side of Richmond to be mailed, I thought I would avail myself of it. One of our surgeons will leave in the morning for North Carolina, so that I can have my letter mailed very near home, it will stand less chance of being lost. I have neglected to write you longer than I wished, waiting for an opportunity of sending it by someone. This is the first chance that has occured. The letters that are mailed here for North Carolina, not one half of them ever get there, so I made up my mind to write only when I knew you would recieve it. We have been through a good many hardships since I last wrote to you, tho' we haven't had any fighting, that is, our Brigade has not, tho' we have lain in the line of battle for several days and nights at the time, waiting for the advance of the enemy. The strongest position I think our Division ever occupied was on the mountains behind rock fences, near Paris. We stayed there one night and day, but the Yankees didn't come. We left there and marched to Port Royal, There we laid in line of battle two days and one night. Little after dark the second day we got orders to cross the Shenandoah River and take up camp some mile or two off for the night. The men were cold and hungry and somewhat expecting the Yankees that night, when the word was given and they started at a double quick for the river, some half mile off, and in they went, half waist deep, the water was freezing cold and almost cutting you in two. I guess you know something about the mountain winds in the winter. For the next few days we had some rest, but we don't lie idle in camp long at a time. Night before last we marched seven miles, tore up and burned railroads all night, and marched back ten miles the next day. To-day is a beautiful sunshiny one, and I hope we will remain quiet for the men's sake. We have had one snow some two or three inches deep, though it melted very soon, there are thousands of barefooted men in Virginia and I do hope we will have pleasent weather until they can get shoes. We have a good many in our Brigade stark barefooted, and have not had a shoe on since we left Richmond some months ago. John Burton, poor fellow, was paroled and came up with us some week or two back, looking dreadfully. He has gone home on a furlough. He was barefooted and almost clothesless. My feet can just be said to be off the ground and that is all. They are no good protection from wet weather. I hope Pat Simms will come soon and have my boots with him. I am glad you sent me a pair of pants, and these are entirely worn out. I have been patching them up for some time. There is two big patches on the knees as large as your two hands, put on with blue cloth, you recollect the pants are brown. I never thought to mention any clothes in my letter. I hope you thought of them. I need a pair. I also need an overcoat, but I will have to wait until the Regiment gets their clothes before I can get one. I hope before one month more passes we will be on the railroad somewhere, so I can get something good to eat once more. I think I will know how to appreciate something good after living on beef and bread for so long. I want some oysters and sweet potatoes and some other winter delicacies so much. I hope, if we ever do get where I can change my diet, I will be able to stop the diarrhoea which has been reducing me for some time. I've fallen off considerable since we left Richmond. With that exception I have nothing to complain of. In a great many respects, I fare a great deal better than the officers of the regiment do. I have better fare and not half the duty to do.
The other night, when all the men were at work on the railroad, I was with our wagon and had as comfortable a night's sleep as I ever do. I very often get the chance to ride on the march, too, for the last several marches I have ridden Col. Grimes extra horse. Since we left Richmond we have crossed twenty streams waist deep and very often in the night, and I have never waded one yet. I always get a ride across, some way or another.
We will have a general change at Headquarters in a few days. General Ramseur is assigned to this Brigade and I expect he will bring his own Staff with him. I'll stand as good a chance of remaining as any of them and I think I will be very apt to remain, at least I shall try to do so. I hope he will be as clever as the other commanders have been. I like Col. Grimes very much and I think he is more entitled to the promotion of Brigadier than Ramsuer, who was only a Captain of Artillery, though they say he is a West Pointer, and a very good officer. I hope he will prove himself to be as good as General Anderson was, though that is hardly possible. I don't think he had his equal in the Confederate Army. I hope Dr. Harrell will pass his examination and get in the army as a surgeon. It is the easiest and most comfortable position there is in the Army.
Tell Mr. Rhodes that if I was in his place, I would try and get in a new company, one that has not been in long. Dr. Bullock's Company would suit him better than any other. He thinks that we've got a good one and a picked company, but it is not what it was, and he would be out of place all the time if he would try to keep up with men who had been playing the old soldier for nearly two years. I would rather be dead than in the place of some of the Conscripts sent to our Regiment, they looked like they wanted to die, they felt so bad. Please let me know in your next whether you ever recieved my watch or not. I've asked in every letter and you've never told me yet. Write soon to your

Affectionate son,
WALTER

P.S. Give my love to all the family, tell some of them to write. I haven't sent a letter home yet with a stamp on it, it is because we can't possibly get them and I know it makes no difference with you.

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