SHARP COUNTY
MEMORIES

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Robin Hoff Kaspar
James J. (J.J.) Gordon was almost 34 years old when he enlisted with the 38th Arkansas Infantry, Company F (CSA) on May 11, 1863 in Jacksonport, Arkansas. He left behind his 35 year old wife, Livonia Jane ("Jane"), and their three daughters, Mary Emmarellus ("Emma") age 11, Arkansas ("Arka") age 6 and Frances Eleanor ("Ellen") age 2 at their home in Sidney. As far as we know, he never made it back home. One family member thinks he was captured, sent to prison in Missouri and died of disease. There is a monument at Alton Confederate Cemetery in Alton, Illinois that lists a J.J. Gordon, but there is no other information. At that time, it was the style to use initials rather than full names and there were several J.J. Gordons in the Confederate Army in that area. So we may never know.
His daughter Ellen died in 1866 at age 5. Jane died in 1880. Emma and Arka married; Emma had 8 children, Arka had 5, 4 that lived to adulthood.
These letters are in the possession of Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Meeks McCormack of Austin, Texas. She is a descendant of Arka. I have added punctuation and a few minor corrections to help with readability, but I have kept J.J.�s spelling and grammatic errors. These letters are in remarkably good shape, only one being torn at the creases.---Robin Hoff Kaspar, Richmond, Virginia, descendant of Emma.
Little Rock, May th 26, 1863
Dear wife and children, I write you a few lines this morning to let you know that I am well. I hope they will find you all well. I landed here in four days. I had the privilige of riding here which --- me verry much. My command is gone to Camden but I learn this morning that it is coming back to this place which releaves me verry much. I found a great many of my friends and acquaintances here they were glad to see me. There is no reliable news here as I can here from Vixburg every thing is high here. It cost one Dollar a meal from Batesville to this place and here one Dollar and twenty five cents ower rash helped us out mightly. I drawed 14 Dollars transportation money when I got here. If my command comes back here I will save that much. I want you and the children to do the best you can. I have not time to write anymore at present. I send this by Max Simms. I will write again as soon as I can. You must rite to me when when you see any one passing to my command direct your letter to Tappens Briggade Shavers rigiment Company F. I will rite again the first chance. I have nothing more. JJ Gordon

Monroe Louisiana June 10th 1863

Dear wife and children, I write you few lines this evening to let you know how and where I am. I am well and hearty and away down in ---. We went to Camden and from there to Monroe and the chat is that we will go from here to Delhi 40 miles below here. We are in 35 miles of the feds, they had a fight last Sunday. I have not herd the particklars we are camped on the Ouachita river near the town of Monroe. They have been fighting in Vixburg for two weeks. The Southerners had the ground so says the dispatcher. We can here any thing here in in the world. We have plenty to eat now bread, bacon, molasses, sugar peas --- but I don�t [k]now how long it will last for there is the poriest prospect for crops that I ever seen in any country. I would not give Lawrnece County for all the country I seen south of the rock. The people will be bound to starve I am affraid. I am better satisfied than I thought I wound be. The officers treats their men verry well. The army is well armed and tolerable clothed but I would rather be at home with you and the children and live on bred and water than to be in the war, it don�t suit me and no other man that loves his wife and children but you know how it is. There is not much sickness in ower army yet but if we stay here long I fear there will bee. The general opinion of the people is that the Vixburg fight will settle the matter and I hope it will for every boddy is getting tired of it. Nearly evry boddy is gone from here and from the feds gone to Texas and scattered about our pay one dollar for ever meal we eat out of camps that shows scarsty. I must close for this time. I will send this letter by the old man Israel that rides the mail for us. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter. Rite your letter and send it to Evening Shade to Shaver or Haleburton and the post rider wll get it back your letter to J.J. Gordon. Tappens brigade Shavers Regiment Company H and it will come. Give my respects to Springer and Furgeson, all the neighbors. I want you and the little children to [be] the verry best you can. I have the promise that you won�t sufer by some of the neighbors as long as they have any thing. I hope and pray that I will have the pleasure of seeing you and the children one time more. So good by. My God bless you all. JJ Gordon.

Delhi July 2th 1863 Louisiana

Dear wife and children, I got hold of a half a sheet of paper and I write you a few lines --- ---. I am well and have been ever since I left home except the sore eyes. I had them a few days but they have got well. I have not heard from you since I left home but I hear from the count evry week or two. Some of the boys gets letters once and awhile. This is the third letter I have rote to you since I left home-I don�t know whether you get them or not. I want to hear from you badly. I have a --- to write but no paper this morning to write on. I have been in no fights yet but several runs I stood in line of battle and looked at one fight but we never fired we was held in reserve, that was near Monticello. We got some fed 125 feds niggers at that fort. It is verry warm down here. I am affraid of sickness. The water is bad, evry boddy has left here. Some gone to the feds, some to Texas, some one way, some another. I think the thing will be wound up on this side of the river this summer from all the news I can get. If Vixburg falls we are gone up a --- sure. It is generally believed that it is gone. We are in 35 or 40 miles of the place. We can�t hear any thing from there. It looks like all communications are cut off from that place. There has been no cannonading there for two weeks so we [k]now there is something done. We get tolerable plenty to eat such as it is. Cornbread, bacon, beef. I would give one dollar for a canteen full of milk. I have had none in one month. I must close for want of paper. I hope this will find you well. Get the neighbors to help yu all they can. They shall not loss anything if live to get home. Do the best you can. nothing more J J Gordon

Delhi Louisiana July 14 1863

Dear wife & children, often thinking of you and geting a small piece of paper I write you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hope these lines will find you and the children well. I have been well all the time but marched nearly down. We are here in Delhi doing nothing but burning up what little corn and cotton there is to keep the feds from getting it. There appears to be a dark cloud prevailing at present, Vicksburg has gone up. Ower forces surrenderd the 4 day of July. Also Fort Hudson on the 10th of this month. It appear to be a dark day at present. I can see a gloom over the faces of the officers. The feds have full possession of the river and nearly all the land in this country. I think we will start backwards in a few days. Some of the commands started to Monroe today. I hink we will keep pulling back till we get to Little Rock. The Confederacy is cut in two and heavy forces on both sides of the river. So evry boddy think the war will soon close and so do I if the Condererates don�t go into squad fighting but I think all hands are tired of the war. I hope for peace. I want to go home badly. I herd that Judge Nunns wife was dead and there was a great deal of sickness up in Lawrence this season. I want you all to take good care of your selves as you can. We have a heap of sickness here in camps, but no contagious disease. We only have about 200 men able for duty in ower rigiment. The most of them are in the convolescent camps. I take as good care of my self as I can. I wish I coud bee at home to get some good milk and butter. Paper is scarce you see. I must close. Give my best to Mr. Parish Furguson, Springer and all inquiring friends if any. Till them we are all right down here on the nigger question. I will send this letter by Mr. Prentice to ---. Write to me if you can have any chance. JJ Gordon

Delhi La July 22 1863

Dear wife and children, I take this opertunity to write you a few lines to let you know I am well at present and I do hope this will find you all well. I recieved your letter yesterday dated June 28. I was glad to hear you was all well. I have not much news to write, we are here in delhi yet, but we have marching orders tomorrow, but we don�t know were. Some thinks we will go north or west. Some thinks we will go back to Ark. Some say we will be captured here for the feds sent us word that they had payroles for all of us, that we might as well give it up. There is strong talk of Louisiana going back to the union and I think it will for this reason Confederate money is not worth anything in this country-hard money or green backs is the go here. I can buy ten Dollars in Confederate for one in silver or green back. The men are deserting fast since the capture of Vicksburg & Ft. Hudson and Yazoo Citty. I have seen hundreds of men going home from there I seen John Barnes, Warren Kenn and several more that I [k]new. They say the chance is bad the feds got every thing they had except private property. They eat mule meat one week before they give it up. The general conclusion is that the war will close this winter. The Texans and Ark-saw boys say they intend to go home this --- any how and they are going now. Three hundred went one night last week and 1.5 from ower regimint. Only 2 from owers that I [k]now, Lem Yager and Wm. Irwin. You rote you had trouble with the stock don�t set niggers free for horses is worth from 400 to eight hundred Dollars, milk cows from one fifty to two hundred dollars, milk 50cts a quart, buter one dollar per pound. Don�t sell Jinny nor dandy. It may be that I will have a chance of coming home in time to make some arrangements. I will [k]now more about it by fall if I live to see that time. The boys all fixed up today to draw money, but this move stoped it. They only draw till the first of May last, so I won�t draw this time. When I draw I will send it to you. I am affraid you are a suffring for salt. If I could get to the rock I could send you some. Emma wanted to know if I washed. Well I do my own washing and sometimes without soap. My clothes is good yet except one pair socks the heels wore out the cotton ones. When I get naked I wil come home. We draw everything here in the way of clothing and something to eat. Old Tappen will have it he says when he can�t get nothing to eat nor wear. He will quit and I think he will. Well Emma you wanted to know if I had any tobacco. Well it is scarce, only worth five dollars a plug. I am mightty saving with it. Arka says Ma can shoot as good as I can. Well kill all the squirrels about there. Arka you must slop them two little pigs, you and Ellen don�t let them them bite you. Pa wants to see you and booby and Emma and Ma verry bad. I hope I will before many months. I herd today that old Arkansas was going back to the union. When she does we will all go home for she will call her troops home. I also herd that Texas had refused to let anymore cattle go out of that state also. Dispatcher came here that price had got badly cut to pieces at helena, but whether it is true or not I can�t tell. Tell Springer that I often think of him. I believe him to be a good friend of mine and I am the same man I allways was, excep my whiskers they are cut off. I think we will get to live neighbors yet if we live. Tell Mrs. Right to not be uneasy about her money. She will get it. Give my best to all inquiring friends. Don�t let the children get --- ---. God bless you all. James J. Gordon

Little Rock Sept 9, 63

Dear wife and children, I am blessed with the privalige of writing to you once more to let you know how I am. I am tolerable well at present. I have been chilling. I have missed them 8 days now, I think I got them stoped. I hope these lines will find you better than you was when you rote to me. I have had a hard time since I left home but I expect your hardships has hurt you the worst. You said you believed you would grieve your self to death. Now don�t you grieve I beg you, for it does no good, it only makes bad matters worse. Just think there is a better day coming. You wrote you thought some times that you would starve. I [k]now the prospect is gloomy but you won�t starve, I know, for crops is good up there and you must --- among them if you are able untill I come home and that won�t be long I don�t think if I keep well for think this place will go up before long. Whether it does or not the soldiers say they are going home. The feds are in five miles of us and have been for six days. Today they come in two miles of ower breast works. I think they intend to surround us. They --- ower cavaldry over the river yesterday. The report is 10 thousand coming up on the west side. Today General Marmiduke and General Walker fought a duel here. Walker was killed. Marmaduke is broke of his office a great stir up among the Missourians about the affair. Get the neighbors to help you all they can, tell them they will not loss any thing by it. I have one hundred Dollars owing to me now, but I don�t expect it will be of any account. It is not worth much now at this place. I make enough of money to by my tobacca by --- peeking I get two Dollar for half soleing a pair of shoes. I by a little buttermilk once and a while at four bills a quart. My close is tolerable good yet, except my shirts they are breaking, but I can patch them up. I have drawed a hat, a pair of shoes and a coat since I have been out. I want to see you all verry bad. Oh if I could see booby, Arka, Emma this evening and all of you together I could tell you more in one hour than I could write in one day. I must close, tell Mr. Springer that I often think of him and the loss of his little boy for I know it grieves him. Tell the children to be good children, mind there Ma, till I get home. I send this by Lieut. Huddleston, he starts home in the morning on a sick furlow-thirty days if you will get Mr. Springer or some one to assist you Jane in getting your fire wood it is dark nearly. Good by JJ Gordon.