The State of Miss. Yalabusha County
Sept 1st, 1861
Dear wife and children. I take the opportinity of writing you
a few line to in form you that i am well at this time hopping this may
find you all injoying the same blessing of god. i have nothing of
importance to write only we reached our camp safe that eavning i left home.
we are camped 1 one mile below Grenada wright on the Rail Road in a butiful
old ____?. We were mustard in to service yesterday by Mr. Clate.
thair is about 15 company in camp hear. Reckon thair is some few
cases of measels hear though none in our company. thair was one man
disobeyed the guard and thay shot him in the thy [thigh] though it is not
dangerous. i dont know when i can come home though i will come when
i get the chance. i cant writ mutch for i have to go on guard in
a few minutes. i want you to writ to me gest as soon as you can.
so no more at present.
W.C. Grizzell
To Elizabeth Grizzell and family
Direct your letters to Grenada
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September the 14th 1861
Dear wife i take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to in form
you that i got to the camps safe this eavning. i wanto you to fix
my cloes up as soon as you can. our Jeneral West is gone to Jackson
on request of govner Pettus and our captin thinks we will go to leave hear
in ten day and i send you good by. if we dont start in that time
i will come up and see you all if i can get the chance. if i dont
i want you to take good cear of you self and the children and i want you
and every one to pray for me and i will try to do the best i can for my
self. if dont feel that i am in danger. i leave you all in
hopes that i will meet you all once more. i write this in tears.
i want you to let pap know this and tell him to come down next week and
if have got any thing ready send it to me by Jack Maxy as he comes back.
i want you to write to me and send it by Maxey and if you dont i want you
to send it by mail. i want to hear from you. i want you to
look over my bad writing for i have got my mind full. Elizabeth i
want you to ceep that poetry that i giv you this morning so good by.
W.C. Grizzel To Mrs.
Elizabeth Grizzel and the children
i want you to write to me sertin
W.C. Grizzel
[NOTE-Co F had a M.J. Maxey from Coffeville, MS and a J.J. Maxey
from Tippah, MS]
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Camp Younion Sept the 27th 1861
Dear wife and children it is grate pleasher to me to have the oportunity
of writing you a few lines to let you no that i am well at this time hoping
this may reach you and find you all enjoying the same blessing of god all
the pleasher that i hav is to think that i can write you and you can write
to me i have not heard a word from you since i left Coffeeville and i want
to hear from you mity bad if i could hear from you and hear that you was
all well it would give me great satisfaction we are in younion scitey or
we landed hear on the 25th and i dont no long we will stay the 4th ridgement
has not got thair guns yet and we are in 4 miles of the caintuckey line
we are in a close plase for the enimy is close by thair is five thousand
southern men in camps hear we are campled in a verry pretty plase though
our water is not verry good if you get this letter before E.R. Enocks leaves
thair you can send my does if you have got any of them ready i shal need
them in a littel while for it is cold anuf hear now for me to ware my over
coat all day i cant write mutch now if i could get a letter from some of
you maby i could write something more interresting i want you to tell Mr
Balinger and Mr. Hogg to write to me and tell them to write all the news
and i want you to write to me for god bless you and the children i wish
i cold se you now i must come to a close but remains your loveing Husband
until death.
William C. Grizzel To Elizabeth Grizzel
when you write to me know direct your leter in this way To Mr. W.C.Grizzel
in the cear of Captin W A Sumner sons of the South in the 4th ridgement
Miss volinteers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The State of Tenissee
Stuart County November the 4th 1861
Deare wife and children friends and connection i this morning have
the opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that i am well
and hoping this reach you and find you all enjoying the same blessing of
god. i received your letter that was wrote on the 19th of October
and it gave me grate satisfacton to hear from you though i was mity sorry
to hear that my sweet little babe was sick though i hope that he is well
by this time. when i got your letter i got one from pap and he said
that mother was worse again and i tride to get a furlow but the curnel
said that he could not let me go at this time for he thought that thair
was a chance for a fite in a few days and he wanted evry one to be at his
post. i dont see what good we could ___ [do] in a fite for we have
not got our guns yet. thair is 3 companys in our ridgement that has
got guns and that is all. we are at Fort henry on the tenissee river
40 miles _____ paduca. thair is one ridgement at the fort besides
us. thay are well armed with muscets and thay have got 6 32 pounders
and 2 12 pounders and 1 6 pounder and thay think that thay can stand thair
hand [or land] with the gun boats. thair was one gun boat come up
in site this Day was three weeks ago and thay shot one gun at her from
the fort and she went back with out shooting at us. i wrote you a
letter and sent it by mart _____ [reagan?] and i wrote to you that we had
a company made up to go over to dover but we did not get off. we
heard it was pretty bad on our side though it was not so bas as we heard.
thay only kiled 2 of our men and our men kiled ___ [8?] of thair men.
when i got that letter from you it pleased me more than any thing i have
seen or heard since i have bin in camps and i want you to write to me constant
and if will do the same by you for that is all the satisfaction that we
can have now. i want you and all the ballance of the connection to
write to me and when you write to me dont pray [pay] for the better [letter]
for if you do it will never come and when i write to you i will do the
same. be sure to write soon. i wrote aletter to you when i
was at trenton and i sent it by A.M. Reasons and i sent 4 chinkapins in
it to the children and i wat [want] you to write to me whether you ever
got it or not. i have got my cloes that you sent me and i was mity
glad to get them and i want you to make me one more pair of wool pants
and send them to me by the first good chance you have. if you dont
get a good chance ceep them till i come. i think that i will get
to come home after while. if i dont i will think mity hard.
though we are put on mity tite i am verry well satisfid hear yet though
i want to see you and the children mity bad. if any of you gets sick
i want you to write to me jest as soon as you can and i will try to come
home. i want you to take good cear of your hogs and cattel and your
horse and i will take cear of my money and we will do the best we can.
tell all the connection to write me and i want you to write soon and i
want you to write how many loads of corn you all made and how you get along
picken out cotton and you must write all the news shore. tell John
Countiss and John Foster to write to me and all the rest of the connection
tell Harriot and Jeny howdy for me. Elizabeth i want you to get a
long with Jeny and all the rest as well as you can. i want you to
tell the children howdy for me and receive a large portion for your self.
i want you to write me jest as soon as you get this letter without fail.
so i must come to a close by saying you must remember your affectionate
husband until death.
W.C. Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel good by dear wife and children till we
meet again.
When you back your letters back it in this way
To Mr W. C. Grizzel in the cear of
Captin W.A. Sumner Sons of the South of the 4th Ridgement Miss
Volintiers
[A.M. Reasons – 3rd Lieut. Co F 4th MS]
[M.V. Reagan – 3rd Cpl Co F 4th MS]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fort Henry December the 6th 1861
Dear Father i thought i wrote anuff but i will write to you to let
you no that M.C. Moorman and the boys got hear safe last night and thay
brout me my things all safe you sent me. i was mity glad to get them
and thay braut me a letter which give me grate satisfaction to hear from
you all and to heare you was all well. pap i got my whiskey and it
come in a good time shore for i was on guard last night. we had [on?]
an l___y last might [night?] and every man to a [man sick] and well was
out and in line in quic__ time shore. i was orn duty and i made ____
a bout it. we had a heep of fun a bout it to day. tell Jorge
that he out [ought] to have bin hear to see the negrs run and hide.
pap you nee [need] not minde a bout that paper and whiskey i wrote to you
in this letter. i want you to take this letter over to Elizabeth
and let her see it and tell her to be shore to write to me and you must
write too and write all the news. i will come home when i wrote if
i can get off and then i can tell you a heep more than i can write.
so no more but remember your son til death
William C. Grizzel
To Elam S. Grizzel
(the letter was continued on the back)
pap tell Elizabeth to make me a little pocket out of Janes cloth and
send to me to put my [needles] and thred in and tell her to send me some
thred in it. i hante got no way to ceep my needel from rusting [unless
I use] it pretty oftin. this morning is the 7th and i can inform
you that i got my quilt [and] pants and paper last night and i [was] mity
glad to get them. you need not [se]nd me any thing more for i have
got [a]s mutch as i want onley that pocket to put my needels in.
i will send all this to you. it is all mixed up so i dont no whether
you can make any sence out of it or not though i hante got time to write
any more now. write and tell Elizabeth to write shore
W.C. Grizzel
To E.S. Grizzel
[M.C. Moorman Co F 4th MS]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fort Henry January the 4th 1862
Dear wife and children i take the opportunity of writing you a nother
letter which i hope will reach you and finde you all well. this leaves
me verry unwell. i have bin rite porley for some time. i have
not bin on duty for 10 or 12 days. i was taken with a verry b[ad]
cold and then taken the chils. i h[ave] _____ chils and
[several lines missing] mutch like it this eavening. i have
them every other day. i wish i could be at home with you though i
am sorry to tell you that i cant be with you. thay have stoped ferlowing
intierly until further orders and i dont expect to get to come home until
my time is out un less thay commence ferlowing a gain. if thay do
i will try to come home so you must do the best you can until ___________
get to come home be for my time is out i will come then if i am a live
and thanks be to god i yet be leive that i will be spaired to live out
my 12 months and get back and enjoying my self with you and the children.
it is not worth while to greve nor studey a bout it. you must do
the best you can. well Father and Mother Ray i can tell you some
news. i met up with one of your nephews up hear at fort henry.
his name is Dunkin. he is a son of David Dunkin. he is the
second son. his name is Franklin [Dunkin]. i beleive he lives in
Calaway County in Kaintuckey. ___ he is pedling on tobacco and he
come over [to se]ll the soldiers some tobacco and i found ____ to
[ta]lk mutc[h] ______ [wa]s sic[k] and it w[a]s lat[e in the]
eavning and he said he would go out in the settlement and stay all night
and come back next morning and i thought i would talk with him a heep though
he did not come back though he will be apt to come round again in 2 or
3 weeks and if he does i will finde out a heep more a bout him. he
has 8 children 4 boys and 4 girls. if i mistake not he had 2 sons
in the arm[y] ____ one of them was taken a prisner and he is at Piduca
now. his son had Joined a Cavilary Co and thay was Jes a cross the
river from us when thay was taken. thair was 8 in the squad when
thay was taken. his son that was taken has a famely and the old man
had got them at his house. i did not ask him if any one of his daughters
was married or not. at the time of the captier of the prisners thay
taken 2 of the old mans horses bridels and saddels and something else and
i have fergot what it was. the way thay come to get the horses thair
was a youn[g] man in the company that went up____ on ferlow and [several
lines missing] Dunkin ________ to ride back to his Company
that knight after he got back thay was taken prisners and his son was on
the oather one. the old man says his father is dead and his mother
is married a gain and is liveing in texes. if i get to see him any
more i will try to finde out a heep more a bout him. he done me a
grate faver. he give me a dollar and 40cts worth of the finest kind
of tobacco. he was the best friend to me i have met with since i
left home. he lives in [14?] miles of fort henry. Elizabeth
i have wrote 3 or 4 letters to you and your pap and mother and i have not
got narry one from you since you and margaret sent that one by Langston
while you was at paps. i sent you one by mail the last time and i
will send this by hand and i want you to write to me as soon as you get
this and let me no whether you gote it or not and you must write all the
news and write about your hogs and cattle and a bout your salt and every
thing elce. you must write to me if you got your poetry i sent you.
i want _______ the children ever talks about [severl lines missing]
worst in the world though i cant come. un less thay get to ferlowing a
gain you need not look for. i will tell you how to back your letters
and if you will bock them as i tell you thay will come shore. so
no more at this time though remember you loveing husband until death.
William C. Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel
write soon with out fail and tell me all the news
William C. Grizzel Fort Henry Tenissee in the cear of
Captin W.A. Sumners 4 ridgement Miss volinteers by the way of
Danville
[Two Langstons in Co F 4th MS – F.M. and Mat]
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Fort Henry January the 7th 1862
Dear wife and children i will write you a few lines to let you no that
i got your kind and loveing letter you sent by reasons and you dont no
how proud i was to get one from you this leaves me well and in good sperits
we have plenty to eat and nothing to do i hope this may finde you all well
you must write to me as soon as you get this when i write to you i write
to you all when i send you a letter by mail i will send them to Concord
PO and i will write pretty often and you must write to me often it is out
of my power to come home you must do the best you can without me though
i want to see you as bad as you do me shore write with out fail so i remain
your loveing husband until death W C. Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel and children
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The State of Miss this September the 12th 1862
Dear wife and children i will write you a few lines to let you no that
i have got back in the land of Dixie a gain and i feel as proud as a bird
let out [of] a caige. i am not verry w[ell] though. i think
it is from the fertigue of our trip. i hope this will finde you all
well. i want to see you all so bad in cant hardley stand it.
i will come home as soon as we all get together and get our pay though
it may be 3 or 4 weeks though i cant tell we are so scatter and tourn up
that it will take some time to get every thing fixed up. since i have got
in to our land i find every thing so hy that it is impossable to get any
clothing. i want you to fix me some clos a gains i come home for
i am out of clos. i Shal come home as soon as i can and then i can
tell you all a bout every thing. i cant write verry mutch at this
time. i want to see you so [b]ad it dont sime like i can content
my self. so no more at this time. you must write to me as soon
as you get this and let me no how you are all getting a long. meaby
i can get a letter from you before i get to come home. you must send
this letter to pap and let him see it and tell him to write as soon as
he can. so fair well.
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jackson Miss this Sept the 18[th] 1862
Dear wife and children and all the rest. i will write you a few
lines to let you no that i am not verry well though i am up an a bout.
i think it is cola that taken on the boat and since i got hear we are Jest
staying hear doing nothing at all. though our officers came in yesterday
and i think we will do something in a few days. some say thay think
we will get to come home and some says that we wont so i dont no how it
will turn out. i will come home as soon as i get my money if thair
is any chance. Elizabeth i want to see you and the children so bad
it dont seam like i can wait any longer though i want to get my money if
i can. i aint worth while for me to try to write every thing for
i could not write all the news in a week. if i get to come home _____
tell you all a bout it. i want one pair of pants and one shirt and
one pair drawers one pair of socks. you need not send them to me
if i get to come home. i can get them and if i dont you can send
them to me after while. i do with out them for a while yet i have
go 2 soots sutch as they are though i make out with them for a while.
i want you to write to me and let me no how you are all getting a long
and what sort of crops you have got. i want you [to] tell me all
the news. when i write to you i write to your pap and mother.
i want to see you all so bad it dont seme like i can stand it mutch longer.
i will write more next time i write if i dont get to come home. tell
my sweet children howdy for me. tell Sary i have got her a ring and
a brest pin and tell Elam and Tomey that i have got them a knife a peace.
tell them to be good children. So i will come to a closes.
thair is my baby i want to se[e bit or hit] and see if it is as pretty
as as sweet as the rest of the children. So nomore at this time.
you must write to me with out fail
W.C. Grizzel
To my loveing Wife and children
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ponchatula Lous Nov 14th 1862
Dear wife and children i will write you a few lines to let you no that
i an well and i got hear safe and sound and i went _______ i went
to the curnel and he said i had come as soon as he looke for me and every
thing went on well. the boys has not draud any more money.
thay sure looking to draw in a few days. Elizabeth the day next _________
[half page missing] since i have bin hear and see the prospects of
this [spring?] i think you had better get pap to by that filey if you are
willing. you can do jest as you please though i think that she would
be worth more than the money. you had better get some molasses this
winter if you can. for thay will be cheaper than to by _______.
i think _______ [rest of letter is missing]
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Vicksburg Miss Dec the 7th 1862
Dear companion and children i __ lonesomeley seat myself this eavning
to write you a few lines to let you no that i am well all to a bad cold
i taken a mity bad cold while i was on the cars to this place i hope this
may reach you and find you all well Elizabeth i want to see you and the
children worse than i ever did i cant tell you my feelings i wish it was
so you could come and see me as i cant go to see you it seames like it
would be more satisfaction to me to be with you 3 or 4 days than it ever
was though i have spent a many pleasherful day with you and i feel in hops
that i will spend a grate many more tell sis and bud and tom howdy for
me and tell them to be good children for god noes that i love you and them
dearly it aint hardley worth while for me to write to you at this time
for my mind is so confused that i cant write with any satisfaction to you
i got some shugar and sent home and pap will attend to it for you and if
you get it you must give mother some of it tell mother Ray howdy for me
i have not fergot her i think other every day of my life i think other
lonesom days but i am as lonesom as she is i recen it seams like my life
is no satisfaction to me tell oliver and jorge howdy for me tell jorge
i say for him to be a good boy and obay his mistress for he is liveing
an easy life shore Elizzel you and your mother must write as soon as you
get this letter no more remember your loveing husband until death W.C.Grizzel
E. Grizzel
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vicksburg Miss Dec the 8th 1862
Dear wife and children i have the opportunity of writing you a few
lines to let you no how i am i am not well by no means I have a verry sever
pain in my head and back i was taken last knight i am a feard i am taken
the fever though i am abel to set up and write to you i never have heard
from you since Mr Ellard was thair and i want to hear from you mity bad
we hear the news down hear that our men has fell back to Grenada and give
up that country to the yanks and it distreses me verry mutch to hear of
that for i hate to hear of you and your mother being in the hands of them
though if they come in thair treat them as kind as you can and you will
find it will be the best for you if thay come in thair and commence taken
every thing your mother had better send Jorge off some where to save him
it dont look like that she could do with out him but if thay get in thair
thay will take him any how though she sees that thay will get him and then
she can send off until times gets better or worse for if thay get in thair
thay will take all the negroes and every thing elce i expect dont take
my advise unless you think it best but if thay come in thair thay will
take all the negroes and then you will loose bin shore you had better get
shet of all the stock that you can do with out and save all the corn you
can for if the yanks dont get in thair our army will consome all the corn
and meet in that part of the country you must all do the best you can for
your selvs for I cnat help you any we are looking for a fite hear evry
day the women and children is all leaveing hear and the gun boats is in
hearing for i hear them this eavning shooting up and down the river thay
will atact us above and below boath at the same time if we get in to a
fite hear and i am spaird i will get some of them we are all hoping that
our Ridgment will be sent to Grenada though i dont no whether we will leave
hear or not Jorge Donner is well and in a mess with me and he seams to
be verry well satisfide as fair as i no though he wants to hear from home
mity bad i have wrote to you severel times and i hav never have got a letter
from you yet though i no you have a bad chance to write though i no you
can get someboyd to write for you i want you to write as soon as you can
and write often for i want to hear from you mity bad tell Harriet to write
to me for i want to hear from her i will write to you as often as i can
for you to hear from me so i will come to a close so i remain you loveing
husband until death
W.C Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel
be shore to write as soon as you can and send your letters to Vicksburg
tell your mother to write to me for i want to hear from her mity bad Elizabeth
you had better get that land note and keep it and tair my name off of it
and write to me if you have got it good by
----------------------------------------------------------------
Vicksburg Miss January the 4th 1863
Dear wife and children and mother i take the opportunity of writing
you a few lines this glorious sabbath to let you all no that i am well
and harty at this time hoping this may reach you and find you all well
Elizabeth i have not got but one letter from you since i have bin at this
place and i have wrote to you ever week since i have bin out i can look
over you and your mother as you cant write your selves though you could
get some bodey to write for you once ever 2 week i think if you would try
though i recon it is a bad chan to get to the office since the Bridge has
bin burnt down though i want you and your mother to write to me as often
as you can and tell Mr Balinger i want him to write to me and let me no
know he is geting a long. we have had pretty sharp times for the last 10
or 12 days though times is still now though i cant tell how long it will
stay so our Ridgement never got to fite any though it was in hearing and
in site of it all the time one day we was nearley in reach of them our
men run them poum to their boats and in to them we taken about five hundred
prisners in all and kild and wounded a grate many we lost but verry few
on our side the day of the hardest fit i was in site of nearley all of
it and i did not see more than 6 or 7 ded men on our side and the most
of them was kild by the sharp shooters and 2 was kild at our batry we have
a keep of men at this place i think know that we can hold this place in
spite of them since i have seen all the place we have got more big guns
and small artilery hear than i ever saw in my life it is on every hill
from hear to the yazoo River and that is 12 miles from hear and we have
got rigel ditches nearley all the way. Elisabeth paps wrote to me like
he would come down hear in a few days and if he comes i want you to send
me a pair of old socks i dont want new socks for old ones will do for me
to tramp in the mud with and i want you to send me them rattle snake pants
i never have wore my red pants yet and my new sock and i can sell my pants
for twenty dollars if i can get some from home i will sell them and send
you the money i under stand the yanks heas bin at Banner and Sarepta i
was mity fraid they would get in our settelment though i hope thay wont
i want you to tell Harriet howdy for me and tell her to write to me and
let me no how she is geting a long give Mr Donors famely my love and respect
and tell Thend to write to me George is not well he has bin sick for severel
days with a pain in his shoulder and runing off at his bowels he is in
a mess with me he is up and going about i want you to write to me without
fail! for i want to hear from you and write often and write a heep when
you do write so no more at this time so i remain your loveing husband until
death let it be long or short
W.C. Grizzel To Elizabeth Grizzel tell the children to
save all the slop and scraps and give it to their littel piges and rais
them if thay can.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Vicksburg Feb the 1st 1863
Dear and loveing wife and children
i will write you a few lines to infom you of my health i am in tolerable
good health hoping this may reach you and finde you all enjoying good health
i can inform you that i got your letter yesterday that was wrote on the
18th and was mailed on the 28 it come in 3 days i was mity glad to hear
from you all you said in your letter that you had got only 2 letters from
me since i come to vicksburg i have wrote 5 or 6 since i come hear i haint
wrote one in some for i have bin waiting for pap to come down hear and
if he comes down i want you to send me some butter if you can get it and
send ma a pair old socks if you have them tell the children to send me
some potatoes if thay have got them and i will send them a present for
it you wrote that you would have to by your meet and that you had not got
no salt yet i recon Lowery will get his salt home and if you can get it
you must get a plenty to do you i will send you a hundred and twenty dollars
and if you cant get a nuff of salt up thair to do you and pap comes down
you can send the money back and get some down hear i will send my money
by Jessey Silavan i will send it to pap and he will take it to you if pap
comes i want you to send me a baked chicken or too for i cant get sutch
a thing hear without paying from 1 to 2 dollars for it and i cant give
that price buter is seling at one dollar and 50 cts per pound lard is 50
cts per pound and pork is from 35 to 65 cts per pound i want you to send
me some dride fruit if you can we draw beef all the time and it is so pore
that it stick together like it had glue on it you wrote that your mother
and Harriet sent thair respects to me you may tell them that i send my
love and best respects to boath of them i want to see all of you mity bad
but thair is no chance for me to come home. tell all the children howdy
for me and tell them to be good children until i get to come home maby
i will get the come home some time and if you can i want you to send them
to scool if thair is any chance i want to no if you dident write some in
that letter you sent to me thair was a peace of poetry in it i tink you
wrote it your self if you wrote it your self you can write a full letter
for i can read it if you wrote it your self with a littel practice you
can write tolable well i want you to try to get pap off down hear if you
can i want him to come down as soon as he can for i want to see him and
i want him to bring me somthing to eat from home for i want to eat something
that comes from home one more time if you have any sauceage meet on hand
you must send me a bait of it tell your mother to bake me a turkey and
send to me for i think i could eat a hole
turkey at two baits ifi had the chance of it i will come to a close
i remain your loveing husband until death let it be long or short i want
you all to write soon and often with out fail
W.C. Grizzel To Elizabeth Grizzel and famely
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Vicksburg 19th 1863
Dear wife and children and mother. I will write you a few lines
to let you no that i am well at this time hoping this may reach you and
finde you all well. I can tell you that I got yourn and your mothers
letter you wrote to me and I was mity glad to hear from you and I
was mity glad to think you had got so you could write for your self.
you wanted to no if I could read your letter. I can read it verry
well. I want you to write often and you will ceep your self in practice.
I want you to get so you can write your own letters and then I can hear
from you a heep oftener. I am glad to hear you are moveing home to
your self. i think you will see a heep more satisfaction you can
have all your things to your self and you can take a heep better cear of
your hogs and cattel and you must be shore to set out them peach trees
in the garden and set out all that is large a nuff and take al good cear
of your stock as you can. I am a fraid you cant do any good a trying
to make a crop an you can make more to pay good attention to your hogs
and cows than any other way. I want you to not suffer for meet and
bread as long as you have any money and can get it. I have sent you
some money and I will send you some more by pap and I will send you all
the money I can get. thair is some more still coming to me yet I
recon I will get it in a short time as soon as thay can make out thair
pay rolls and I will send it all home and you can use it as you please.
I dont want you to suffer for any thing as long as you have money and can
get any thing. you wrote that you had the land note and I want you
to tair mine and John Fosters names off of it and take good cear of the
note and the land deed. dont let them get lost. I want to see
you all mity bad but i dont no when I can get to come home. I want
you all to do the best you can as you have to act man and woman both.
tell your mother I want her to write to me as often as she can and I want
you to write to me every week and I will do the same for I love to hear
from you. I was glad to hear the baby could walk. tell all
the children howdy for me and tell them I haint fergot them yet and I love
you all. so I will come to a close for this time. so I remain
your loveing husband until death god bless your sweet soles I haint fergot
you yet nor never shal I. wish I could see you all and be with you
a while
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children
I will write you a coppy of the letters for you to practice writing
and write to me often as you can.
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Vicksburg Miss March the 22nd 1863
Dear wife and children. I embrace the opportunity of writing
you a few lines to let you no that I am well hoping this may reach you
and finde you all well. I got your letter you sent by mr Lowry and
I was mity glad to hear from you and the children and to hear you was all
well. you wrote to no if we got any more to eat than I did.
we get plenty now. we get pork and bacon now and thay have plenty
of it on hand at this time though if you can I want you to send me some
butter and eggs for we cant get them hear for less than 2 dollars a dozen
and 2 dollars a ______ for butter and I want _________ and I _____
som[e] of ______ mity bad. _____ I dont want you to make me no close
but I want you to send me 2 pair of cotton pants to wair this summer.
I will send my woll pants home. I sent you a letter and a water bucket
and my woll shirt by Mr. [Donor?]. I had to pay 3 dollars for the
bucket. you said you could not plow ball. I told you that you
could not plow him. you get Mr. George to plow him 2 or 3 days and
whip him and get him started and maby you can plow him. the last
time I had the hatchet was down at the lower end of your mothers wheet
patch it is sticking in the fence a bout half way between the cross fence
and the bars [at] the lower end. that is the last place I recolect
of haveing it. if it is thair George noes whare it is. I want
you to write to me as often as you can for I want to hear from you as often
as I can. tell your Mother and all the children howdy and tell George
howdy and tell him to [drive?] a head with his work and try to make a good
crop. I will have to quit writing for want of more rome [room?].
so I remain you loveing husband until death
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel
To Mrs. Elizabeth Grizzel by the politeness of Mr Lowery
[There was a John Darroh in Co F 4th MS]
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Vicksburg Miss April the 12th 1863
Dear wife and children. i will write you a few lines to let you
[know] how I am getting a long. I am not well. I have bin verry
porley ever since Mr Lowery was hear. I had a verry [tite?] shell
though I have bin up & a bout for some time but I hante bin abell for
duty yet nor I dont no when I will be abel. I am so week I cant hardley
get a bout. I am in nearly such a fix as I was last fall when I went
home but thair is no chance for me to come home. I dont beleive I
ever will get well as long as I stay at this place. thair is some
talk of our leaving hear but I dont no whare we will go if we go at all.
I want to [leave?] hear let us go whare we will. this makes 3 letters
I have wrote to you since I have got one from you. I want you to
take to writing to me. you must often for I hardley ever get to her
[hear?] from you. when you write I want you to all a bout your wheet
and fruit hogs and cows and chickens and gees and how every thing is geting
a long. I heard Curt has got home. tell him to write to me
and tell hime to some and see me if he can. I want to see him mity
bad. tell uncle Jame[s,] Jo and Ben is gone up on deer creek and
I dont no whare thay are. I want you to write to me as soon as you
get this letter. we will draw money in a few days and I will send
it home as some as I get a chance and if the yanks ever gets down in our
settelment a gain you take your money and put it in a dry bottel and stop
it tite and berry the bottel in the ground so thay cant finde it.
if thay do thay will take it write soon with out fail. tell your
Mother to send me a bottel of honey by the first chance and send me some
butter and unions [onions] and beats if you get a chance. if you
have any old unions [oinions] send me some of them. so no more at
this time. I feel so bad I cant write mutch. so I remain your
loveing husband until death. tell all the children howdy for me.
W.C. Girzzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children
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Vicksburg Miss April the 22 1863
Dear wife and children I will you a few lines to inform you of my health
1 am puny I have not done any duty since Mr Lowery was hear I got your
letter yesterday you on the 5th and 8th of this month 1 was mity glad to
get one from you I can read it verry well I want you to write often if
you dont plow ball I would not fede him much corn I let him live the field
and paster Elizabeth I cant write this time I feel too bad 1 will write
a gain in a few days and I will write next time we have draud money again
and I will send you 70 Dollars write as soon as you get this and let me
no how you are geting a long I can read your letter mity well. So I remain
your loveing husband until death W.C. Grizzel To Elizabeth Grizzel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jackson Miss May the 10th 1863
Dear father I will write you a fee [few] lines to let you no how I
am. I am verry porley. I feel some better to day though it
is all I can do to set up to write. I have got to the hospittel hear
at Jackson. it is a mity nice place and I have mity good attention
paid to me. I want you to come and see me if you can. I think
if you was hear you could get me home and if you could not you could stay
a week with me you could fetch some meet___lived and stay a week or two
and not cost you any thing at all. if you do come when you get to
the depo go write strait up to the State house and then turn write north
and inquire for the blind Asilome. it is near leg a half write north
of the State house. come if you can and come as soon as you can
W.C. Grizzel
E.S. Grizzel
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Submitted by Michael Caviness