CIVIL WAR LETTERS FROM WILLIAM REES

Company E, 5th/9th Kentucky Infantry

These letters are from the collection of Sue Helveston, [email protected], reproduced here by permission.   They can also be accessed at http://members.aol.com/SHelveston/reeslets.html.

Burnsville, Miss. March 22nd, 1862.

Dear Mary:

For the first time since I left I will write you and give you in detail our travel to this place. The first night found us at McDavid's Mills where I slept rather cold, the second I slept with a goodly number in the former residence of Rhoda Whorton, had a good nights rest. The next three in Huntsville in the former old tavern at the corner of the square. While I was there I visited the family of my last uncle and spent some three hours very pleasantly, On Sunday evening we left Decatur, reached there before night, drew our tent and all oather necessary utensils for camping and struck our tents beside Gen. Breckinridge's Brigade (Brigadier General John C. Breckinridge) and joined the 5th Ky. Reg't under Col. Hunt, (Colonel Thomas H. Hunt) and they are a proud set of fellows that we joined them. The Reg't. has only seven company's. One Col. & we drilled some while there. The Col. Says we improve very rapidly. On yesterday morning we were ordered to be in readiness to move at 7 o'clock but did not get off on the car 'till 12, landed at this place about day this morning. Our whole Brigade, & I do not know how many more, for there were eight engines with not less than twenty boxes to each. I think I can say and tell the truth that I never spent a much worse night in my life. Think of it, a whole Co. in one box, no seats, no room to turn round and feel like smothering, no dinner, no supper and no rest. But this morning we struck our tent on the hill in the edge of Burnsville and at 10 o'clock we had all things ready. I have had good health all the time, except yesterday & today I have a cold and headache, not worse than I often have at home. Sleeping none last night causes my head to ache today. I tell you this as though I were at home. To-morrow I will have to be on guard for the first time. We have a good company & all things getting on well. No one knows when any fighting will be done. It is thought there will be a battle between this & Corinth. Gen. Bragg (Major General Braxton Bragg, 2nd Corps) has selected the ground four miles this side of that place and says he is ready for anything that may come. It is not worth while for me to tell you that I want to see you and the children for I never saw you yet but that I was glad, but much more so now. If I knew you were all well at all times I would be perfectly satisfied. I think I am only doing my duty, if not, I should not have come, and I want you to be of good cheer, for I intend to get back again, though I may not, but my business here was not to get killed if I could help it honorably. I will write to you every two weeks and oftener if any thing of interest transpires, and after you get this I want you to write at least that often. I have not heard from home since I left & I think it a long time. Kiss the children often for me. Nothing with me is like home with wife & children. Tell Jordon to write & give me all the neighborhood news. Where is Bro. Johnston, and where is Nat Rees? Where and how are Father & all our kin? I will now tell you where & how to direct your letters. The first thing you do after you get this is write for I want to hear from you all. Direct to Burnsville, Miss. care of Capt Bright, 5th Ky. Reg't. - Col. Hunt's; if we are not there they will be forwarded on.

(Page #2,3,4)

This is Sunday morning, the 23rd, which finds me well. I have always been at my place at roll call. This morning when the roll was called there were eight sick, not very sick, but not able to duty. Our Company, is as yet, the most moral one in our Brigade. I have not heard an oath from but one man since we struck our camps and that one lives on Stephen's Creek. But the swearing by soldiers generally is astonishingly often. We have no preacher in our Reg't and I don't know that there is one in the Brigade, though there may be. I have my course marked out & that is to be found at all times ready to live or to die. I have not seen any of our kin in Tishamingo yet. Jordan is a prisoner from Donelson. If the blockade should be between us, there will still be some passing & we can hear from each other. I give it as my opinion that war will be decided between this and next winter. When the battle comes off down here, if we whip then, the road will be opened home, if not, we will be cut off from not only home but every thing else. Gen. Johnston's whole military character depends on this movement.(General Albert Sidney Johnston, Army of the Mississippi, 44,699 troops.) If he is whipped the world will say he will not do, if he whips & the battle is a big one he will gain a character that will be as lasting as time & as one of the best Generals of the present age.

Now my dear wife I have written you a long letter, all that I can think of that would interest you. I want you to do the same, give me all the news, tell me how you are getting along, tell me of each one of the dear children. I wish I could see you all this morning. I get along as well as I expected. I do not expect it to be a great while until I shall see you. Call all the children & read this to them. I want all of them to write to me that can write. My love to Jordan & Martha, May God's richest blessings be upon you all.

Farewell,

W. H. Rees

Burnsville, Miss. April 2, 1862.

To Miss Ann, Elizabeth, Sallie & Mattie:

My Dear Daughters:

I have not written you since I left home, and thinking you would be glad to hear from me, I will write you a few lines, notwithstanding it has been but a few days since I forwarded a letter to your Ma by Mr. Boughten. This leaves me well but several of our Camp on the sick list tho none dangerous but Bob Holman who is, as I think, quite sick. My health has been as good since I left home as is common. I hear from our neighborhood every few days but not from home but once. I wish I could hear often. I pass off my time in camps fully as well as I expected I would, but still home with wife & children is preferable to all things here. We are in war and have to get out as best we can. Our Company is the most moral one in the service that I have seen. I have scarcely heard an oath from one of them. Nat has not returned from Mr. Baileys yet. Well, my children on last night, at eleven o'clock we received orders all over this Brigade you never saw. We expected to be off some where before day but we are here yet still expecting to leave before to-morrow but where we do not know, I reckon to Iuka�

My Dear Daughters, how do you pass your leisure hours, in reading, singing and in trying to improve your minds by studying good books? I hope so. I have not heard a sermon preached since I left. I want you to go to preaching regularly. Be good daughters, obey your Ma's counsel which is always good and God will bless you. Give my love to your Uncle Jordan & Aunt Martha and your Grand Pa & Grand Ma.

To: John, Adolphus, Whit & Jordan,

My Dear Boys:

How are you getting along since I left you, have you been well? Are you good Boys? I hope so. I have thought often of you since I left. I have a great desire that you should be good Boys & kind to each other. Spend your Sabbaths at Church or reading some good books. Do you help your Ma to nurse little Jordan? How often have you kissed his little cheek for me since I saw him, does he grow any? Write to me all about him, give me all the news about the place, how many colts this year? I suppose old Paddy will not raise any colt this year. Tell me how you are getting along farming and tell me soon. Give my love to your Ma, tell her to kiss you all for me and for you all to kiss her for me.

W.H.R

AT CAMP, NEAR THE BATTLE FIELD, APRIL 10, 1862

Dear Mary:

After an absence from Burnsville of one week and a considerable march from Friday night until Sunday morning, at which time we struck the battle field, fought all day and about one hour by sun in the evening. We were in possession of all the enemy's encampments and in reach of their gun boats from which we were shelled with small loss. We fell back one mile, camped in their camps. Monday morning we were attacked again with the same force and Buels also,(Federal Major General Don Carlos Buell, Army of The Ohio, 17,918 troops) and fought them nearly all day, both armies contesting every inch. About 3 o'clock both seemed willing to stop and fell back about one mile and camped for the night. The Federals I suppose fell back also for we still camped in their tents. We are still in three miles of their encampments, living on Lincoln rashions. The Federals have sustained a heavy loss in their encampments. Our boys have a great many little tricks. We cannot hold their camps for they are in reach of their gun-boats; they can shell us all the time. This, I suppose, has been the biggest battle of the war, such fighting is no small thing. We started into the fight with some 65. Some gave out early while others fought all the time. It required nerve to fight on Sunday. Our loss was heaviest Sunday and Monday. Our loss was 4 killed and twelve or thirteen wounded. Killed: James Howard, Mr. Clark, James Warren (poor James) I was by his side when he fell. I turned him over to give him some assistance but he seemed to have been shot dead. Of all the battles, leaving him was the worst, he fought all the time like a hero, and was a good boy. I hope his soul is in Heaven.

Our wounded are Capt. Bright, Lieut. Moore, William Womac, A. Forester, James Bedford, John Allen, J. T. Moore, George Perry, John Hoots and some others that I do not remember for I have not seen any of them since the battle. They were all sent back to Corinth. I suppose they are not seriously hurt. Our boys did mostly well. The name of the battle field has no name yet, as I know of, but I tell you there is many a one gone from that field to his long home. (The Battle came to be known as Shiloh) The field is ten miles long and six or seven wide and fought all over and in places the dead thick. I saw at least five Federals killed to one Confederate.

The amount of prisoners we got I do not know. I saw twenty-five hundred (said to be) myself. It is said the amount will be from 6 to 10 thousand. I cannot tell, tho, we have done well. No doubt A. S. Johnson was killed. (Major General Albert Sidney Johnston was killed -The Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee ,Sunday, April 6, 1862 -- Monday, April 7, 1862) My health is good. I thank God I went through the battle both days and did not get hurt, though one was killed by my side each day. James Howard on Sunday. He was a good soldier.

 April, the 11th

We have just arrived at Corinth from the neighborhood of the battle field. (The Confederate Forces were defeated at Shiloh on the second day, April 7, 1862 and fell back to Corinth) Here we have found the most of our boys. I left Merit (Merit, a slave belonging to the Rees family accompained WH Rees as he served the Confederacy) on the edge of the battle field on Sunday morning and have not seen him until now and I tell you he was glad to see me, he is well and sends his love to all, both whites and blacks.

I have stood my trip well, tho it was a hard one, and am now in my tent once more. Am in good health and I do hope this will find you all well. Live in hopes for I rather think I shall get home again. Every time you can, write to me for I do not hear from home as often as I wish. When I see you I will tell you all about my ups and downs, give my love to all our friends and relatives. Is it worth while for me to say I want to see you and the children? You know it is not. You know better how I feel than I can tell you. Kiss all the children for me, give my love to all the servants that may inquire after me and let me hear from you very soon.

W.H. Rees

Thursday evening, April 15th

Dear Mary:

As my letter is going by different hands to what I expected and not so soon, I will write a few more lines, not that I have anything new, but to let you know that I do not like to forward letters without addressing you particularly and why? Because you have been my support in days gone by and I hope will be in days yet to come, notwithstanding, I am here exposed to all the dangers of camp life and the battle field, I still think and hope God will spare me to see you and the children. I wish I could get a letter from you. I enjoy myself and am in as good health as I expected when I left home. We are here in one mile of Corinth on a high place in the direction of Rienzi, sorry water, plenty to eat. I have seen but few of our relations in camps, they are so scattered. I am of the opinion still that this war will come to a close in some way this spring, or be reduced in its proportions considerably; for neither governments can hold out long at this rate. I have written so much to you that I will close. Give my love to all and as for you, you have had my love for many years.

WHR

Baldwin, Mississippi, June 3, 1862

As I have an opportunity of sending by Lieut. Parke, I will only write a line to let you know I am well. You see we have retreated from Corinth which is considered better than a victory. Our retreat was in fine style, everything was taken off. (May 29 General Beauregard evacuates Corinth, retreats to Tupelo. Federals occupy Corinth next day). I have nothing to write of interest unless it would be to say that I would like very much to see you all. I suppose you have but little to write as I have not received a single word from you since I left home. I do not complain notwithstanding everyone in our company, except myself, have received letters from their wives late as the 12th of May. I suppose you were all well. Mr.Hague, Nat and several others received letters from home, tho, not a word said about any of you only in Ben Rieves letter in which I learned Whit was crippled. How bad I cannot tell. Where we will go from here no one can tell or whether any where. Give my love to all the children, tell them I want to see them, read this to the least one of them. Merit sends his love to all, is in good health, prudence says to say but little of what I will do after while. You understand me in that. Give my love to Father, Jordan and Martha and all the servants. Be not discouraged, there is a better day coming and is close by when we will see each other again.

Farewell,

W.H. Rees

Camp near Jackson, Mississippi, August 29, 1962

My Dear Mary:

It has been now nearly six months since I saw you and the children and nearly three months since I have written to you. I have heard nothing reliable from home since Jordan left Corinth until today. Mrs. Hague's letter to Mr. Hague dated July 15th, which I have read says that she was to see you the day before she wrote and that you were all well, which was worth to me more than I can undertake to tell you. Letters come to some of the boys tolerably often within the last few days, some fifteen or twenty came by way of Chattanooga and brought to that place by Mr. Yates. I suppose you did not know that he was going there or you would have written to me. Since I left home I have received two letters both in less than one month after I left, which is all the letters that I have received from any of you. For this I do not blame you. I know the chance is a bad one to get them through. Since I wrote to you from Baldwin Miss. we have had some ruff times. We started from Tupelo some thirty miles above Columbus across to the Miss. Central Road to Abbeville some seventy miles, there got aboard the cars for Vicksburg by way of Jackson Miss. to fight gun boats. Spent thirty days in and about the town and on the river bank, in which time I reckon not less than twenty thousand, balls and shells were fired at us. Some of the heaviest cannonading that has been during the war; but the Federals at last had to give up the place and leave. Vicksburg is the largest city in Miss. and the hillyest in the Southern Confederacy. On the 27th of July we left Vicksburg for Baton Rouge. Again as we supposed to fight gun boats and that too very much against the wishes of all the soldiers, for it did seem to me that there was less General-ship in it than anything yet. We went aboard our train on Sunday morning. When we had run nine miles, one of the irons on the track turned over, some of the cars ran off, some did not, some of the boys jumped off, some sat still. The car in front of me broke in two in the middle and scattered the road with soldiers, tore up things generally and after all, no one hurt. Monday morning we landed at Tangippeho 70 miles above New Orleans and 65 from Baton Rouge. We remained a few days at Tangippeho and took up the line of march for Baton Rouge, got within ten miles of there on Sunday and Monday night at 9 o'clock we started with but little to say any way, for we all knew we had to fight, so by day break we were there and drove in their pickets before light and by sun up the Battle was raging furiously. We were driving them before us all the time until ten o'clock when they took to their gun boats and we fell back in the very best of order and very slow, notwithstanding they shelled us from their boats. This was the best fighting that I have seen for every man stood square up all the time. I expect we fought two three to one. Our Co. only had 25 in the fight, balance sick. James Bowers was killed and we thought I. Rutledge, but they say he is in Baton Rouge wounded tolerably bad. R. M. Hague was known to be wounded in the hand but has not been heard from since the fight, Byas Logan wounded in the thigh, flesh wound, Elbert Grammer in the foot and a prisoner, James Thompson in the shoulder slight. I thank a kind providence I again escaped with out a mark to be found upon me. Ought I not to be thankful? Ought I not to feel under many obligations to my Savior for his protection while my friends and neighbors are being shot down that I am yet spared? I think so. In about 3 hours after this battle I was taken with a chill and continued chilling every day for 5 or 6. Spent some 2 weeks at Magnolia got to my Regiment today in as good health as I have been since I left home, Aug. 30th. Yesterday evening Nat and I made a scaffold to sleep on, got up this morning in fine health. Nat was not in the fight, he was taken with a chill on the way down but is now in good health. Some of us rather expected that we would be discharged on the 16th of July, but the War Department said we should serve our time out, a thing I was rather looking for, but some of the boys took it rather hard. We was all somewhat disappointed, but it was, I have no doubt, the best, for we could not have stayed home in any satisfaction for fear of being taken up by the Federals. I am in hopes you were not looking for me. The Government needs us and we enlisted for a year, so we have no room to complain further than they have taken our officers from us, would not let us participate in the reorganization with the promise that we should be discharged on the 16th of July, and when the time came, would not let us off. But military law is despotism to some extent and war cannot be carried on well without it. Our Government intends to fight them until they may take every town in the Confederacy and fight them on the Court.

Davis recommends in his late message to Congress to raise the conscript from 35 to 45 all between the ages to be in readiness if they should be needed. We are now on the eve of a long movement somewhere either I suppose to Chattanooga or Jackson, West Tenn. In either case the aim is to go a long way North. So the next time you hear from me I am in hopes I will be North of you instead of South, then I can hear from you, if I cannot see you. But I am in hopes I can do both. Another six months will soon run off and then I hope to return to my family from whose presence I have been absent so long. If I ever saw any pleasure it was with you and the children. No man ever saw more satisfaction with wife and children than I have with you, neither does anyone think more of their family than I do. It is for you that I am here so I want you to look forward to better times for I think there is a better time close by, from some cause, I have always expected to get home again.

Notwithstanding our Company has reduced by deaths in six months considerably, yet my calculations have ever been to get home. Thank God I have gone through thus far and I hope and believe that God will carry me through the balance of my time. I will call upon the Lord for he is worthy to be praised, so shall he deliver me from my enemies. Psalms.

There is a great deal of wickedness in the camps. Our company is the most moral company that I know of and yet there are some in it that are found almost daily playing cards. Some whose names are to be found in the Church Book in Mulberry. I do not suppose they play for money, but it is a very bad example. You will hardly ever see a man who plays cards, even for amusement, that is much credit to any Church. I see more here to make a man Religious than any place I have ever been; so much wickedness that it is altogether disgusting. And then we have what may be called Government sins, i.e. sanctioned by the Government, such as violation of the Sabbath by having that a day for policing our streets, rubbing up our guns for general inspection, dress parade, etc. all on Sunday for what I cannot tell. All sanctioned by our Government and positively forbidden by the Bible. So in the army, I may say we have no Sabbath. We have no preaching. I have heard but two sermons since I left home, one of them by Palmer of New Orleans and one by Mr. Brison, our so called Chaplain, who has preached to our Regiment only three times and today an utter stranger to forty nine out of fifty in the Regiment and that too at $110.00 per month

Aug.31. Now that we have policed our streets, arms been inspected, dinner over, we have nothing to do for a short time, but to keep the Sabbath. As usual, no preaching. We pass our time in reading the Bible for it is all the book we have. I want you to remember me to your Ma. God Bless her in her declining years. I spent many pleasant hours with her and hope to spend more. Give my love to Brother John F. I do not know whether he is at home or not. I have not heard from him since he left Dr. Bynum in April. Remember me to all my friends and relations, particularly my Father who watched over me when I was a child and raised me to respectability and always loved his children which but a few equal, no none ever did excel. For all this I honor him and hope he may live many years to come. I hope after a while to see them all again. Jordan and Martha are with you, as they have always been when called on, and ready to do any thing for our accommodation. For these things I feel very thankful, for if they had not stayed with you, I hardly know how I could have left you.

Sept. 2. This has been pay day. We drew our money today, the first we have drawn. We drew up to the last day of June which was $41.33. I want to say something to the children. I hope God will bless and protect my dear children during my absence. I think of them so much. Children, remember your Creator while you are young, while your hearts are tender. You will soon be grown and one of the first things should be for you to become religious, it is the best quality you can possess. Remember, too, your two little sisters and your little brother that are now Angels in heaven. Do you not want to see them and be with them always? I know you do. Then for you to live with them in Heaven you must be religious. Would it not be delightful for Pa and Ma and all the children that are living to join the little ones that have already gone before us to Heaven, where there will be no more sickness and no more dying but pleasures forever more? Did you ever think of it, is it not desirable? You will join me and say that it is. Come then and let us go. I am separated from Ma and children but thank God, I can remember you to our Heavenly Father. Every day you must pray for me. I do not know how to advise, in fact, I do not suppose it is necessary but I will say this, that if the Federals have or do leave the country so as to give us the Southern Market it perhaps would be the best to fatten all the mules except the two year old ones. I always intended to keep Mandys for the buggy. Other things will not fatten well yet. As to hogs, I would fatten all that would weigh one hundred and fifty gross, for the hogs and mules will be wanting and the price high. I speak as though you had the mules and hogs and the market opened, if it is not, I have no advice to give you. Then I do not know whether you have made any corn. We are told the wheat crop is very sorry, there is none here and very little corn made. I reckon your rye crop was light. If you have seed I would sow the lane field next to the lane where the oats were sowed. If it is not too foul I would try to plow it in. Jordan can be his own judge of all these things. He will know much better than I can tell you, for I do not know that we have anything except the land. But I am in hopes every thing has not been taken away from us. If it has, it is nothing more than as been done in my instances here.

Sept. 7th. I hardly know how to close my letter. I have been writing so long and waiting for an opportunity to forward it. I have concluded to direct it to Capt. J. R. Bright of Chattanooga for him to try and forward it. We are still at the same place but will leave here by the 9th at least and I expect we will go to West Tenn. First and from there north if we can. I thought when I first commenced writing that I could send by some one that was an applicant for a discharge for there are seven or eight but they have all failed. I want you to write me if you can get an opportunity of sending it for I hardly ever hear from home and if I do it is in a way that is not altogether reliable. Is there no one that will come from the neighborhood and bring letters? It seems to me if I had a son here and I at home, that I should see him at least at the end of the first six months. Start some one from there with letters. I have not seen the day for three months but what I would freely give fifty dollars to hear from home. Well, I hope for better times. When you get this call all the children to you and kiss them for me. I may be at home soon. I cannot tell. Be assured that with you and the children are the happiest days of my life and with you I hope to spend many more days.

W.H. Rees

(W. H. Rees survived the war to return home to Mulberry TN to his wife and children.  His company had been recruited in Lincoln County, TN, but was assigned to the 9th Kentucky Infantry under Col. Thomas Hunt.  In December 1862 this company and Co. F, both being composed of Tennesseans, were transferred to Newman's 23rd Battalion Tennessee Infantry.)

These letters are from the collection of Sue Helveston, [email protected], reproduced here by permission.   They can also be accessed at http://members.aol.com/SHelveston/reeslets.html.

URL: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~orphanhm/reesltrs.htm