Owners of the Waters letters do not know if Mr. Waters ever returned from the Civil War. All they have left is letters written by him to several friends during early spring through the winter of 1864.

Barbara Hartshorn of Farmington said her grandmother was the Ellie in the letters. Ellie was Mr. Waters' daughter and had been left in the care of the Austin family who lived in the area. Mrs. Hartshorn says her grandmother was raised by the Austin family so this leads her to believe that Mr. Waters never returned from the Civil War.

Footnotes at the end of each letter were supplied by Howard Noble, history professor at Mineral Area College. Noble explains what was going on during the Civil War at the particular location where Water was writing his letters home.

Huntsville, Ala. (?)
March the 23, 1864
Dear brother, I take great pleasure in answering your very interesting letter of the 14. I am very glad to hear of Ellie being well. I had not heard from her until the letter informed me she was sick. I am well at present. Wishing this may find you all well. The weather feels quite winterish, not very cold though a heavy snow. It snowed last night. It is melting off very fast now. It is more snow than I have seen since I left home. You spoke of somebody saying I did not make them things with a pocket knife. I had nothing else to work with. I made me a nice pair of shears out of a sword. I can get five dollars for them anytime.

Well, Bill, I am having a very easy time. I haven't but very little to do when we are in camp. Since we have been mounted there is no uses for drumming. I am very well satisfied to get well paid for doing nothing in time. Of late I have plenty to do or in marching. I tell you we have some of the best soldiers in our regiment. In fact of all the men in the 123rd Regular our regiment has the best name of any I know of and I think they deserve it. They are all spunk. We have had the best time since we have been here. This is the first time we have been without marching orders for a long time, though I am not caring how long nor how hard we have to march so we put this rebellion down. I think it is time it was coming to a discontinuation, though I think it will last some time yet. But the longer it lasts the worse it will be for the Rebels.

Bill, I wish all the Copperheads would take the ??? and the rack. I have seven kinds of lice to bother them. We can hear of them everyday raising disturbances. They are too big a cowards to go to the army to fight. They will stop at home, fight among the women and children. Hell is waiting for them. The devil has a separate cell for them. I hope when this war closes they will all leave the white settlements and dwell down in n-----dom. I shall not say any thing more about Copperheads, for I cannot do them justice. I wish you and Drew all the success imaginable(?), hoping you will prosper in all the undertakings. I suppose you made some gallant charges on the ?? I think you will be compensated for your meritorious conduct. Boys go in lemons and come out soldiers and you will come out all right or something similar.

I haven't heard from your mother for a long time. I don't know whether she has moved or not. I suppose she lives at the same place. She don't never tell me anything about Ellie nor don't sent her picture. If I don't get Ellie's picture soon, I am coming home after it.

I am just joking about this. I expect it has been too cold for to get Ellie's picture.

I should like very well to have it.

My best to all the family. Goodby for the present. Write soon.

From your friend,
FM Waters

[Footnotes:] Water was evidently with Sherman's Army fighting toward Atlanta. Nobel believes this letter was written in Alabama despite the mention of snow and the late date of March 23. Copperheads were Northern sympathizers of the Confederate cause. They either sympathized with the South or were willing to let the South withdraw from the Union. Either way, they did not believe a war should be fought over the South's leaving the Union.

Camped near Big Shanty, Ga.
June the 29, 1864
Miss Marianne, I embrace the present opportunity of writing you a few lines in answer to yours which I received some time ago. I am well. I hope this may find you well. We have done some hard marching in the last month. We are all getting worn out. Our horses are very poor. The boys are all in good spirits. We are doing as well as could be expected at a time like this. I suppose the other soldiers have all left home by this time. They are coming to the front every day. When a soldier goes home and stays a few weeks then returns to the army he looks like a different person altogether so much cleaner, pleasanter. The cannon are thundering off to our right, have been all day. I can't tell what the reason is. I heard there was going to be a Fourth of July dinner at the willow grove. I should like to be there. I wish we all could celebrate the fourth day of July as we are suppose to do but this can't be done at present, however. The soldiers have a great many days shot the big guns. I play the bands but we don't have many good dinners. If we could have the big dinners and the ladies to help eat them it would do. I heard some time ago that you was getting to get married. I did not know how it was. If you do, you have my good wishes. I hope you may prosper. The same to all good Union girls. The boys are all writing to their respective friends. A soldier loves to get a letter from home.

I hope by the time this reaches you, we will hear of some great victory. Something like Grant taking Richmond or Sherman taking Atlanta. When these two places are taken, I think the war is about over. What a happy time there would be if the war was over and all the soldiers could come home. That day is sure to roll around some day or another. Let it be sooner or later. I shall close for the present hoping to hear from you soon.

The man, your friend
FM Waters

Excuse bad writing for I have a very poor way of writing.
Good by

[Footnotes:] Waters was apparently in the cavalry or mounted infantry. At this time his unit was moving from Tennessee toward Atlanta. Noble said the letter writer made a very good prediction when he alluded to Grant laying siege to Richmond. Sherman will soon do the same to Atlanta and true to Waters' prediction, the war was about over when these two battles had commenced.

Marietta, Ga.
July 19, 1864
Dear brother,
I take pleasure in answering your very interesting letter. I am riding in the regular commission. They furnish paper and ink. I am working at the hospital making bunk detail and as a carpenter. I did not like the berth at first. I find it is a very easy place. I have good grub and not very much to do. A great many of our division is dismounted. I left the command about five days ago. I can't tell when I should see them again. I hope it won't be long. Being away from the command is almost like being away from home. I suppose from what I can hear the Rebels are retreating from Atlanta. I think our army is in Atlanta at this time. There is nothing very exciting going on at present. Everything is perfectly quiet. I hope this campaign will come to a close soon. The army is getting very near worn out, though all in good spirits. I don't think the Rebels have men as good to fight our army. We can flush them out of any place they can get. I see some mounted horses going to the front this morning. There is but a small force here at present. I should rather be in the front than be back here but a soldier has to go wherever he's placed. I shall close for the present. Hoping to hear from you soon. I will write more next time. I shall have to go back to my work. You see I have written this wrong side foremost. You can fix it out someway. If I had time I should write more.

The boys in camp are well as far as I know. No more for the present. Write soon.
FM Waters

[Footnotes:] Sherman's Army is fighting General John Hood in and around Marietta and Water has been sent to rear support. Hood did not evacuate Atlanta until Sept. 1. However, Sherman, because he found the resistance outside Atlanta to be feeble did wonder at the time (mid-July) if the Confederacy were evacuating. It was the quiet before the storm. General Hood, who had just replaced General Johnston, was getting ready to take the offensive in a very aggressive fashion. Perhaps it was the lack of resistance that led to the rumor passed on by Water in his letter.

(Probably near Marietta)
July 26, 1864
Dear brother, I embrase the present opportunity of writing you a few lines. I don't get any letters at all for the reasons that our command has gone on a raid there isn't any sent out. I shall write whether I get any letters or not. I haven't had any answer from the last letter I wrote you. There is large quantities of Rebel prisoners going away from this place everyday. Upwards of eleven hundren went out last night. About three hundred today. There will be two thousand come in this evening. I think the North must be full of prisoners. Large quantities of supplies are going out to the front today. Our railroad has not been disturbed much lately. The whole army has plenty to eat all the time. There is some heavy fighting going on in the last week. I saw a carload of our men go North yesterday. All wounded but most of them appeared to be slightly wounded.

I saw old Robert Boyd a few days ago. He was hauling rations to the front. Parker is here in town in a hospital. He is getting well. I should like to hear from home but it is impossible for me. Any letters would be when the regiment comes back. I don't think that will be very long. They have been gone some time. The supposition is that they have gone to relieve some of our prisoners that the rebs have. If they succeed they will do a big thing. I heard that each man took two guns with them to give to the prisoners if they release them. I don't know this to be the fact. This is the report the last account I had from Atlanta. Our skirmish line was in Atlanta. I suppose they have the city by this time. I have seen prisoners enought to make a small army since I have been here. I suppose the rebs get some of our boys once and awhile but not nearly as many as we get of theirs.

I just heard that some of our scouts were killed a few days ago. They should be here at the hospital this evening. If I know any of them I will tell you how they are there is some of them wounded. I should have said the wounded would be here this evening. I haven't a great deal to do at present. I have made bunks for all the tent soldiers to rest a while. There is some sick coming in every day. The sickness is not very bad. The most complaints of being worn out by marching. I can't hear any thing that is going on at Richmond. I suppose Grant is laying them by like the farmers do their corn. After awhile he will go to gathering his crop of butternuts.

I shall close for the present.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
>From you friend as ever
FM Waters

[Footnotes:] Noble believes Waters is currently working in the hospital on detached duty. He did not go on the raid probably due to lack of mounts. Waters' reference to prisoners is most probably to the infamous Andersonville Prison Camp, 100 miles south of Atlanta, where 30,000 Union prisoners were detained. If this is true, Water was in General George Stoneman's cavalry. Stoneman was commander of cavalry in General John Schofield's "Army of the Ohio." one of three armies commanded by Sherman. Stonman's raid failed. Two of his brigades escaped while Stoneman covered their retreat with his remaining brigade of 700 men. Stoneman and all of his men were captured. Stoneman and his fellow officers were shipped to prison camps at Macon. Their men, in Andersonville, which they had hoped to liberate.

Marietta, Ga.
Aug the 5, 1864
Friend Molley, I embrace the present opportunity of answering your kind letter of the 24 July. I am well and hearty. I hope this may find you well. The weather is very warm here, very disagreeable for the wounded soldiers. I am at the hospital helping to take care of the sick and wounded. I have been here almost one month. I have spent most in maintaining and making bunks. We have good quarters for the sick, plenty for them to eat, nice white clothes for them to wear that is furnished by the sanitary commission. This institution is a good thing for the soldiers. The fighting is still going on more or less every day. This is one of the greatest campaigns of the war, fighting all summer and still going, no telling where or when it will end. I should like to be with the command to see all the boys. It is almost like being away from home to be away from the regiment. I have certain hours to be on duty. I am on duty 6 hours in 24. That is very easy, plenty of good books to read. The sanitary furnishes us all the books and papers we want and nice slippers to wear. We can skip around over the floor like grasshoppers. This is the first time I ever was detailed to work at a hospital. It is very laborsome work though it has to be done and will be done right. The sick at this hospital are very well.

You said you had a nice time the 4th day of July. I am very glad to hear it. I hope you may have many such days. We had a rough time of the Fourth. We lay in line of battle all day. Skirmishes all day. We had plenty national reports but did not have the big dinner. We hadn't a bite to eat all day. Such days as this have been very common with us in the past three months. I hope the good union people can enjoy themselves all the time. You said Ann was waiting patiently for me. You will find it is somebody else she is waiting for. I know it is not me for I haven't heard from her for nearly a year. I think Ann is a fine little girl. I have a good opinion of Ann. I suppose you have also. I haven't any intended ones at all, nor never expect to have. You might think this very strange, nevertheless true. I will have to change my mind probably. I might change my mind some day. It will be a long time before I could change. Different persons have written to me and spoke about Ann waiting for me. I can guess what was the case of it. Ann has no such thoughts. I don't know whether you have or not. Probably you were just joking me about her. It is all right. Anyhow even if it was so, but it is all a mistake. I shall have to close for the present. Hoping to hear from you soon. Success to you and the one that went to the picnic.

Goodby,
FM Waters [Footnotes:] Sanitary Commissions were set up by the federal government and mainly consisted by nurses who gave care to soldiers during their rehabilitation as distinguished from the regular army hospitals. They provided basic necessities such as clothing, beds, shelter and food.

Marietta, Ga.
August the 10, 1864
Friend William,
I embrace the present opportunity of answering your very interesting letter of the 24th. I am well and hearty. I hope this may find you all well. I hope Ellie will be able to dress up everyday. I am willing to pay for all the clothes she wants. I want her to have good clothes. I suppose she has plenty. I should like to be there to see her and talk to her. This is ? I am working at the hospital yet. There is a good many sick here. Buried two today. One died last night, one this morning. The most that are sick here are recruits. An old soldier can stand the hardships a great deal better than a recruit.

I can hear the fighting in the front nearly everyday, fiercely cannonading within my survey. There was some hard fighting a week or so ago. One hospital full of wounded close to here. I see them taking arms and legs everyday. War is a terrible thing to hear of, a great deal worse to see it. I tell you William, the people don't know anything about war until they come here to the army. I study a great deal more about it since I have been to the hospital. This is the first time I ever was at a hospital. I should rather be with the command where I get exercise. I can hear the cannons now. It is about 9 o'clock in the night. I haven't heard from John for a long time. Heard from Richard a few days ago. Old Robert Boyd is in town every week or so. Parker has gone back to his command. I suppose you and Drew is running opposition to King kade (Kincaid?).

I suppose he is doing a wholesale business. I expect if I was at home I would be too lazy to work. I would rather do most anything else than to work though I have done considerable work here. I work one fourth of the time. I shall close for the present hoping to hear from you soon. I haven't much of importance to tell you. There is a heap of news if I only knew what it was. A person can't tell any more what is going on. Everything is kept still. I think it is the best plan. I will close for the present.

from your friend.
FM Waters

Louisville, Ky.
December 2nd, 1864
Friend William, I take the present opportunity of returning you a few lines. I am well at present. I hope you and Maryann is enjoying good health. I wish you much success tell Maryann I will send that picture as soon as I can get it. I had my picture taken four days ago.

I enjoy myself these days practicing on the bugle. I can blow most all the calls. Probably I may be a good buglar by the time my three years is up. William I would like to come home very well to see Ellie. I sent her a nice present. I suppose the boys are there by this time, I should like to see them (again?)

William I haven't much to write at present as there is nothing going on here of importance. Prosperity to a happy life is my wishes to you and Molly.

My respects to your mother and Ellie. Hopefully that I may seem them some day.

Good-by for the present
from your friend
F. M. Waters

[Footnotes:] Noble said he has no idea how Waters got to Louisville or why he was sent there. A possibility could be that he or perhaps his regiment was detached from Schofield's Army and attached to Thomas' which was sent by rail to defend Nashville. They may have been sent in from north of Nashville. Hood evacuated Atlanta on Sept. 1. He began retreating north and west hoping to draw Sherman away from Atlanta. Sherman refused to take the bait. He sent Thomas and Schofield to the Nashville area to defend it from Hood and Nathan Bedford Forest's cavalry. Sherman then began his famous march eastward to the sea. Evidently Waters went west as part of Schofield's cavalry for eventually he would write letters from Pulaski and Columbia Tennessee, south of Nashville. Schofield's army fought a delaying action against Hood in both places. However, Waters' letters, according to the dates, would indicate that he was writing after Hood's defeat and retreat out of Tennessee into Alabama.

Camped near Louisville, Ky.
December the 14, 1864
Friend William, I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines in answer to yours of the 9th. I am well at present. Nothing of importance going on here only preparations are being made for to draw horses. We will get horses. Soon we will be able to move out of this place soon. Well I am happy to hear of so many of the people getting religion. I suppose the fight is still gruesome at Nashville. I think we will go in that front somewhere on the right or left flank. I suppose General Sherman is winding his way through the Southern Confederacy. While Hood has come to the stopping point. You said Ellie had not got that present I sent her. I sent it sometime before I wrote the letter. I hope she has got it by this time. There is no chance for furloughs now they have played. I keep in health. In eight months I shall begin to think of a furlough, one that will probably last me some time. I heard that Thomas Thrash was married to Maryann Kinkade. I suppose it is not so. The boys are all well and hearty. One man was killed a few days ago. He belonged to Company C. He was shot by the guards. Too many were killed belonging to the 4th Michigan a few nights ago. A very common occurence for a man to be killed by the guards. It is not the guard's fault. The men get drunk and abuse the guards. I have went where I pleased and never been bothered.

I will close for the present. Hoping to hear from you again. My regards to you. I sent that photograph several days ago.

from your friend.
F.M. Waters

[Footnotes:] The battle of Nashville was fought Dec. 15 and 16 resulting in Hood's defeat. Evidently, Waters never saw any action in this battle either. The battle must have ended before he got there. He seems to have missed most of the battle around Atlanta because he was working as an orderly in a hospital. "If I am correct," Noble writes, "because he did not have a horse, he missed Stoneman's aborted raid on Andersonville, there escaping possible captivity and imprisonment at Andersonville."

Camped near Pulaski, Tenn.
(probably late December 1864)
Dear brother I take this opportunity of answering your letter I received in the night about twelve o'clock. I crawled out of my field tent and read it with five others. The first mail I have had for a long time. We have been marching several days. We have been here for three weeks awaiting our orders. We just got orders to move to Columbia, Tenn. I am mighty glad of it for Columbia is a nice place. I have been there several times. I have seen nearly ever town in Tennessee wilderness. Brigade has been everwhere. We have been in Ky., Tenn., Ala., Georgia and North Carolina. We came as near going where we please as any other brigade in the army. Everything is on the move this morning. I hear the train of wagons on the Huntsville hike. It sounds like a storm. Five or six hundred government wagons makes us greatful on these hikes. If we go to Huntsville we will go in winter quarters. We will go there or at Columbia. We have had a cold snap for the last few days it is very pleasant today. I am comfortable fixed. I have my tent closed up and it is small. I have large ? with coals right out of the fire. I tell it makes things warm. I expect if you could see how we live you would laugh. A person has to be in the service one year before he learns how to be a soldier.

I can take a few pieces of tents, clothes and a good blanket which I carry on my horse and make myself comfortable in the cold weather we have and I think it has been as cold here as it is in Minnesota. If anything is needed I can steal it. I have never found the place yet where I could not steal something to eat. I got hungry for sweet potatoes one day and I was bound to have some. I went up to a house they had a wagon bed full in the yard. The old woman said the first damned Yankee took one of them potatoes she would kill him with the ax. I relieved her of about one bushel and left her swearing. The old lady was considerable agitated. I have just buried a good friend. I saw Greene Allan the other day. He was going home I should like to have been in his place very well. I have no hope of coming home until my three years is out then I will come or burst a boiler. If I keep my health I think I should have a chance to serve my time out. I don't think this war will last longer than 18 months. I believe they will hold out as long as possible. I think the rebels are whipped now and a great many of them are sensible of the fact. I see a great many deserters that are fully convinced. Deserters come into our lines daily. Some of their best soldiers very fine looking men they look like they had commanded a job and could not finish. I think the ranks can parade with the best of them.

We are camped in the woods and ever since we have been here it has been a protracted logrolling to make fires. I don't like to roll logs but I have to do it to keep from freezing. There is seven of us messing together and it is like ? and people corn how is the laziest. Ehere we are carrying logs we all want to get in the middle so we can shurk. We had freezing here yesterday. Some old chaps from some other regiment he told several hard yarns. He told about some soldiers going to a house to get their dinner. They asked the old woman if they could get their dinner. She said no but she would give them a cold snack if they would wait awhile. The boys all left all warm or mum. If we go to winter quarters I will have to go to beating the drum again. It has been a long time since I have had to drum any at all. Our hog thief is out after a hog. I think we have some for supper. He had a nice chicken potpie made out of rabbit. I tell you it was bully when we spicket it over the fire. We all went down after it like so many grubworms. I suppose you and Shirley are trying to make a reconstruction. That is right go in lemons. I expect you and Drew are making some dexterious moves around the old square. You must be very careful how you don't you might make some discombuberations. If you and Drew do get married I wish you all the happiness in the world long life and big babies besides a vast amount of personal property.
F.M. Waters

Columbia, Tenn.
December 22, 1864
Friend William
I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines as we are going to move in the morning for the front. I suppose from all appearances this may be the last opportunity that I will have for a long time to write any at all. I can't tell though I suppose we are going on a long march probably all summer. It is mid afternoon. There is going to be some hard fighting ahead. The 7th has just come back. Pritchard and me got our shirts and socks. I think they are mighty nice. I wish you would tell them all that I got them. I wrote a letter home day before yesterday that I had not got them.

The main veterans of the Seventeenth are just fixing to go home. I suppose they feel good. They are grounding their arms now. We have been trading saddles with them all morning. They will trade any way to make it up safe.

I heard that Drew's wife was sick. I hope she is well by this time. Well, William I will tell you a little bit about some of my adventures a few days ago. I got very tired of staying around camp. I got me my horse and went outside of the pickets where there was some Rebels girls. They had a very nice piano. I told them I would like to hear some music. They began at once to play and sing. They would play awhile then we would quarrel about the war.

I could argue the case very well. They were very nice girls and well informed if they wasn't Rebels, but that spells it all. I never was better treated by any w---e. They got supper for me and the old man sat out his batch of whiskey. I took a small slug then I resumed my conversation with the girls. The first thing I knew it was dark and I was outside of the pickets. The 4th Ohio was on picket. They are good boys. They let me in without any trouble. So I came through all safe. I promised to go back. I don't think I shall. I like to hear the Rebel girls sing and play their music. That is all they are fit for and that is all they study about.

I will close at present. Hoping to hear from you.

Always from your friend forever
FM Waters

William, I wish you would get some pictures taken from that one of Edith's. I would like to have one.

[Footnotes:] Some of Thomas' army pursued and harassed Hood as he retreated southward into Alabama. Evidently, Noble says, Waters was involved in that action.

Published by THE DAILY JOURNAL, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. April 26, 1991 in a supplement "People In America."

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