ADKINS TO MERRITT - CIVIL WAR LETTERS
(Theresa Stewart has graciously allowed us to copy family letters. The first are from S. Randolph Adkins to his uncle, Harvey Merritt and the next two from Randolph to his aunt, Sarah Adaline Thorne Merritt, wife of Harvey Merritt. We have left the spelling and punctuation as in the original but have omitted some parts because they are either insignificant or repetitious.)
February the 20 1863
Camp near Wilmington N.C.
Mr. H. Meritt, Dear Uncle, I gladly embrace the oppertunity for the first
time to rite you a few lines to informyou of my helth and our situation.
I am well at this time...the helth of the men is generly good at the
present time my helth is good now as ever it was. I am a little sum
what stouter man than I ever was we have but two men that is sick that
is in our company we have a beutifull camp here we are camped
her about 16 miles above Wilmington north carolina near the sadbury sound
we can get as meny oyesters and crabbs as we want and we are in a mile and
half of the saultworks and their is no prospect of any fiting here soon tho
I was down on the cost the other day and I saw a yanke steemer but is no
sine of a fit we have bin here nownearly two weeks we left Kinston
this day was two weeks age and landed here on the next munday it is
reported that we a going to charlston but I dont think we will...I dont think
they can ever drive us from here for there is brestworks all round us we
have a strong position her and we will fite the grand invaders here and will
martch to thefeld of battle if it is required of us and we will hold it ordy
a triing for we are a fiting on a just cause we are fiting for libertee and
forour just rite and we are atriing toprotectour homes and our fiersides
and to protectour famelesand friends our fourfahers that is not capable of
rasing arms aganst there enemes and it isthe dute of evre man to turn out
and fite for his cuntry...it is the generl opinion the intelegent men that
wee will have peece again springbut I am a little dautfull...Uncle harve
Iherd that you had met with a misfortion and had left grandfathers I am very
sorry thatit hapend but tho I do not beleve it for I do not think that would
be guilte of it I will join with you there and stand by you untill the last
hour Dont you no that big black whiscerd mand that is a steping about
there you had better watch him So I will begin to draw to a close so
nothing more only remains my best respects to you and your family.
S.R. Adkins to Mr.Harve Merite, Direct your letters in this way rite soon
S.R. Adkins Co. H the 18 Redge S.C. Vol. in careof capt R.H. Glen Wilmington
NC
Camp near Wilmington NC Martch the 21 1863
Mr. H. Merite
Dear uncle it is with grate plesure that I rite these few lines to you...they
has bin a talk of peace in camps but I do not see any prospect of it yet
but tho there is not any prospect of any fiting here evere is calm and quiet
altho thay are a makeing all preparations to care on the war they a
puting up a vesel here at Wilminton it is a iron clad and it is the
gratest invension that I have ever saw and I sapose that when they get it
dun they will be a call for volunteers to go on it and if they cum to our
regement for voluneers they will get a good meney they weill get severl
out of our company but I do not expect to go myself I dont think thatthey
will be any fiting heare at this place the fortification are very strong
heare...if the yankes dus attact us we will give then a good thrasion and
send them back...I am rather afraide that they will take us back to
Va. Dear uncle I am sorry very sorry that you have met with a misfortion
and got into a difacutee and you rote that you thought that you had sum friends
yet I will give you to understand that I am a friend of yours for I do not
beleave that you are guite of the act that you are charged with I beleave
that you annosent of it as a man in ____ I will cleare you of it and stand
by you until the hour of death for I beleave that you are cleare of it but
there is an other man a stepin about there that is guilte of it I supose
that you no who it is so I will not say anything more and that wubject tell
Ant Adaline that she must not forget to go see Milly...Tell your mother and
dear sisters that I have not fogot them yet and that I send my best respects
to tham and as Mr. W.C. Graham was the writer of your letter I allso
send him and Mr. A. Graham that I send them my best respects...rite soon.
S.R. Adkins to Mr. H.Mearte
Petersburg, Va. July 6, 1864
Dear Ant
As I have not riten to you in sum time I will therefore take the opertunity
this afternoon to rite a few lines which will inform you that I am yet on
the land of the living and in tolerable good helth...the excuse that I have
for not riting to you is that our communication is cut off the Railrode has
been torn up from Petersbug to welldon and the mail has bin stoped weee
have not had any mail for several days...Dear Ant I hardely no what to say
to you as I am so dissturbed and fatigt we are yet in lne of battle
has has bin ever since the 20 of May Wee have very strong fortifocations
we are in tolerable close quarters with the yanks our lines are in
seventy five yards of them in sum places wee have not had any generl engagement
for severl days but tho the canonading and sharp shooteing is heavey we have
suferd severly since wee came to Va. our company and Regt has redust
almost one half we have gin a fiting and dying in brestwork and building
fortifications until I am compleetely worn out but tho I am thankfulo that
I have come through what I have have not bin hurt otherwise mee and brother
Jasper has com through and has not bin hurt while othrs have sunk and is
now under the clods of the earth and your husband is numbered with them He
did not speake after he was shot I saw him after he was caired out
He was shot throught the shoulder and the ball was (raingeing?)through his
hart He was beryed neare the battle field I did not get anything
that hee had with him He had bin serched his knapsack is with
the bagage I will try and have it taken care of if I canbut the blanket that
he had with him was stolden I will attend to his business as I promus to
do and do the best that I can for you and send it to you So I will
have to close for this time nothing more but sending my love and respect
to you and the famely Direct your letters to Peetersburg S.R.
Adkins to Mrs. S.A. Merritt
Peetersburg Va August the 29 1864
Dear Ant
...I am yet on the land of the living and in modest helth at present but
tho I have not bin well for sum time but though I have recovered alltho I
am very weeke but still able to be with my command company and regt... I
dont no that I have anything to communicate that will interest or amuse you
I received a letter the other day whitch was riton to you husband and
on the fifth day of last April and directed to Lake Sitty Floriday I did
not receive mutch information by this lett as it has bin on the way sum time
it was ritten about the time that uncle Harvey had the meesels so I will
not anything more on that subject & all is quiet along the lines
this morning except sharp shooteing and canonading that is a general thing
but it dus not proove very disastrious for lines and the yankess are within
one hudred yards aprt there has bin a gatedeel of sufering with us lately
on the account of wett wether our trenches are as bad as a hogpen in
the time of a rain but I sapose that there is no rest for the wicked Aunt
Adaline I have not herd from you nor the peeple of that neighborhood in sum
time it appears like the peele has all quite riting and has all forgottten
the soldiers that is far from home and friends.
wee are a striveing for libertee and uppon sufering for the want of various things and it dus not appear like that it would be a very difacult matter to rite a fw lines to a friend at a lesure time but though I still have a hope that wee will get home yet I still have a hope tere is a better day approading There has been sum very hard fiting and ___ nite a few days ago but there has not been any demonstrations on our front in a few days the yanks are still in possession of the railroade leading from Peetersburg to Weldon our communications is cut off....Aun Adaline we have not draw any money for you yet and I can not say when Capt Glen will arange it but he will ____as soon as he can attend to it and then I will send it to you if I have to opertunity...Aunt Adaline I will say to you that I have lost my brother Jasper who was killed on the 30 of July he was killed dewring the time of the explosion that took place on that day** I cannot express the feelings that I have had when I found him he was stretched forth with his lovely countinance towards the Heavens he was killed by a enemy ball strikeing him directly in the forehead and the ball came out the back part of his head so I sapose that I had better draw to a close as I have written about all that of interest...Write soon direct letters to Petersburg Co H the 18th Regt care of Cap Glen, Evans Bregade
(To be continued)
**Blow up at the Crater, Petersburg Virginia July 30, 1864.
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