left behind in their panic hurry, bushels of private letters. These revelations of the inner life of the rebellion, are important contributions to the history of the times. They illustrate the ideas that prevailed among the poor whites of the South, their ferocity against the people of the free states; and an ignorance so profound as to show how readily they became the willing instruments in the hands of their aristocracy, to perpetuate and increase their own degradation. The most amusing of these were the love letters of which the camps were full. Some of the tender documents could not be exceeded in ferocity of spirit by the cannibals of Fejee. Mingled with good religious advice to husbands by wives to trust in the Lord and offer up continued prayers for his guidance, are blended requests to kill every Yankee they met, and bring the scalps home as trophies of the war. Little children also write to their papa's for union scalps, and tender swains and love stricken maidens all appear to revel in visions of blood. We open with one of this description. SEWEL MOUNTAIN October 3d 1861. Dear Maiss Sarah margret Waup I send you my best love and respects to you. I am well at this present time in hoping these few lines will find you in the same helth and in the Same mind as you was when I gote the last letter. My love is round as a ring that has no end and so is my to you. I waunt you not to foregit mea and pick up eny of the Raleigh boys fore I am goun to Sleep in youres arms if I live and the dam yankee devels dont kill mea. I still lives in hopes the devels Cant kill mea, I hope that we will Jine handes again. I waunt you to never have eny thing to Saye to the Raleigh boyes they are all purty mutch unean [union] mean I underStand and that is a poore Cuntry I no. a poore Cuntry I no. I have got youres lik ness yet and kiss hit evry Day hites no ende that howe I lov you. I think of you when I am marced into the battle feal. I waunt you to ware the Seccions war riben a white peas of cloth around your wast; the unean [union] lades wars the black beltes around their wast * * [The writer indulges in some thorough going profanity in reference to "Linken," and expresses a few uncharitable wishes respecting his future.] * * mair margret I would like to see you So we Could laff and talk all about old times. My pen bade my ink is no count and I hant have but 8 minets to rite to you and I have to rite hit on my lapt. Pleas exkoose mea I have rote 6 letteres and reserved 3 from you and the hole of them thare was mise rote this you see rember mea if this not except please exkooss mea and burn hitup Sarah margret Waup JAMES BOLTON, From another letter found in Laurel Hill camp we take two lines. "i sa agen deer Melindy weer fitin for our liburtis to dew gest as we pleas, and we will fite fur them so long as GODDLEMITY givs us breth.' Here are two letters from loving maidens. The first according to her own revelations had been some time "on the market." Mr. DEAR SIR: I take the pleasure in writing you a few lines to-night. And to answer the kind & excepted note. We are all well at present. I think that good health & company is all that one should wish for. I know that I am contented when I am in your good company, that I love to be in so much. But I hope the kind Providence will soon permit us to be to gather soon. I wished that all of those Yankees' heads was shot off and piled up. Beck has formed a good opinion of you. But I think that I like you the best. She said that she wished that she was married. She says that she wants me to put the holtar on first. There is no man here I care anything about now. I was once 12 years engaged, but am free now. There was a certain person told me to keep myself free from all engagements for him, but did not answer, and that was the last. I dreamt about you last night. I thought I heard you talking to papa. I tell you I almost was under John's control, but it may be for the best yet. If things had of went on, I would of been married, some time ago. These are times to try persons faith and feelings. I think every one should be candid. I know that you love me. That love can be returned. I am in for anything that you say, &c., &c. WYTHS VILL VA August 17th 1861 Dear sur—it is with grate plesur for me to ancer yore letter I was glad to think that you thougt that much of me amany A time I think of you all and wod like to see you all but I think that it will be A longe time be fore i will see you all but I hoape that it will not be so longe you sade that you had that arboviter that me and sue give you and, that likeness that miss sue Pattison had of yores she has got it yet. She sase that she is A goante to kepe it. The times air loancem hear know sence you all lefte hear. Il tell you that campe Jacksom lokes loancem know. I havente northen much to rite to you at this time but I hoape that I will have nore to rite to you. The nexte tine that you rite if that ever will be but I hoap that you will not forgit to rite. I woante you to excuse me for not hav ritten sooner but I havent not had the chance but I tride mity harde to ancer it sooner but I cudent. I hearde this morninge that you all was a goanto leave thair and I thaute that I wod ancer it this eaven. I woante you to tell mr yomce to rite to me. Ancer this as soon as you git this. I have northen more to sa at the present time but excuse bad riten and spellinge. Dearest frende D McA Miss Mary Here is a third maidenly letter found at Carnifex Ferry after Floyd's flight by some of Rosecrans' soldiers. It was in a highly scented white envelope, and was evidently addressed to one of the secession chaplains, that "Genuine itinerant Methodist minister." Miss Becky repels the base charge that she is given to tobacco chewing. Rev. Wm. H. Dear, in high esteem your very welcom letters arrived in due time, which were pleastant visitant. it was truely gratifying to hear of the abundance of good things you are blessed with in N. Carolina. I recon Egypt will certainly divide with Canaan. Well Parson I suppose you are in the Dominion state this year among polished characters. I don't know how you can think of the plain people in Fentress Tennessee. I would just say as it regard my useing tobacco it is altogether a false supposition. I protest the use of tobacco in every shape and form, so enough on that subject. Dear - I appreciate you as a genuine Itinerant Methodist minister and will take pleasure in any writen correspondence with you. There have been revivals on this mission since you left. We expect Parson at his appointment. Well Dearest we are many miles apart Oh! the deep between us roll the rough Hills which intervene between you & I. yet all things are possible in the sight of the Lord. May the good Lord bless thee my dearest I hope you will find friendes that will treat you kindly. Oh! that this may be a glorious Conference year. You are still remembered by Rebecca. Things are going on smoothly. Mary is primping and fixing herself looking for her beaugh. Dear me! Clear the way, move the chairs, & make room. Well Parson, I must now close by soliciting your prayers in my behalf. Respond to this the first opportunity. Fare-well this time Oh! I remember how you looked REBECCA Poetical effusions in great quantities were found "to fire the Southern heart." This one is a fair specimen. It was obtained at Camp Gauley, among the official papers of the adjutant of a Virginia regiment: Come all you brave Virginia boys With hearts both stout and true And he was elected by the Vote A Malgamation is ther theme And that will never do Come lets go down to the Battle ground Be brave and Bold you Valiant boys if honor sease your Soards brave boys Come lets go down to the Battle ground The god of Battle he is stout Our Wives and sweet hearts tell us go and fight Just like A man if luckey is our doom Brave Boys and when we come safe home Again The war in West Virginia was confined to small battles, skirmishes, and conflicts with guerrillas. One of the most important of the battles, in its consequences, in the latter part of the war, was that of Droop Mountain, in the Greenbrier country, Nov. 6, 1863. In this attion, the rebels were attacked in their works on the summit of the mountain by Gen. Averill, and routed with a loss of 400 men. The guerrilla leaders, Jenkins and Imboden, were, for a time, active and enterprising, and the union troops were kept busy under Cox, Scammon, Crook, Averill, Kelly, and other union officers, whose terrorinspiring raids, and the hardships endured by those who took part in them, will show how noble a part was played in the great drama of the present age by the union-loving sons of West Virginia. The most noted of all the raids was that of Averill in the winter of 1863-4. The object of the expedition, which was planned by Gen. Kelly, was to cut the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, and so sever the communication between Lee, in Virginia, and Longstreet, in Ten nessee. Several feigned movements were made in order to mislead the enemy, which were successful. The command of the real expedition was given to General Averill. On the 8th of December, he started from New Creek, near the Maryland border, with four mounted regiments and a battery, marching almost due south, which brought him almost directly between the confederate armies in Virginia and Tennessee. On the 16th, he struck the line of the railroad at Salem, and begun the work of destruction. The telegraphic wire was cut, three depots, with a large amount of stores, destroyed, and the track torn up, bridges and culverts destroyed for a space of 15 miles; this was the work of a few hours. The enemy in the meantime had learned of his position and operations, and sent out six separate commands, under their ablest generals, to intercept him on his return. They took possession of every road through the mountains which was thought passable. One road, which crossed the tops of the Alleghanies, and was thought impracticable, remained. By this, Averill made his escape, carrying off all his material, with the exception of four caissons, which were burned in order to increase the teams of the pieces. His entire loss in this raid was 6 men drowned in crossing a river, 4 wounded, and about 90 missing. He captured about 200 prisoners, but released all but 84, on account of their inability to walk. In his report, General Averill says, "My march was retarded, occasionally, by the tempest in the icy mountains, and the icy roads. I was obliged to swim my command, and drag my artillery with ropes, across Crog's creek seven times in twentyfour hours. My horses have subsisted entirely upon a very poor country, and the officers and men have suffered cold, hunger, and fatigue with remarkable fortitude. My command has marched, climbed, slid, and swam three hundred and fifty-five miles in fourteen days." What must have been the sufferings on such a march, from cold, fatigue, and hunger, in the depths of winter, in that dreary, inhospitable, mountain wilderness, surrounded by fierce, deadly enemies, thirsting for blood! Writes one: The nights were bitter. It rained, snowed, and hailed. Imagine the gathering of clouds, the twilight approaching, the wearied soldier and foot-sore horse climbing and scraping up the steep mountain roads; then the descending of the storm, the water freezing as it touched the ground, the line winding its way up one side and down another, entering passages that seemed to be the terminus of these mountainous creations, and then emerging upon open lands but to feel the fury of the storm the more severe, and he can form but a mere idea of what was the scene on this trying occasion. |