There are photocopies of a letter from James Matlock KITCHENS, ancestor of the KITCHENS in Walker County, in the KITCHENS family file at the library in Jasper. The letter is dated February 15, 1863, and it is a stunning account of the Civil War and its toll on Kitchens's family and community. I first discovered it in 2002, it having been published in September 1991 in Vol. 2, No. 3 of "Walking Back In Time," the journal of the Walker County Genealogical Society. The letter: ----- A Letter from James M. Kitchens to his children February 15, 1863 The State of Ala. February 15th 1863 Verry Dear Children I avail my self of this favorable opportunity of riting you a few lines to let you now that we are well in common health and the conviction with the exception of Zack Dutton. i understand he is sick though i dont know what his complaint is. your aunt Susan Hamilton is dead. She died sometime last spring. her son James and one of the girls is living with John Hamilton in Walker. Some of the children is living with John Loony. i would inform you that George Dutton was captured in the fort Donilson fight. George is dead. Sarrah is married to Christopher Witt and Frances to Stephen Dutton. Frances has a Son and Sarah a Daughter. i Received a letter from Matlock Kitchens date 13 January. he was in Rome Georgia wounded in the right foot at the Murfersborough fight. I have nothing of interest to rite to you. times is very distressing withe us particular with [the] Poor. Salt has been selling at 60 to 65 per pound, pork at 12 to 15 here and at Tuscaloosa from $20 to 25 per hundred. your cousin L.W. Baker is dead. he died at Chattanooga Tennessee. 4 of Harvey W. Hamilton sons is in the army. your uncle Jesse Kitchens was captured in Kentucky and paroled. he is gone Back to the army. i heard from him a few days past. he was well. he belongs to the 28 Alabama Reg and Matlock to the 22. i will close my letter for the present hoping these few lines may Reach and find you all in good health and doing well is the Wish of yours. Farwell, James M. Kitchens [A photocopy of the original letter is in the Kitchens family file in the Heritage Room of the Jasper Public Library.] ----- I do not know to whom this letter was addressed, or through whom it came to us. I don't think it was to his "children," but probably to his grandchildren. He refers to Jesse KITCHENS, his son, as "uncle," and L.W. BAKER, his grandson (son of Alvin BAKER and Susan KITCHENS), as "cousin." The Zack DUTTON he mentions is probably Zachariah DUTTON, son of Jarrard DUTTON and Charity McDANIEL (or McDONALD). Zachariah served in Company L, 28th Alabama Infantry, CSA, and died of disease in February 1864 in Covington, Georgia. He was a first cousin to James M. KITCHENS's son-in-law Thomas DUTTON, who migrated to Walker County with the KITCHENS family and others. That he wasn't even a blood relative to James M. KITCHENS goes to show how concerned he was for his extended family and community, and how close he was the DUTTON family. (It is also possible that he wrote "Jack" Dutton, and was referring to one of his grandsons, either John F. Dutton or Alexander J. Dutton, but in the verdict of several people who have looked at the photocopy and myself, it looks like "Zack.") When I first found the letter, I did not know who "aunt" Susan HAMILTON was. I believe I've identified her on the census, and I think this reference may unlock who the letter is to. On the 1850 census of Lawrence County, Alabama, Elbert HAMILTON, born ca. 1819 in Alabama, is listed with wife Susan, born ca. 1819 in Alabama, sons George, born ca. 1844, and John, born ca. 1845, and daughters Mary, born ca. 1847, and Martha, born ca. 1850. I suspect Elbert HAMILTON is the brother of Harvey William HAMILTON, both sons of Barton HAMILTON -- can anybody support this? They were living next door to Moses LOONEY, and John LOONEY was close by (John LOONEY married Polly HAMILTON, whom I suspect to be a sister to Elbert). Lawrence County marriage records show Elbert HAMILTON marrying Susan VANPELT on 17 Aug 1842. Since Susan is not a blood relative to James KITCHENS, but she is the "aunt" of the letter's recipients, I would think the recipients must also be kin to the Elbert HAMILTON, their "uncle." But Harvey W. HAMILTON is referred to elsewhere in the letter, with news of his family, so it would seem the letter didn't go to them. It's puzzling. George DUTTON is the oldest son of Thomas DUTTON and Elizabeth KITCHENS, and James KITCHENS's grandson. The 1866 Alabama census indicates that he "died of disease" while serving in the war, but his fate was otherwise unknown until this letter was uncovered. I do not know for certain which army he was serving. I can positively identify no war record for him. Thomas DUTTON did own several slaves at one point, but the DUTTONs lived in a strongly Unionist area. If George was captured at Fort Donelson, however -- a Confederate loss -- then it would appear that he was probably serving the Confederate Army. Sarah DUTTON and Frances DUTTON are James's granddaughters, children of Thomas DUTTON and Elizabeth KITCHENS. Mary Frances DUTTON married Stephen Penn DUTTON on 8 Jan 1862, and gave birth to a son George, born about 1863. Sarah Jane DUTTON married Christopher Columbus WITT on 5 February 1862, and gave birth to a daughter, Nancy Elizabeth WITT, born 22 November 1862. Matlock KITCHENS is James' son. L.W. BAKER was a grandson, son of Alvin Roberts BAKER and Susan KITCHENS. Harvey W. HAMILTON was James' son-in-law, who was married to James' daughter Mary. "Uncle" Jesse KITCHENS was also James's son. I hope you all find this letter as interesting as I have, and can help me fill in some of the gaps! Best regards, Joseph