*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp ten miles south of Hamburg, Tennessee Sunday evening, May 4th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- You can hardly conceive how anxious I am to have a letter from you. I have not had a letter from you since three weeks last night, but have wrote at least four and I feel confident that you got the one with the money in it, for I sent it by Sergeant Breeze and he gave it to Eldridge Jones at Patoka. You certainly had time to answer it. Why is it that you have not answered it as well as the rest. You cannot tell how it makes me feel to see hundreds of letters each day and none for me. I wrote you a week ago, I hope you have received it before this time, but it may be that you do not get my letters any better than I get yours. We have moved again our encampment about five miles, and now we are within one mile of the line of the State of Mississippi. We are under orders to march again tomorrow morning at 7 o’clock. In fact we had our horses saddled and out waggons loaded this morning, but the order was countermanded and we lie over till morning. I would wait till after we move before I write but that would be too long, as I have always wrote to you regularly each week and some times two letters in one week. The weather is wet and rainy today, but I hope we may have good weather tomorrow. We are having skirmishes with the enemy almost every day, which comes off to our good. Yesterday there was a very brisk cannonading for some little time. I have not heard the exact result but hear that our guns drove the enemy in at a little town called Farmington. It is about seven miles from here. I do hope that before next Sunday I will be able to give you an account of the taking of Corinth. You are no doubt looking this way with an anxious mind and hoping that it may come off to the glory of the Federal arms. I hope it may, and I think it will be almost the death struggle of Rebellion in this part of the Southern Confederacy. Our scouts are capturing and bringing in prisoners almost every day. The country around our camp is rather hilly and very poor. The last years crop along here was nearly all cotton. I have seen yesterday something that you will not be likely to see for some time to come. It was a field of wheat headed out and in bloom. But there is not much wheat or rye growing in this part of the country. In fact there seems to be nothing going on but the war. This war will blast the fortunes of hundreds and thousands of people, both north and south. What a pity that this war every commenced; how soon will it end? I was left back at our camp a couple of days and one night to take care of some things that we could not haul. If I ever saw a lonely place, it is a deserted military camp. I have thought that the Sandy Branch camp ground just after Camp meeting was a lonely place, but only think of a camp of ten or fifteen thousand mean all leaving within an hour or two, except two or three men to each company. At night all is still except an occasional laugh or the neigh of a horse. You must be aware that such a time any one is bound to feel the stillness of the place, which could not be felt only on account of the great company that was saw on the ground but a few hours before. Foster Moon and William Arnold are both still in the hospital at Hamburg. Foster is better. Sergeant Beebe is there also. I have had a diarrhea for some time but keep up and do my duty. I hope I may be able to do my duty as long as I stay in the service. Charlie Lee is with us now. He went home from Cairo as we came up past there. I now hear that John Hamilton has gone to Evansville Indiana. I hope he may soon be able to go home. You will excuse me for the present as I sent you a note in a letter to Dave a day or two ago. Good Bye, William A. Smith

Here is what I see on the transcribed 1860 census of Marion Co. IL. Twp. 4N, R 2 E, Fosterburg P. O. # 1240/1287 SMITH, William A. 28, IL, farmer Mary 23, IL Derva 8 IL (female) Byron 6, IL Mary H. 4, IL Walter S. 2, IL WILTON, Absolom 11, IL If I recall didn't William A. Smith mention in one of his letters that his wife should buy a wagon or something for Walter for his birthday? Also nearby---2 dwellings away if a T. J. Foster, 21, IL. (I wondered if Mary Smith's maiden name was Foster.) Also next three dwellings are folks with surname Moon. Seems like that surname was mentioned in at least one of the letters. The age and state of birth of the Mary Smith fits the Mary Foster I have that married William Smith and then Squire Farmer. 1870 transcribed census (with some notes) shows in Twp 4 N, R 2 E, # 91/91 Farmer, Squire 37, IL, farmer Mary (Foster-Smith) 33, IL, keeping house (Note in parentheses are in this census book.) Smith, Smith 17, male, IL (Smith as the first name is underlined to indicate it is an error on the census.) Bryan 16, IL-----could he be Byron on the 1860 census? Hester 13, IL----could she be Mary H. on 1860 census? Scott 11, IL------could he be Walter S. on 1860 census? Rollin 9, IL Not far away is: # 87/87 Smith, Mordaci 66, TN, farmer Sarah 54, IL, keeping house Lydia 28, IL Delia 12, IL Chance, Sarah 8, IL Edward 5, IL Possibly related to William A. Smith?? By the 1900 census, Mary Foster Smith Farmer says has given birth to 8 children, 7 living. That would be 5 with William Smith and I have 3 listed as children with Squire Farmer. In 1871 Squire Farmer was appointed guardian of James F. and Sarah E. ALEXANDER, who were the children of Eliza Jane Farmer and James H. ALEXANDER. Way back at the beginning-----it is the ALEXANDER name that got me on the trail of Mary Foster Smith Farmer. Dot ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Thomson" <dave@volantis.org> To: <ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 5:06 PM Subject: RE: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters from William A. Smith > Hi Dot, > > It looks like a good match. Does anyone on this list have a census listing > for William A. and Mary Smith for 1860? We should be able to match up the > names of the kids easy enough. I would like to get as much information on > this couple as possible, including their property location. > > Dave

We don't know of any connection there, but if they are tied into family in Marion or Washington Counties in Illinois, then probably. If you find a possible connection, please drop us a note. Dave & Stella Schilling ----- Original Message ----- From: <Heartsweetnana@cs.com> To: <ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 5:58 PM Subject: [ILMARION] Dave Schilling > Dave Schilling...Just wondering if you are of the August Schilling line, the > one who started the Schilling spice co. I have been helping my daughter in > law with her genealogy on that line. > Helen in Idaho > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com >

Hi Dot, It looks like a good match. Does anyone on this list have a census listing for William A. and Mary Smith for 1860? We should be able to match up the names of the kids easy enough. I would like to get as much information on this couple as possible, including their property location. Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: gengar [mailto:gengar@centurytel.net] > Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 6:56 PM > To: ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters from William A. Smith > > > I have nothing on William Smith other than his name and the marriage date > and place to Mary Foster---Aug. 12, 1851, Marion Co. IL. She > later married > Squire Farmer. I was searching the Farmers to see what I could > learn about > Eliza Jane Farmer, who married James H. ALEXANDER, my g.g.grandmother's > brother, and son of Walter Alexander and Catherine Jolliff. I am always > trying to find connections to Walter and Catherine. > > Dot > > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in > the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com

Dave Schilling...Just wondering if you are of the August Schilling line, the one who started the Schilling spice co. I have been helping my daughter in law with her genealogy on that line. Helen in Idaho

Hi Dot, I don't yet know Mary's maiden name or William's Company. But William's wife's name is Mary. What do you have on this family? Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: gengar [mailto:gengar@centurytel.net] > Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 5:50 PM > To: ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters from William A. Smith > > > Are these letters from the William Smith who married Mary Foster? And was > this military unit Co. F, 7th Cav.? > > Thanks for sharing them. > > Dot > > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in > the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com

*** Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling and grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, please forgive me. David Thomson *** Camp near Hamburg, Tennessee April 30th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I know that you are very anxious about me. I will therefore take every opportunity of dropping you a few lines. My health is better than when I wrote to you two days ago. Since then we have moved about four miles farther south and are now that distance from the river. It takes great deal of hauling to supply such an army as we have here and the roads are almost impassible, but they are being made good very fast. It is hard work to get cannon over such roads as we have here. The weather keeps wet and cool, making it very wet and disagreeable moving around and camping out. This is the first encampment that we have made since we landed here. Our duties are about the same that they are for common, except at Point Pleasant where we had the heaviest duties to do that we have done in the service. We are well supplied with provisions now, and good provisions, except the crackers. We have been troubled with mouldy bread (crackers). I return all that is mouldy but when one side of a box or barrel is mouldy the rest tasted of it. We get some as good smoked hams as you ever saw. We again today heard cannonading towards Corinth but have not heard the cause or effect. Guess they was shooting at each other. I hope they wont kill any body but take a lot of secesh prisoners. Our lines extend for several miles across the country and as fast as they move there is telegraph lines put up. There is two lines extending south and southwest from the river, one from Pittsburg landing and one from Hamburg. The land here is very poor, being rather hilly. The hills are almost as red as I paint Brown (???). In the Hollows there is some rocks of a gravelly nature, which seem to be full of iron. There is also good springs. The timber is very poor. Post oak and Black jack with an occasional chestnut and scrubby Beech along the hollow. There is no farms here that any one lives on. I see an occasional place that reminds me of the Lassater place and these places up in there. What few acres that I do see, have been cultivated in cotton last. There is a cabin close to here with several hundred pounds in it. Our men use it to sleep on. The house is used as a guard house for our Regiment. Our Colonels tent is close to it. We was mustered for pay today, but we may not see the money for some time. Good bye William A. Smith

*** Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling and grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, please forgive me. David Thomson *** Hamburg, Tennessee Sunday morning, April 27th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I am again permitted to address you. I hope you are all enjoying good health. My health is rather bad for a few days, but nothing serious as I am able to do my duty and yesterday to ride out to the battle ground. I am very anxious to hear from you. I have had no letter from you for two weeks last night, which I answered the same night. I sent you some money from Cairo, then I sent you a paper from Metropolis, Illinois and a letter to Nancy from Paduka Kentucky and I sent mother a letter two or three days ago. I ought ere this to have received an answer from you to a large letter that I sent you on the 6th inst. I hope you have before now received the money I sent you. I have now sent home all the money for the horses but ten dollars to esquire S.S. Jones that comes from William Knight. I am very anxious to know how you are getting long with our things, and about wood etc. I want to know how you are doing with the orchard. I hope you will take particular care of that, and have it well tended. I wrote to you once before to hire George by the day to put in such things as you wanted in it and I would send you the money to pay him. I hope you will do it and if you need more money than I have sent you, I will send you some in a letter. I hope when you write again you will tell me about such things. I know that George is willing to do anything for you that you will ask him, but I hope that you will, if you have the money, pay him for all the chores he does for you and if he has any time to spare from his other work, I wish you would get pap to hire him to get up a lot of wood for you, enough to at least do you through the summer and you can let me know how much it costs and I will send you the money. I want to know how the children are getting along at school and whether they are supplied with books, and if you have sent the subscription to Diora ’s paper. I hope you will still take that or some other one for her. I received the paper sent by Miss Colburn, thank her for me. If I can get hold of a late secesh paper, I will return the compliment. I suppose you would both be glad to read a rebel paper. I am writing about one thing and you want to hear of another, well here it is. After I wrote to you from Cairo we started up the Ohio river and passed Mound City late in the evening, and during the night we landed at Metropolis, Illinois. In the morning (last Sunday) I went ashore and went to the post office and then went to a store to buy some cheese, but the keeper had no cheese. I called for breakfast and his wife gave me a good breakfast and the weekly Commercial of the 17th, but would not have any pay for it. I made her little girl a present and went to the boat, thinking of the comforts of home and the pleasure of female society. A barge belonging to our boat, loaded with 90 horses was smashed and began to fill with water. The horses were then all crowded on our boat, and again we steamed up the river. At Paduka we stopped for coal. It is a very nice place but I was a little disappointed with it. It does not look as well from the river as I expected. Leaving there we turned up the Tennessee river. By reference to the map you will see that we are then going towards Dixie. About eleven o’ clock we passed Fort Henry. It being night, we could not see much of it. In the morning we passed a railroad bridge that was all destroyed but the piers. During the day the scenery was the nicest that I ever saw. The land is rocky and covered with cedars. The river is very narrow. Sometimes the river would be square across it and it would appear that the boat could go no farther. Then the river would curve gracefully around it an away we go again, to have the same thing repeated again with a slight change. Where there is no bluffs the timber is good oak and hickory. The weather was rainy or cloudy both Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday morning we tied up on the opposite (east) side from Pittsburg landing and about noon proceeded up the river about two miles to Hamburg, and landed on the west side of the river where we pitched our tents and stayed two nights and was ordered to move about half mile. Before we got fixed up, we was again ordered to rove but the order was soon countermanded and only one battalion of our Regiment moved out. The next day we was again ordered to march without our tents, with two days cooked rations in our haversacks, but that order was soon reversed and we are now expecting to march at short notice, but may possibly be here several days. The Rev R.H. Massy heard that our Regiment was here and came over to see me. He is not as fleshy as he was when I last saw him. I went over to the battle ground yesterday. You have read so many accounts of it that it is useless for me to try to give a description of the place. If I should write till I am grey headed, I could not convey a true picture of the place. I say hundreds of acres that it would seem from the shots in the trees and bushes, that a man could not possibly be on during the battle, without being killed. The battle ground is about such a place as it is from the Bill Blurton place to Uncle Brits, black oak ridges and post oak flats with an occasional old field. The bushes of the size of your wrist and smaller are all cut down by the bullets. The large saplings and trees are literally felled by the bullets. In trees not larger than a persons body, can be counted twenty to thirty balls. The cannonading was not as heavy as we had a New Madrid, except near the river, where the heavy metal from our gun boats took effect. There was however a perfect storm of six pound shot and shell all over the field of battle. Some trees are notched in three or four places by small cannon balls. There is a terrible stench that permeates the whole battle field, caused by the dead horses which was not buried deep enough. I visited the 40th Illinois and saw Sam Reed. He is sick. He tells me that your father and Tom writes to him. I saw a great many and some that I did not know had joined the army, amongst by acquaintances, I saw Bruce Hatten. I took dinner with him, John Hickerson, Rilan Walsh, little Dow Ald.(?) Parris Manning, Robt. Nance, young Mike Gee, and one of Susan Gibbs brothers, both of the Wolfes, Calvin Garner and both the Arnold boys. I went to the Eleventh and saw Jacob Pool. He had a ball pass through the leg of his pants but was not hurt. He is in good health. Burket was out on picket guard and Will Ballard was gone fishing. I saw neither of them. I saw W. Elbert Purcell and Uncle Jacks pete at the 48th. I did not go into the 41st, as I suppose John Boring has not returned from home. I heard from Jeff Boring who came up with us, that John had been to see you. I am glad that he went. I will tomorrow send a letter to his Regiment and when he comes back, I will go and see him. He can tell me of a great many things I have not heard. You are aware that we expect a battle soon in this neighborhood. When it does come off you will not think it strange if some of us are killed, but I do hope you will content yourself with as little uneasiness as possible till you hear the result, which I do hope will be in our favor. Lieut. Shoup has got his discharge and Asa W. McDonald is now our second Lieut. Charlie Lee went home from Cairo and Sergeant Breeze also went, by whom I sent my money. I think Robert Young has gone home. If he has gone home, I think he will pay you a visit before he returns to his Company. You will keep his overcoat till you hear from him or me about it. I think John M. Hamilton has gone to Evansville Indiana, also Eldridge Jones. I was in hopes they would be sent home on sick furlough. It is possible that they may yet go home, but I rather have some fears in Johns case. He was a little worse when I saw him last and his complaint is a deceiving one, the pneumonia. I believe that Walter Scott was three year old yesterday. I send you a dollar to buy him a present and tell him that Pa sent it to him. You will buy the rest of the children some little present if you can find them something suitable. I hope you will give my respects to your mother. I would like to hear from her. Then Elizabeth has not wrote to me for some time. Why don’t she write. Tell me how Billy Marohl is getting along. I have not saw Eli. W. Jones since he got on the boat at New Madrid, but his regiment is encamped about half a mile from here. John Gaut does not stand the rub quite as well as some others. William Arnold is also sick. I suppose you have not seen any young plums and mulberries. We have them here half grown. By reference to the map you will see that we are very near the south line of Tennessee. I believe it is only about 10 miles to the line of Mississippi. It may be that my next letter will be dated from that state. I have not seen a newspaper for several days. It is almost impossible to get a paper here. There is thousands of them comes here but there is not much chance to get one. It is a kind of a grab game. Good bye to Mrs. Mary Smith from William A. Smith.

I have nothing on William Smith other than his name and the marriage date and place to Mary Foster---Aug. 12, 1851, Marion Co. IL. She later married Squire Farmer. I was searching the Farmers to see what I could learn about Eliza Jane Farmer, who married James H. ALEXANDER, my g.g.grandmother's brother, and son of Walter Alexander and Catherine Jolliff. I am always trying to find connections to Walter and Catherine. Dot

*** Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling and grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, please forgive me. David Thomson *** On Board the Choctaw between Hickman and Columbus, Kentucky Mississippi River Friday night, April 18th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I expected a letter from you today but we have been on the move all day and al letter could hardly find us. My last to you was last Saturday night. Sunday morning we was ordered to saddle up and march to the boat landing to be ready to go down the river. Sunday and Monday there was a great many troops went down the river. We laid on the bank till yesterday morning, when we was ordered on board the boat to go down the river. We went down as far as Riddles Point below Point Pleasant and was ordered back. The whole country clear down to Fort Pillow is covered with water so that there is not much chance for military operations above there. Opposite Hickman, I saw at two different houses, women waving neat little flags. I wish every woman in the United States had one and would make use of it. I don’t feel like writing tonight, you will therefore excuse me. I send you ten dollars for your own use. You can use some of it to buy Rollin a willow wagon if you like to. There is $25. due to Pap on the horse he let Jack Foster have. I told John Foster to give him twenty five or thirty dollars. I hope that you have received the box of overcoats that we sent. You will send Mrs. Clow word and let her have both Allen and John Clow’s. They will pay me the expenses. One that is marked R.F.Y. in the sleeve belongs to Corporal Young. You will keep it till they send for it or I will tell you where to send it some other time. We left him and Corporal Hamilton lying side by side in the hospital at New Madrid, as well as Eldridge Jones and two others of our Company. Saturday morning We landed at Cairo a little after daylight. Birds Point is entirely under water. Just after the gun at the fort fired to hail us, a snag struck one of the barges that was towed by the Woodford, which was loaded with horses, and it would have soon sank but they run it aground at the fort. I was standing on the upper deck and saw it. It was an ugly sight to see a log run right up through the front end and a barge even. It would seem worse for a steamboat. I don’t know how long we will stop here but I suppose only long enough to take on coal. You will direct your letters here, as we will go up the river. The weather is rather wet and disagreeable. I send you the Southern account of our first visit to New Madrid, of which I have already wrote to you. I wrote to you two weeks ago tomorrow and enclosed some of your letters, but have got no answer. Did you get it. I received a letter from Dr. Beach a few days ago and he told me that one of our children had the mumps. He did not say which it was. I am anxious to hear from you. I hope it is well by this time. I have not had it yet. I suppose there was not enough to go around or I would have had it. I hope you may escape as well as I have. The mumps have been quite hard on Eldridge Jones. You have never told me whether you received those crackers that I sent by Dave and how you would like to live on them. Some of the boys are now eating breakfast to the tune of fifty cents a meal, others are taking their mornings dram at ten cents a drink, and a great many are cursing the guards because they will not let them go ashore. Some are still in the land of dreams. I think the water is twenty feet higher in the river than the streets of Cairo, but it is nearly all covered with water. It looks like two feet more of water would go clear over the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad, then the whole place would be destroyed. We are lying about a mile above the St. Charles hotel, but when we get coal we will drop down to town. I will then go to the express office and send this to my wife. William A. Smith

Are these letters from the William Smith who married Mary Foster? And was this military unit Co. F, 7th Cav.? Thanks for sharing them. Dot

Hi Juanita, Thank you for your feedback. I'll continue to post the letters as I have time. Later next week I'll be gone for a few days, but I will resume the following week. It looks like his wife finally wrote him back. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: Juanita Durham [mailto:judurham@fuse.net] > Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 12:13 PM > To: ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters > > > David, > I have been enjoying the letters you are posting. It's almost > like having a ring-side seat watching the troops fighting and > moving around from place to place. I sure wish his wife would > answer his letters. He gives the feeling of being all alone, > while fighting for what he belives in, while waiting to hear from > his wife to send something from home for him to hold onto, so he > would know this is not all in vein and that she is waiting on him > to return. > Thank you for sharing these letters. > Juanita > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.486 / Virus Database: 284 - Release Date: 5/29/03 > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in > the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com

Hi Nancy, I'm glad to hear so many people are enjoying these letters. I will produce an indexed Microsoft Word document when I have finished typing all the letters and make it freely available to all. The index will have a complete listing of all names, places, and other useful information. Maybe someone else could come up with a map to include with this file when it is finished? The map could show all the places mentioned in the letters. Also, any biographical or other related information that surfaces as a result of this effort can be included in the finished file as well. Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: Nancy Scott [mailto:teddysrn@msn.com] > Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 12:18 PM > To: ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters from William A. Smith > > > Dave, > Thank you so much for taking the time to share these letters. They are a > fascinating piece of personal history that could have been > written from any > of our ancestors. I am enjoying them very much. > Nancy Scott/Dallas > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Thomson" <dave@volantis.org> > To: <ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 4:47 PM > Subject: [ILMARION] Civil War Letters from William A. Smith > > > > *** > > Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by > > William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and > > post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling > and > > grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, > > please forgive me. > > > > David Thomson > > *** > > > > Tuesday morning, 18th March 1862 > > > > The firing continued at intervals during the night and this > morning about > > sunrise the whole atmosphere seemed to vibrate with the regular > shocks of > > each gun which was fired very fast for considerable time, but it has > nearly > > ceased now, there being only about one gun in five minutes. But it is a > > little like you was when you first heard a drum, it is like making > thunder. > > I have just learned there is a regular mail established to this > place that > > will bring our mail three times each week. I think you can now > hear from > me > > regular again until we are ordered to march. > > I have again this morning been over to the 22nd Regiment and saw those > boys > > there that I am acquainted with. We are encamped about a mile > and a half > > apart and the whole distance is a solid encampment in two rows > about half > a > > mile apart. I see this morning that five Regiments have been > removed and > I > > hear that they are going to Point Pleasant. Yesterday there > came a Rebel > > boat down the river bearing a flag of truce and having on board > 450 (or 50 > > ???) sick and wounded soldiers asking General Pope to allow them to pass > > down to be taken care of, but the General told them that we had > some sick > > and wounded, but that he had no disposition to send them up the river > home. > > That if they would land their sick here, he would have them > provided for, > as > > ours are provided for, but that the boat would not be allowed to proceed > > farther into Dixie. At this the boat returned up the river to take the > > chance of being captured or whip us out. The fire at the Island is > > increasing very fast. They are certainly having a tolerably hot time up > > there. I suppose that your Thursday's paper will tell you all > about it as > > well as the run from New Madrid. It may seem strange to you but you are > all > > better posted upon how the war progresses than we are, who are actually > > engaged in it. > > I wish you would send me the Commercial, occasionally. Direct them just > as > > you direct the letters. Lest you get tire of my scribbling, I > thin I had > > better stop this time, but will soon write to you again. > Hoping that you > > are well and enjoying yourselves. I bid you for the present, good bye. > > William A. Smith > > > > 5 o'clock P.M. > > We have just had orders to march to Point Pleasant tonight. We will be > off > > at dark which will be in about two hours. The firing continues > at Island > > No. 10. You will direct to New Madrid. > > W.A.S. > > > > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in the > digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com > > > > > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in > the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com

*** Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling and grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, please forgive me. David Thomson *** New Madrid, Missouri Saturday night, April 12th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I again have the privilege of addressing you. My health is good. I have been a little unwell for a few days in consequence of my vaccination, but have kept going all the time and am now about well. We moved up to this place yesterday evening and the rain wet all of our things, the rain lasted all night and till about ten o’clock today and even now there is an occasional shower and we are under marching orders with four days cooked rations. We go down the river I think our destination is Fort Pillow, but we can only conjecture. I think we will have something to do about Fort Pillow or Memphis. You remember that Memphis was the first place talked about as being so strong that it could never be taken by the Union forces. I think there will now be a chance to test that matter. I hope however that it may be taken without much bloodshed. Oh!! Was not that a dreadful battle at Corinth. Colonel Hall that was our first Major was killed there and Colonel Hainie. You will see the particulars in the papers by the time you get this note (for I cant write a letter). Our sick will go to St. Louis by the first boat, among them are Eldridge Jones and John M. Hamilton and our Q.M. Sergeant Treibel who was wounded by the tree. I am now acting for him. He will go home from there. If we don’t go tomorrow, I will see John and Eldridge and write Lucy and tell how they are. I received two papers from here enclosing a letter and postage stamp and I will answer it the first opportunity. I this evening received yours dated April 6th to 9th. I wrote you one last Sunday which you ought to have got Thursday, but you don’t get letters from the office as soon as if I was at home. I think I will send my overcoat home tomorrow if we do not move. We will send a box of them directed to Dave. He will get them and you can get mine from there if they ever get through. If I send them I will send a letter in the box with them. I am acquainted with Sam Williams and I thought you were. I am sorry t hear of the worms on the apples and glad that you are trying to keep them off. I hope you will get George to tend them good and also those grafts. Colonel Kellogg has not resigned out I heard today that he has been promoted to Brigadier General. Cant say as to the truth of that but I believe it is so. You have seen the accounts of the evacuation of Island No. 10 and the large number of prisoners that we took. There has been today about twenty five gun boats and transports gone down from here. There is not now enough transports here to take off all the troops that are here, but will no doubt be here before morning. If I am not mistaken, on year ago today, this war was begun by the bombing of Fort Sumpter and what a legacy has it entailed on the whole people, both north and south. I will close by subscribing myself. Your Husband William A. Smith

*** Marion Brimberry has entrusted me with a folder of Civil War letters by William A. Smith and has asked me to type one letter every day or so and post it to this newsgroup. I have typed the letter true to the spelling and grammar of the letters in my possession. If I add any errors of my own, please forgive me. David Thomson *** Point Pleasant, Missouri Sunday night, March 30th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- Yours of the 7th and 8th inst. was handed to me this evening. I was glad to receive a letter for it had been a month since I even heard from you. I am sorry that you are afflicted with the sun pain again this spring. Why don’t you try the garlic on your big toe. I did intend to write a note to you yesterday but was detailed to take a squad of nine men and go with thirty others under the charge of Capt. Nelson, down into the swamp to hunt beef cattle and we did not get back till late this evening and when I got into camp your letter was here. The 26th had quite a little battle last night with a flat boat that dropped in close to the shore, with the evident intention of either attacking our picket on the bank or capturing some of our small cannons, but the firing from our boys was rather too warm to suit them and they steered into the current and floated by, no damage done to any one so far as is known. Island no. 10 is still in the seceshers hands and may possibly be so for some time to come. We are now enjoying real soldiers life, plenty of hard and dangerous word and some days, pretty hard fare, something like some of our friends are no doubt enjoying at home. Corn bread, mush and corn coffee for breakfast, corn coffee mush and corn bread for dinner, and then for the sake of variety we take the same for supper. Then maybe the next day we get plenty of crackers and meat, sugar coffee, etc. Sergeant Breeze says for me to tell you that he has gone to bed and is well. Sergeant Bebe has been sick a few days but is better. Corporal Young was rather under the weather a few days but is now well. John M. Hamilton has a severe cough for a few days. Foster Moon is better. He was out with me yesterday and today. I think he will soon be stout. I have lately received a letter from Lucy and Nancy and have answered Lucy’s and will answer Nancy’s in a few days. Tell her that she will have to pay the postage on it for I am almost out of stamps and there is none to be bought here. However I think she will be glad to pay the postage on a letter from me. I have quite a lot of stamped envelopes, etc papers, in my trunk at Commerce, but I don’t know when I will get it. Lieut. Charlie Lee is still there and I don’t know when he will rejoin us. I wish he was here now. Nancy says she heard that our Regiment was to be disbanded. Such a thing seems quite probable but I am not expecting such a thing. You will excuse me for not writing more, for the camp is in a perfect uproar. Bob Guy is just like Eli. W. Boring, he will argue anything he pleases and he is bothering me so that I can hardly write. I hope to get another letter from you in a day or two. We are about to have a Grand Review tomorrow. In my next I may tell something about it. For the present, Good bye, William A. Smith

Betty, I don't know if the Dallas Library has it, but doubt it since I had to buy it from the MCH&GS. Do you live in or near Dallas, too? Maybe we could get together and you could look through mine, see if you recognize any names. There is a lot of Illinois genealogy info at the library, however. Brinkerhoff's book is there, I know. We are having a library "lock-in" on Sat night July 26th from 6P to 2AM. on the genealogy floor. We do it 2Xyr and is great fun, fellowship and is amazing what you can accomplish. There are always 2 librarians there to help and the society has a picnic dinner for us. You can leave before 2 if you poop out! Am mailing my check Monday. Nancy ----- Original Message ----- From: "betty or gil allison" <bgall@chipshot.net> To: <ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 8:34 PM Subject: Re: [ILMARION] Allison near Salem, Marion County 1865 > Nancy, thanks for your reply. My problem is that I don't know if family > was in Marion County. The ones I know the names of I can track in TN > and GA and then to TX. If there is family in Marion it is people I > don't know about and therefore don't know their names. The ones in > Marion, if any, are going to be folks I don't know about. My research > hunch is that my John Allison went there because their was family there > and if that is true, I don't know who they are. This is part of a brick > wall search. > > Is the book you have in the Dallas library by chance? > > Gil > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com > >

Nancy, thanks for your reply. My problem is that I don't know if family was in Marion County. The ones I know the names of I can track in TN and GA and then to TX. If there is family in Marion it is people I don't know about and therefore don't know their names. The ones in Marion, if any, are going to be folks I don't know about. My research hunch is that my John Allison went there because their was family there and if that is true, I don't know who they are. This is part of a brick wall search. Is the book you have in the Dallas library by chance? Gil

I just purchased a brick from the principle at Iuka grade school. It has a picture of the old school painted by a man from Flora. It is real pretty and they had several left.The brick came from the old part of the school before it was tore down. Jan Staples

Mt Verno is Brehem library....very extenstive collection if genealogy Jan Staples

Meg Are you talking about the Genealogy Society in Salem. If so it is right on the main road going through Salem in the basement of the Library. They are only open from noon to 4 on Wednesday unless you are a member and then you can get in anytime with your card. There is also a fantastic genealogy place in Mt. Vernon that has about anything you want so I hear but haven't had a chance to get there yet, and don't know the exact address for it. Sandy ----- Original Message ----- From: <VelvetDove2002@aol.com> To: <ILMARION-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 3:17 PM Subject: [ILMARION] directions to historical society, please > could someone give me general directions to the historical society, please? i > live in KY and have never been there before, but will be making a trip soon. > Are there any other places with records I should stop by while I'm there? What > hours are they (the historical society) open? Thank you for any help you can > give me. Meg > > > ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to > ILMARION-L-request@Rootsweb.com. If you are receiving messages in the digest mode, send to ILMARION-D-request@Rootsweb.com > >