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 > >

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