Decided this might be a great time to share the following letter, it was written to my Grandfather, William D. Stevens & his brother, Jesse Stevens. Noah Stevens/Stephens was my Great Grandfather, he died in the Andersonville Civil War Prison along with his son, Levi Jackson Stevens/Stephens. Would be interested in hearing from anyone connected to any of the individuals mentioned. Patti Daviau (Copied as closely as possible from original writing.) Lewis, Ind Sept. 11,1910 Well Boys, your letter here, all well, glad that I have found you Boys. now Boys, from the time your Father & Levy J Stephens came to Indianapolis Ind, to our camp, I done all of their writing for them & Perry, as they none of them could write and after Noah & Jack, we all called him Levy, was captured Dec 24, 1863 I wrote to your ma & told her of the Sad occurrence. O that was a sad day for your Ma and a sad day for us Boys, for there never was Braver Boys than your Father & Jack. Brave, Noble, Good, Cheerful, Kind Harted, no Better Soldiers never lived than they. they are Two Brave Boys that gave up wife, Brothers & Sisters & ma to Fight for this Government. They willingly laid down their lives for Their country. I can see those Two yet in my mind, as, 2 as they rode Past us on that Christmas Eve morning, going Guarding the Wagon Train for Forage they were Chearfull, Laughing as they Rode Past the Pickett Post that me and Perry was on. So a Bout 10 O Clock on Dec 24, 1863 they got in the fight, the 81 of our Boys that was in the fight, Killed & wounded 50 Rebels. Noah & Jack & 18 more of our Boys after they had shot over 200 Rounds a Piece all the amuniction gone, had to, They Being Entirely Surrounded, they had to Surrender to the 64 Virginia Mounted Infantry Rebels. well Boys, when I wrote for your Father & Jack, letters to send home, they allways had me to write some to you little Boys at home, often said if you Boys was big enough to go to war you and them would Tear the Rebellion in too. Now boys I am the only one that has Seen where Poor Noah & Jack lays 3 now Jack either lays with the unknown or else he has bin assigned to Some other State, as in the 14000 Solddiers that lay there in long rows, they are some from all the Northern States. I will write to the Superintendent out of the Andersonville GA National Cemetery and Try to find out where Poor Jack Lays. Boys, on Thursday, Nov the 26, 1908, I with some 300 Indiana Soldiers, with our then Governor J Frank Hanley, Stood & walked all over the old Prison Pen, where 14000 Brave Boys lies. Govenor J Frank Hanley Delivered the Greatest address I ever heard in all my life. O those words he spoke, rings in my ears yet, he Told us that at any moment your Father & Brother would have taken the Oath to the Southern Confederacy or Rebel Government they could have walked out of the Prison pen a free man. But Rather than do that they Starved to death. 4 if they had a done that, they might have bin living yet. But No, they Stood By & Starved to death. Died to Save the best Government on Earth. Some days & nights 200 of the Brave Boys would be laid at the South gate dead. they were Throwed on an old waggon cross ways like cord wood, 20 at a load and hauled one half mile to the country, one half of the Naked. I seen the old Nigger that hauled all to the Burying Ground. The Dirt was throwed off a Strip 6 feet, By 40 Rods, all those Poor Boys laid close, Side By side, then as they dug the other ditch the dirt was throwed on them only 2 feet deep, no coffins, no Tears & one half of them stark Naked, Their names put on a Book. Those Poor fellows will rest there till Gabriel the Arc Angel will Sound his Trumppet, then those Poor fellows will come forth, not Naked & Starved as they was hauled there, but they will 5 be Robed in Richiousness of Pure white. God Bless their memory. Say Boys, you cain't Compreehend the Suffering that those Poor fellows Suffered, Naked, Starved for food & watter, Stink & Vermin. Taken cold Rains nothing to cover them night & day. Burning up by day & chilled by a night. Just think of 35000 men on 40 acres, eat, sleep and do all their Business on it. Just think what a Smell. O Boys, you can't imagine What your Father & Brother did Suffer. Say Boys, I have a History of the Prison Pen written By M Clory of 14 Ill Cavalry he was in there with your Father. I will loan it to you to Read, 400 Pages. Boys, when I Stood by your Fathers Grave, I never had such a feeling in my Life. I cut a cane in that Hell Hole, where 10 to 15 Boys died every night at stool. Jest fell over dead. I will make you a Present of it, if you will come to see me. 6 Boys, I could Talk all day & night with you. Come and see me, I will give you all the men in Company M 6th Indiana Cavalry or Rough Riders, That your father & Jack be longed to. You Boys are young, I am getting old, So come to Bowling Green Bellaire Fleeder Dam, Old Hill to Lewis, my Farm joined the Town of Lewis on Southern Ind RR or come West to Clay City, go Srait 10 miles To Lewis. Joe Parr lives 2 miles South of me. I will Send you some Coppys of Nationall Tribune, allso Yellow Jacket. I am Glad I found you. where do you live from Poland. Come And see me. I will go to Indianapolis to State Fair next Tuesday as I want a Buck sheep. have you heard from your uncle Perry. He was a good soldier. I can tell you a heap of fun a Bout Perry. Now Boys, no one, Big or little can say to me that Noah or Jack done anything wrong in the army. They were good Boys there 7 (illegible) can't Express or Tell of half the suffering in those Too with others suffered in those Hell Holes of a Prison. O the anguish, Starving and being eat up with lice and Scurvey. Flesh half fell off of the Bones, nothing but living Skeletons. Say Boys, I can't read the History of Andersonville without Taking off my Meathodist Coat and walking the Floor and Saying a few Cuss words and you can't either, I know. Well Boys, I got a Piece of the old Prison Pen to make me a cane, So come Down, I will give coppy of all the names of your Fathers Company. All I can say Boys, be good. Republicans we was from 1861 to 1865 and we are right yet. There are a lot of them rebels ought to be hung yet. I don't know what would interest you. Best wishes to all. Come see me. I can talk better than I can write. J.K. Polk Stephens write soon

yes we connect.. On Sun, 29 Oct 2000 23:45:47 -0500 daviau1@juno.com writes: >Decided this might be a great time to share the following letter, it >was >written to my Grandfather, William D. Stevens & his brother, Jesse >Stevens. > >Noah Stevens/Stephens was my Great Grandfather, he died in the >Andersonville Civil War Prison along with his son, Levi Jackson >Stevens/Stephens. > >Would be interested in hearing from anyone connected to any of the >individuals mentioned. >Patti Daviau > >(Copied as closely as possible from original writing.) > > Lewis, Ind > Sept. 11,1910 >Well Boys, your letter here, all well, glad that I have found you >Boys. >now Boys, from the time your Father & Levy J Stephens came to >Indianapolis Ind, to our camp, I done all of their writing for them & >Perry, as they none of them could write and after Noah & Jack, we all >called him Levy, was captured Dec 24, 1863 I wrote to your ma & told >her >of the Sad occurrence. O that was a sad day for your Ma and a sad day >for >us Boys, for there never was Braver Boys than your Father & Jack. >Brave, >Noble, Good, Cheerful, Kind Harted, no Better Soldiers never lived >than >they. they are Two Brave Boys that gave up wife, Brothers & Sisters & >ma >to Fight for this Government. They willingly laid down their lives for >Their country. I can see those Two yet in my mind, as, > 2 >as they rode Past us on that Christmas Eve morning, going Guarding the >Wagon Train for Forage they were Chearfull, Laughing as they Rode Past >the Pickett Post that me and Perry was on. So a Bout 10 O Clock on Dec >24, 1863 they got in the fight, the 81 of our Boys that was in the >fight, >Killed & wounded 50 Rebels. Noah & Jack & 18 more of our Boys after >they >had shot over 200 Rounds a Piece all the amuniction gone, had to, They >Being Entirely Surrounded, they had to Surrender to the 64 Virginia >Mounted Infantry Rebels. well Boys, when I wrote for your Father & >Jack, >letters to send home, they allways had me to write some to you little >Boys at home, often said if you Boys was big enough to go to war you >and >them would Tear the Rebellion in too. Now boys I am the only one that >has >Seen where Poor Noah & Jack lays > 3 >now Jack either lays with the unknown or else he has bin assigned to >Some >other State, as in the 14000 Solddiers that lay there in long rows, >they >are some from all the Northern States. I will write to the >Superintendent >out of the Andersonville GA National Cemetery and Try to find out >where >Poor Jack Lays. Boys, on Thursday, Nov the 26, 1908, I with some 300 >Indiana Soldiers, with our then Governor J Frank Hanley, Stood & >walked >all over the old Prison Pen, where 14000 Brave Boys lies. Govenor J >Frank >Hanley Delivered the Greatest address I ever heard in all my life. O >those words he spoke, rings in my ears yet, he Told us that at any >moment >your Father & Brother would have taken the Oath to the Southern >Confederacy or Rebel Government they could have walked out of the >Prison >pen a free man. But Rather than do that they Starved to death. > 4 >if they had a done that, they might have bin living yet. But No, they >Stood By & Starved to death. Died to Save the best Government on >Earth. >Some days & nights 200 of the Brave Boys would be laid at the South >gate >dead. they were Throwed on an old waggon cross ways like cord wood, 20 >at >a load and hauled one half mile to the country, one half of the Naked. >I >seen the old Nigger that hauled all to the Burying Ground. The Dirt >was >throwed off a Strip 6 feet, By 40 Rods, all those Poor Boys laid >close, >Side By side, then as they dug the other ditch the dirt was throwed on >them only 2 feet deep, no coffins, no Tears & one half of them stark >Naked, Their names put on a Book. Those Poor fellows will rest there >till >Gabriel the Arc Angel will Sound his Trumppet, then those Poor fellows >will come forth, not Naked & Starved as they was hauled there, but >they >will > 5 >be Robed in Richiousness of Pure white. God Bless their memory. Say >Boys, >you cain't Compreehend the Suffering that those Poor fellows Suffered, >Naked, Starved for food & watter, Stink & Vermin. Taken cold Rains >nothing to cover them night & day. Burning up by day & chilled by a >night. Just think of 35000 men on 40 acres, eat, sleep and do all >their >Business on it. Just think what a Smell. O Boys, you can't imagine >What >your Father & Brother did Suffer. Say Boys, I have a History of the >Prison Pen written By M Clory of 14 Ill Cavalry he was in there with >your >Father. I will loan it to you to Read, 400 Pages. Boys, when I Stood >by >your Fathers Grave, I never had such a feeling in my Life. I cut a >cane >in that Hell Hole, where 10 to 15 Boys died every night at stool. Jest >fell over dead. I will make you a Present of it, if you will come to >see >me. > 6 >Boys, I could Talk all day & night with you. Come and see me, I will >give >you all the men in Company M 6th Indiana Cavalry or Rough Riders, That >your father & Jack be longed to. You Boys are young, I am getting old, >So >come to Bowling Green Bellaire Fleeder Dam, Old Hill to Lewis, my Farm >joined the Town of Lewis on Southern Ind RR or come West to Clay City, >go >Srait 10 miles To Lewis. Joe Parr lives 2 miles South of me. I will >Send >you some Coppys of Nationall Tribune, allso Yellow Jacket. I am Glad I >found you. where do you live from Poland. Come And see me. I will go >to >Indianapolis to State Fair next Tuesday as I want a Buck sheep. have >you >heard from your uncle Perry. He was a good soldier. I can tell you a >heap >of fun a Bout Perry. Now Boys, no one, Big or little can say to me >that >Noah or Jack done anything wrong in the army. They were good Boys >there > 7 >(illegible) can't Express or Tell of half the suffering in those Too >with >others suffered in those Hell Holes of a Prison. O the anguish, >Starving >and being eat up with lice and Scurvey. Flesh half fell off of the >Bones, >nothing but living Skeletons. Say Boys, I can't read the History of >Andersonville without Taking off my Meathodist Coat and walking the >Floor >and Saying a few Cuss words and you can't either, I know. Well Boys, I >got a Piece of the old Prison Pen to make me a cane, So come Down, I >will >give coppy of all the names of your Fathers Company. All I can say >Boys, >be good. Republicans we was from 1861 to 1865 and we are right yet. >There >are a lot of them rebels ought to be hung yet. I don't know what would >interest you. Best wishes to all. Come see me. I can talk better than >I >can write. >J.K. Polk Stephens >write soon > > >==== INOWEN Mailing List ==== > > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Hello again, This is in regards to your posting last October. Did you ever post this to the Clay Co. list? It was such an interesting letter. I glance back at it from time to time. May I have your permission to post it (with your name as reference, of course)? We so often deal with dates and statistics. I love to hear the actual words and thoughts of these people we research. Thanks again for sharing, Brad Crabb ----- Original Message ----- From: <daviau1@juno.com> To: <INOWEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 11:45 PM Subject: [INOWEN] Andersonville Letter > Decided this might be a great time to share the following letter, it was > written to my Grandfather, William D. Stevens & his brother, Jesse > Stevens. > > Noah Stevens/Stephens was my Great Grandfather, he died in the > Andersonville Civil War Prison along with his son, Levi Jackson > Stevens/Stephens. > > Would be interested in hearing from anyone connected to any of the > individuals mentioned. > Patti Daviau > > (Copied as closely as possible from original writing.) > > Lewis, Ind > Sept. 11,1910 > Well Boys, your letter here, all well, glad that I have found you Boys. > now Boys, from the time your Father & Levy J Stephens came to > Indianapolis Ind, to our camp, I done all of their writing for them & > Perry, as they none of them could write and after Noah & Jack, we all > called him Levy, was captured Dec 24, 1863 I wrote to your ma & told her > of the Sad occurrence. O that was a sad day for your Ma and a sad day for > us Boys, for there never was Braver Boys than your Father & Jack. Brave, > Noble, Good, Cheerful, Kind Harted, no Better Soldiers never lived than > they. they are Two Brave Boys that gave up wife, Brothers & Sisters & ma > to Fight for this Government. They willingly laid down their lives for > Their country. I can see those Two yet in my mind, as, > 2 > as they rode Past us on that Christmas Eve morning, going Guarding the > Wagon Train for Forage they were Chearfull, Laughing as they Rode Past > the Pickett Post that me and Perry was on. So a Bout 10 O Clock on Dec > 24, 1863 they got in the fight, the 81 of our Boys that was in the fight, > Killed & wounded 50 Rebels. Noah & Jack & 18 more of our Boys after they > had shot over 200 Rounds a Piece all the amuniction gone, had to, They > Being Entirely Surrounded, they had to Surrender to the 64 Virginia > Mounted Infantry Rebels. well Boys, when I wrote for your Father & Jack, > letters to send home, they allways had me to write some to you little > Boys at home, often said if you Boys was big enough to go to war you and > them would Tear the Rebellion in too. Now boys I am the only one that has > Seen where Poor Noah & Jack lays > 3 > now Jack either lays with the unknown or else he has bin assigned to Some > other State, as in the 14000 Solddiers that lay there in long rows, they > are some from all the Northern States. I will write to the Superintendent > out of the Andersonville GA National Cemetery and Try to find out where > Poor Jack Lays. Boys, on Thursday, Nov the 26, 1908, I with some 300 > Indiana Soldiers, with our then Governor J Frank Hanley, Stood & walked > all over the old Prison Pen, where 14000 Brave Boys lies. Govenor J Frank > Hanley Delivered the Greatest address I ever heard in all my life. O > those words he spoke, rings in my ears yet, he Told us that at any moment > your Father & Brother would have taken the Oath to the Southern > Confederacy or Rebel Government they could have walked out of the Prison > pen a free man. But Rather than do that they Starved to death. > 4 > if they had a done that, they might have bin living yet. But No, they > Stood By & Starved to death. Died to Save the best Government on Earth. > Some days & nights 200 of the Brave Boys would be laid at the South gate > dead. they were Throwed on an old waggon cross ways like cord wood, 20 at > a load and hauled one half mile to the country, one half of the Naked. I > seen the old Nigger that hauled all to the Burying Ground. The Dirt was > throwed off a Strip 6 feet, By 40 Rods, all those Poor Boys laid close, > Side By side, then as they dug the other ditch the dirt was throwed on > them only 2 feet deep, no coffins, no Tears & one half of them stark > Naked, Their names put on a Book. Those Poor fellows will rest there till > Gabriel the Arc Angel will Sound his Trumppet, then those Poor fellows > will come forth, not Naked & Starved as they was hauled there, but they > will > 5 > be Robed in Richiousness of Pure white. God Bless their memory. Say Boys, > you cain't Compreehend the Suffering that those Poor fellows Suffered, > Naked, Starved for food & watter, Stink & Vermin. Taken cold Rains > nothing to cover them night & day. Burning up by day & chilled by a > night. Just think of 35000 men on 40 acres, eat, sleep and do all their > Business on it. Just think what a Smell. O Boys, you can't imagine What > your Father & Brother did Suffer. Say Boys, I have a History of the > Prison Pen written By M Clory of 14 Ill Cavalry he was in there with your > Father. I will loan it to you to Read, 400 Pages. Boys, when I Stood by > your Fathers Grave, I never had such a feeling in my Life. I cut a cane > in that Hell Hole, where 10 to 15 Boys died every night at stool. Jest > fell over dead. I will make you a Present of it, if you will come to see > me. > 6 > Boys, I could Talk all day & night with you. Come and see me, I will give > you all the men in Company M 6th Indiana Cavalry or Rough Riders, That > your father & Jack be longed to. You Boys are young, I am getting old, So > come to Bowling Green Bellaire Fleeder Dam, Old Hill to Lewis, my Farm > joined the Town of Lewis on Southern Ind RR or come West to Clay City, go > Srait 10 miles To Lewis. Joe Parr lives 2 miles South of me. I will Send > you some Coppys of Nationall Tribune, allso Yellow Jacket. I am Glad I > found you. where do you live from Poland. Come And see me. I will go to > Indianapolis to State Fair next Tuesday as I want a Buck sheep. have you > heard from your uncle Perry. He was a good soldier. I can tell you a heap > of fun a Bout Perry. Now Boys, no one, Big or little can say to me that > Noah or Jack done anything wrong in the army. They were good Boys there > 7 > (illegible) can't Express or Tell of half the suffering in those Too with > others suffered in those Hell Holes of a Prison. O the anguish, Starving > and being eat up with lice and Scurvey. Flesh half fell off of the Bones, > nothing but living Skeletons. Say Boys, I can't read the History of > Andersonville without Taking off my Meathodist Coat and walking the Floor > and Saying a few Cuss words and you can't either, I know. Well Boys, I > got a Piece of the old Prison Pen to make me a cane, So come Down, I will > give coppy of all the names of your Fathers Company. All I can say Boys, > be good. Republicans we was from 1861 to 1865 and we are right yet. There > are a lot of them rebels ought to be hung yet. I don't know what would > interest you. Best wishes to all. Come see me. I can talk better than I > can write. > J.K. Polk Stephens > write soon > > > ==== INOWEN Mailing List ==== > > >