Letter from Thomas Taylor to his wife, Sarah E. Alexander Taylor, From Union Mills near Manassas, Oct. 24, 1861, Autauga, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/autauga/history/letters/tstaylor10.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Dr. Gene Cross ================================================================================ June 2003 Oct. 24, 1861. Union Mills Near Manassas. My Dear Wife: You will discover from the heading of this letter that we have moved from our old place of encampment. At the time I wrote to you last we were at Camp Jones near Fairfax Station. About 9 O'clock that night we received orders to strike our tents & prepare to march in one hour's time. You may guess there was some excitement, in our camps but we did not march until the next morning, so I slept tolerably well on the ground. The next day it rained & this beats all the countries I ever saw for mud in wet weather. We were a muddy set when we arrived at this place. We pitched our tents the next day on a steep hill side. The weather has been cloudy with a little rain ever since we have been here. I do not remember the date of my last letter or rather letters to you & before I get through I will tell you why I sent so many notes in one envelope. The second night after arriving at this place I stood on Camp Guard & the next morning the whole regiment went on picket. I was somewhat tired but I did not grumble. If I can keep my health as I have since I have been here I am willing to all the duty required of me. I know you would laugh to see how we poor soldiers (as we are termed) act some times when we are on picket guard. We sleep on the ground & eat anything we can get for we some times get a little short of provisions while out from Camp. This is owing to the inconvenience of carrying enough with us to last for we eat like hogs all the time. Now for something else. My health is as good as I could ask & Brother Wm.'s & Cousin Capes is also good. But some of our Company are very sick, both down & just half are sick. George Reed & John Hunt are also sick. We have lost 5 of our number since I came here & among them I am pained to say is Cousin Wm. Taylor. He died at Culpepper on the 15th of this month. He was taken with the measles & was sent off from camp the night we were ordered to retreat. I have not seen him since he left. You will probably hear of his death before this reaches you, but if you do you must let Uncle William know of it. Billie was a good boy & would have made a good soldier. His death is lamented by all the Company. We have lost 3 of our recruits. I do not think we will have much fighting here this winter, but it will be very cold & will go hard with some of us no doubt to sleep on the ground, but we are under the protection of an Almighty & kind providence. He will most assuredly temper the winds to the shorn lambs & by his mercies I hope to live & enjoy good health. I know that I do try to live honestly & uprightly before God & man, but I frequently do wrong. May God help me to live the life of a Christian. My Dear Wife I often think of you, yea I see you & my dear little boys in my dreams. I think of the happy hours we have had together & long to be with you again around our humble fireside. Hope speaks & I look & see in the future those happy days returning. Oh yes we will again be happy as we were. Pray for me my dear devoted wife. God will be gracious & kind, he will hear the prayers of his servants. Oh yes. I believe in prayer & therefore I will pray. I am sometimes sad, but I think that I study so much about my loved one & that is the cause of my sadness. I must close by asking you to write oftener. Write every 2 or 3 days. Kiss my little boy Johnny & your little boy Henry B. My love to all your father's family also to my father's. Tell them all to write to me. Your devoted husband, T. S. Taylor. Mrs. S. E. Taylor. P.S. If you can send me that coverlid of ours I would be glad. If not lend me an oilcloth or tablecloth. T.S.T.