Letter from Thomas Taylor to his sister, Miss Matilda Taylor, from Fairfax Station, Sept. 15, 1861, Autauga, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/autauga/history/letters/tstaylor4.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 Fairfax Station Sept. 15th 1861 My Dear Sister Brother William and myself are now in our tent. It is Sunday evening & we are very lonely. We want to hear from home. We thought the best way was to write to you for we know that you will answer these lines as soon as they come to hand. We have no news at all to communicate we are both well as could be expected. I have a cold that plagues me some little but except this I am as well as I could ask to be. You know that change of climate & mode of living has a tendency to make me feel unwell but I believe that when I get acclimated I will fatten up & get to have as good health as any one. I believe I will get well of the disease that has almost destroyed my energy & would I believe make me in the course of time entirely unfit for business if it kept on increasing as it did for the last six months. But I have not had it bad since I left home. Brother Wm is as fat as a bear & is one of the best fellows you ever saw. He sends his love to all at home especially to Mother &Father. I have learned to cook tolerably well considering the length of time I have been experimenting. Soldier life is not as hard as I anticipated. We get a plenty to eat such as it is & it is good enough what there is of it. So we fare very well in regard to provisions. We have good tents but we are somewhat crowded yet because we have not received our tents for recruits. Our messmates are as good fellows as ever the world saw, they are Jas. Coker whom we duff the old man of the house. Cape Williams whom we call the old woman or kitchen maid then they come in regular rotation my old woman J. L Thompson. & his old lady Jas Inskill as clever boys as ever lived. & then 2 more nice young men John Griffrs & William Rutherford & what should you have said had I forgotten Newell Soudenmire & Theordor Walker. It is of no use to recommend these young men they speak for themselves. Well they are with us. I tried my first experiment a few days ago at standing picket guard I have no love for this kind of business standing all night & it is raining & we not allowed to sleep at our post, you may very truly guess that there is not much fun in this. But we do have some fun as we go along. Boys will have fun when they are in Camp & I have my share of it. Cousin Wm. Taylor is not well he has been sick almost ever since he has been here. He has a pain in his back I think it is reumatism. He is muddling through I think I can not tell the movement of the Army because I do not know this. We have about 1300 in Our Regiment. Our officers are all well drilled & understand the management of the war as well as any of Lincoln's Hirelings & we will certainly by the help of God be victorious in the end. Some times I think we will be all be home by Christmas & then as others I think that this vile administration of the northern king will (Lincoln) will carry it on as long as he & his hirelings can. There is no doubt but that they will be convinced that the south is determine to be free & independent people. My dear sister before the Southern States should be coerced, before my sisters & brothers, my mother & father should be made worse than slaves I will die the death of a soldier fighting for the right of his country. There is no telling whether will ever see you again. You know there are 2 chances to one against me. But dear sister the prayers of th righteous will matter much therefore I have one request to make. I know you will remember it. as you often do pray for you two soldier brothers that they may by the mercies of God be spared to once more shake hands with loved ones at home. I believe thus if all my praying relatives & friends would do this & pray often for us we would both be by the mercies of God spared to see yall again. I have ties in old Autauga that are strong. I have a dear devoted wife & lovely boy. I love nothing on earth so well as them. Oh that I may be spared to again be with them around my old fireside. I think if I live to see you at the expiration of time that I can enjoy life better than I have for the last year. I believe my health is improving & that I have renewed energy. My spells of sick headache are not as frequent as they have been. As I told you above I believe I will get entirely well if I stay here another month. Matilda my dear sister will you think of me & cheer my dear Sallie my devoted wife in my absence. Tell her that there is not an hour in the day but that I think of her & my dear little boy. Tell her to write to me often. I have not heard from her since I left, but I am looking for her letter everyday. Give my love to all my friends, my father & mother little Bud & Lavinia Tell Lavinia to write to me sure & certain. Direct your letters to: Private Thos. S. Taylor Care of Capt. T.A.Davis Autauga Rifle Company L Coln.Sibles 6th Regt. Ala. Volunteers Manassas Junction Virginia P.S. Ike Abraham sends his love to you & saye he is so fat as one little pig. & talks so saucy as one little neger Now I will close this letter Farewell my Dear sister Thos S. Taylor Miss Matilda Taylor