Greene-Dallas-Calhoun County AlArchives History - Letters .....Letter From John Virgil Grubbs To Stella Lou Grubbs About Their Father, John Nabors Grubbs, Civil War Service March 28, 1955 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: William Grubbs davidgrubbs59@bresnan.net February 3, 2010, 2:38 pm Mobile Ala. March 28th, 1955 Dear Stella: I often sat and listen to Papa tell about his stay in the army between the states. Only at times he would discuss it but I would question him at that time to hear his experience. For your information Papa was under the age to serve but enlisted to keep his oldest brother from having to go but later the called his older brother too. The older brother was the provider for the family as I remember. Papa Father was dead and they looked to the older brother for guidance. As I remember Papa General was General Robert E. Lee, his captain was Cap A.P. Hill. Papa was selected as a ambulance driver young and fearless I suppose. Papa often talked about how he carried soldiers bodies out of the front lines to hospitals, grave yards, and often dumped a load of bodies out in some ravine to hide them from the yankees. This was to keep the yankees from knowing how many they had killed. I remember one time he began talking about are particular load of cripples, some heads half shot off, arms off, legs off and dying. They would beg Papa not to leave them dying but he said he had orders to take them out of sight and leave there. I really believe Papa could hear some of those dying men begging because tears would come in his eyes so at that time. Papa told us about orders were given when Cap. AP Hill was shot to deliver the Capt body to his wife and no one else. Papa took the body of Capt A P Hill and drove from the fighting lines to Capt AP Hills house and delivered the body to Capt Hills wife. I heard him say he was supposed to hide out in day and travel at night from place to place so the yankees would not find the Captains body. He delivered the body to Mrs Hill himself and he stated he would never forget the occasion. I also remember him telling about Gen Lee responded to him one day when riding his horse. Papa had been riding a long time and was tired and Papa was sitting crosswise his saddle and the Gen saw him and said Soldier sit up straight on that horse. The horse is as tired as you are. I ask him what did you say to him and he remarked I sat up straight from then on. I also heard Pap say he had crossed rivers and creeks on rope bridges that would stretch some time down into the water. I said what did you do there. He said I would keep going until I reached the other side. I asked Papa why did they use rope bridges, he remarked so if the yankees got after you just burn the ropes into and they could not get across. Papa also stated they slept out in the open and in summer it was not to bad. But in the winter and snow on the ground it was tough. Many froze to death and many had frozen feet, hands, and ears but we got by some how. He said one time the snow was so struck (?) that all the solders would sleep under the snow and if a soldier broke the snow he would freeze but if he lay still he could survive. He said you could see where a soldier bay by the smoke puffing from his mouth and that was all you could see over the entire Co. He also told us about a friend of his who's head had been partly shot off and they cleaned it off and put a silver plate in his head and the wound healed and and was located close to him after the war and lived for many years…What a war. Additional Comments: I have the original letter if you would like a copy. The above is a letter that my great uncle, John Virgil Grubbs, born October 11, 1889, wrote to his younger sister, Stella Lou Grubbs, born August 4, 1892. He was telling her about their father, John Nabors Grubbs, who fought in the Civil War in the 5th Alabama Battalion, Company C. John Nabors Grubbs was born 4-18-1843, in Benton County, Alabama. He was married 8-18-1868 near Reform (Pickens Co) to Nancy Lucinda Shelton, b 11-1- 1849, d 6-10-1935. They lived in Eutaw (Greene Co) Alabama for the last 28 years of John Nabor's life. Both are buried in the Mesopotamia Cemetery in Eutaw. John Nabors fought in the Civil War, in the Army of Virginia, 5th Battalion, Alabama Volunteers, (Infantry) in Capt. Smyth's White Plains Rangers, which later became Company C, 5th Battalion Alabama Volunteers. He enlisted Aug 12, 1861 (Confederate records say Sept 3, 1861) at White Plains, Alabama and was discharged June 10, 1865 and walked home. He was assigned as an ambulance (buckboard) driver, picking up the dead and wounded after the battles. He is listed on the Confederate Military records as having been absent sick at Mechanicsville in June 26, 1862, Gaines Mills June 28, 1862, Fraziers Farm June 30, 1862, Cedar Run Aug 9, 1862, Manassas Junction Aug 27- 30, 1862, and Ox Hill Sept 1, 1862. He is listed as being in Chimborazo Hospital #3 in Richmond, as of August 17, 1862 with diarrhea. He was listed absent on duty at Harpers Ferry Sept 15-16, 1862, Snichers Gap, Fredericksburg Dec 13, 1862, Chancellorsville May 1-3, 1863, and Gettysburg July 1, 1863. On August 30, 1864, he was admitted to General Hospital, Howard's Grove, Richmond Virginia with acute diarrhea. He was furloughed for 35 days on Sept 14, 1864. An entry on the muster roll for October 31, 1864 to December 31, 1864 lists him present as an ambulance driver. He was listed as being paid by Capt. McCormick on April 30, 1864. The last entry showed him on the company roll as of Dec 31, 1864 through Feb 28, 1865. His name is listed on the Confederate War Dead monument in the Mesopotamia Cemetery in Eutaw, Greene Co AL. His older brother, Henry Wesley Grubbs, was born about 1837, also served in the same unit. Henry died on June 27, 1862, during the Battle of Mechanicsburg. They had a middle brother, William, born about 1842. He was mentally handicapped, but despite this he was drafted into Co. A. The brothers all lived in Rabbit Town Alabama, near present day Anniston, Alabama before the war. The letter is transcribed with all of Johnny's grammar and spelling. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/greene/history/letters/letterfr338gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.6 Kb