Lowndes-Chilton-Montgomery County AlArchives Military Records.....Thomas Dunklin Caffey 
Civilwar - Letters Company F, Third Alabama Infantry (Metropolitan Guards)
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Betty Beard rlbeard@cox.net May 22, 2004, 11:34 am

     He was educated to be a lawyer.  He was twenty-nine and practicing law in 
Montgomery when he joined the Third Alabama Infantry Regiment to fight for the 
Southern cause in the Civil War.  There were several young men of Collirene 
who served in the Florida campaign, among them Thomas Caffey who is known to 
have gone with a Montgomery group.  [He was practicing law there.]  He later 
joined the Metropolitan Guards, a Montgomery outfit which became Company F of 
the Third Alabama Infantry.  Thomas' brother, Hooper, eventually joined the 
same outfit.
     While he was in the army, even before he was wounded, his health was a 
constant source of worry to his doctor brother, Hugh William Caffey.  One 
suspects he may have had health problems from childhood.  Many of Thomas's war 
letters survive and paint a picture of the life of Collirene and its sons 
during that struggle.
     Thomas told in January of how Hill's Division "for ten days past" had 
been kept busy constructing log huts for winter quarters near Round Oaks 
Church.  "It is true we have no soft beds. . . but we have a roof above our 
heads...."  And he was writing his letter seated on his own "rude stool" by 
his own fireplace.
     In February there was news of Hooper Caffey getting an unexpected leave 
of absence at a time when Jackson had discontinued the granting of furloughs  
No one could guess how an exception was made for Hooper, but Hooper never 
stopped to question, leaving without even saying goodby to Thomas.  Thomas, a 
little miffed, wrote:  "As no definite time was mentioned in his furlough for 
him to return I presume he will stay at home as long as his conscience will 
let him."  [Hooper was later shot during the Battle of Gettysburg and died a 
few weeks later.] 
     Thomas reported that he had lost a dozen pounds from having dysentery and 
he wondered if he were home, would a certain visitor there, Miss Sallie 
Lewis, "take a fancy to a spindle shanked soldier about my size?"
     As early spring arrived, there had been picket duty (guard duty), along 
the Rappahanock where for "two days the snow fell almost incessantly" and lay 
deeper than any time during the winter.  Thomas sympathized with the new 
conscripts who "have about one blanket and two shirts to every six men."  Of 
the older soldiers, he allowed that they were getting so hardy that it was 
impossible to kill them "save by Yankee bullets."
     In May 1861 Thomas Caffey wrote to his sister, Mary Ann, about his 
outfit's trip to Lynchburg, Virginia:
     "We are penned up in freight cars all the way from Atlanta to this place 
like a set of hogs, and on our arrival at Lynchburg we were sent to 
the "Fairgrounds" and quartered in the horse and cow stalls, but as our 
boys "kicked up" a muss "the powers that be" moved us to the woods and we are 
now quartered in tents in the mud. . . .
     "None of our company of your acquaintance however have been unwell, but 
all of us would rather be sick at any time than to be compelled to undergo the 
fatigues and privations of camp life.  I tell you that the life of a soldier 
to those who have no experience is very attractive, but to those who 
have "seen the elephant" it is enough to say that so far as we are concerned 
all our fun is yet to come....
     "It is true that our life is a very hard one, but we are ready for the 
conflict and "come weal or woe" we will fight till the last....
     "John [Pierce], Willie [Dunklin], Horace [Rast], Hub [Dunklin], Dave 
McCord, Paul [Rast], Ed P [Pierce] and Your Brother, Tom are all well."
     
     As the home front organized, their young soldiers met their first foe---
disease.  In June 1861 Thomas Caffey wrote of "measles, mumps and flux."  He 
stated that Paul Rast had fallen victim to the measles and that William John 
Dunklin had the mumps.  He added, "The greatest pest we have encountered . . . 
innumerable hords of black gnats" which kept them from sleeping at night and 
whose bite "hurts bad enough for them to be as large as an elephant."  He 
continued:
     "On Monday last the boys composing our mess brought plank enough to floor 
our tent and to make us bunks to sleep in.  We are now as comfortable as one 
could be who expects to be a soldier.  We have good tents and plenty of good 
though coarse food, and with ordinary prudence on our part we ought to be as 
healthy as any body of men leading the same life we do.  Occasionally we 
manage to get eggs and chickens and vegetables.  So you see we don't fare so 
very badly.  The only objection (or least the greatest one I have) to the life 
I am now living is the restrictions placed on the privates [NOTE:  remember, 
Thomas had been a lawyer for several years], when the officers can go to town 
at option, stay as long as they please, and get gloriously drunk in and out of 
camp when it suits them to do so.  If I live through this campaign I for one 
am done "sojering."
     The summer of 1861 ended and there are no preserved letters telling of 
the young Lowndes' men.  The fighting in western Virginia and the great First 
Manassas battle were over.  The sons of the Collirene families survived and 
were becoming hardened soldiers.  Their victory at Manassas assured a few 
months of relative peace in Virginia while the Northern armies regrouped 
around Washington as the War shifted to the West.
     In November 1861 Thomas Caffey wrote from "Entrenched Camp, Norfolk, 
Virginia" that most were healthy but that they were cold, adding:
     "One very great difficulty we have to contend with is the want of wood.  
Privates and non-commissioned officers allowed . . . only one sixth of a cord 
per month . . .  cut all we can in the vicinity and leave the Confederate 
[officials] to account to the owners for it as we do not intend to freeze in 
this cold country if we can help it."
     By the end of December, Thomas' regiment was in winter quarters at 
Moseley's Church, Virginia.  The Northern armies were in "plain sight" across 
the Elizabeth River.  He said:
     "Sometimes I go down to the beach and watch the movements of their 
vessels in Hampton Roads and the heavy masses of infantry drilling in 
divisions on the opposite shore. . . ."
Of their new quarters he wrote:
     "Since we came down here I have changed my mess for special reasons.  The 
mess I am now in is composed as follows:  Morgan L. Bobitt, chief cook[;] 
Frank L. Smith, general waiting boy[;]  Archibald H. Arrington, caterer[;]  
Charley McAnnerney and William B. Jones, wood getters[;]  John P. Elsberry and 
Henry Myers, general assistants, and your humble servant director in chief, or 
in other words I do nothing only when the spirit moves me which is precious 
seldom I assure you. . . .
     "I intended writing you [this] by Willie [William John Dunklin] but the 
granting of furloughs being discontinued he will not be able to go home 
[as]...an attack on this place is regarded imminent by Maj. Gen. Huger . . . 
presence of every available soldier. . . is necessary to aid in its defense.  
If the danger passes away you may possibly see Willie after Christmas."
     There was no attack but Thomas and his friends were son moved out to 
guard a railroad in case the Yankees made a move on Norfolk.  He wrote in 
February:
     ". . . and I assure you we miss our comfortable houses and nice beds of 
our old camp.  I expect we will have to rough it from this time out but I for 
one am willing to submit to anything if our cause can thereby be at least 
promoted. . . ."
     His letter was long and he expressed much concern at the fall of Ft. 
Donelson, a fort which guarded the Cumberland River which led to Nashville.  
Willie Dunklin had received his furlough and was home, for Thomas ended his 
letter, "You can write by Willie Dunklin when he comes."

      Edward Clayton Dunklin had been discharged for "disability" early in 
1862.  Hugh William Caffey seemed to think he should rejoin.  Thomas [Caffey] 
wrote vehemently on the problem of conscripton evasion.  This is from a letter 
to his sister Mary:
     "You mention that quite a commotion is being raised among those who come 
under the provisions of the Conscription Act.  I am glad that the law is being 
enforced, and I hope that everyone able to do military duty will be forced 
into the ranks to aid those now in the field to repel the enemy from our 
soil.  These gentry are great at boasting what our army has done, but do not 
seem to remember that they have contributed nothing to promote the success of 
the cause, and I am now in favor of taking them nolens volens and if need be 
kill them in order to get them away from home.  The trials and sufferings of 
this army have been greater than you can imagine. . . ."
     A few of Thomas's letters survive telling about his winter encampment.  
It was a time of no battles for the Army of Northern Virginia.  It was a time 
when Southern hopes were high.  There was no specter of the approaching 
Gettysburg.

     Thomas Caffey also gave instances of pickets of both sides meeting and 
visiting.  He wrote:
     "The pickets on the outposts are most familiar with each other.  I had 
several conversatons with men belonging to the 2nd Regiment of United States 
Dragoons, and if their words are to be relied on, they are powerful tired of 
the war and desire its speedy termination upon any terms....  We made little 
ships with paper sails and sent them across the river freighted with late 
Richmond papers and tobacco and they in return sent us New York papers, 
coffee, and a very small quantity of spirits.  The first night after we were 
placed on post, four of the Yanks came across the river on a visit to our boys 
and forgot to go back--or in other words refused to do so, and were sent to 
General Jackson, and by him forwarded to Richmond."
     Thomas Caffey, still his easygoing, good-natured self, wrote to his 
sister Mary on January 15, 1864:
     ". . .For some days past we have had only an occasional mail on account 
of the destruction of railroad bridges by high water. . .same cause has 
probably delayed Jule Rast. . .am very anxious to see the gentleman in order 
to get the sausages and other good things you stated Ma had sent me by him.
     ". . .I need nothing now in way of clothing save pants and jacket.  My 
shoes. . .rather a dilapidated condition. . .impossible to replace them here.  
I suppose I will when the 'giv out' have to do like hundreds of others in this 
Brigade i.e. go barefoot. . . .
     "You ask whether Smith succeeded in getting a sheep for our dinner 
Christmas day.  He did that same thing and I assure it was one of the greatest 
treats I have had since I have been in the army.  Some of the boys a few 
nights ago wanted fresh meat and after prowling around a good while they made 
a raid on the cow-pen of General Rodes, and killed the milk cow of the Mrs. 
General.  This little act of larceny has raised the indigantion of the General 
and his spoused up to fever heat and they both swear vengeance on the luckless 
thieves if they can only find out who they are. . . .
     "I am glad William succeeded in getting rid of Smart and his family. 
[Smart was the Negro slave who built several of the Collirene houses.]  The 
proceeds of the sale will get him out of debt I presume and when the war ends 
give him an even start with the world again.
     ". . .Saw Jeff Rives a day or two ago; he expected to leave next morning 
for home. . . Billy Pierce leaves tomorrow.
     "The Yanks are behaving themselves well now."
     
     Although Thomas survived the War, he suffered intensely from shrapnel 
wounds in his legs and was never able to return to law practice.  Thomas, 
unmarried, lived as a semi-invalid at Hugh William's home in Collirene, then 
in Hayneville, and in Verbena, Alabama, until he died on November 10, 1904.  
He was buried in Verbena.

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