Georgia: Chattooga County: Civil War Letters, Correspondence between Aaron M. Sewell and Louisa Dorsett Sewell, his wife ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Linda Harris Weefuddled@aol.com ==================================================================== Correspondence between Aaron M. Sewell and Louisa Dorsett Sewell, his wife. Louisa was the daughter of John R. Dorsett and Harriett Harlo[w] and granddaughter of Elijah and Anna Richardson Dorsett of Chattooga County, Ga. January 2, 1863 near Blountsville Louisa, Dear Wife Fter a long meantation & as we are halted for the night & thought I would address yu agan. We are campted in 8 or so miles of blountsville we are still on the way to Jackson We started from Readyville [ illegible ].. we got to tennis[-] see River & thare we rested three days We marched thro huntsville & Shelbyville & thru Fayetsville & crost the river at whites Burg after we crost the river it seams like we are going home but we are some distence from home yet but still some of the Boys mesures the distence they still Desert yet there has 13 of Co. H. gon home or some whare elce there names are too te[-] dious to mention perhaps you have herd of the most of them as our pot of peas a done I will eat my supper & then write agan Tell me whare the [illegible] are gave my respecks to ma page 2 Louisa I now proseed to rite By my fire side in our litle group in a lone sumfull valey a long the spurs of sand Mountain I forgot to tell you of huntsville we past thro that before we crost The river Lou My litle girl I have nothing of inportence to rite my minde is all wase frustrated so I dont think what to rite so I can compose rite.. I forgot to tell you in the last litter Whether I was well This leaves me injoy[-] ing goo[d] helth I hope it will finde you injoying the same blessing of god after we get to our journey end I will gave you a history of travels & all the news page 3 Dear mother sisters & brothers A few words to you all it was with mutch regret that I could not stay any longer with you all but I could not you tell me how the health of the family is for I am anxious to here from you tel me whether you got Salt & whether you got your corn gathered & wheat sode Mother there is one thing shure you could do better than you do if P.J. was with you I did not read that letter you wanted me to read but wanted to do so if you can finde out whare he is & he is not in the service rite to him to come home & stay with you for he never paid you for raising him yet I hope if he can come he will do so if he will & will do all he can the nabers will do more than they do for you when he gets sick he nose the way there So no more at present Your son til death S.M. page 4 Mr. R. & Mrs. C. Echols According to promise I will Rite you a few as i am riting by moon lite. I have nothing to rite I can state to you that we see harde times & worse a coming we ar going whare provisions is scerse but I hope we will get plenty I have seen some pleasure in your na[-] berhood but I may never see it a gan but I still live in hopes if I did in dispair We travail all about we have quit our stand for awhile that is Tennessee The news is they are fiting at Murf[-] rees burough & at Vicksburg Mississippi So that is all at present Louisa be not discouraged Do not get out of heart for I think I will be at home in a short time It is sayd that there is beter prospect for peace than ever was I hope & trust we will have peace soon So nothing more good by your loving Husband till death A.M.Sewell January 27, 1863 Vicksburg Miss Dear Louisa & Pa & Ma & family it is thro the mercy of god that I am permited to address you all agan I do not feel like I could write at this time the reason is I have nothing to write I Rote you a letter a week ago & I hope you have Received it by this time & have answered it but if not you please answer this one I had rather here late news from you than som whare elce unless it would be from War department that peace once more was restourd & we all ware going home to injoy our lives in the bosom of our familys then there would be some injoyments But there is none here no none a tall we got orders last sunday to come to this place we struck tents & went down in Jackson & rem[-] ained there until monday night we left for vicksburg we got here just before dez [?] stayed near the car shead till yesterday We came out one mile from town the boys are all tolerbly healthy yet through there are some sickness We left 2 of our stoutest men at Jackson Mr Lammons & Mr Penley we left Mr. Pilgrim at Skool he is dead I suppose page 2 Lou as I reflect on past times yes for the last 10 or 11 months I cant help but thing we have been blest with great blesing to what some Regiments have been We are still a reg[-] ement as was formed at first not withstanding we have seen some hard times but still we are blest to some extent.. There is a Fite expectinge here but we cant tell I Walked down to the riverside the other day I saw the Enimes gun boats they ware the distance of five miles from our boat landi[-] ng & town witch they can't pas they are cuting a canal thro the land strate a cross three miles below town they are still farther of[f] but they are yet under the shelter of there boats the reporte is that they have the work completed if they get thro that way there will hardly be a fight here for they want the river so they can go to new orleans & if they succeed in that we are in a bad fix they will have all the western [part?] page 3 Louisa my dear companion you know how bad I want to be with you Oh it seems like there is some other way than this I am spending the best part of my life now in being absent from you it seams there is no injoyment for us unless for you to injoy you one fireside and home & me my Wikid cumreds company I would to god we all could be Righteous but it seams that wecidness will pre vale.... there is so many troubles & croses & so many sorts of people that a person may watch as well as prey & then he plaste in the surrounding surconstan[-] [this makes no sense to me, but this is what he wrote] ces we are he will Enter into tent[-] ation sometimes So you prey for me When I think of the song i somtimes shed ters I am going to mississippi to tarry for a while Away from my dear wife about five hundred miles So fare you well my darling so fare you well my dear Dont grieve for my long abcene whilse im a volunteer Lou.. Mr. gilbert is going home I will get him to carry this letter to you it will be shure to go or at least ought to go he starts to night or in the morning sometime page 4 Louisa there is many things that I think of between the times i write that i think I will write but is is too tedious.. I can tell you of one truth we can here them canonading some more or less every day they bumbard Our men some & we them some they got too of our common steam boats & one ferry boat & shot in to the aold vicksburg boat three times but didnt get her She had been down the red river I suppose & crossing stock over down at fort Huto[-] on or hutson which is about 70 miles distance We are here near the fortidications the yankey cant take this place till they go to new orleans & re inforse on both sides & in the middle.. I think our men apr[-] rehendes but litle danger here So Lou you must rite to me direct your Letters to Vicksburg rite a good letter & a long one So this still Leaves me will I hope & trust will finde you & all the con[-] nections well May god with his infinite mercy bless us all is my prear for criste sake A.M. Sewell to L.F. Sewell at Home