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 ==================================================================== Petersburg Va July 8 [18]63 Louisa My Dear Wife I once more have the privalige of writing to you & M is thro the mercy of god that I am permitted to do so. We arrived here on the sixth & comtemplated on going to richmond but havent yet.. I will write you a few lines to let you know how I am & how I have benn Lou I hope you have hurd of me being a prisoner of war & what become of me so that you havent' been uneasy about me Sargent Johnston rote two letters since we ware prisoner you certinly have herd from me but if not I hope you soon will get this & I hope it will reach you & find you & all the rest well I would like to write a long leter but havent got the paper. I have been well Ever since the fight on the 16 ever since I wrote you the last letter accept one or too days at a time of diarrhea The federals carryed me from Champion hill to chickysaw bluff & from thence to youngs point just below vicksburg on the Louisana shore & from thence to cairow on the Mississippi river we pased memphis & other points as we past upon the river on the boats When we got to cairow ilinois we got a board of the cars & went from there to Indianapolis Indiana page 2 staying there a few days & then we went to Ft. Deleware, Del We got there morning of the 10th & left 4 July reashed city [point?] on the sixth & came out here on the cars one hours ride 12 miles I suppose we will go to richmond on tomorrow If we do I will write again as soom as I can get paper you may wait till I get time & write you again. Lou I saw whare time since ive been a prisioner I was treated badly & all all the rest with me We have but one suit of cloaths I had to ware my pants & coat till I washed my shirt & drawers. We will draw cloaths probably this eavening or tomorrow we will get a good suit of cloaths I hope I hope been in several states since i left you Tennessee Miss. Louisana Arkansas Missouri Kenturcky Ilinois Indiana Ohio Pencylvanis Penaylvania We took the boat at philedelphia & went to the fort in deleware & I saw the shore over on the new jersey side When we left the fort we came to the Maryland shore & the other was water the at lantic Ocean. then we came to the Sacred Soil of Virginia This is a fine town here & plenty to eat but the country has been disfigured some I hope I will get to go home & see you all soon I am yours truly & affectionately till Death A M Sewell [The first page of this letter seems to be missing] for it seems that I was never more serious to here from you & our county I didnt think the enemy was so near on us as they was or at least I didnt think they would advance so fast as they have but I hope & trust they are not in our valey yet & let me Exert you you to write as soon as you get this I could have gon home & got my mare I road her & point the cavalry but I thought that there was a chance to ceap out of [illegible] fight by coming on down here we will all stay together till we all are exchanged [illegible] if that is the case perhaps it is still better for me yet but ill tell you i felt like going to [illegible] & fishing for my home [illegible ink smear] the tryingist time of [illegible] to think that I haft to go fur ther & further from home & the enemy advansing on my home but what could I do at home so I will trust with providence & go a haead. We are orderd to Atlanta or beyond there to stone mountain page 3? I dont know where the stone mountain is but suppose to be 10 or 15 miles from atlanta you Direct your letters to Stone mountain PO Decalb Co. Louise I hope we will see beter times agan shortly & that we may injoy our lives to gether yet on this earth tell your Pa that if he is possession of the litle mare yet to ceap her for me a litle while longer if he isent forriges out but if he cant keep her any longer just sell her or dispose of her any way he seas best I rather some one had her for her feed than to see her for con federate money unles it was neaded rite [illegible] Lou if you want to keep her & by corn for her just do so but if you can get there or four hundred dollars for her sell her & make the best of the money you can you mite have got four hundred for her 2 weeks ago & may get it yet page 4 I will be satisfied with any thing you do with her but if I knew it was for the best I would like to rier her my self So she is yours do the best you can with her [illegible] I get back & are able to [illegible] horse ill nead one [illegible] valve of a horse now is but a triful you clame them Lou as yours the mule & mare boath & if yur pa sells them tell him to keep as mutch of the money as he wants & you use the balance of it I will go to atlanta to morrow if not this eave ning I still remain [illegible] Husband till death may god with his infiniate mercy bless us & save us is my cincear prare this may be the last to you for some time But i hope & trust not so good by A M Sewell [UNDATED] Lou, I write you a few lines to let you know how I am & whare.. we stoped at atlanta a few days & came by here & went to Stone Mountain whitch is eight miles from this place yesterday eave ning we got marching orders & this morning We came up here I cant tell how long we will stay at this place I suppose we are all exhanged you said something about me going to cavelry if you will see your uncle jim & tell him to send a good Solger & I will make the swap write to him to send him to co H 39 Regt & that is sufficent Lieutenant Middleton has gone to demopolis after our goods we will get them in a few days you may ceap the mare some longer if you can get [illegible] for me I expect we will go to reinforce brag We havent herd nothing official from the 3 day fight unless we whiped but with heavey loses Theres no chance for me to go home unless I get a man in my place I will write you agan when Cleghorn gets back so no more at present yours respectfully A. M. Sewell Sis William Johnson sends his respects & kinde Wishes to you & wishes you to send some reviving & kind words to him when it suits your approbation Yours Respectfully Write to your uncle imediately [seperated from its main sheets] Louisa tell sister Zaner [?] that I here from Jesse yesterday morning I saw him twice since the fite at Phil adelphia & he gave me a oil cloth cloth that he captured in the fight he was in a fight a few days ago came out unhurt & got some more oil cloths he is well I do cincerrly hope that this will come to hand in due time & find you injoying the best of heal th you & all my relatives & inquireing friends if any I drew a good blanket last night my oil clot th & blanket is a mutch [illegible] carry ill write to you when I get a leter you must excuse my short letter if you havent soled your mare Sell her for what she is worth if you can get it She ought to bring 5 or 6 hundred confederate dollars We may get in cavelry yet but if may be sometime ceap it a secret We want to get a transfur Your husband till death A. M. Sewell Direct Your Letters to Sweetwater Marrietta Cobb Co Ga Sep 24 [18]63 Louisa my dear wife As god has spaird my life untill time I now agan avail myself to write to you to let you Know whare I am & what I am doing I am at your Aunt Fanny's I am well & all of your aunts family is well Lou I was verry sorry that I couldn't get to go back home Colonel McConnell wasnt at camp when I got there & when he came in there had been so many movements with the army that I couldnt get my business fixed up not couldnt get to go home attall unless I just walk of[f] & I wouldnt do that I was aferd of being Recaptured but I sometimes thought I would go any how then agan I would concider that if General Brags men would ceap the federales back that I would get to go home Shortly but if not Oh how distressing it will be I hope that they have Kept them back till you can get this Letter & longer too but if may be that you will never get this a tall but if you do you must write the next mail shurea ? Nov Tuesday 3d 1863 Vicksburg Mississippi Louisa Dear Wife As Lieut Cleaghorn [illegible] to start home in the morning I will write you agan Mr. ganes arrived at this plase today & I agan have the pleasure of reading a letter from you it was rote 2 october gave me great satis faction to know that you was well this Leaves me yet well There is nothing new Not mutch sicknes now there is some fever & some small pox in our brigade Lieut Price is verry sick with Typhoid fever you rote me to know [illegible] are just rite they please me verry mutch If you will rite to Mr. Rud at Chatanooga to send the coat & pants by the way of mail buggy or back if it runs to Summerville I dont know his chrisen name but address Mr. Rud, Esq. he & capt Edwards ware verry Well accuanted Mr. Edwards is out to day Forrigeing to try to get something to Eat.. Louisa I drew money Saturday & I will Send you some I drew sixty nine dollars with my comentation What Capt drawt last summer for me I will send you thurty dollars Thurty dollars Mr. Cleaghorn is going for that purpose page 2 I would like to send more home but i finde I cant do without money here I am spending everyday more or less I will keep plenty you do what you see proper with what you get by any thing you need if you can get it dont fail to do that. I rote to you by Mr. WardLaw but he is so slow this may beat him home. if Cleaghorn stays too long send me a letter by mail I will want to here from you & whather you got the money Lieut can tell you if is a mind to the times here I will Quit till morning & then rite you a word or too the boys was hungry enoght to kill find hogs the other morning & morning finds me well I have nothing new this morning except we go on general Review.. I hope this will finde you injoying the very best of health give my respecks to all kindred and friends May god pardon us & bless us is my prair Mr. James Rite died last night at this plase at hospital I am yours truly A. M. Sewell