Georgia:  Chattooga County:  Letter from A. D. McCarvey to 
Dr. R. Y. Rudicil,  6 May 1895

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Mr. McCravey’s Letter
Blairsville, GA May 6, 1895

Dr. R. Y. Rudicil
Summerville, GA

Dearly Remembered Old Comrade:

Your letter of April 15 duly received, and I carried it to Captain Butts’
family to read and I think that it did them good in the way of consolation,
and was highly appreciated by them.

For myself I can say that it awakened a thousand members that have slumbered
for years and quickened again in my heart the old time brotherhood of
soldier days, I thank God, that has never slept in my breast, and especially
has this been true of old 6th Georgia boys, I too, have my parole, of
fac-simile of yours except name and rank. Like yours, it is priceless. To me
it is dearer than anything I have every earned and I expect to leave it to
my son in the hope that he may be proud of it as an evidence that I was
willing to undergo the hardships and dangers of those days for the cause
which I believed then, and still believe to be right, and I believe time and
history will prove its justice; at least history will show the valor with
which we fought the odds we has to contend against, the determination in
which we held on to the end, starved and in rags, we fought until surrounded
by such numbers; soldiers drawn from every land, drawn by large money bounty
and the hope of plunder, splendidly equipped human courage and strength
could not do more. What more could be do? Surrender was all that was left
for us. Our paroles show that we surrendered in the last ditch, that we
never forsook the cause. Federal cemeteries will show that we fought
effectively, history will show the odds, and it will show to what we who
returned to our home in the desolate tract of Sherman’s March had to face,
it will show that under disadvantages as great, to make good citizens as we
had as soldiers, we did it; we lived, we prospered, we built up in our
destitute section everything to make it the best portion of this union and
Rebels did it too. They have led in citizens in every walk of life. At home
we picked our best men, who are they?
Ex-Rebels, who led in politics? Ex-Rebels. Bench, bar, pulpit, everywhere,
who leads? Ex-Rebels. Nationally, who has cleaner records are pure
politically than our small Ex-Rebels? No one. But they are thinning our
fast, just as our ranks did by bullets so death is calling them. A few more
years and all will be gone. The camp beyond the river is growing fast; we
have many more comrades there than here the youngest of us are now old men.
Thirty years have past since we camped together. But today I feel the ties
of comradeship of brotherhood closer than I did then, for we are getting to
be so few, so few. You and I will probably never meet until the bugle calls
in the great reunion beyond the river. Here there was no intimacy between
us, no friendship; you hardly know the soldier boy; can only recall me to
mind by my father (who gave his life for the cause) and yet we are comrades
and our hearts have ties as close as friendship ever knew. But, enough, I
will close the assurance to you that you and those dear to you can always
command me. I feel that it is goodbye old comrade.

I am as always
A. D. McCarvey