Beaufort County, NC - Letters - Mary Ann Hill to Joshua B. Hill, 1863 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a transcription of a Civil War letter written to Joshua B. Hill from his mother, Mary Ann Hill. Joshua was a soldier in the Confederate States Army. The letter was written late in the year, possibly November of 1863. The transcription contains some punctuation and minor spelling changes in order to improve the readability of the letter. Any remaining spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors, were present in the original. Joshua B. Hill enlisted in Beaufort County, North Carolina on May 16, 1862 for the war. He was mustered in as a Private and was appointed Sergeant November-December 1863. According to the letter addressee information he was attached to Company H, 41st, 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry around the time of his appointment to Sergeant. He was promoted to 1st Sergeant on February 29, 1864. Joshua was wounded in action on June 27, 1864. He was present or accounted for through October 1864, being reported on the September - October 1864 muster roll as "absent, wounded - at home on furlough." Joshua was paroled after the war at Greensboro, North Carolina on May 1, 1865. After the war Joshua became a U.S. Marshall and was involved in policing the early reconstruction efforts in the South immediately following the war. The history of the 3rd Calvary Regiment was written by Joshua B. Hill around 1910. The following is the transcription of the letter (the first 4 lines were on the Envelope: "Sergt. Joshua B. Hill Co. H. 41st 3rd N.C. Cavalry Gordan's Brigade Richmond I have wet my pillow with tears, night after night, Night after night, when you and all the family would think I was asleep. When I am lying on my bed, many times I think, where is my absent son now. Is he taking his rest, or is he standing in the cold, or has he any fire or enough covering to keep him warm; or is he almost as it were - facing the enemy. My dear child, I have often prayed to the Lord for you, that he will bring you safe to me again. I believe he will do it. So my son, try with all your might to live a peaceful and moral life, remember the footsteps of your father. I know you have many trials in this unfriendly world, take it easy if you can. I am very sorry indeed that you were cheated out of your right. I could see the man punished for it. I wish he were in some other place. I fear I shall weary you before you get through with this. So right here let me stop. So may the blessed Lord be with you forever more is my prayer. Your Mother good bye P.S. I received a letter from you yesterday. You see I scarcely can stop at all. I wish I could send you some potatoes. I would do it with the greatest pleasure in the world. Write often as you can. I have left out many things I thought to write, but this is enough. This leave us in common health. Your Mother M.A.H. This is the last side I suppose it is near to Christmas, but I don't expect to take any pleasure in it at all. If I live to see it, I expect to spend it in Solitude and Tears. For where will my children be then that is in the Army. How far will the enemy be from us at that time. Oh how I wish for peace. I am alone today except children, and perhaps is the cause of my writing so much. Although I wrote some Friday, some Saturday, and some today (Sunday). P. S. Before I sealed this letter, I understood Martha Archibell was gone to Middleton. Is it not strange. I could not know it, your father was at Washington the other day and could not hear of any one going. Wednesday morning, good bye again Your mother" ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Thomas Schroeder ___________________________________________________________________