Bertie County NC Thomas C. Watson Letters - 1863 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Harry Thompson porto@williamstonnc.com Windsor, N.C. Sept 10th, 1863 Dear Pa Mr. Pugh, Mr. Hoggard, and Captain Jacocks are about starting to Georgia to buy them a place. I would be glad if you would afford them all the assistance possible. You cannot do too much for them nor more than they have done for us ----. They are true southern men, and that is the cause of their leaving N.C. You can scarcely realize how such men are to be appreciated in their country, surrounded as they are by disloyalists. We are all very much interested in their welfare & I can assure you they are worthy of it. The health of the camp is good. All is quiet and no raid is expected-----. These gentlemen can tell you more about the country than I can. As ever I am very affectionately your son B.B. Bowers Oct. 3rd 1863 Dear Pa Enclosed please find Mr. Thos. C Watson's letter to you in reference to the purchase of land. He is a gentleman worthy of all assistance you can render him. I have nothing of interest to write. All is quiet. The health of the company is good. We are much rejoiced over Bragg's victory. I have only received one letter from home since my return to camp. Very affectionately your son B. B. Bower Windsor, N.C. Oct. 2nd 1863 Col. Bower Dear Sir Three of my friends, viz. Majors Pughs, Jacocks, & Hoggard have recently returned from a visit to your part of Georgia where they have concluded to settle. Like them I am anxious to get to some place of greater security for the few slaves I have, and they were to look out for a place for me. They returned without exactly securing one, but told me you had kindly offered to look out for a place for me if I wished it, and that you thought you could secure one for me. I therefore take the liberty of addressing you upon the subject -----. I have I think fully made up my mind to leave this part of N.C. because we are so near the lines of the enemy that our slave property is constantly escaping to them, and to my great mortification, we have amongst us so many yankee sympathizers that it is impossible to prevent the escape of most of the slaves who attempt. I have already been greatly injured by the loss of my efficient working hands and I am desirous if I can to save a lot I have left. A small place would answer for me at present as I have not more than a dozen or fifteen working hands for the field. After supplying my family with such servants as are necessary for their comfort and $10,000 or $12,000 at most $15,000 would be as much money as I could conveniently spare to buy land without contracting a debt which I greatly prefer not to do. These gentlemen whom I have mentioned tell me they have heard of a place in Miller County near where you design to move which you thought you could secure for me and which from their description of it would suit me tolerably well....provided it could be got for a moderate price. My greatest objection to it is the distance from them...which objection is not insuperable (?). "My object is to move immediately with my entire family and unless I could get a place with some improvements, my whole family (which is a large one, mostly females, and accustomed - not to many luxuries, but to a comfortable manner of living) would be subjected to much inconvenience -- which I would like to protect them from as far as I can. My object in moving is not so much to accumulate property rapidly (I have no hopes of this) as to secure as far as I can comforts (for the) future, particulary and as well as circumstances will allow, present also, for my family. I have thus tenuous, because, I did not know how better to describe to you what kind of a place would suit me than to attempt in the way I have done to make you acquainted with my conditions and necessities. If you can get me a place which you think would be suitable under the circumstances, I would be under great obligations to you, either the one you spoke of to these gentlemen, or another. Some buildings and some cleared land and a supply of water (a scarcity of which is a great inconvenience in some parts of your country) would be indespensible to me. I shall get my friend Capt. B.B. Bowers who with his company of men is encamped in my immediate neighborhood and who I have frequently had the pleasure of having at my home to enclose this to you. If I am not troubling you too much, please let me hear from you soon. Yours Respectfully Tho. C. Watson ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.