Letters from William SWAIM, 1862-1863, Forsyth Co. NC ****************************************************************** File transcribed by Georgene Jurgensen and contributed with her permission for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Tom Stafford. http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/forsyth/misc/swaim1.txt 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 the file permanently for free access. ******************************************************************. First Letter written by William SWAIM----- Forsyth Co., N. C. March 2nd 1862 Dear Cousin It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 17th Feb. glad to hear that you were all well hoping this may find you all still in the enjoyment of the same blessing, this leaves us all tolerable health at this time, we have not had much cold this winter, but since Christmas there has been a great deal of rain and sleet, yesterday it snowed some and then turned in to raining, there was a large crop of wheat sowed last fall tho it looks verry sorry at this time, we are all very backward with our work this spring, nearly everything is high here. There has been abundance of corn stilled up about here this winter, every still in the country is in use, some of the large farmers on the river are running from six to seven stills, our convention has passed and ordinance prohibiting stilling after the 15th of April until the 1st of next Jan, and a tax of 30 cents on the gallon for all whisky made from now till the 15th April. The last company of our volunteers were captured on Roanoke island the prisoners to have all been discharged on parole, our boys got home last Thursday night except some 14 who were left in Elizabeth city sick. Burges Northern the boy that I raised had the mumps when he got here, he is nearly well now except a severe cough, he was in Col. Green's battalion, there were two Georgia companies with them, one of old Ashley Swaims sons was a Lieutenant in this company and he has a son a volunteer at Manassas Since the disaster at Roanoke the unionists have been crowing about Pretty strong; but there certainly will soon be a stop put to it, I dont think that our State authorities are doing right in letting those men go on as they do, tho the most of them are men of little influence or low character. There are three companies of Forsyth boys at Manassas and one at Newbern in this State. There are a number of the Manassas boys at home now on furlough all that are here now have re-enlisted during trhe war a good many of the Salem and Winston boys have enlisted for the war. There has been a gdraft in several joining counties they drafted in Davidson on Saturday 1st March. I dont know whether there will be a draft in this county or not, if we dont raise our quota of men by volunteering there will be a draft. March 6th I will now try and finish my letter, it is snowing very fast this afternoon but it melts nearly as fast as it falls I saw Adam Butner last Monday, they were all well. They send their best respects to you. His son is still in the army at Manassas, we hear little from our Indiana folks Mr. Butner recd a letter from his in the Indianas sometime since, he say corn is 10 cents per bushel, bacon $2 per hund. he could write but little about the war. Thos Butners son is in Lincolns army Abram Butner is dead Charles Brietz of Salem had a son in Lincolns army he is dead, he also has two sons in the Southern army, old Charly is a true Southron Adam says he has been expecting a letter from you Frederick and Caty were here two weeks ago. They stayed with us from Saturday till Tuesday. They stayed longer than they expected on account of bad weather they were as well as usual. The old man is very weak both in body and mind he has got to believe that he is upwards of 90 years old Caty say he is but 83. They have no news from the west. Dausey Peddicord died about Christmas cause of his death was hard drinking. He was a singulaar character. He never spent money in company for drink or scarsely ever got drunk in company, but he would take drinking sprees at home sometimes for weeks at a time, until it finally killed him. He made a good living was very close and saving. He was owing no man at the time of his death, and no one was owing him. He left a wife & three children, two of them grown, his mother old aunt Bestsy is still living. Philip Romingers wife has been sick a for several weeks, she is better now. Philip and his wife are both members of the Baptist church (missionary) Three of our children have been going to school This winter, the school is closed now as the teacher Mr. White was drafted last Saturday in Davidson They are to leave next week. A draft is expected here soon. News came to Sale the other day that Banks one of the Yankey Generals had crossed the Potmomack at Winchester and was met by Gen Jackson and entirely routed. I have heard nothing of it since but hope it may be so. I expect to go to town tomorrow. Stirring news is expected now by every mail. I have nothing more to write that would interest you but thanking you for your letter and hope you will write again soon, give my best respects to Sandford Foltz tell him that his cousin Eli Foltz (Jacobs son) was drafted last Saturday. They are all union men, old Gasper Todd is a most violent unionist. So I will close by sending my best respects to you all. Respectfully Yours, W. L. Swaim - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - Second Letter written by William SWAIM State of North Carolina, Forsyth Co. March 3rd 1863 Dear Cousin, It is with the greatest pleasure that I acknowledge the receipt of your letter which was received the other day. Glad to hear from you once more, we are all well at this time for which we have great rason to be thankful, at the same time hoping this may find you and yours all well, the neighbors generally have enjoyed good health this winter. We have had some very cold weather and some snow and for the last month been very wet, we are all backward with our work this spring provision is scarse and high & so is everything else, corn is from $3.50 to $4.00 per bushel, wheat $6.00 pork sold from $25 to $30 per hundred, flour $30 per barrel, salt from $10 to $12 per bushel.. Spun cotton $6.00 per bunch, common course leather from $3.50 to $4____ per pound, and every thing else in proportion. Our county has received a full supply of salt, we had the fortune of securing the services of an able and energetic agent (Mr. E. A.. Vogler of Salem) as our county salt agent, he succeeded in getting a supply partly from our state works in Virginia, and part from the coast. Wheat looks sorry. We are still in the war and God only knows when it will end, some think that it will come to a close this spring which if it should be the case will bring joy to us all, not withstanding the many dear ones that have sacrified their lives upon the altar of their country. I am still out of the war being over forty five years of age have a considerable family and little help. Thomas is beginning to plow - The battle of Sharpsburg and that of Fredericksburg as been felt more severely here than any other, a great many of our neighbors were killed and wounded, Elias Butner ( son of Young Thomas) was killed at Fredericksburg he was a Captain of a company from this County, his company suffered severly, among the killed was a son of Mr. Goe. Burk who was shot in his head, Josiah Vawter my wifes brother escaped unhurt, (GJNote: Josiah was killed at the battle of Chancellorsville in 4 May 1863, only 2 months after this letter) tho there was a man shot on each side of him.. I will state that Christopher Null Died of the camp colick on the 21st of August last in Orange County Virginia Caty grieves a great deal at Christopher, she wanted his body brought home for burial but that is now out of the question as they have lately learnt that he was buried without a coffin..he had some property a small tract of land, a good horse and other property They intend keeping all of his property, he had on hand some 4 or 5 boxes oftobacco, which he made year before last, that will be sold at publick sale & will pay all of his debts & more too.. I am settleing his business. Caty requested me to say to you in this letter that they were all as well as common, and are doing as well as could be expected. Frederick said I should give you his best respects ____? He cant get about any scarsely is rather childish is drawed quite crooked and weak.. Martin Rominger's only son was brought home from the army about 3 weeks ago, sick & died in a few days..Martins wife is also dead a great many of our neighbors have died in the army of sickness.. I saw Adam butner a few days ago, he has just reached home from Texas he had been gone three months, stood the journey well, one of his sons is in the army since the commencement of the war, his youngest son was 18 years old in December, and he left about new year, he went to his brother in the 21st N. C. Reg. Near Fredericksburg two of my sisters sons went into the army last summer They were in the battles in Marland and on the Potomack... The youngest of the two about 18 years old died at Winchester last fall. In November I went with David Smith to see his surviving son. We found him near Fredericksburg with the army just before the fight.. We carried some clothing and provisions to our friends. they were glad to see us & to receive the articles which we carried to them & while we were out we saw a great many Georgians some from your county. I have just returned home from the eastern part of North Carolina, I went with a neighbour (Mr. Zimmerman) to see his son, we found him in Green County above Newbern, he is in a Cavalry company..we saw a good many of our neighbors. I also saw the young man that I raised, they are near Kinston,N. C. They are in a low swampy country and I think will be sickly in the summer. There have been a great many deserters here from the army this winter, nearly all the conscripts that went from about here deserted and came home, part of them were arrested and the balance surrendered, some of them have been sent back and some are still here yet sick... I will state a sircumstance which took place a short time ago, a son of John Alspaugh who had been deranged for several years attempted to kill his father he inflicted a severe wound with a razor on the old mans throat which came very near proving fatal, his father wears a very heavy heard and it is said that is all that saved his throat. The young man is a Doctor, his mother died a few weeks before, and that appeared to make him worse.. I will also state that Jackson Stafford died last summer, at Harrisonburg, Virginia. He had been to see his son in the army and was on his way home. he died of palsy. his son was wounded in the Fredericks fight and came home and died in a few days after he reached home. So I will come to a close for expect you will be tired reading so lengthy a letter, please write again Accept my best respect yourself and family Respectfully W. L. Swaim" --------------------------------------------------