OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - The James Perry Fyffe Letters (Civil War) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darrold Crites DCrites642@aol.com July 16, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TO: (No Address Given) Columbia Jan 31st 1862 This bright sunny spring like morning revives me, and I commence again the pleasant occupation of talking to you on paper - I am still at Dr. Fields, dining on tea & toast ---- as every day ---------- wherein our friends are interested, are generally as satisfactory as anything we could write about, I will begin my letter by something of the kind - yesterday I got Capt Sheaf, and Capt Temple who lives near Bolinggreen, and has been trying to raise a company for my Regt. into my room, and they agreed to unite their forces and make one Company, Last night Leiutenant Colonel Scott, came into my room about 9 o'clock, and told me a letter had just been received from Col. Hoskins, stating the rebels had got in behind us, and had taken the bridge over the Rolling Fork, 10 miles this side of Lebanon, & burned it, and in about half an hour two Companies of Cavalry started out in that direction - Commissary Hopkins who generally sleeps with me coming in late and finding me asleep went up stairs in Dr. Fields house and slept with Cy Noble, This morning Noble came down and made a fire, and complained he could not get Hopkins up - I told him about the word that had come to the General about the bridge and thought of course there was a rebel force behind us which would endanger Walkers train and Young H. Hopkins was along, Ah Ha, says Noble, I will go to the Post Office and if the Stage did not get in, I'll come back and make Hopkins hop out of bed - over he went and in a few minutes he was back with out any mail, no stage came through. Up stairs he went and came down laughing, he said he went on to tell about the Stage not getting in, and the report about the Bridge being burned to, all of which he said, his listener paid attention but moved not, at last he intimated the Train of Walkers, it was thought, might be lost, at this Hopkins made one bound clear out onto the floor - exclaiming "If my brother is taken, or lost, I will never forgive myself for letting him go" - Noble however was too humane to let him labour under any misapprehensions when it was so serious, and soon told him there was no word whatever of Walkers Train being cut off - but to acknowledge the truth, I was very much afraid it was gone - Afternoon - The Stage has just got in - A marauding party did make a descent on the Mail Station near Rolling fork, and carried off Stage, and a number of other horses, seven or eight negroes burned a Church, and three Waggons belonging to the Telegraph men, but did not get the Stage, and from the time the attack was made, Walker ought to have been somewhere about the place. They must have managed the matter badly, or they would have taken the Train - Capt. Higgins has been to see me today and was telling us about his feelings last night when the Band was playing Dear Old Kentucky Home, sleeping I dreamed Love, and the Capt. Said it almost made him wish he was a young man (dont let Battle see this) so he "could write a love letter", I proposed to him to write one to his wife, he laughed very heartily at the suggestion. I received the Commercial you sent me. Also an Argus, giving an account of the wounding of six of the Company with Capt Foster, Also heard a report the Capt had met Col Thompson and they kissed - Bravo! I suppose that is stretched a little, but I am real glad they have made friends for they are both clever men - The town today is full of refugees from Tennessee, a new batch, They have, since the defeat & death of Zolicoffer down in Dixie, issued an order forcing every one over twelve years and under sixty five into the Army, at least that is what the Exiles report, such a thing is unprecedented, I suppose they will press the Women into the service next - It shows to what an extremity they are reduced, when they press children, and old men into their Army - it is miserable muddy here now I have just returned from supper, it is dark a raining, I should not like to get an order to March tonight, no verily I would not - I wrote to Ma, and Lu, the first day I came to town sick, but have not received any answer - Cant you stir up somebody there to write to Capt Egbert, about how Jerome is, it is too bad the way he has been treated. He thinks his wife has been sick as she would have done so - Quien Saba! Feb. 1st I have just returned from the hospital when I where I went to see Samuel Walker, & Lt. Jennings, they are both improving, Sam is very weak and his lips are sore - the Dr. says the fever is broke (Typhoid), I formed his hair very long and got hold of the Dr's scissors and began cutting it off and Homer Higgins came in and took the job off my hands. Sam & Homer sleep together, & Jennings and Dr. McChesney, are all in the same room up stairs - Cotterill is still in a dangerous condition, I fear he cannot recover, he is a good boy - The rainy dismal weather is bad on the men in Camp. You dont tell me enough about how the Neighbors are getting along, how is Mother Higgins, & the girls, Mr Lewil, Arn, Lyddiah, Mr. Tostins, McColgin, Hannah, Devon, Sells Cousin Becew, your friend Sly, every body, Mrs F. White, I have not heard a word from her, Mrs Higgins writes letters of six pages to the Capt. Full of news, have you called on Mrs Doren? Adjourned to Sunday Unexpectedly I close this Sunday Love you Perry