HENRY CO. - CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION: BETTIE S. PRILLAMAN Contributed by: Rebecca Dyer ******************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************************** Isaac Prillaman, Civil War Pension Application of Widow Elizabeth S. (Via) Prillaman SOURCE:  Library of VA, Pension Application of Widow Mar 1, 1909, Bettie S. Prillaman, age 67, resided in Henry, VA, Co of Franklin [Elizabeth S. (Via) Prillaman] resided in Henry, VA, Co of Franklin for 61 yrs now resides with son GW Prillaman her property valued at abt $200 widow of Issac Prillaman of the 36th Regiment, Capt Peter Morgan no source of income Isaac Prillaman died suddenly at home Jun 18, 1892?; appoplexy [sic] officiated wedding Ed J. Burnett [?] Isaac's physician, Dr. MP Dillard Others comrades of Isaac's:  R[andolf]. M Jones, others dead Others knowledgeable of Isaac's service:  A[ndrew]. H[ardin]. Turner, GM LeSueur, RM Jones, all of Henry Others knowledgeable of Isaac's death:  JW Prillaman and IT Turner, all of Henry Witness:  AT Jones, Randolf Jones Notary:  JW Helms MORE ABOUT ISAAC PRILLAMAN: SOURCE:  Transcribed by Jay Ingram, Edited by Rebecca R. Dyer June 11th 1863 ROCKAMOUNT FRANKLIN CO VA Dear Farther       I will Rite the few lines to you to let you know how I am getting on I am sick of this place as it is the last place in Gods ____.   I have had a Could ever since I have bin hear.   I ___ with COL TURNBULL for a month but I assueur you it is the last month that I ever keep a bar for any man [f]or any price    though TURNBULL is a Gentleman I wold not keep his bar for $50 a month to be (confined?) to that motley (tribe?) hoo (always?) kanker a round a bar.   I want to be at home (tenning?) to my buisness hunting (farming?)   tell A. H.* to work my corn and (H. H.?)** that I will be at home the first July if God in his mercys will permit it   tell MARTHA*** that I want to eate ___ biscuit & fried chicken with her once more   THOMAS H. HELMS came hear on the stage last Sunday   he looked very bad   thier is al grate deal of sicness in this Neighborehood   scarlet fever princelly   P HALE has lost five of his family withe it    I will send this By the first chance. With my best Respect to the famaly, I Remain as ever &c Isaac Prillaman ********** *Andrew Hardin Turner, Isaac's sister Martha's husband **possibly Hardin Hairston Dyer, Capt., 24th VA Regiment ***Martha Prillaman Hardin, Isaac's sister SOURCE:  Transcribed by Jay Ingram, Edited by Rebecca. R. Dyer [Battle at North Anna, VA, May 22-26, 1864] CAMP LEE May 22nd /64 Dear Farther       I shall endever to inform you of the sitution ___ myself and Brothers as near as I can   GEORGE TINNEY  went down to the city day before yesterday and saw one of the fifty seventh hoo told him that one of the PRILLAMAN was killed but it is not so for CAPT DYER* past hear yesturday hoo saw CHRIS** after the fight & GEORGE*** nor CHRIS nether of them was hurt & Both was well   But ther condition know is unknown to me know the Grate battle is know going on beteen LEE & GRANT   ther was & insesant roar of artilery all day yesterday & this morning the cars are fetching lods of wounded me[n] to Richmond   the yankees & Rebbels all in pile some of them ar shot alto peaces   this morning we were cald up & assined to the 36   I have got seven to go with me   I shall not go before any bourd hear for thar all Rascals   I my health is as good as Cood be expectted   I dont think I can stand camp life long   I am Going to stick to them till my health fails them I am going to ___ them   I have not heard from home since I left   the 2 weks that I have Spent in camp seams like years to me   I have not Drew any blanket yet I take the cold eart_ for a bed & the blew canopys of heaven for a covering   you neade not rite to me till I get to my Regt    I cant tell when that will be for we will be ____ hear till LEE & GRANT knocks it out   I send my Respect to all of the familly (so?) now (more?) at presant but Remain your ____ Ike Prillaman ********** *possibly Hardin Hairston Dyer, Capt., 24th VA Regiment, or David Dyer, Capt., 57th VA Regiment **Christopher Snidow Prillaman, Isaac's brother ***possibly Geo Arnold Prillaman, Isaac's 19 yr old brother SOURCE:  Transcribed by Jay Ingram, Edited by Rebecca. R. Dyer This is my Address July 1 1864 DELAVAN HOSPITAL Ward M CHARLOTTESVILL VA Dear Farther       I shall try to give you a sketch of this eventfull period of my life my health is good except the Dispeptia   I am yet at this place   do not know how long I shall stay hear   I have not heard from hom since I left and am antious to hear from you all   I want to know the fate of my brothers in the Eastern army   allso if anything strang[e] has occurd in my Neighborehood   what has becom of Ucle FLEM* SAM** & March (-->Marth?)[MARSH] PRILLAMAN***   I learn the the yankees has bin up in your section   I hope thay m[a]y get exterminated before thay get back this is & (awful?) ware   there seem to be no chance for peace soon.   The Rebs cant give it up and the yankees wont give it up as long as thay get men & money if nothing els but want of supplis stops this war    it will last 10 years yet for I have (lernt?) from experance that we can live without eating   we get plenty to eate hear but dont in the army at times it has not rained hear for a month   the gardens & corn ar suffering   rite how you crop looks ___ ____    as I cant get to see you soon I will rite to you   I can see you in my immagination   can hear you call abe (or?) (cabib?) [Gabe??] or see you puling weads to feed your pig   will mother smoke your pipe & do what shame is good to you for fretting & grieving dont pay   thes times shall wee meet again   I think we will though it may be a long time off.   have your sugar cane cultivated good for me to eate if I get a furlough next winter   I am out of clothing but you cant send me non know   pravably ther will be a chance to send me some when I get to my Regt if you dont it maks no diffrance for I dont suffer with could on the groun without anything under or on me    tell MARY & HARVA they must make them corn anough to keep my colt this winter & I will pay them for it.   a[s] to my other stock if ther is no chance to keep the[m] exchng them for Somthing that dont eate   I dont mean money for it aint know count hear & no wher els   you had beter keep thing (sturing?) for next year it will bee needed raise vegitable   I could eate a pect of potatoes if had them hear now NANNIE**** I Send you the address of 2 young fellows that ar wounded & staing hear   we ar going to rite each other when the war breaks up if we survive the ware & get together and travil   thar ar devlish little felows but perfect gentlemen   I will also send you the Official Report of Hunter of the fight at Piedmont   it is about correct in the hole   NANNIE what sort of time you had at the assisiation   how was ther none of you has not rote to me yet   if you dont rite to me when I get home I will pull your ears   I expect ther is a heap of deserters in the county at this time ther was several left my Regt the night we left Christiansburg   NAN I hav not Dremp about home since I left   I try to dream of you all but acant Dream nothing but one thing   that is about TOM PRILLAMAN & JAMES LESUEUR I Dremp TOM com hear   I was glad to see him but he wold not tell me nothing so it don me no good   NAN give my Respect to JANE & SALIE   tell them I still Rember ther kindness to me   tell them to rite to me how thar ar getting on farming & this is the last letter I shall rite till I get an answer for I have rote about 30   CALIE***** I went up to the university [of VA?] last sunday   its paintings liberry musium & fine building make it one of the most interesting places that I ever saw   ther was men full life size & as much like a living man as a man himself   also birds snaks & animals   rite how your Garden looks   weed it out good for roses & weeds cant gro together   since I came to this place the ladies brigs cherries flowers milk & ever thing that is good but ther is so many hear that no one gets much   I saw a man from 57th Regt that said J. W. ROSS was killed the other day   he said he saw him ling dead on the field   he belong to the same Co.    I dont believe though it may be so   you nead not say anything about it for it may not be so (Upon?)   a man told me CHRIS was killed the next day thay say another way My Best Respect to all your absent friend Isaac Prillaman ********** *Fleming Hook Prillaman, Isaac's father's brother **possibly Saml J. Prillaman, Isaac's father's brother ***most likely Geo Marshall "Marsh" Prillaman ****possibly Nancy Jane Prillaman, Isaac's sister *****possibly Caroline Malinda Prillaman, Isaac's sister SOURCE:  Transcribed by Jay Ingram, Edited by Rebecca. R. Dyer July 30 1864 DELAVAN HOSPITAL CHARLOTTESVILLE VA Ward M Dear Brother [Fleming]       I will give you the news this morning   I can inform you that I recvd your kind letter of 18 inst   I am Glad to hear that you can get to stay in FRANKLIN CO by yet   it will afford you & (Creilent?) the oppertunty of sprking the Girls   I should like to be with you   I was at home & enjoying myself when you was tramping the war path   know you have got my place & I yours       FLEM when I was at hom I did not appeciate the suffering of the Soldier but know I am fuly acquinted with all the suffering & dangers to which the Soldier is exposed   you want to know where & how GABE* is   I left GABE at the Big Tunnel 9th of June   I have not heard indivigily from him since   there was a man from my Regt com hear last night   he was wounded at KERNSTOWN las Sundy   the Regt has bin in 2 fights since I left it   the Regt was at the Storning of MARYLAND HIGHTS it is in M. D.   Know if I hear from GABE I will let you know it   at the fight at NEW HOPE I fought through the fight but as I was about to get away without getting hurt a bum shell burst near me & knocked the very smoke through me   it caused me to puke up a little blood & feel foolish for several day   I was alledy ded before I went into the fight   I had been sick at CHRISTIANSBURG & had marched for 3 days & nights    nearly all the time when the bum shell were flying round me as thick as hale   I was squated down behind a rail pile at one time & went fast asleep but I was soon waked   Just at that time the yanks made a desperate charge & carried our left senter   they pord through the gap the ___ Regt had left got on our left   our boys ralied & made a desperate stand but the yanks run up in our lines & fought hand to hand for 15 minutes   the Rebs finley broke every man taking care of himself   we had to run about 50 yards & (splung?)[swam?] the Shannandoah River then up through a corn field & the yanks just giveing it to us   we made a good fight but got badley whiped   CAPT MORGAN is a good a man as I ever saw by nature   he puts me in mind of (Sum?)   he carried me on his own 5 miles & then made & old sitizen get of his fine horse & let me ride the night after the fight about midnight   he said d-m if he went any further   so we go in & ould hous till day   the yanks did not disturb us that night but made us get up & get the next day   I am sorry to hear of so grate a drouth in FRANKLIN   it cannot be no worse than it is hear   it is imposable for there to be more than 1/3 of a corn crop maide in this section   I see in the papers that the drouth is wors in the North if posable than it is hear   I see some ____ patches of corn that wold burn if fier were put to it   I see men from the southern (States?) every weake thay Say ther is good crops ther & plenty wet   this is the wormest day that has bin hear this year   if I stay hear till fall you must come & See me   you could come & go in a weake   now is the time for you to MARY[marry??] while there is no one to oppose you   FLEM though I know it is not worth while to Say anything about it but I want to come home very badly   I want to see you all   I want to see those merry Girles that I have Spent So many hapy days with   I wold like to See those hills that surround our ones hapy home   those old hills that stands defiant against the decay of time   I want this ware to end So I can return & be at peace with all man kind but thes ar days of tryals dangers & distress & I shall try to make the best of it   I shall nether dodg nor dare danger   Let it come as it will   I am little IKE    still I was So glad to see JOHN RAY he took me on supprise   he bings me som valuable infurmation from FRANKLIN thing[s] that I had wanted to know very bad that I could not right about he brout me half quier of paper  30 envelopes plug of Tobaco & dozen apples 4 ginger oaks & have got 10 dollars   yet I thank MARTH very much for sending me that money   if I ever get the chance I will return the faver I never have ask for a furlough because it want worth while the good streak has not come round to me yet   I intend to apply for a furlogh when FALKNER gets back if I stay hear till then I believe.   the Doctor is in a tolerable Goog umer with me furlowing gose by faver hear (I Recievd a letter from you 1 from LYDIA one from CALIE by JOHN RAY   JOHN will not leave hear for som days ___   I will mail this letter   I was sorry to hear of the death of GEORGE STANLEY & JOHN McGUFFIN   FLEM Ther came in a lo t of wounded men last night & I cold not finish my lenghty letter   I am not so very well this morning   I could not sleep last night it was so warm I am going to right CHRIS & GEORGE to day if it dos not get too hot   ther was a threat to rain hear last eavening but did not raise a nough to wet a silk hankechief   the corn is tausling out about waist hy & dry as dry as a (bladestac?) in December   right and give me the news   this is quite a Lenthy letter for a cribler but I have not riten half what I want to   I hope we will get to talk it all over before long   I think this ware has reached its worst   at least I hope so  With my Best Respect to mother Farther & Sisters I Remain your Brother & Friend Isaac Prillaman ********** *Gabriel Prillaman, Isaac and Fleming's brother SOURCE:  1880 Census, www.familysearch.org Brown Hill Dist, Franklin Co VA Isaac Prillaman   42 Elizabeth S.      37 wife Christian S.      11 son Peter J.          10 son Gabrel[sic] 08 son Fleming           06 son Geo          04 son Mary M.           02 dau