Richland S C
Litewoodnot Springs 7 miles
North East of Columbia
Aug the 29th 1861
Father Mother Bro[t]hers Sisters
and friends at Mushcreek
I have nothing strange to write
more than we all got here
safe and sound and we are
all well at the presant
hoping these lines may find
you all injoying the Same
It is so hot here that our
Capt dos not drill us much
we driled three times yesterday
I was atonished yesterday (we
are on the side of the railrode)
when the carse came
I found B.F Pool Fleming
Trammell & William Ward
[page 2]
Tha all look tolerable well
B. F. Pool is hear now he stayed
here last knight I do not
know when we will leave
hear I hope we will go to
virginia shortly we may start
in the morning and we may
stay hear 4 weeks for what
we know
Do not be uneasy about me
for I am better sattisfied
than I exspected we have
not drawn aney thing
to eat yet but we have
plenty that we brought from
home we will get something
to day but we have
nothing to cook it with
I will stop and rest a
while till we Drill
[page 3]
We have driled and I
write again We have
just bin drawing Bacon
Beef Rice Shuggar and Coffee
and Soap but we have
nothing to Cook it in
We have a jolley
Croud hear I am gitting
acquainted with the most
of them the people thinks
we have a fine Company
and I think so too
It is allmost imposable to
write write hear as I
write I hear the men
talking of voting for
me for Comasary
The [cares?] has just passed
[???] Jes Westmoreland
and B. F. Pool is gone
[page 4]
volenteers is Coming in
Constant 2 Companes come
just now 2 Companey came
yesterday 4 or 5 the day we came
there is 3.000 or 4.000 volenteers
hear at this time
We have something over 100 men
in our Companey there
is 35 Companey Camped
hear I will stop for I
Cannot mail this letter
this evening
Aug the 30th Frank our [1]
Election come off yesterday for
Comasary there was me and
Moore & Westmoreland
runing I got 41 votes Mr
More 39 Westmoreland 6
Westmoreland was in a tent
with my frends which
coused me to loose 8 votes
and Moore lost none
by his running [????????] [2]
[page 5]
you ough to of heard our
boy Shout when the
election was declared
I will tell you what we
draw to live on three days
85 lbs of Beef 79 lbs of Bacon
1 bbl & 168 lbs of flower
29 lbs of Rice 17 lbs of Coffee
34 lbs of Shuggar 24 Candles
10 lbs of soap 5 qt of salt
Tell J. H. Taylor that the
Canteen of brandy that
he brout to Greenville
to me made Severl votes
for me also I am
much obleged to him
for giveing my name
as a candidate
while I write the boys is
Cleaning off a place to
[last line cut off in photograph]
[page 6]
J. H. Mcmillion says he will
write in a feu days our
mess is all well we had
to take 2 more in our
mess we took Josh Roberson
and James Pearsones son
in our Cook is well
satisfied the weather
is vary hot hear Some
of the Companey is
Complaining but thay
ar all in fine Sperits
our first Leutenant has
just told me that we
will be mustered into
service to day if we are
we will go to V.A.
when we
pleas do not nswer
this letter till you
[last line cut off]
[page 7]
Tuesday evening Sept th 3rd 1861 [3]
we had a axcident to hapen in
our Companey yesterday some
of our boys was down at Columbia
and one of them pased of a
[$100?] bill to a Negro for a
watch and $15 the Negro was in
Camp yesterday evening
and got his watch and $5 of
his money I will not give
his name at the presant
the Companey is gone our to
drill all but me out of every
mess which is left to cook
I do knot have to Drill aney
my bisness is to draw the
provision and give it out
and it is a hard task too
I do not know what my
wages is some says $11 some
$16 some $21 & $40 but I think
I will get a bout $11 per month
[page 8]
Sept the 4th 1861
Nothing of importance hapened
to day we have just got through
drawing and are trying to wrest
when I awoke this morning
it was all I could do to get up
but I feel considerable better
at the presant I was at work
so hard Sunday that it made
me so sore that I can hardly
get about since
no more til to morrow
Sept 5th 1861
I seat my self this morning
to finish my letter, there is 4.000
volinteers Camped at this place
thay come and go every day more or less
this is a beutiful place hear if
we had some shades there is no
timber hear onely a pine heare and there
and plenty of small bushess
We have 3 springs close our boys has
all got colds but that are all in
fine Sperits all we want is to
find Some yankey meet
some of our boys has gone home I [will?]
stay hear 3 or 4 weeks I shall come
home after some thing I find
that my watch wood be of service
to me write soon all of you
show this to all that wants to see it
[on?] mush creek WPZF Neves
[page 9]
Litewoodknot Springs
Camp Johnson Richland
near Columbia Sept 3rd 1861
Dear father and Mother
Brothers & sisters
I embrace the presant
opportunity of droping
you a few lines to inform
you that we are all
well hopeing when these
lines comes to hand
thay may find you
all in joying the
Same blessing of life
we are musterd in to
Service this morning the
officer sed we were the
best looking Companey
of men that he had ever
musterd in to the
Service of the Confederate
states
[page 10]
I hear this morning that
the City of washington
is on fire I hope it
is So I thin we are on
the write side
I think we will come
through conkerer over
the yankeys, Scott
& Lincon
The cars has just pased
Maj B. F. Pary was on
the train he says the
health is improveing cary much
he says also thay are
exspecting a fight soon
but the city has not bin
fired Ben Brockman
came down with his
company a few days
a go some comes and
some goes off