~Letter written by R. S. True~
It behooves the people of the north to be patriotic united; let them show to the South by their actions and through the public journals that "the Union must and shall be preserved;" and it will have as much to do in discouraging the south as a succession of victories by our arms.
The ladies in the South are all bitter secessionists. There has been four or five young women here the most of the time since I came; though only relatives of the Drs. One young man and two ladies, whose father refused to take the oath and had all his property confiscated, have been living here until recently. Their father (Dr. Waddle) previous to the war, was professor in the College at the place, and formerly head professor of the University at Jackson, Mississippi. He is a presbyterian preacher, a very smart man, and Doctor of Divinity. You perhaps have seen a pamphlet that he wrote in regard to some church matters, in reply to Dr. Spring of New York City.
I became somewhat acquainted with the ladies before they left. They were middleing inteligent , but nothing extra for the chance they had. One of them is a music teacher, and so far as I am capable of fudging, play pretty well on the piano, melodian, or the guitar. Almost every family here, has a piano or melodeon, and nearly all the girls can play more or less.
The two ladies and gentlemen of whom I have been speaking obtained a pass from General Hamilton, and after having all their trunks examined and sealed by the Provost Marshall, hacked them in an old covered wagon, to which there was three the most poverty stricken mules attached, got in the wagon together with two wheel mules, moved off in slow procession for Pontatoc Miss. It was truly a novelty and greatly excited the risabilities of the soldiers to see such high minded and aristocratic proper come down from their exalted position to the ancient mode of emigrating. Such are the effects of war.
Dr. Waddle had one of the best libraries I ever saw, which with the rest of the things was confiscated; but Dr. Gray recently bought it back from the government for $200. There was two wagon loads of the books. Those with his own and all the books that belonged to the Societies and college, would make in all six or eight wagon loads. I have free access to them all and of course have plenty of reading matter.
The people here differ from those in the North in various ways. The dialect is different in many respects. They generally give A the third sound.
It is customary for the upper crusts to eat breakfast between the hours of seven and eight, dinner between one and two, and supper after dark all the year.
The ladies take a walk every evening when the weather is favorable, and they can walk too, about as fast as any of the ladies on Sandy can run. In fact it keeps a Northern gentleman very busy to (cofer?) with them. They always take their pleasure rides on horseback. I am not going to say whether I think they are better looking than the ladies in the North, or not.
There are a great many leaving this place and going North and some South and some in the country. I know of one man that is going to Washington City. Many will be obliged to leave if the army remains here during the coming summer. All the last years crop and provisions are nearly all consumed, and the full pocket books with many of them are getting pretty slim, and being prohibited from raising a crop this season unless they go North or South they will suffer beyond description. Dr. Gray is going to try and raise a field of cotton this year. He intends to fence it in with bush, it would be useless to think of fencing it in with rails, for no sooner would they be made, than carried off in triumph and consumed in campfires. I think the brush fence will prove but little better, for as soon as the fence is built and the brush a little dried, than some soldier will go and set fire to it to see it burn. Since the goose race has become extinct, cotton mattresses take the place of feather beds.
The weather has been very warm and pleasant for some time. The peach trees were out in blossom three weeks ago. The flowers have began to send forth their rasiate hues. The mighty forest will soon be wrapped in the verdure of spring. The little mocking bird is skipping from branch to branch and from flower to flower, uttering his songs of joy, and bidding defiance to all other birds to excel him in the simplicity and harmony of his voice. But amidst all this, I hear the rattling of artillery, the sound of the bugle, the beating of drums, the clashing of the musket and the bustling of the soldiers that brings sad tidings to the mind. We can only bring better times by fighting, and fight we will. We might propose an armistice and talk awhile but this would not do the South are not in a mode for talking as we want them to talk, war clubs will speak louder than words yet. Hence I say give them jessie.
I shall hail the day with joy and gladness when we all shall be permitted to return home. Tomorrow is my birth day, well do I remember where I was that day one year ago. Do you? Who would have thought one year ago that I would spend my next birth down on the remote edge on Tenn. Where will I be one year hence?
I will close for the present.
Write as soon as you receive this letter.
Direct to General Hospital No. 1
La Grange Tenn.
Yours respectfully,
R. S. True