THE SMITH FAMILY LETTERSCOPYRIGHT 1994 BY WILLIAM F.

THE SMITH FAMILY LETTERS


COPYRIGHT 1994 BY WILLIAM F. CAMPBELL
11555 GUNFIGHT LANE
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78748

[Posted here with permission of William F Campbell]


Background:

These letters were written by several brothers, William Smith, Lenard Smith, James Byers Smith, Hugh Alexander Smith, Conner Smith and Osburn Smith. They were born in Lincoln County, Tennessee where their grandfather settled after serving the infant American Army during the revolution. When the War between the States began they were aged 25, 23, 19, 16, 15 and 13 respectively. They enlisted in the Confederate Army in October, 1861. As was normal for men from the locale, they all served in the 32nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment.

Hugh Alexander Smith was killed in the second day's fighting at Chickamauga, September 20, 1863. William Smith was wounded in the face at Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863. He was last reported in hospital at Macon, Georgia, July 17, 1864. Lenard Smith was wounded at Resaca, Georgia, May 15, 1864 and "captured by the enemy." I have found no further record of him. The service records for Conner Smith have thus far not been found. James Byers Smith served the entire war without a scratch and was one of only 16 men present at the regiment's surrender in 1865. Osburn Smith was apparently sent home "to grow up" and survived the war.

The War between the States is full of ironies and complexities. One is the survival of these letters. They were carried from the Confederate Army to Taft, Tennessee by a slave, "Henery." Henery would then return carrying food, letters and news. Several of these trips crossed Union lines. Henery certainly could have disappeared on any of these trips. His individual loyalty, courage and integrity can only be appreciated by understanding that he too shared the suffering of his masters in the Confederate Army. Should any of Henery's descendants read this, I ask that they contact me. I will greet them as family.


After delivery, these letters were kept by their mother, Ginsey Smith, until her death. They were then kept by a sister, Sarah A. Smith. Like many southern women, she never married after her fiancee was killed in the war. Instead, she raised and cared for the rest of the family. In the 1920's James Byers Smith returned to Tennessee to care for Sarah during her last illness. He returned to Texas with the letters where they have been handed down in the family.

After the war, James Byers Smith returned to Taft, Tennessee to find that the family had little left. In the reconstruction south, he sold what could not be carried including his land and mule. His new wife and young children came down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and from there to Indianola, Texas. They walked to near Gonzales, Texas where he tried to buy land. In an experience repeated across the south, corrupt "carpetbaggers" first "sold" the land and then sued and recovered the land, crops and improvements when they were not paid in hard cash.

The family finally settled in what is now Oak Hill, Travis County, Texas (now Austin) where he cleared and farmed the land where the Motorola plant now stands. As his children grew up, he sold the land and moved to near 24th and Red River Streets in Austin so that his children could walk to the University of Texas. They were some of the first students to graduate as longhorns. Many descendants have remained in Austin.


THE LETTERS

Camp Trousand Tenn December the 13 1861
Dear sister I again seat
my self to drop you a few lines
to let you know that I am
well as common only a bad cole
tho that is a common thing hear
I have not mutch to rite you
I want you when get that
Jones money to pay it out
and take reciptes for it
and sell my pork and beef
and pay off all my debts and
what else remaines of my proper
rty after my debts is all paid
keep it and if I never get home
again it shal be yours I will draw
of all my debts and who I ow
them too one note to Port and
Byers for seventy dollars
one to narl henderson for $80.00
one to E. Green for $13.00
one to John fleming for $8.00
and a store account to John rawls
I dont no the exact sum and
some little black smith accounts
to M W Williams William
Gregory and unkle harve Bledsoe
That is all I can think of
at present I that is a nuff
about a hundred and ninety nine
dollars I will send something
relative to how I am satestfied
har I am not so well satest
fied as if I were at home
but I will hold up my had
and have my fun with the rest
of the boys give my love to ma
and Pa and all the rest and
recieve a full shear to your
self I must close by
sasing rite to me every
chance nothing more at
present but remaines
your most afectionate
brother L B Simth to
Ssarah A smith



Campt near tulahoma Tenn
february the 25 1863
Dear mother I again take my
pen in hand to let you know the mess
that me and all of the balames of
are well and hoping that awhen
these few lines comes to hand
they may find you enjoying the
same blessings me and Byres and
Leon are all here together Louis
and Jim is here awith us awe
have built us A little cabin
awe are doing fine it is not
aworth my awhile to awrite
much now for byres has awrit
all that is necessary so I must
come to a close by saying I
remains you affectionate sone
until death
from HASmith
gincy smith



Camp near Tullahoma Tenn
February the 25 1863
Dear Mother I again
seat my self to drop
you a few lines which
leaves us all well at
this time Mother I have
bin looking very strong
for Connor for sum time
though he has not com
Mother if he has not left
home when you get this
I want you to send him
rigt A way and send your
peas for we have just eat
our last ones for supper
Mother if Connr wants to
fetch whiskey you must put
it in A box and cover it
up with provision and not
let him fetch mutch at
that for they are A getting
very perticular About
such things turn over



Mother I spoak of sending
you some mony in my last
though I have never had
an oportunity that sooted
me I intend to send you
A right amont of mony by
the first chance that soots
me Mother we will send
Henrey with this and want
you to let William Brges
have him if he will pay
what is right for him if
he wants him Mother Landon
is A little under the wether
though I think he is mending
he has had a swellling at
the stumick I want you to
send us something good for
it I would like to hav A
suply of medison we spoke of
sending him home in our last
though he has got better and
dont want to com so send
us some medisons by the first
chance Mother we have all
got the cach like any thing
and I want you to try and
send us some thing for it
if you can get it Mother
since lin has got with us
we have made us A new mess
and we have Built us A little
house and I can tel you we
are all cuint our mess containg
Cosin Lewes Lin and Pink
and our selves bin and milt
and I can tel you we are all
cuint we have a very nice
little cabin Mother I will
close you must rite soon
and give us all the news So
no more at present only
I ever remain your affectionate
son until death
James B Smith
To Mother at home
all cuint



catoosa county ringgold ga
April the 6th 1863
Dear mother and father
I take my pen in hand to let you know
know that I am getting along I
am at the hospital in Riggold
I have been down here about taken
three days now I awas sick at
tulahoma and was sent down here
I think that I can go back before
very long I have not been sick any
since I have been here mother
you need not to be uneasy about
me for I have not taken any of
these doctors medison yet and I dont
think that I will some of the
boys get furlows but I dont
Rekon that there is any chance
for me to get one for the yankees
are getting to close mother I can
go any where I please over town
I can get as much butter milk as
cts
I awant for 5 per qt and
mother you know that pleases me
Mother I always thought that
if I aweent to the hospital that
I would be sure to go up but
I believe I am in the best hospital
that old Jeff has got they keep
every thing clean and nice here
I have a very good bed to sleep
on and I sleep fine landon is here with
me he says that he thinks that he is
in better health then he has been
in agood awhile I havent
got much of importense to awrite
to you I awant you all to awrite
to me so I must close awrite
soon as you get this Direct your
letters to Ringgold ga so no more at
son until deat
present only I remains your affectionate
from HA Smith to gincy smith



Gonzalles Tex Apr 5th 1871
miss Sarah A Smith
Dear Sister having just
recieved your kind letter I now
seat myself to answer I was very
glad to here from you all and
here that all was well we are
all sick at this time Jennie is
in better health than she has bin
in a long time though she is not
intirely well little _____y & magy
is well & is growing _____t & geting
pretyer every day Oh Sack I wish
I could come and see you all and
let you see our cubbs I know
you could not help but be proud
of them I am sory that Os has
left you all though I hope you are
getting on without him I hope he is
doing well I was glad to here
from Lis & Julie when you rite
to them tel them to rite to me
Sack I am in a very great hrry to
day so you must excuse this short
note I havent much news crops are
very Backward here we had killing
frost the last of march though no great
damage done Sack you said nothing a
bout the land sale I want you to
tel me what you all hav done tel
me what you all hav done about the
money that is due me for my
mule and other things I hav bin
expecting to get it for a long time
tel me whether Os is to pay me
or who I am to look too for it
I rote to you to us my money to
settle the land suit and you dident
say any thing about it I am needing
the money I worse than I will ever
need it again so tel me about it
I close write soon giv my love
to father & mother and all the connections
and recieve a good portion your self
James B Smith to Sit S


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