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Bright Spot
Thursday July the 17th 1862
My own dear Brother
It was three weeks saturday since
we received the last letters from you and Bud Josie;
we were so anxious to hear from you last mail, and
so dissapointed that we did not get letters, we know you
passed through the battle unhurt, (as soon as we heard the
fighting had ceased Uncle Billie sent to Montgomery and
telegraphed to Mr Keyes) but we were very much distressed
for fear the excitement and fatigue had made you sick
again; we heard yesterday evening the schidule was changed
and we would have a mail now every wednesday. I
hurried Buddie White off to the office and he brought us
four letters, oh, what a treat they were, I had felt so
lonely and sad all day, felt like I could not wait until
saturday; two letters from you, one from Bud Josie and
one from Trinley, Hilliard's Legion were ordered to
Chattanooga, but they are in Camps now at Atlanta Ga,
I dont know how long they will remain there,
Brother Phil your letters were so interesting, I was so
anxious to hear from you, I knew you would tell me all
about the battle, I ought to have received the first one (dated
the 4th) last mail, the one dated the 10th was only six days
coming; and my dear brother has experienced the horrors
of a fearful battle, you are so sympathetic and tender-hearted
I know how you must have felt, I judge from the affect a
description of the battle has on me, you have realized it.
I would give every thing to see you this evening and have
a long talk with you, there is so much I want to tell
you, it seems a long time since I wrote to you, I wrote
Bud Josie a long letter the 1st of July, I told him if he
heard you were safe to send it to you, but the dear child
did not have a stamp. you dont know how much I want
to see Bud Josie, bless his soul, he was not well at all
when he wrote to us, said he hated to go out to Mr Peebles'
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he had no clean clothes, I tell you it hurt me to think
either of my dear brothers should feel the need of clothes
Mother has got some nice clothes for you if you
only had them; have Tobe and Ben ever received theirs
that was sent by Express; Brother Phil I am alone to
day, Mother and Buddie White went to Cousin Ben James'
this morning, Cousin Martha is quite sick, Mother
carried your letter for them to read, she was so proud
to hear from you both, by the by I have not told you
that White has a final discharge, I think he is satisfied
with his experience, he has only been at home a few days,
him, Frank Cook and seven other boys were discharged
from inability, he was sick a great deal while he was
in Mississippi, at one time he was so weak Uncle
[Stewart ?] had to carry him from one tent to another.
Uncle [Stewart ?] had the misfortune to lose Ned from the
effects of measles, and he wrote to Mother to send a
demand for White, he got off without it however,
I must tell you what a nice time we had last week, we
were very much surprised by a visit from Cousin Jim
and [Narbe ?], Cousin Matt Womack, and her children, we were
so glad to see them, they staid two nights with us, went
to see all the family, they only spent the morning with
Uncle Billie, Aunt Lizzie was sick, she has a baby, boy
named for Uncle Billie; Cousin Matt was so lively, she has
two as sweet children as I ever saw, they talked so much
about you, I felt like I had met with some near relations.
we did not sleep any while they were here, talked all the
time, Cousin Matt says she has a sweet heart for you,
as soon as you come home you must come to see her,
they were all here saturday night, cousin Matt was so
dissapointed we did not get a letter from you, I read her
some of your letters, showed her the note from Miss
Peebles, she said it was very nice; It seemed like old times to
be with them again, they had been on a visit to Tuskegee
they expected to find Ben here, were dissapointed, they were
in the Carriage, it took them a week to come, they seemed
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to enjoy their visit a great deal, said they were coming
again when you Boys came home, Cousin [Narbe ?] is just
the same, I dont think she will ever marry, she is
so devoted to Cousin Matt's children, Brother Phil I thought
I would write you an interesting letter, but it is so warm
and the gnats trouble me so, I dont expect you can read
this; we are doing very well, I am better satisfied now
White is with us, we are not so lonely; our Corn and Cotton
is beautiful since the rain, our prospect for potatoes is
very good, the sugar-cane looks fine; Cousin Cattie and
Cousin Betty Jane came to see us the other day, they talked
a good deal about you; we miss you all so much, it will
be a happy reunion if we all meet again; Trinley hated to
leave so much, and you have no idea how it grieved me,
at first I did not think I could stand it, but God has
surely blessed me with endurance and fortitude; I thought
"Hilliard's Legion" would be in Montgomery several months
but when he came home the last time, he got here monday
evening, I was so glad to see him, thought he had come
to stay a week, we were so troubled, enduring the anguish
that only the news of another battle at Richmond can
cause, and in the midst of all that Trinley told me he
could only stay at home one day, they were ordered
to Chattanooga, it was such a shock to me, I dont see
how I bore it, his health was so much better though,
he had been elected 3rd Lieut, and was so much better
satisfied, I tried to be reconciled; Mother spent the day
at Aunties tuesday, [Mary ?] Maria was there, Mother said
she looked so pretty, had grown to be very thin and delicate
and looked really stylish; Cousin Fannie said she
knew that would be a match now, Aunt Sarah was
favorably impressed; she had just received a letter from
you, said she was coming to see me soon, I haven't
seen her in a long time; that was a sweet little note
Miss Peebles wrote you, is she pretty? Julia Jones knows
her, she spoke in high terms of the family; we had a
real laugh at your Cousin Mattie's note, Puss Thompson
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received a similar one from her not long since, commenc-
ing "my unknown friend" in which she asked her for
her brother Ben; she is nothing like Mary's equal.
I received a long letter from Mrs Wells last mail, she
spoke very affectionately of you, said she was delighted
you had passed through the battle safe.
Brother Phil Mag Gotston is dead, she was sick a long
time, they buried her here at the grave yard. Elsie Smith
is at home, he has been to see us twice, I didn't see
him either time, he came home with a wounded man
I dont know wether he has returned or not; Uncle Thom
Mitchell has resigned and come home, I did not think
he would stay there long, White says his health is not
good; I believe I have written you all the news, the
kin-folks are well, Auntie and the girls come over
frequently; I must tell you, you know Cousin Betsy Jane
believes in spirit-rapping, she was down here the week
we were so distressed about you all, she tried the
spirits, your spirit came up and told what day you
were killed in the battle at Richmond, they were
distressed, whispered it about to keep Mother from
hearing it; after we got the dispatch that you were
safe Auntie told us, did you ever hear of such non-
sense? you know Alfred Bethal was Captain of a company
up at Chattanooga, he resigned his commission and has been
home sometime, I do not know wether he has a Substitute
or not; they will all be out here this week to spend a month
or two. I will not close my letter until Mother comes and
see what is the news with her.
Friday the 18th Brother Phil I expected yesterday to send
this letter off to day, White was going over the river after
his "goods and chattels", he has concluded to wait until to
morrow, so I will think of something else to tell you.
I am by myself again to day, Mother heard yesterday Aunt
Lizzie's baby was quite sick, and as she had never been to
see it, she and Julia went over there this morning.
Mother had a pleasant visit yesterday, Cousin Martha was
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up but Cousin Ben was sick in bed; Mother says they
were so glad to read your letter, (I kept the last sheet
about Cousin Bettie at home) Dr Meriwether was there,
they were all very much interested, delighted to see the
yankee letter; Cousin Ben James says he has written
to you; did you receive it? Dock came up last night to
hear your letter read, he was very much amused, the
negroes always come to hear your letters read, and send
all kinds of messages; Aunt Judy has just been in with
hers, it would take me all the evening to write it;
you dont know what a change has come over Uncle Joe.
he never thinks of leaving, tries to see how good he
can be, he does good work too, the improvement began in
the winter, Trinley thought a good deal of him; I suppose
Uncle Joe thinks the responsibility of this place rests
on him; he is always delighted when he brings a letter
for us, sits down to hear it read, says he has been all
along there where you are fighting.
Brother Phil you must take care of yourself, when you
come home I want you to look like you did last September
I was so anxious to see Bud Josie while he was so fat,
I hope you will rest after this and never be in another
battle; I am miserable sometimes, I think about you all,
and want to see you so much, I cant believe that you are
away for an indefinite time, I cant realize that war is in
our land, although it has caused me more heart-felt sorrow
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than I ever saw in all my life; you would be surprised to
see what affect different remarks has on me, I sit and
listen, and any allusion to peace, ever if it is made by
one whose opinion I have no confidence in, cheers me.
Oh, we will have a happy time when this war is over,
we will be the happiest family is the confederacy, I will be
so proud of my Soldier brothers and husband; I never can
thank my heavenly father enough, if you are all spared to
return to us; think what a glorious time we will have in
the long winter nights, you must treasure up every little
incident, it will be such a treat to me to listen, what you
forget Bud Josie must remember. I suppose Ben is on
his way home by this time, give my best love to
Tobe, tell him I am anxious to see him. I must close
Brother Phil, I want to write to Bud Josie. Mother
is very much distressed that you are so bare for clothes,
I wish we had known Mr. Ransom was going he would
have taken them for us. Mother sends her love and
and a kiss, she will write soon; the children all send
love; the negroes send howdy. Brother Phil you must
excuse this paper, Trinley sent me some from Montgomery
but is just brown paper with lines on it, I cant write
on it; there is no paper in this country, we have to buy
a book, and cut the leaves out; write to me again
soon, for no letters are as warmly welcomed, or read as
eagerly, as yours by your Sister,
Mary Louisa
Fitzpatrick Mitchell Williamson Papers
