[page 1]
Apr 16th 1862
Camp [near ?] Moselys Church
Near Norfolk
My own dear sister
[post ?] brings
me such a long letter, Brother Phil
brings it to me from Norfolk this
evening. He and Ed Hart went down to
call on some young Ladies this morning.
I tell you Sister it came in good
time. I was in low spirits just off of
guard nothing to do and thinking
a bout the Conscript law. by the by
it has passed and come out in the
Dispatch this evening. It is not quite
so hard on the [illegible]. [Nothing ?] [illegible]
as I imagined it would be, It gives
them the privalege of [enlisting ?]
here and there they can be tranferred
[page 2]
to other Companys if any dont care
to stay where they are, We have not
done any thing yet but think of
enlisting in [Semples ?] Artillery Company
there is ten of us nearly [illegible] to
[illegible section] of our [duties ?], [Jule ?] Hager-
ty is going to write to him to night
to see whether he will take us or not
I think he will for such mess
as we will have can get in any
Company. and I dont think he
will refuse us. Sister I expect you
all think we are Crazy for wanting
to leave Norfolk but we are all
completely [illegible] and staying in
one place. [illegible] this Third Ala
Regt has been in service for
twelve months and the 21st [rgt ?]
[page 3]
not half that long and got in
to a fight first, but I recon it is
all for the best, We have done just
as much good staying home as we
would have done if we had been in
active services. but I dont think
we will be home another year. We
gave it to the Yankees at Corinth, but
it was a dear Victory We lost one of
our best Generals. I heard that we
killed Buell but it has since been
contradicted, I thought it was too good
to be true when I heard it [thinking ?] it
was printed in the Day Book,
Sister I [illegible] think any more to
write you [illegible] I all ways was a
poor hand to write though I
must not send [too ?] short a letter
[page 4]
after receiving such a long one
from you so I must put my mind
to work and write some things if
it is nothing but non sense which
my letters are generally composed of,
Well sister to commence with Toby
is on guard to day. Col. Lamar is
drilling the Regt. I being on guard
yesterday and last night am free from
drill until dress parade. We think
we are in big luck when we can get
off of drill. Mr. Littlepage has joined
Capt. Andrews Artillery and I think
will be sworn in to morrow. We
hardly ever see him. I dont think
so much of him as I used to when
going to school he was a good teacher
but fit for nothing else he has
[page 5]
a cousin on board the Merrimac,
We all went down to the beach the
other day to see the fight between
the Merrimac and Monitor, but
the Monitor was afraid to try it
a gain with the Merrimac and
kept close to the [Rip Rapps ?] We had
some fun, on our way down there. the
creek was up and we had it to wade
but I had just gotten well of the
mumps and was a fraid I would catch
cold if I got wet so Toby carried
me a cross on his back, going and
[Jule ?] Hagerty brought me a cross com-
ing back, We saw a dead Yankee that
had washed on shore he had been
dead some time. some of our country
buried him, All that is talked a bout
[page 6]
here now sister the Conscript law
Nearly every one has some thing to
say a bout it. It will be three weeks
before any time is out if we stay
until the 5th of May but tommorrow
week it will be out if we stay until
the 26th of this month, but we cant
come home until we re-enlist, The Conscrip-
tion says that all men in the
Confederacy be tween the ages of
eighteen and thirty four shall bear arms
in defense of their Country. as you
are Sister I am over eighteen and
will have to enlist. but then you
see I will get my bounty and
forty days furlough Sister you say
Mother wants me to stay at home
next year. I know she does and I
[page 7]
shant enlist if I can keep from being
a conscript. White is under that age
and ought to have stayed with Matthew
Bill &c Williamson I know how he
feels but [til ?] every body talks that wants
to I dont think he ought to drill with
the Militia but if he wants to go I
will stay at home part of the time if
I can and let him stay part if I can
The Law alows a Widow Lady an over-
seer, Sister we are all well and are
getting on finely the trees have not
put out up here yet like they have at
home. tell Mother I am glad to hear
that her health has improved so much.
Aunt Lizzie says she looks better than
she has seen her in many years. I
am glad to hear that Dr Williamson
[page 8]
has such a pretty stand of corn you
say you have some Turkeys and geese
setting that use to be my old trade
I saw fifteen or twenty little
goslings the other day, Sister you
say that you all catch a good many
fish. I have not been fishing this
year. Tell Dr Williamson that if he
will look up in the loft in the shed
room that he will get a nice fishing
pole and there is some hooks and lines
in the right hand side of the
side board draw, Sister I have written
all the news I can think of Buddie
Phil will write to you and give you
all the news after supper, give my love
to Mother and the children Tell Dr Williamson
not to go off until we come and then go with us
[page 9]
and join Simpsons Artillery Company
Brother Phil and Ed Hart are going
to see Colonel Battle and see whether
he can be transferred or not. I expect
Dr Williamson has a right lone some time
of it by himself, sister how is Uncle
Clem and family. I know Uncle Clem
has a nice time fishing, if any body
does. I know you all have a lonesome
time of it but I hope that the time
is not far distant when we can all
come home to stay, but my dear sister
our little Confederacy is in a right
tite fix and will need all the
Soldiers she has got. but I think
at last we will come and at the
big end of the horn I suppose that
White has gone in for the war I dont
[page 10]
he can stand it as well as I can
and if he can last many years I
think he will wish him self at home
with Mother and Little Sisters before
it ends, Buddie that is going to write
and he can give you all the news better
than I can Ben and Toby send their
best love to you all, give my love
to all my relations Kiss Mother and
the little girls for me, Give my
best love to Dr Williamson and tell
him I am in hopes that we will all
soon be together again and after the
war we can have some gay hunts
to gether Good night my own dear
Sister write soon to your own dear
Brother J. A. Mitchell
Love to all the Negros
Fitzpatrick Mitchell Williamson Papers
