Letters from James R. Riggs at Camp Maxey near Chattanooga, Tennessee, to his sisters, Martha Smith and Sallie Riggs.
During the Civil War, Riggs served in Company G of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. In the letter to Martha he discusses his recovery after a recent illness; mentions a brief trip he made to Montgomery ("Oh you have no idie [sic] how bad I hated to pass through Montgomery without coming...
| Format: | Electronic |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History
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| Online Access: | http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/3166 |
| Summary: | During the Civil War, Riggs served in Company G of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. In the letter to Martha he discusses his recovery after a recent illness; mentions a brief trip he made to Montgomery ("Oh you have no idie [sic] how bad I hated to pass through Montgomery without coming to see you"); and explains that because he will not be transferred to a cavalry unit, he will no longer need the horse that belonged to his brother, Charlie. He also describes guard duty in his company: "...our duties is tolerable hard when we stand pickett [sic] guard we have to stand forty eight instead of twenty four...on account of our pickett lines being so far from our camps our boys some times talks with the enemy a cross the river the orders is for the picketts not to shoot each other unless it is an...officer. The sentinel is not allowed to shoot from either side." In the letter to Sallie he discusses his company's camp and the possibility of a confrontation with General Buell's forces: "...we have a beautiful camping place but how long we will stays at them I do not know we are opposite Beuels [sic] army the distance between us is four miles but still I apprehend no danger unless we have a general fight Beuel forces is supposed to be about forty or fifty thousands strong and our forces about the same so we will be able to hold them a right tight fight." |
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