Letter from William Riley Jones near Morton, Mississippi, to his wife, Mary, probably in Tuscaloosa or Fayette County, Alabama.
During the Civil War, Jones served in Company G of the 41st Alabama Infantry Regiment; he was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga on September 20, 1863. In the letter he mentions sickness in the camp and sends news of mutual acquaintances who are in the army. He discusses morale among the soldiers a...
| Format: | Electronic |
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| Published: |
Alabama Department of Archives and History
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| Online Access: | http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/3333 |
| Summary: | During the Civil War, Jones served in Company G of the 41st Alabama Infantry Regiment; he was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga on September 20, 1863. In the letter he mentions sickness in the camp and sends news of mutual acquaintances who are in the army. He discusses morale among the soldiers and the increasing number of desertions: "the armey is worse demoriladise than i ever saw it the best soldiers that wee hav are desurten an going home it tis for the treat ment tha get wee haf to drill an do hard dewty on half a nuff to eat...tha hav bin seventeen men left her for the last week an two more that is thought to bee gone...i think the armey will brake up that way but i dont hav aney notion of desurten yet." He adds that some of the deserters are "danger an tha are well armed." He also mentions civilians who have been harrassed by soldiers, including his father ("i was proud to here from paps folks an her...that the yanks hadant pestered thim aney wors than tha died") and nearby cousin ("the solders are taken all tha hav nerley"). [Original spelling retained.] |
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