Letter from Alex K. Hall in camp at Dalton, Georgia, to his brother, Charles, at a boarding school in Coosa County, Alabama..
During the Civil War, Alex served in the 2nd and 3rd Alabama Cavalry. In the letter he discusses weather and conditions in camp; crops planted in the area; the possibility of a battle soon; reinforcements arriving daily; and the strict discipline being enforced in the army. He mentions that men have...
| Format: | Electronic |
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| Published: |
Alabama Department of Archives and History
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/4281 |
| Summary: | During the Civil War, Alex served in the 2nd and 3rd Alabama Cavalry. In the letter he discusses weather and conditions in camp; crops planted in the area; the possibility of a battle soon; reinforcements arriving daily; and the strict discipline being enforced in the army. He mentions that men have been shot for desertion, and he describes the elaborate punishment for a case of theft: "...he was court-martialed [sic] and the following was his sentence. To ride a wooden horse two hours each day for twenty days...in a public place in Dalton. Hard labor the balance of the day. After that; to wear a...barrell [sic], two hours each day for twenty days. Hard labor the balance of the day." At the end of the letter, he includes a cryptogram for his brother to solve. A transcription is included. |
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