1861-07-14: Benjamin Fitzpatrick to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter
This document is a letter from Benjamin Fitzpatrick to his cousin Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written from his camp near Norfolk, Va., on July 14, 1861. He describes life as a soldier in a Civil War camp. The attached envelope was tentatively identified as belonging to this letter based on hand...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic |
| Published: |
Auburn University Libraries
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/fmw01,44 |
| format |
Electronic |
|---|---|
| collection |
Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Papers Collection |
| building |
Auburn University Digital Library |
| publisher |
Auburn University Libraries |
| topic |
Family letters |
| spellingShingle |
Family letters 1861-07-14: Benjamin Fitzpatrick to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter Fitzpatrick, Benjamin |
| fulltopic |
Family letters Mitchell Family; Fitzpatrick Family; Alabama--Social life and customs--19th century; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Correspondence; Letters; Peoples -- Military Life; Government & Politics -- Military; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; Peoples -- Domestic Life; |
| title |
1861-07-14: Benjamin Fitzpatrick to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter |
| titleStr |
1861-07-14: Benjamin Fitzpatrick to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter |
| description |
This document is a letter from Benjamin Fitzpatrick to his cousin Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written from his camp near Norfolk, Va., on July 14, 1861. He describes life as a soldier in a Civil War camp. The attached envelope was tentatively identified as belonging to this letter based on hand-writing and the postmark. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated from Ireland to the Virginia colony in the early 1700s. Over time, the family moved from Virginia through the Carolinas and into Georgia before finally settling in Line Creek, Alabama and Verbena, Alabama. Several members of the family were active politically including William Fitzpatrick, who served in the Georgia legislature, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served two terms as governor of Alabama. Sarah Fitzpatrick, a descendant of this family, married Columbus White Mitchell who was from a prominent Alabama family. The couple had ten children, seven of whom survived infancy. Three of their sons served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy (Phil F. Mitchell, Joseph A. Mitchell, and Columbus White Mitchell). Their daughter Mary Louisa, a central figure of this collection, married Dr. Samuel "Trinley" Thomas Williamson in September 1861 shortly after the war began. Williamson was a medical doctor who also fought in the Confederate armed forces. With Williamson and the three Mitchell brothers away fighting, Mary Louisa was left home to run the household with only the help of her sick mother and her sisters. At this time she was also pregnant with her first child who was born in 1862. All three brothers and Williamson survived the war. The family continued to live in Alabama following the Civil War. Since the mid-1900s, some branches of the family have spread out while some continue to live in Alabama. This item has been aggregated as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)'s "Deeply Rooted: The Agricultural & Rural History of the American South" project. |
| author |
Fitzpatrick, Benjamin |
| author_facet |
Fitzpatrick, Benjamin |
| id |
AUfmw0144 |
| url |
http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/fmw01,44 |
| thumbnail |
https://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/fmw01/id/44 |
| _version_ |
1705449246332813312 |
| spelling |
1861-07-14: Benjamin Fitzpatrick to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, LetterThis document is a letter from Benjamin Fitzpatrick to his cousin Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written from his camp near Norfolk, Va., on July 14, 1861. He describes life as a soldier in a Civil War camp. The attached envelope was tentatively identified as belonging to this letter based on hand-writing and the postmark. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated from Ireland to the Virginia colony in the early 1700s. Over time, the family moved from Virginia through the Carolinas and into Georgia before finally settling in Line Creek, Alabama and Verbena, Alabama. Several members of the family were active politically including William Fitzpatrick, who served in the Georgia legislature, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served two terms as governor of Alabama. Sarah Fitzpatrick, a descendant of this family, married Columbus White Mitchell who was from a prominent Alabama family. The couple had ten children, seven of whom survived infancy. Three of their sons served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy (Phil F. Mitchell, Joseph A. Mitchell, and Columbus White Mitchell). Their daughter Mary Louisa, a central figure of this collection, married Dr. Samuel "Trinley" Thomas Williamson in September 1861 shortly after the war began. Williamson was a medical doctor who also fought in the Confederate armed forces. With Williamson and the three Mitchell brothers away fighting, Mary Louisa was left home to run the household with only the help of her sick mother and her sisters. At this time she was also pregnant with her first child who was born in 1862. All three brothers and Williamson survived the war. The family continued to live in Alabama following the Civil War. Since the mid-1900s, some branches of the family have spread out while some continue to live in Alabama. This item has been aggregated as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)'s "Deeply Rooted: The Agricultural & Rural History of the American South" project. [page 1]
Intrenched Camp near Norfolk
July 14 1861
My Dear Cousin
I am weareid
at waiting so loud and am disap-
ointed at not receiving any tidings
from home or any one of our kin-
folks. But you have written and I
now write to you because I think
you will write to me You may
be assured that we were all
overjoyed at receiving that letter from
you Cousin Phil let me read
it and it gave me a pleasure that
I have not experienced since I
left Tuskegee. You always wrote
to me up there when no one else
would. Time is weighing rather
heavy with me now I am lonely
now for the first time. I'll tell you
why
[page 2]
Cousin Phil & Cousin Toby are
both in Norfolk (they were there
with the measles but they are well
now and will be in camp in a
few days) To day is Sunday and
we have nothing to do I am tired
of sleeping and have got nothing
to read; and no prospects of a fight
and I have thought of home until
I am almost thoughtless (but the thought
of some in Alabama gives me pleasure yet)
Can you blame me for being a little
lonely. We got here just in time to
get our names on the pay role and
last Thursday we received the
[Care ?] amount of $5.13. I went strait
to Norfolk and bought my self sick
with it
I expect you have
heard by this time of the death of
[Mr ?] Hart's brother He died in Norfolk
and when the news was brought
to camps it cast a gloom over our
[page 3]
Whole Company for he was a favorite
with all and a man of the best
morals Mr. Ed Hart has gone home
with the remains. All of our company
went with the remains from the
Hospital to the depot. It was a grand
but a mournful procession.
We have most splendid music here
both vocal and instrumental. There
are more musicians in this Regiment than
I ever saw before all put together.
The other night we went out
Serenading the offisers. We had
two violins two banjoes and a flute
The performers were all good you can
imagine the music we had I saw
Dr. Lamar & Troup Randell this morning
they are both doing fine and having
their own fun Mr. Cobb has been
promoted from private to fourth
Corporal He is in a [srait ?] road
to be a Captain or even a Colonel if there
[page 4]
should be a great battle and a
great many slain. If you are at
Mt Meigs give my love to Cousin
Sallie cousin Bettie Cousin John &
tell Cousin Mary I have not forgotten
my promise Give my love to Aunt
Sarah & all the family Tell Papa
& Mama I am well and give my
love to all the relations I have not
seen Cousin Phil & Cousin Toby in
several days but they are (I might say)
well They will be in Camp in a few days
They join me in love to all
I remain as ever your most
affectionately Cousin
Ben
P.S. Excuse my penmanship and
composition
Ben
[page 5]
[envelope front]
[postmark: Norfolk VA Jul 16 ?]
Hos 5
Miss Mary L. Mitchell
[scratched out: Mt. Meigs]
Montgomery
County
Ala
Line Creek
[written in left corner]
If not taken out in a
few days Post Master
will please forward
to Line Creek
Mont Co.
Ala.
1861-07-14Fitzpatrick, BenjaminMitchell Family; Fitzpatrick Family; Alabama--Social life and customs--19th century; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Correspondence; Letters; Peoples -- Military Life; Government & Politics -- Military; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; Peoples -- Domestic Life;Norfolk, Virginia, United States1861-07-14Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Family Papers, 1850-1989, Auburn University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Auburn University, Auburn, AlabamaRecord Group 1223, Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Papers, Folder 18, 495 pages, 21 cmengAuburn, Ala. : Auburn University LibrariesThis image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of this image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archives@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.Stillimage; Text;1861-07-14_FitzpatrickB_to_WilliamsonMLM_letter.pdfapplication/pdfDeeply RootedAuburn University Librarieshttp://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fmw01/id/44 |