Aug. 1863

Aug. 1863

Aug. 1, 1863

Aug the 1st / 63

Dear Companion   I seat my self this morning to answer your letter which have received during the last three days   I received the one which you sent by St John   The likness and stamps on last Wednesday and I received yours of last Tuesday this morning and was glad to here that you was all well, the clothing I have not seen or heard of duly through your letters Mr St John has had a chance to send me word about the clothing but has not done it   I dont now whether he has got his good through or not   I will go to see him on Monday   His Regiment
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is five miles from here, I can not give you any information about the fit of my suit at present   I will tell you all about it in my next, if I had of thought the war was as near to an and when I sent for the suit as I do now I should not have got them, I dont think I shall wear them in the service   The question you ask in regard to northern ladies not being permited to come south, the reason is it is not considered safe for men to travel on the railroad from Louisville to Nashville, ad of course it is not premited to allow ladies to travel the direction if this was permited the cars would be loaded with ladies, in extrem cases ladies
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can get permission to come to Nashville and even for the south, but they must have passes from General Rosencrans which he will grant when the emergency is significaent to justify   You no ide the amount of ladies that would be here if they was permitted to come at will   Perhaps this explanation is suficent, as for southern ladies being permited to go to Cincinatii they travel on their own risk, and they are here and perhaps they are just as well one place as another, it is not expected that Northern ladies will do anything that will be wrong, but is to prevent such quantities from being exposed to the danger of attacks on the railroad ad battles, this seams a little wrong but perhaps it best
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as for those persons that talks about spreading on the money you get they dont amount to much and consiquintly they gab down amount much   I have asked for a Leave of Absince for twenty days   I will leave in a few days whether it will be granted or ot the Colonel will do all he can for me   I am satisfied I think that I will get it   I have some very nice shell rings but I will not send them until I see whether I get to come home or not, I should have writen three days ago but I learned that the cars was not runing from Louisville to Nashville   I am well and in good spirits   My respects to one and all   I hope  I shall be able to visit you in a short time, I remain yours effectonately

T Thompson

Catherine Thompson
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - The ink is good, however the pen nib is in bad condition as there is almost no change in line thickness no mater the stroke direction.   Also there is a great deal of bleed through.   The text lines wander with page 4 being very bad.
       Historical Note;
     Prostitution - By this time the 'Soiled Doves' were becoming a real problem to the army.   Not only were they a health issue but their numbers were clogging up the rail lines.   Declaring the railroads military and insisting on passes was the only way to slow down, by no means stop. this.







Aug. 11 1863

Laverne Ten Aug the 11th / 63

     Dear Kate   I seat myself to answer your letter of August the 7th which I received to day   I regret to here that you was unwell   I hope you are well by this time   I should have writen you some days ago but I had got my cloths from St John yet and I have been waiting to here whether I would get a Leave of Absence of my papers came back today disaproved   If the Colonel had of knowed that I had not got my request granted he would of detailed me to go to Warren country for conscripts but the detail had gone and I supose I will not be permited to come home for some time yet, I got my clothing on last Sunday   It suited me very well   In some respects the boots he got me he sold and I had to take a pair of tens which is to large for me.   The shirts I did not like and I did not take but one of them   The next time I send for anything will have you to attend to it yourself _______ is here of the death of Frangersall _______some from this regiment __________ Conscripts soon   I dont now
     Note; the lower left hand corner of Pg. 1 is torn off.
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who it will be   It may be that I will come yet, I failed to get my pay again on acount of not being reinstated   I will not get my pay now until the Paymaster comes again   It wanting a long while but I will get the more when it does come   When I get paid I will be paid for six months, I received yours and Georges letters last Saturday   Was glad to get a letter from George, we have plenty of peaches and apples here   Peaches are worth 40 cts a peck but they arnt such peaches as we get in Ohio   We get plenty of all kinds of vegetables of all kinds   We live very well, there was a sad accident   It happened here last Saturday night   One picket there was asigned of Company A on a post   One of them steped away from the balancey   The same time I did not see him when he went away when he started back to the post the sentry that startled him but he did not stop the sentinel fired at him   The ball taking effect in the thigh cutting large part of his leg off   He died next morning   His body was sent home   He was Mr Sherwood son _______ Commisioner of Warren County
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I would like to now the conscripts is in our neighborhood as soon as you find out let me now, St John did not bring me the pen if you get me one send it in a letter, I will write George a letter in a few days, I think that  I will get  to come home some time this fall   If I dont get to come after conscripts I expect if I should come for conscripts I would not to stay but a day or two but I will come if I can   I have some very nice rings for you and the children but I dont want send them in a letter for fear they get broke   I will send the the first chance I get, My love to you and all the children
I Remain yours truly

T Thompson

To C. A. Thompson
Excuse this writing   I have a miserable bad pen and am writing in much of a hury
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - He has cramped this letter badly as if anticipating more text that he wrote.   The ink is heavy and the words are small.   Many small ink blums with bad bleed through makes this letter a chalange.
       Historical Notes;
     Amputation - Advances in the field of medicine were vast during the Civil War.   But with the damage to flesh and bone from large projectiles combined with the time involved in doing internal procedures that could take an hour or more when amputation could be done in under ten minutes, a hard decision sometimes needed to be made.   Yes, an arm or leg might be saved with a new procedure but how many men waiting for help might die as the result.
    Conscripts - In military terms this is usually a term for men recruited from prisons.   However I don's think this is what he means.   As the Draft is not in use and Drafted men are looked down on by volunteers and veterans I think they are who Thorton is referring to.
     Pickets – These would be listening posts set up about a mile from camp every couple hundred yards. Their job was to fire at any advancing force to give warning to the camp. As each post was manned by 4 to 6 men they would of course, then be overrun and  captured or killed.







Aug. 22, 1863

Nashville   Aug the 22ond / 63

Dear Kate   I seat myself this morning to answer your two last letters   I received the one you sent by Lieut St John last Wednesday morning, I was glad to here that you was all enjoying good health, I was on Picket when the letter came came off picket at nine oh and at ten oh we received orders to march at one oh   We started two oh for Nashville which is 17 miles in six hours which we had not ought of done in less than 12 hours   The sun was very hot ad the dust shine mouth deep made it very disagreable, but we all got in camp but all very tired and sore   I have been so stiff and sore since that I can scarcely walk but I am getting nearly over it.   I will be all right in a few days   This Brigade is here on duty and perhaps we will stay here for six months or, til the war is ended   If it dont last to long   The Brigadee which we relieved has been here nine months   We have a beautiful camp   No shade trees but we have artificial shade which makes it very comfortabel   Our camp is on teh bank of the Cumberland River and laying between Nashville and the village of 
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which is on the opposit side of the Cumberland River   The duty of this Regiment will be Picket and guarding trains on teh Nashville and Chatinooga Railroad   We are all well satisfied with our position with the exception of the nightly attacks of mosquetoes which is very disagreeable but not dangerous   I prepared myself with a fortificationh last evening in the shape of a mosquito bar which I found to be effective agaihst the attacks with exception of the humming noise which dont amount to much when I found myself safe from the attack of their bills, I am going to ask for a Leave of Abscencs again the first of next week and if I dont get you come home soon I intend to have you come to Nashville and visit me this fall but I think there is no doubt what I will get to come before long, I am in command of the company at present   The Captain is detailed on a Court Marshel, I dont supose will be no chance to get home until he is releived, there is not one Officer in the Regiment but what says I am entitiled to a leave and all ancious for me to get one
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This is some encouragement to me, I have never heard any of the staff or line Officers say any thing disrespectful of me   All say that I do my duty and do it well this is a great satisfaction to me, I have never been repremanded by any Officer since I have been in the service   This is more than a great may can say that has been in the service twelve months, I should have written sooner but I thought I would not write until we get settled.   I am well with the exception of soreness from marching and hope this will find you all in good health, my love to you and the children and my respects to friends generally,

Yours Efictionatly

T Thompson

P.S. Direct to Nashville
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - Even though he seems to have taken his time with this one bad bleed through combined with a poor pen dropping ink on the down stroke takes away from the quality of this letter.
        Historical Notes;
     Picket Duty – He would have been assigned charge of five or six picket posts. His camp would have been set up 3 or 4 hundred yards behind the line so he could respond to each as quickly as he could. 





Aug. 27, 1863

Nashville   Aug the 27th / 63

Dear Kate   I seat myself this morning to answer yours of the 22st which I received yesterday   I am glad to here you are all well, am sorrey to learn that some of the friends are unwell   I have just returned from Stevenson Allabama   I was in charge of a squad of men to guard the train throug Stevenson is one hundred and fifty miles from Nashville   The rebel Pickets is three miles from Stevenson on the South bank of the Tennisee River   Our Pickets are on the North bank, they converse with each other across the river, say in your letter that you paid Mr Fox the money it would of bee better to have taken a receipt then you would of had something to show that you had paid the money, the wheat wheat you let James Hittsman have he never said any thing about buying any wheat of me   I think he proposed to exchange his wheat for some of mine for his seed wheat as mine was clear of 
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of ry and cheat that was the understanding between me and him and you can get the wheat of him if you choose    There is a settlement between me and him   I dont now how we stand but ther is not much between us, Tilford Heart had a saw and level of mine when I left home   If you never got them get them the first opportunity and put them with the balance of my tools, the two dollars that Mrs Fox speaks about I never got   If I got it when the boys are paid again I will send you word and you can send it to her by some one   We had a General Inspection yesterday   The inspection complimented us by saying that we was the best Regiment in the Reserve Corps   This is quite a complement   I am well and hope that this will find you all well and I hope that I will soon have the pleasure of meeting you all at home    No more at this time   I remain yours truly

T Thompson

Caterine Thompson
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I sent the old pocket book that you gave me when I started to you this morning by Mr Johny Leget   He lives near Lynchburg   I told him to leave it at Goshen Pike or send it to you by mail   There is several rings in it and two shealds   The sheilds are for John and George   Take the choise of thease rings for your self as many as you want   Give one to each of the children   There is a small one for Nellie if they dont fit the children now perhaps the will some time   If they live I want you to keep two of the nicest ones   The balance give to the children   There is a small cross   Give this to Flora as for money I guess I cabn get along until I get paid   I have been borowing and I think I can get along if we are paid as promp as here tofore I will get my pay next time   Which will gee six months then I will send or bring the money to you
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - Good ink and a fair pen don't make up for the terrible bleed through.   In some places it's hard to decide what's on what side of the paper.
         Historical Notes;
     Trading - Pickets sometimes would set up truces between the line to trade and converse.   These truces would sometimes border on treason if caught by Officers.   Company Grade Officers soon learned to look the other way, a handful of tobacco or coffee when a long way towards this.