Family History Letters 9 and 10

State of Alabama, Walker County

This the 14th of April, 1862

Dear beloved husband, I once more embrace the opportunity of dropping you a few lines, to  let you know that we are all well at this time hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you in good health. I do hope that peace will be made and you will all get to come home to your wives and children without being in any battle. God grant it I pray. I want to see you very bad. I received this day your letter, which gave me great satisfaction to hear from you, but I was scared to hear that you was going to Corinth. Though I am in hopes that you will not be in any battle. I thought that I seen trouble enough before, but I feel now like trouble has just begun. I have no heart to try to do anything at all. I want you to write to me as often as you can. I don't care if it is every day, it will be some satisfaction to hear from you, but a great deal more to see you. Though I fear we will never meet on earth no more, though I still live in hopes that we will and if we don't let us try to meet in heaven when troubles will be no more. I want you, if you do take the measles to try to take care of yourself till you get out of all danger. It is a getting so dark, I can't see how to write. So I reckon I must come to a close, so nothing more at present, only remaining your loving wife until death. This from Catherine Burnett to A.H. Burnett.

State of Alabama, Walker County

This April 20, 1862

Dear husband, embrace the opportunity of dropping you a few lines one more time. Mr. Hampton brought back news that you and Josiah was gone on to Corinth and he knew nothing of Nicholas and Elijah. I want you to write me a letter and come and fetch it to me and write where they are and write whether any of you has got the measles or not and write how Elijah has got and whether he is with you or not. I want you to come home, their was 1000 Yankee's stayed all night at Mr. Whites and there was 6 Yankee's past through (unreadable word) around yesterday at bakers. Though I heard old John Burten dispute it today. He said they showed their papers to Swit. The times if they wanted if they to pass through. If it was Yankee's they was a looking about to see where they could make the best (several unreadable words) they horses. Took Huntsville and Decatur that is a show case it ain't (unreadable word) talk for it is so. I want you and Josiah if you are a needing any money to write to us and let us know and we will send you some at the first chance we get and also whether you can get paper there or not. If you can't we will try to send you some. The first chance now I want you to write me as soon as you get this letter and let me know whether I have wrote a lie or the truth about the Yankee's attacking Huntsville and Decatur or not. I think I was a writing the truth when I wrote it. I have counted it disputed a (unreadable word). I want you to write just as nigh (unreadable word) truth as you can. We have heard that the southern states was all quit fighting but 7 and now I want to know what is the use of them few a staying there and fighting against so many. So I close, I have wrote enough, so nothing more at present, only remaining your loving wife until death. This the Apr. 21. I can inform you that we are all well at this time, hoping when these few lines comes to hand they will find you enjoying good health. I can inform you that the Yankee's has been up here in the valley and they went to one man's house and broke up all their dishes and tore up a fine dress for his wife and tide the strips around their necks and took him off and they don't know what they done with him. They have never seen, nor heard of him since and I think it would suit you all best to come and guard your own homes. I know it would suit me the best now. I say come home. I want you to let Jo hear this letter or read it. So no more. When this you see, remember me. Though many miles apart, my pen is bad, my ink is pale, my love for you, shall never fail. This from Catherine Burnett to husband.

Family History Letter 7 and 8

Having these letters online is something I should have thought of long ago. I'm extremely proud to have these tidbits of my family history during the Civil War. I realize that others would die for letters like these. Of course, until about 5 years ago, I didn't even have these letters. It just goes to show that you should never give up when searching your family history.

State of Alabama, Shelby County

This the 16th of March 1862

Dearly beloved wife and children I embrace the present opportunity of dropping you a few lines to inform you that I am well at this time hoping these few lines may come safe to hand and find you enjoy the same like blessing. The rest of our connection is as well as common, the mumps and measles is both in camps and we expect them every day. If nothing happens I expect to start to see you this day about 2 weeks. We have got our bounty money which is fifty dollars a piece and have got a good tent to sleep in and it floored and a shelter to cook under. We draw 1 1/4 lbs of flower and 3/4 lbs of bacon or 1 lb of beef, 1 jill molasses and sugar when it is here and soap and candles. Mary I never knew the love I had for you until I left you. Mary kiss our sweet children for me and tell them howdy and tell them that I will be at home next Wednesday 2 weeks if I can get a furlough, if none of us don't get sick. There is some of our company furloughed home now, but I thought that I had better wait a week or two longer though I want to see you very bad, worse than I ever did in my life. I would love to kiss my sweet babes the best kind. Tell all the connection howdy for me also my friends too. We are better situated than I expected to be, though our army ain't here nor I don't know when they will be. Direct your letter to Shelby Springs Col. Thomas Frazer's Regiment in the care of Capt. F.A. Gamble. Write as soon as you get this letter so I can get it before I start home. There is 8 companies here now, we was the 6th Company. So no more at present, but remains your loving husband till death. Nicholas Michael (husband to Jerry's sister) to wife and children.

Letter #8

Dear father and mother, brothers and sister,

These few lines will inform you that we are all well, only my teeth is very sore and Henry is complaining about his breast. Elijah civiler (more civil I suppose) than I ever saw him and so is all the rest. I hope these few lines will come safe to hand and find you enjoying good health. I haven't much to write to you at present, but kiss my children for me every day Mary, I want you or mother one or the other to stay there with Mary all the time and not leave her by herself, for I know she don't feel like staying by herself, for I don't feel right here where there is 7 hundred men. We received our bounty money last Friday but I had rather be at home with Mary and the children. (Word unreadable) I can kiss them and see them when I want to. If Mary wants anything done, that she can't do herself, do it for her and I will satisfy you for it. So no more only remains your loving son till death. Nicholas Michael. 

Family History Letters 5 and 6

Letter #5

State of Alabama, Shelby County

This March 16, 1862

Dear wife, I once more embrace the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am not well. But I hope when these few lines comes to hand that they will find you all well. I haven't anything strange to write to you at present, but I think I will come home in about two or three weeks. I have drawed my bounty money and I wish you had it. I want you to write to me as soon as you get these few lines and I want you to kiss John Thomas and Martha E. for me. I wish I was there to kiss them myself and I would like to kiss you even more myself. I said I wasn't well, I ain't down sick. I have had a hurting in my breast ever since I been here. Write to me as soon as you get these few lines and write how you are getting on and if any of you get sick you must let me know that as soon as you can. So no more at present, only I remain your affectionate husband till death. A.H. Burnett (My 3rd Great Grandfathers brother) to wife and children.

Letter #6

State of Alabama, Shelby County

This the 16th of March, 1862

Dearly beloved wife and children, I am blessed with the opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am well at present, hoping these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing. The rest of our connection is as well as common. The mumps and measles is in camp now and we are looking every day for some of us to take them if we don't take them, nor take sick no other way, we expect to start home this day 2 weeks. Sarah the love I had for you and the children, I did not know until I left you. Kiss the children and tell them howdy for me. We have drawed our bounty money which is fifty dollars a piece. Our mileage money ain't come, nor won't until about the first of June. Then we will make another draw. So our officers, our arms ain't here and they ain't due us until the first of June. There is 12 of us that cooks together, there's me and Nicholas and Elijah, and Henry, and Boreramy and John York and W. York manasco Mcluskey F. Davis, R. Davis all of them (word unreadable) men and they are willing to bear their hearts in any thing that is right. There ain't but 27 men in our company, but what is over 25 years old. Write as soon as you get this, so we can get your letter before we start home. We have fine officers, we are well blessed with them. We got here on Sunday evening after we left home. So no more at present only remains your affectionate and loving husband till death. Josiah Whisinhunt (he married Jerry Burnett's sister) to wife and children.

Family History Letter Number 3 and 4

State of Alabama, Talladega County
February 17, 1861

Dear children I now take the opportunity to write you a few lines to inform you that we are all well at this time hoping these few lines will find you all well. I haven't got anything strange to write to you at this time. We want to hear from you very bad. We have been looking for a letter from you now eight or ten weeks, and we have got tired going to the post office and getting nothing when we go and we want you to write as soon as you get this. For we haven't got any letter but that one Jerry (My Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Private, Company A, 13th Alabama Partisan Rangers) sent when he got there and I want you to write whether you ever wrote a letter since it. I wrote you one before and haven't got none from you and we have got wary. I want to inform you that times is hard. Corn is selling from one dollar and twenty-fives cents a bushel and bacon is 15 cents a pound and I inform you that I now live on the line of Talladega about ten miles from where I lived last year. I live in about one mile of Joel (Jerry's brother, Private, Company G, 31st Alabama Infantry) and I haven't heard anything of him Steears (not sure what this was supposed to be) yet and I haven't got much land to tend this year. William (Jerry's youngest brother, Private, Company C, 28th Alabama Infantry) I expect to hire the most of his time and when you write direct your letter to Selty Post Office, Randolph County. So I will inform you that Joel and Frances is well at this time and we want you not forget us so I will come to close by saying we remain your father and mother and brothers and sisters till death. Pleasant and Martha Burnett (My Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents) to Jeremiah and A.H. Burnett (Alexander, Jerry's other brother, Private, Company F, 28th Alabama Infantry) and Catherine and Susa Burnett.

State of Tennessee, Bedford County

1862

Dear wife I once more embrace the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am in common health hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all well. I haven't got time to write now. I have drawed money I will send you one hundred and as do carry by Mister Coal to Thomas Brown. I will write you shortly. A.H. Burnett to wife and children, carry it to Thomas Brown.

Family History Letter Number 2

This is story number two of my family letters. I write it as it was written in their words. 

State of Alabama, Talladega County

This September the 27th, 1860

Dear brothers and sisters. I now take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that we are all up but not well. The children has been sick with bad colds and foul complaint but they are nearly well of them. Fathers folks is not well, but all about. We have had the bigs fresh here that I ever saw in my life. There wasn't a mill in here in (unknown word) what was broke some part of it. The mill I was tending away, hit on the dam, but we have got it to grinding and we liked to went too, with it. It run in the house that I live in, shoe mouth deep and would have run deeper if they logged a sort of drift at the chimney end of the house that turned it of the house and then it undermined the two pillars that was at the back end of the house and it would have gone down if the back end hadn't been under find it washed a rock from the door that you couldn't tote. I haven't seen my little Dick Stear in 10 weeks. Him and Charly went off together and ain't heard from them, only one time they was 10 miles from home. I will commence another subject. There is strong talk of the negroes rising. They had their time set to make their start on Talladega town and they folks got hold of it and they took up some negroes and one white man and they slash some of the negroes and turned them out. There was a company went in the night and took the man out of jail and hung him. They have hung one negro since in Talladega town last week. The one that got killed went where the other one was at work and drew his pistol on him and told him to come out of the house and the man didn't go and he started towards him and the man threw his hand axe at him and cut his head half off. There was a negro killed another one since that he killed him with a bottle. There was two negroes a quarreling about the bottle and the one that got killed stepped up and claimed the bottle and the one that had it in his hand threw it at him and knocked him down and cut him with the bottle very bad. He lived several days after it some 5 or 6. Big talk of the election. Bad split (unknown word) some for Bell, some Breckinridge, some Douglas...(the rest of the letter is unreadable). 

Family History Letters

William H. Burnett's Grave at Rock Island Prison Camp

       My publisher has been on my case to blog more than last year. She says I have not accomplished what I was supposed to according to the contract I signed. She is correct of course. Every woman I have ever had any dealing with, including two ex-wives have always been right. Right?

       The president of my fan club that doesn't exist is Shirley Cartwright McKenzie of Memphis, Tennessee. I have yet to meet Shirley but that is also on my bucket list. I had a chance to meet her at a book signing, but was too sick to attend and messed that up. I have to meet her soon. She was recently talking to me about family Civil War history. I realized that I was sitting on a gold mine. My publisher wants me to blog and Shirley loves her family history. This made me decide to publish what I have in family letters. 

   

Joseph Lawrence Kent

       My Uncle Lawrence Kent got me interested in the Civil War when I was about six years old. He died of a heart attack in 1998. We spent those years searching our family history and you must realize that this was pre-internet days. We didn't have a clue if we had an ancestor or not in the war. You don't know how much I wish I could share with him all that I have found. We actually went to Huntsville Public Library in Huntsville, Alabama. I found Private Jeremiah Burnett, a private in Company A, 13th Alabama Partisan Rangers. (A partisan ranger was the same thing as a guerrilla.) They carried sawed-off shotguns and were basically cavalry. 

       Back to the subject at hand, Shirley made me realize that I can kill two birds with one stone. I can publish some old family letters and appease my publisher by blogging even more. The following is a copy of the many letters that got passed down to me. They are currently owned by Northwest Shoals Community College and I'm very lucky that they are preserved today. 

       "Letter Number 1. July 26, 1856.

       State of Alabama, Walker County.

       Dear sister I seat myself this morning to let you know that we are all well at the present time, hoping these few lines may come safe to your hand and find you and the children well and doing well. I haven't nothing strange to write to you at the present time. I can tell you it is tight times here this summer (Indistinguishable word) but I live in hopes that they will be (indistinguishable word) for another year, thought the prospect is very gloomy. At this time our crop only looks tolerable. Well our cotton the most it looks nice. Our potato patch looks very well and we had the nicest garden of cabbage before the dry weather set I that they was in the country. They don't look so well now, thought they were right nice. Yet Catherine I am glad to hear that you have got to where you can get provisions. Now I have got your things here, yet I reckon they are a doing as well as the things that was left with Johnson. I have got your chairs a sticking up in the house. I will try to take care of them till you let me know what to do with them. I was at Johnson's this spring and I saw they was making use of their things that was left with them. They was using the chairs and mothers chair and Susannah (my great-great-great grandmother) and Mary (word indistinguishable) both fell to staves and I believe mothers (indistinguishable word) and sis was on mothers saddle and gone to the singing. Write to me every chance you have. I will have to close. I am a looking for Blackwell every minute. Catherine I want to know what color that pig is that you said I might have. I have never saw it and whether it was a sow or not. This from Sarah Whisenhurst to Catherine Burnett. A few lines to Susannah (my great-great-great grandmother). I am glad to hear that you and the children was all well and doing as well as what you are. Susan I can tell you that your sow had pigs and lost them every one before we ever found them. She has been coming up pretty regular with ours now for some time till the last two were. There haven't been none of them up now as to your (word indistinguishable) it ain't much Catherine is no count at all it won't the grains ain't more than half grown. Write to me what to do with it. I shall have to quit. Blackwell has come. This from Sarah Whisenhurst to Susannah.