Transcription of Letter Troy Miami Co OhioDecember 19, 1868Paymaster GeneralAbout two years ago I made an application for my additional Bounty of one hundred dollars which I am entitled to according to the act of July 28, 1868. In making out my application I used the forms and followed the printed instructions finished by your department, enclosed my discharge and addressed it to the Paymaster General, Washington D.C. My P. O. address was then Woodington Darke Co., Ohio. I have...

Transcription of Letter Maryville TennMarch 2 1884Mrs. Jennie JohnsonDear Sister & familyI had about come to the conclusion that none of you were ever going to write to us any more. it had been three or four months since I had got a letter from any of you. I am sorry to hear of the overflow again I am afraid you will all be chilling about next thing we hear. I hope it will not get in your house.We proved to our selves little more than eight weeks ago....

Transcription of Letter Maryville 1st Aug 1884Dear Son & FamilyYour [?] glad to hear that you are settled and all well, would have wrote before this had I known where to write. We are all well, about done for my work except wheat threshing, fine season, most rain throughout the summer, & remember sunny, for a long time. I hear of as many as 40 loads hay lost in one place. We cut a little at the time, and got up good hay through the spring until near harvest Lumber was very good late,...

Transcription of Letter Maryville 15th Sept 1884Dear sons & familyI write you a short letter to day, as I am in a hurry, most one letter from you since I wrote last, we are all well boys are going to school, I was at Sweetwater last week, son Calvin in Knoxville he told me that Janes health is not good. rest well stayed part of the night, and day, at Ferd’s, they are well, had no rain to wet the ground since Aug the 1st the days are hot nights cool, we will not start on our trip until we...

Transcription of Letter Maryville Jan 28th 1885Dear sonYours read yesterday but I don’t know how to answer about mule colts, for I don’t know of any for sale, but think if I should talk of buying that I woud here of several shortly, I enquired for young cattle about Christmas, and I could have bought 50 head in a few days bought 5 did not want more I saw A. Coker yesterday, he is keeping stable at Knoxville and thinks colts could be bought, very low. I was offered colts last fall fairly low,...

Transcription of Letter Maryville TennNov 22nd 1885Susie JohnsonDear Susie I thought I would write you a letter to know if you are all well I am staying over at Granma now they are all well Grandma has got a sore foot she could not walk to do any good yesterday it is better today. Susie I wish you was here today we have been having some fun it has been raining all day nearly Bob and I was goin down to Uncle Bill if it had not rained. They was all well at home last summer Horace...

Transcription of Letter MaryvilleApril 27 88Dear son & familyWe returned home home from Calvins last night. the drive was a cold stormy one, but it stired me up until I feel better than usual today, was at town to day, The road here was better, finally good frost this morning. did not do much ham perhaps very dry. I am so weak in my legs that I cant walk but very little, recd a letter from a man, that will board me, at the springs, will go in a few days, when it gets a little...

Transcription of Letter Maryville Oct 3, 88Dear WilliamYour Telegram received today at 10o’clock, also a card from Jenie with the sad news of her babes death and Ferd’s fearful sickness. We are all, so sorry, so sorry and hope that the, good Lord will be merciful, it seems like I cannot make such a long trip, at this time, and her [?] would have trouble to get through, on the memphis rout I know that you will do all that can be done for them, so will have to let the matter rest that way, at...

Transcription of Letter Dear SusieIt has been a long time since you wrote to me why don’t you write? I guess you are a big girl by this time as you said that the next thing I know of you you would be married too. you must get Papa to let you come to see us before you marry. Now you must not go back on your uncle you know you used to like him didn’t you ? Now I know he is a better fellow than Uncle Nathan. I am living up at Petes house now and we have a little boy with us about as big as you. if you was...

Transcription of Letter Blount CountyDecember 10th I received your letters was sorry to hear you was sick got the money order, of course was very proud of such a present but feel like it is most to much for I want to see you able to get out of that sickly place I told Sue you wer sick she said why dident aunt Ann, make you some tea she don’t know there is any other medicine she never has tasted anything else. we wer all siting around the fire today reading & she looked up and said she...

Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsHodges, Tenn, Sept. 17 1863—Dear FatherOn the evening of the 14th Genl. White received orders to move his Division at once to Knoxville & from there to Greenville. We broke camp at 3 o’clock on the 15th marching 25 miles or within 5 miles of Knoxville—yesterday we made 15 miles & started this A. M. at 4 o’clock for a long push when orders reached Genl. W at this place causing a halt until farther orders. This place is...

Transcription of Letter Head Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army Corps.Loudon, E. Tenn Sept 7 1863Dear BrotherIf you take your atlas, find the State of Tennessee and look along the line of the East Tenn R. R. about 40 miles west of Knoxville you will find Loudon the place where we are now encamped—it is situated on the Tenn. River. The R. R. bridge at this place was a very fine one 1600 feet long—the rebels burnt it just before our advance came up. We are now at work building a pontoon bridge which...

Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsJamestown, Tenn. Aug. 26th 1863Dear MotherI wrote to Father night before last and still carry the letter in my pocket waiting for an opportunity to mail it.We are now at Jamestown which you will find in Fentress Co.N. W. from Noxville--it is 26 miles from Albany which distance we made yesterday, that is, a small portion of our Div. & a brigade of Cav. under Col. Crittenden which is temporarily under Gel White. The...

Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsJamestown, Tenn. Aug. 28th 1863Dear MaryI will commence a letter tonight and hold it in readiness before the next mail leaves. We have no regular mail communication as yet & so send by couriers or others who happen to return to a town where the mail communications are uninterrupted.Our Division is the only one that reached the point designated in orders at the time specified and our Genl. has read a congratulation...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: In this letter to Mrs. Wooldridge, Ellen Argo describes the death of an unidentified soldier. She reports that he "praid from the time they brought him to the house until he died" and that although she and her family could do little to help him, her mother took the same care of him as she would her own child. After his death, they arranged for his burial in the McMinnville graveyard. Argo reassures Mrs. Wooldridge that he was with true friends and that if "prairs or tears would save his life...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This petition to the County Court of Shelby County, Tennessee was prepared by an unknown lawyer on behalf of a free man of color named Solomon Porter. Porter, a native of Tennessee, assures the court that he desires to seek employment in Shelby County in order to adequately support his family. He hopes to remain in the area so that his numerous acquaintances may assist him in finding employment, aided by his industry, sobriety, and honesty. The document is signed by Porter and a notation on...