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John Matthews came to Texas in 1856 from Loudoun County, Virginia. He was born six miles south of Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, on February 23, 1834, the son of Susan Fritz and Simon Matthews. John’s father was a successful farmer, but died at the age of thirty-five. John was their oldest child and spent his school days in the academy of Hillsboro, Virginia. As a boy of sixteen, John Matthews moved to Baltimore and worked for a few years as a salesman in a dry goods store. In 1856 he came to Texas; lived in San Antonio for one year, and then came to Caney where he bought a store from P. C. Evans, also a native of Virginia. Evans had operated the store at Caney since 1852, which was also the location of one of the earliest post offices in Texas. The Caney store and Post Office was located at the site where the roads connecting the towns of Matagorda and Wharton and Columbus and Brazoria crossed; and Matthew soon had an extensive trade. The Caney area was thriving and was noted for its rich farm lands which produced cotton and sugarcane in abundance. However, John Matthews lost most of his trade during the Civil War. He had many outstanding debts, and many thousand dollars in Confederate money was still in his possession at the time of his death.
On
December 26, 1861, John Matthews married Isabelle VanDorn, daughter
of Isaac VanDorn and Amanda Reader VanDorn. The Matthews had seven
children: Jesse, born in 1864, became a well-known Judge of Matagorda County. John Matthews was a deeply religion man, and was instrumental in establishing the Caney Methodist Church and Cemetery. Today, the small Caney Cemetery, known by some as the Matthews Cemetery has a “Daughters of American Colonist” marker and is in the shadow of the Bay City Airport. John Matthews worked for the government during the Civil War and while he was away, his wife tended the store and post office. He did not fight in the war, but collected the government’s ten percent from all the farmers in the area. He took cotton by wagon to Brownsville and Mexico markets and smuggled the payment back across the river and eventually to Matagorda County. He placed the money in trenches in his hack and in average size jugs. He smuggled the gold little by little in his money belt and transferred it across the river in wagons at night. One trip which should have taken two months, took six months. Everyone that he had been killed, but he finally came home. The government had given him $3,000 for making this trip and he loaned the money back to them at 25% interest. On one occasion, the area farmers hired him to make a trip to Goliad to return stranded Negro slaves. When he arrived at Goliad, the slaves were so glad to see him they picked him up and carried him on their shoulders. However, John had to feed the slaves and nurse them back to health before they could make the trip back by horseback. While he was operating the store and Post Office, John kept accurate records of the temperature, his accounts, and important events during his lifetime. His records told of the yellow fever outbreak in 1862; the observation of a battalion of soldiers being moved to Peyton Creek on September 8, 1862; the account of an extremely cold norther blowing in during the month of October, 1862; and also the records of the birth of pigs and livestock. John Matthews died on December 10, 1913, and was buried in the Caney Cemetery.
Historic Matagorda County,
Volume II, page 343 |
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Mr. John Matthews one of Matagorda county's oldest and most highly
respected citizens died at his home at Caney at 9:17 o'clock a.m.
Wednesday December 10th, and was buried in the Caney cemetery on
Thursday afternoon December 11th, with religious services conducted
by M. H. Reed. |
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Mrs. John Matthews, one of Matagorda
county's oldest and most highly respected residents passed away
suddenly this morning, after a long and serious illness. |
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1854 - 1863
These
letters were written in Baltimore, Maryland and later in Texas. The
originals are in the Texas State Archives and copies are in the
Matagorda County Museum. Mary Belle Ingram submitted them for
publication in the Matagorda County Genealogical Society quarterly,
Oak Leaves, Volume 5, No. 3; Volume 6, Nos. 1, 2, & 3. |
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Dear Mother As Mary Catherine said in her letter that you said I must write I will try to write a few lines though I hardly know what to write that is of any account for I believe I have to write about two letters up there for every one that I get anyhow; I believe that if a fellow was to search every little town from Maine to Texas he could not find such a chicken hearted and lazy set of people as there is there about writing and I don’t feel much like it today for I have go the headache and feel just like a boy looks when the has got the blues and I tell you it is a most plagued tiresome business for a fellow to stay here to keep the books for our friends R. Tavenner & Co. and I think I will try and get shut of the job for I don’t want to bother my head with it for the little time that I may stay here and it be of no account to me hereafter and I expect I can make fully as much anywhere else as I am here or ever have made yet if not a little more and as Jordan is a pretty hard road to travel a fellow has to have a few of the beans or he will not get over all the rough places in it. I think I will have to send some of my shirts home and get buttons sewed on them For I have the doggedest time to get dressed sometimes that ever you saw anybody have and had one of them times last Sunday morning. I had slept until the breakfast bell had rung and then got up and began to dress and got my shirt on and found all the buttons off of the bosom so I took it off and got another and put it on and found the buttons off the sleeves and I let it go so and on Monday went out and got a spool of boss [floss?] and paper of needles and a dozen buttons and on Monday night sewed them all on. I suppose the Christian Advocate and Journal still comes there yet and I send you in the receipt for the postage that I paid on it untill the First of next January. I thought I would send the receipt for friend Jones might want to make you pay it again some of these days. I got a letter from Jesse on Tuesday morning in which he said Mr. Noland had had some of his property burned up and I afterwards saw a notice of it in the Leesburg paper. Mr. Tevenner is coming home on next Monday three or 4 weeks if nothing happens. I suppose you have a fine meeting going on now. I have been looking for a letter every morning this week to hear the result of it but have not got it yet so I will now look for it next week as I know I cannot get it this. You ought to be here for about one week to see one fellow by the name of Walker that boards at the same house that I do; he is as good a clown as you ever saw with any show in your life and is going with his mischief all the time. I will now close as I believe I have given you all the news I can think of untill I hear from some of you again so no more at present but remain as ever you Affectionate son John Matthews
Mrs.
Susan Matthews |
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Dear Brother I believe this is the first time I have written to you since I arrived in the city of San Antonio this beautiful city, composed of Mexicans, Dutch, Irish, Arabs, Dogs, women etc. though I think you are still one letter in my debt, which may perhaps be, already on the way. I received the one you wrote in answer to mine, to Mother, a few days ago, and wrote one to Mother last week which I suppose is still jogging along the road, and is now about somewhere. Though I did not consider the one you wrote for her as one of your own. I have now gotten our shanty fairly opened and have been selling some few goods. I have a Mexican helping me to talk to these people some for me and so on. He is a pretty, tolerably lazy fellow. When I got the store, I had to move all the Tobacco, Glassware etc. from the warehouse to the store, for which carts here, would charge twenty five cents a load, and haul as small loads as possible. So I concluded we would do it ourselves and borrowed a Truck, hired another Mexican for the day and began operations. It was tolerably warm and got tolerably hot before we got through; however we done very well untill it came to moving four big hogsheads at the last when the way they jabbered and swore, was funny sure enough. I could not talk to one of them at all, and had to do every thing by motions or by telling the other, which was rather an awkward way of working, and of course I had to get mad in the bargain which scared the old fellow pretty badly and made his work briskly. Before we could get out all the goods we had to move upwards of twenty barrels of flour and pile it up several barrels on top of each other in a different place. This was pretty good exercise, and when on top of the pile rolling back the last barrel, and they all gave way, and down came Mr. Mexican at full length on top of them which I tell you scared him badly; he drew a long breath and said something but I could not understand what it was. All that I have to do now when I see him, is to motion for him and you will see the old fellow scamper. He worked hard enough that day; and the big drops of sweat drowned more than one louse from off of him. The one I have with me is named Ignatius Perez. He is a very good lazy fellow, and of no account except to act as an interpreter, and do some talking that I cannot do myself. I do not intend keeping him any longer than I can possible help, and think I can get a boy in a short time, when I will ship him. He manages to get to the store about 9 o’clock in the morning, always causing me to shut up and go to breakfast before gets here. Sometimes I ask him what keeps him so long and he will say “Me didn’t get at sleep enough.” This is rather a hard way of getting along, but does when you can do no better; for there is danger in getting a boy, as they nearly all steal, and think it no harm. Yesterday the camels came into San Antonio and attracted a good deal of attention. In a short time they are all expected to be here at one time, nearly one hundred in all. They are quite a curiosity when packed and look as if they were carrying a house on their backs. Each one carries upwards of six hundred pounds, and on every one they have two very large bells, in travelling they always march along in a train, one after another, and the bells make the greatest noise you ever heard. They belong to Uncle Sam and some of the army officers always go with them on horseback. The officers ride very fine horses. They also have a number of Arabs who were imported with the camels and go along to take care of them. They are rather queer specimens of humanity. They wear a roundabout and pantaloons with legs nearly down to the knees, the balance is either naked or covered with tight fitting flesh colored stockings and generally they have a big pipe in their mouths. When they reached here the camels were tolerably muddy and the army officer, having them in charge, commanded one of the Arabs to clean off one of them. The old fellow went slowly at the task smoking his long pipe, and occasionally taking a rest; finally however he finished, when the officer who had been all the time looking on, ordered him to be tied up and given thirty nine lashes, which surprised him very much and made him make some wry faces you may be sure. Well perhaps you may want to know how I am getting along in business as I have now been open nearly two weeks though it has been a pretty tolerably dull beginning every body here tells me this is the dullest time they have ever seen in San Antonio, which makes me feel somewhat encouraged though I have sometimes felt a little homesick; and wished my Tobacco and cigars were in some other place; then at other times when I would sell a little I would feel considerably better, and think as the Col. used to say “O I think I can stand it.” So I have been getting along, and felt worst of all, on the days that I did not sell a cents worth, of which I have had a couple. Then I felt a little better again when I heard a man who had a stock of fifty thousand dollars, say they had not sold a cents worth either. Here we have no piece of money less than five cents, and no fips, or levies, consequently never sell less than five cents worth, and not one time out of a hundred less than two bits worth, which is twenty five cents. Up to this time I have sold about eighty (80) dollars worth on which I made a small profit. Good cigars here retail at one dollar a dozen, or three for a quarter. I sold one man a hogshead of glass jars, containing fifty four jars. He was to take them as they stood in the hogshead at so much per dozen. After getting them home and opening them, sixteen of them were broken in fifty thousand pieces. He came back and made a great to do about his hard bargain; and wants me to deduct something which I expect I will have to do though he is a mixture of dutch, french and almost everything else, and I have not been able to understand him since he bought them. When I see him coming, I send Perez out and we can’t talk on the subject. Our preachers and editors of our papers are in the store every day, so you may perceive I am getting up in the pictures. This week we advertised in two papers and both editors, gin a puff. Editors are very clever men you know, especially when they smoke, and a few words in their paper might buy some smokers. I am going to send the papers to some of you. Tell mother I intend the poetry in the Herald for her no matter to whom I send the paper, and fully feel the meaning of the last verse. I think that old Virginia Gall felt very much like I have sometimes, when she was writing it. But I must close for the present and hope soon to get more letters from home. I was expecting some yesterday but the states mail due then, missed coming and will be up this evening, when I hope for some. Give my love to Mr. Gaver and family also to Martha and Benjamin. Tell Ben his Epistle has not reached me yet, but will I hope before you get this. My love to Mother and all the family. I will write to her next week perhaps and must write Mr. Hough this evening. Write soon. Your affectionate Brother John Matthews
P. S. One
of our lawyers just came in and bought some tobacco at one dollar
and a half a pound, though he can afford it, for he just gained a
suit and got a fee of five thousand dollars for it, which he will
make fly as crim used to say he spends his money free and is getting
in the weaving way. I expect it will surprise you to hear that
farmers here are done planting corn and some of it is up. Peach,
fig, almond trees etc. are all in full bloom, which I know is quite
different from the times in Virginia. My love to all the galls and
tell Sallie and Mollie their papers will come soon. |
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Dear Mother I received your letter of May 11th on yesterday week the 26th and was glad to hear from you again though I have nothing of much importance to write you in answer to it more than to inform you that I am still well and hope this may find you all the same. The weather here is still pretty warm and feels like regular summer weather in old Virginia, with the exception of the nights which are much more pleasant here than there. It has also been very dry here for sometime though we have had a couple of little rains within the last week and now have some prospect for more. But notwithstanding the dry season we now are getting a little something more to eat in the way of vegetables than when I wrote you some time ago and for the last week or two have had plenty of Beats, Carrots, Peas etc. as well as other vegetables of some kinds, I never seen before I come to Texas, and would not wish for anywhere else for they are not the “goodest” you ever tasted. I am glad to hear that you have the upper lot this year, and a prospect of having a good crop, and hope it may turn out fully as well as you expect it, and even better than you expect. I would like very much myself to be at home now for a while and get a few of the old dinners we used to have last summer, but as it is rather inconvenient to step over now, I will put it off for the present and hope to enjoy them better when I am able to get there again, which I hope will be one of these days. Texas dishes are not so hard when you get used to them, and I think after staying in Texas for a while, I could return home much stronger in the jaws than when I left, because of having practiced so much on tough meats here in chewing them. From the number of chickens you and Rodney are raising this year I think you will be able to supply the town and hope you may find the poultry business a profitable one. Though I would advise you to get none of the Texas breed among them if you would not wish to injure your sales for the majority of chickens that I have tested here are about as tough as I judge the old fellow that crowed when Peter denied his master would be, if he had lived to this time. I should judge him to have been a pretty tough old fellow any how and think the Texas breed are certainly some of his descendants. We had a quarterly meeting here that began last Thursday night and lasted untill Monday, at which we had some very good preaching but none that I would like to have heard quite as well as I would Mr. Rozell in old Arnold Grove. We also had a little battle in San Antonio on last Friday at which four men were killed and some more wounded, for some time past there had been many stores broken open and people murdered and robbed through the town and neighborhood, that the good citizens formed a vigilance committee to watch of nights and catch the rogues if possible. And on last Friday they found the house containing them and were going to watch it untill night and then take them out and hang them, but they tried to get away about noon and in attempting to stop them an officer got shot himself and shot one of them, when all the vigilance committee and about half the citizens surround the house with guns and pistols to keep them in untill they got the cannon to it when they intended blowing it with all in it to atoms; but before the cannon reached them they attempted getting away again when the citizens rushed on them and shot them nearly all to pieces, making it rather a snap judgment on all they found that day. Since then rogues and robbers have kept pretty quiet and I guess left town. If there is any more to leave, though, the vigilance are still out every night. They have also gotten the names of all the hard cases, rogues etc. that they could and have published them in the papers intending to hang, if they can catch them. You will see full accounts of the fracas in the paper I sent Jesse last week. Business here now is very dull and but very little of anything being sold and has been so for some time past. I do not expect to write to any of you next week as George and I are going out on a trip, when I hope to sell off some of my tobacco, and you need not be much surprised if after while you hear of my coming nearer home to make my fortune, or try. I am afraid Mr. Hough will have to stick the spurs in pretty deep now, to spur up enough to answer my letter, for you know what an old horse that is used to them, dont much mind them. I am glad to hear that Rodney is learning pretty fast and hope he will keep at his books as much as possible and learn all he can. But I must bring my letter to a close now as I have given you all the important news and must then write one to Mr. Hough. I suppose he has gotten home from Baltimore before this. Write soon as you can and give me all the news. Remember me to all my old friends and tell Mrs. Torreyson I would like very much to have a few of her apples about this time in place of some of this smoking baccer. I have not heard from Thos. James since February which was about all I expected of him. My love to all my friends, write soon and I remain as ever. Your affectionate son
John
Matthews |
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Dear Mother I received your letter of July 19th on last Saturday evening and will this morning endeavor to perform the task of answering in which is a pretty severe task just now, as I feel dull, news is scarce, and have nothing of any importance to write you more than to tell you now that I am well. So under such circumstances, you may judge the task of letter writing is considerably greater than it would be from home, among friends and acquaintances of whom it would be interesting to hear, by one who is away from them but as I have not such times about which to make an interesting letter, I will do the best I can, by giving you such as I have. I am glad to hear that little Billy has sobered up again, and strung out his team for another trip, and hope he may drive straight this time as in the past he appears to have been in the Jordan road. The old maids Hell to be opened so near you was a piece of news to me – I hope it may prosper and if as many bachelors could be found in Hillsboro as there is here I think perhaps it might, and Rodney would stand a pretty good chance of disposing of a portion of his crop of cabbage. Next Sunday I suppose according to your letter will be the day for your protracted meeting, to which you gave me an invitation; but as you sent it so late I will not have time to get there, and will send this letter in my place hoping the meeting may continue untill it reaches you, and the answer may bring good news from it. As to my telling you in this letter how soon I expect to come home, I can only say that is more than I am able to do at present and would not advise you to keep any of your chickens for that time, or I am afraid they might get as tough as some I eat here sometimes. I expect by the time I get back the grandchildren of the ones you have now will eat better than the old stock – but I will not complain much if you do not give me any at all for what I have eaten here have had so many feathers cooked with them, that I began to hate them. I suppose for the last few days perhaps Thomas James has been doing some of his bass singing at camp meeting in Texas – there was one to begin near where he is on last Thursday, and I suppose he attended it, as I received a letter from him a short time ago saying he expected to, and expect to receive one giving an account of it before long. I do not expect to stay here much longer – as soon as I can get off I expect to go down to Port Lavaca where I shall be for a few weeks, and then I am going to P. C. Evans. I do not know yet how long it will be before I get there, but I hope to get off from here now in two or three weeks. Since I wrote you last we have had some little rain, and yesterday evening had a fine shower. I do not think there is as much danger in staying here hardly as you suppose – though sometime back a person had to keep on the lookout all the time – but it is not now as bad as it was then, and I think most of the scamps got hung, and some went off to other place. Untill within the last few weeks I slept with a pistol under my head every night since I have been here, and everybody else done the same thing – but now I do not think there is any danger staying here, unless my boot should spring a leak and then perhaps I would be gone, for the weather is so hot I sometimes feel as if I was going to melt and run down in them. Tee is sometimes brought here by a man who keeps a large drinking house who sells some of it out at from 25 to fifty cents a pound – they get it from houses at the Port, to which it is shipped from Boston and wagon it up here, about one hundred and forty miles. So within the last few weeks I have had what I never expected to get in Texas, a drink of ice-water. I got it by boarding at the Hotel kept by the same man that has it brought for his drinking house and he sometimes uses it on the table. Since the first of this month I have been there as it is the best place, and I thought I could not board with anyone worse than old woman Jacques, as she is about as bad as old Nick himself, and worse if he has worse ones at all in this country – and besides that her, and the sight of her one eyed Negro waiter and cook, is enough to destroy the appetite of anybody that gets enough to eat once a month. I suppose Mary Catherine has reced. the letter she wrote to me about in yours before this as I started it some time ago – I recvd one from Jesse yesterday evening in which he said Mr. Hugh was looking for Mr. Fahmstock up from Baltimore the day after he wrote and suppose you have seen him before now who you used to hear so much talk about. I am glad to hear that you have such a fine garden this year, and hope you may get along pretty well untill I can get to making some money and be able to help you, which I hope to do when I get through here, though there is not much chance of making any here, but I hope for better luck hereafter. I believe I have written about all I can strain out of my noggin at present and will now close. Give my love to all the family and enquiring friends, and tell Mrs. Torreyson I would just as soon be in her orchard for a while now as to be in Texas, notwithstanding I had peach pie today for dinner, which I expect is ahead of you all in old London. Write again soon as you can and I remain as ever. Your affectionate son Jno Matthews
My Mother |
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Dear Mother I believe I sent you word in a letter to Jesse last week that I would write you an answer to yours this, which I would now put off a few days longer if it were not for our expecting some new goods every day, after getting which we will probably be so busy for some days that I might not get time – I was glad to get a letter from you and Rodney, as it had been so long a time since you had written me, and pleased to see that Rodney had improved so much in his writing and spelling. Your letter found me well, as I am at present though since you wrote me last I have been sick a little several times, but always managed to get well again without suffering much – the chills have forsaken me entirely for nearly the last four months during which time I have had good health, and hope I may have no more chills for some time to come, although our weather now is very unfavorable for good health, and favorable for chills; the nights and mornings here are quite cool, while the middle of the day is very warm. Last Sunday morning (Sept. 12th) we had a fire to sit by for some time which felt very comfortable, and would have felt so every morning this week. On last Saturday evening I started to a camp meeting about twelve miles off, which was appointed to begin on Friday – it was the first meeting of the kind ever appointed for this county, and did not take place on account of the bad weather, as it had been raining hard about a week before – consequently the meeting was postponed, and I expect will be an entire failure – I had a ride of twelve miles through mud for nothing – there is now very little sickness in our neighborhood and the warmest weather being over, we are in hopes of having but little more this season – the yellow fever however is in several towns from sixty to eighty miles from us, but as it does not often get in the country we are in hopes of having it no nearer. I suppose you will have recd my picture a few days before this letter reaches you, as I sent it to you by mail on Monday – I had not intended sending it, but the man here taking them, took it for a specimen, and one of Presly for the same purpose, after which we traded for them and I concluded to send mine home to you, that you might see what changes Texas and wrought in me if you can discover any; should you find that any of the fat has gone you may lay it on the chills, though they had taken much more off that you could have discovered a month or two ago, could you have seen me then. (Thursday Evening 16th) I will now endeavor to finish my letter after a rest of about twenty four hours during which time I have thought of nothing of much importance to finish with – this morning we had an old Londoner at the store a while by the name of Rust who came out to Texas a year or so before Presly did; next Wednesday will be one year since I came down here, which of all the years I ever spent, will be the meanest – the next however I hope will be a better one as there is some signs of better things in future – if we had some better people to board with, and the privilege of attending church a little more, I at least, would be much better pleased. There is some chance of our having the latter next year, as we will then I expect get a Methodist Preacher besides what we have had this year – our Texas Conference meets in November – the 30th of October is Quarterly Meeting in Matagorda, to which I am going if nothing happens to prevent. I am glad to hear of your fine crops and that you are having plenty of Roasting ears to eat – ours are all gone as is nearly everything in the way of vegetables here now though we are having in their place plenty of Sweet Potatoes of the finest kind. I should like very much to see Molly Holland, and indeed should like to see a heap of things, and people in London if it were in my power, but it is out of my power to do at present, I think I will be home next summer. You must give my love to Mrs. Torreyson and Lizzie and tell Mrs. T some of her apples would taste mighty fine to me now, if I could get hold of some of them. Give my love to old Mrs. Hough when you see her again and tell her I would like to see her very much – though she seldom hears anything from me, it is not because she is forgotten, but because I get letters from any of them very seldom. I have been looking for one from Mr. Hough for some time without any prospect of getting it. I hope you will keep Rodney going to school for some time to come, and like the way he is going by the day, so he will loose no time; I am sure he could not be engaged in anything of as much advantage to him, and if I were of his age again I would spend many of the days in school, that I have spent in the store, because I think they would have been of greater benefit to me. You must write me again soon as you can make it convenient to do so and I will try to give you a better letter next time, give my love to everybody who asks after me, and write soon as you can. Your affectionate Son Jno Matthews
P. S. I
forgot to ask you to tell me whether you ever get the Ohio Fever
nowadays, like you did some time ago, you know. |
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Dear Mother It will be two long weeks tomorrow since I received your letter or October 12th, and during all this time I have been trying to think up enough of something worth writing to give you an answer to it – but I have not succeeded, and as tomorrow is mail day, I have determined to send you a little such as I have anyhow, hoping it may find you all well; I am well at present with the exception of a bad cold and sore throat, caused by so many sudden changes in the weather here lately – one day it is warm enough to do without a cost, and the next morning often comes with a frost, and weather so cold for a little while, that fire will hardly keep us warm enough – but I think most of this kind is past now, and for a few months to come we shall have cold weather during which it is generally most healthy. There is but very little danger of having chills here during the winter season – very few have them at that time, and then they are not near so bad as in summer – when frost comes they generally leave. I have had none for sometime, and have no fear of having them through the winter, and do not think it necessary to wear flannel on that account. There is a great deal of it worn here, more on account of the dampness than anything else, and my not being much exposed to such weather, flannel would make me more unpleasant than I am without it – I have tried wearing it once or twice, and felt with it on, like a pig looks when stuffed for roasting, than any thing I know off. From what people here said about my having changed so much in looks, since I came to Caney, I did not suppose you would hardly know me by my picture when I sent it, but I hope in future I may get to looking more like myself again. I believe every place in Texas in which there is much of a chance for making anything, is more or less sickly, and there is no place in it that I have ever yet seen, at which I would live because I liked it – After having been here this long there is not much danger of being sick more than at any other place, but knowing I cannot get to any place that I would not as soon live at as here, I intend staying here no longer than I can see some opportunity for doing better than I am doing now. Of all the communities I ever seen this is the most singular – to drink their whiskey and indulge themselves in laziness as their principal accomplishments – not one can be found who is not a believer in religion, or a friend to it, for which very reason it prospers no more than it does; if it were parsecuted more, it would thrive better – for some two years past they have been trying to build a church, or rather pretending to try; and yet the first move is not made in it – people subscribe liberally yet no one can be found to take the lead in matter, while a man of very little influence could in one weeks time raise money enough by going round, to pay every cent for building it. Conference meets on the 24th of this month when I suppose a preacher will be sent here who may push the work forward, otherwise I think it will be a long time before it is began, while people will as usual worship on Sunday, by raising cotton and bury their dead, in some corner of their plantation, where they are least in the way – it may be better and I hope it will, but see no ground for it – during the summer there have been revivals of religion all over the state, and all around us – but none here – though two young ladies from this neighborhood in attending the meetings around, were converted, and joined church and may influence others to do the same. Jesse wrote me sometime since about buying the house and lot where you are living and was willing to help do it provided Dot and I were the same of course I am willing, but at the same time do not think best to do so, for the reasons I gave him in his letter – to pay the rent of any house you want each year, will be but little on us (which we can and will do) while we might invest the same money in some business, at which we could make much more, than the rent will amount to, off of it, and you still have as good a home as if it belonged to you – for these reasons I think best not to buy, as we will want all the money we can get, and perhaps make more off of it in business and want to know what you think of it also – I hope you are giving yourself no more uneasiness about your debts, and think we will free you of them at Christmas, after which I hope you will remain easy – I cannot see why you should be anything else than easy because I have assured you several times, that out of what I can make, your wants should be first attended to, and have not once forgotten it – Dot and Jess I know will do the same, and if that does not satisfy you, you are certainly harder to please than you used to be. We do not forget it because we are away from home – our own wants remind us of it every day, and we only stay away from home to be better able to fulfill our promises for your comfort – when we looked to you to supply our wants in our boyhood days, your task was much harder than ours is now, but you managed to do it, which we know you would – hard-hearted indeed must be the boy then, in our situation who would neglect providing for the wants of a mother – so you may rest contented here after about your debts, knowing we will help you out. I am glad to hear of your good meeting at home, and wish we could have such a one here; I often think of our old Arnold Grove church, and the - - - -
[The last
page of this letter was lost or destroyed so it was decided to
publish the part of the letter that was available.] |
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Dear Mother I received your letter of August 13th on last Sunday morning and was glad to hear from you, notwithstanding. I have no good news to write you in answer to it – or rather I might say, all the little news I have is good, for I have now been well for two weeks, which is more than I had been for a month before that time – from the last week in July untill the last of August I had the fever regularly, twice every week, and occasionally a chill for the sake of a change in the order of things – I believe I am now through with them for this summer, as I have escaped for two weeks, and am very thankful for having gotten off so easily. Our hottest weather is now past, an the nights are cool enough for me to sleep very comfortably under a blanket, which is a great benefit to persons who have been sick during the summer, and makes me feel more like a well person than I have felt for some time before – during the last three days it has been raining here nearly all the time, which is very acceptable on account of giving us plenty of water to drink; but this is such a dark, cloudy day, that it makes me feel too gloomy to write or do much of anything else – the weather for some time before had been quite dry and crops are not going to be near as good as they were last year. I have not yet heard from the boys since Camp Meeting was over, but hope I may soon hear of their having had a fine meeting, and of its having done them much good; I had hoped we would have one near enough us during the summer for me to attend but in this hope I was disappointed, and shall have to wait patiently untill another year, when I hope there may be one nearer us than there has been this summer. Then we will have a preacher here, and the pleasures of hearing sermons oftener than we have had this year. Our church I expect will be commenced in a short time from now, and if ever built we can have preaching near us frequently. In place of meetings though we have plenty of parties, dancing in our neighborhood – on Monday night there was a big one within two miles of us at which they kept us dancing untill the next morning – Presley and myself were both invited – he went, and I stayed at home – more than half of the young men at it were drunk before they got through, and some of them so drunk they had to be carried from the house – and yet they can pass here in what is called the best society, apparently through well of for it, merely because their parents before them owned a share of land and Negroes – were it a poor man to do so I expect he would perhaps be disgraced, and looked upon with contempt – though I don’t know, for I am half inclined to think, when Providence created these people and placed them in profusion of wealth, he must have withheld from them a very large share of the sense he sometimes bestows upon others. But while wickedness abounds here, and the devil seems to rule our neighborhood, this has been a good year to Texas in the way of people becoming converted – nearly all over the State there has been revivals of Religion, and every week there is reported through out Advocate, some three or four hundred converts – in the county joining us there has been large revivals, and more protracted meetings appointed by both Methodists, and Baptists, to take place in a few weeks – perhaps our time may come yet, though it seems very far off – for it I have waited, and still will wait patiently and try to pray earnestly, and with Faith. Our conference is to be held about 170 miles from us in the last of November – the church is Matagorda elected me a Lay Delegate and if I have time and some money to spare I think I will go to it though I would greatly prefer their having cast such honors on someone else. I received the papers you spoke of having sent me and could not imagine who they were from as I did not know the writing, but your letter explained it all – I will send Kate a couple by this mail – the one you sent me before was also received in due time. Our new goods are now on their way and in a short time we will have plenty of work to do at opening, selling etc. I am glad to hear you are so comfortably fixed and getting along so well in your country home – I would like to see it, and see you all, at, and around it – but in this life we have duties to perform, that prevent us from enjoying many pleasures that we desire to – for this reason I must deny myself many and look to the future for a reward for so doing. David Neer I suppose has started for Texas before this time – I should like to see him just from old London. But my sheet is nearly full and I must close for the present – My love to Kate and Rodney, and Dot if he is at home, and to one and all who sent me theirs; write me again soon and I remain
Your
affectionate son
To My
Mother |
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Dear Mother The much talked of, and long looked for has arrived at last – I mean only your letter which I received on last Tuesday and was glad to hear from you. You complain of writing being a task for you, and I may well complain of the same thing to day, for I feel it to be one indeed for me now to find enough to write to make you a letter even as long as yours was, and am afraid I cannot make the trip, unless I can find some plan by which I can make my noggin something longer than it generally is. But if my letters are entirely uninteresting you must excuse them as I write so often, and let them serve only to inform you that I am well – Since I wrote to you last I have gotten entirely well of the spell of sickness I then had – and as I suppose you have heard from some of my letters, before this, I have since had the chills and fever – but I have also been well of them now for the last ten days, and hope I may remain so. A great hunter here gave me a prescription by which I made some medicine that I think has cured them – it is certainly the hottest, bitterest, and meanest medicine that could possibly be made out of anything that ever “Old Massa” created – certainly it is mean enough to kill anything, unless it is chills, and I even hope it is mean enough to kill them. Since I have gotten well the last time I feel better I think than I ever did before, though I hardly know the reason for it, unless it is that I know better how to enjoy good health since sickness than I did before – of one thing however I am very certain that I never before had such an appetite, as now and if it lasts I think I will soon weigh more than I ever did. I am sorry to hear of your speculation in chickens turning out so badly, though they are rather a poor thing to make money on I should think – I hope I may be able to make something before long for you, and as soon as I can make anything I will send it all to you – I do not know yet whether I will stay here long or not but am looking for a letter from Mr. Hough every mail, and will know soon as I get it – to stay here for the purpose of making money for myself, I never would one day – but for the sake of making it to give you I will willingly stay provided I can do so – first because I feel it my duty to do what I can to help you, and next because I ought to have been able to help you, and had hoped to have done so long before this, but I suppose a wise Providence has ordered it as it is only for our own good, and I am often reminded by many I see here, that we are still many times better off than thousands of creatures created and provided for by, the same Being from whom we receive all the blessings we have. Many times have I wished for wealth, and often thought I would undergo almost anything for the sake of becoming rich, but I can assure you that such desires have become very small with me now, and all I am anxious to make is enough to take care of myself and for you; because soon we will be in a world where wealth will not consist of what we strive so hard to gathere here. Indeed I have felt this more than ever since my sickness, and during that time, when scorched by a burning fever, many restless nights seemed as though they would never wear away, and money of all things seemed to be of least value. Tell Dot my advice to him, and all young men like him who are at home, surrounded by all that is dear, and can make a living, as well as save some money, would be, when they get ready to go, to conclude to stay where they are – by doing so in nine cases out of ten I believe they would save money and be better satisfied; in this country the Devil is as near the top of the ground as he generally gets if not a little nearer. Give my love to Mrs. Torreyson and tell her I would like first rate to be there and put away some of those fine apples for her – I have had only two this summer, and not very apple hungry as I see none. Pecans are now good here and they gather them like chessnuts though I cant eat many as they give a person the chills. Tell Jess that I received his letter of Oct. 16th yesterday and will answer next week – I was sorry to hear of the accident Mrs. Neer met with but suppose she is getting better as he said nothing about it. Your meeting I hope may have resulted in some good, though I fear it was too much among the Hardshells. I suppose you will be near enough the wedding to get some cake at least, when Thom and Sarah Ann marries as they have moved opposite you. I thought that home was under full blast as an old maids hall long before this as some of you write me there was such a talk. Does Becky ever come over to see you. I am glad to hear that Rodney still goes to school and hope he will continue at it and learn fast; nothing is of more advantage than a good education to one who has to go into the world with no other capital. Yesterday I went out with Presly about a mile and a half where we were invited and had a good oyster supper. He is well and is having a brick chimney built at the end of his store which they began today; the weather here is quite pleasant yet – we have had a few nights and mornings when it was cool enough to sit by fire but very few of them yet. I have now filled the sheet and more which is considerably over my calculations. One thing I was near forgetting is my new cousin, Mary Ellen – give her O ever so much love for me and tell her as she has been to see all the rest of you she must write me a letter anyhow, or come to see me too – I would write her one but she may be gone before she could get it – I would like very much to see her and may do some time when I get out of Texas, but tell her she must write to me certain or else I will to her. You must write again soon as you can make it convenient to do so – you are the only one I excuse at all for not answering promptly as I know you have so much to do; dont forget to tell Mary Ellen what I said. Remember me to all enquiring friends (except those who do not answer my letters and I remain as ever
Your
affectionate son
To My
Mother |
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Dear Mother I received your letter written by Jonathan on last Sunday morning and will now write you a few hasty lines in answer to it, merely to let you know that I am well and still have a fine appetite for my share of corn bread and beef – I hope this may find you all with appetites as good for what you may have, which I hope is rather Better Fare than we have in Texas. I have not written to any of you for some weeks past and would not do so now were it not because I expect you are probably looking for a letter from me every day – I was doing the same – looking for a letter from home every mail day for some two weeks before I received it and waiting to write after getting one, which is my only reason for not having written you before this – then some of our goods come to hand which have kept us pretty busy for a week past – so much so that I have not had time to write before, and am now almost too sleepy to do so for I have for ten days past been up untill twelve o’clock nearly every night – every other night sitting up with a sick man (and riding three miles before breakfast next morning) and the others at work at the goods. I suppose you have perhaps heard that our goods were shipwrecked this fall and a large portion of them lost – we thought for a long while they were all gone, but a portion of about one third, or more, were saved, without damage, and we received them only last week – they were brought on to Galveston and kept there nearly a month without our knowing anything about them – then forwarded on to us – another box sent by express we also received at the same time – in this I expected to find the pictures of Dot and Jess, Mr. and Mrs. Hough but was quite disappointed in not doing so. I hope they may come in some boxes now on the way – if they don’t I shall be some mad. You can tell Dot I received this letter the same time I did yours and will answer it in a few days, as soon as I can get a little more time – I also received one from Jess yesterday, the first I have had from him since his arrival at his new home, and will answer it by Friday mail if I cannot get to do so after I am done this – he seemed to be pretty well satisfied, though complains a little of his hard living on cornbread and beef, and of the fleas being rather too plentiful for him, but that will be a small matter before he has been there long for he will have them so constantly he will soon get used to them, as I have done since I came to Texas. I had seen accents of the insurrection as Harpers Ferry before receiving your letters and get all the news concerning it, regularly in the papers – I am only anxious to hear that Brown, their leader, and all his company caught will be hung – if he is not, and gets off on any easier terms, I hope his company may very soon after get possession of the Ferry and hold it for a long while – I was surprised to hear in Jess’ letter of so many London County people being around him in Missouri and think he must feel quite at home among so many familiar faces. I received a letter from Miss Margaret Washington yesterday with a piece about a Baby marked off in it. Tell her I would like to know whose baby it was – I will send her some soon – some papers I mean. Presly has not written Mr. Hough anything about the loss of our goods, except to hurriedly send him a telegraphic dispatch to fill his orders again as soon as he heard the ship was wrecked, without knowing anything about how much was saved, and it is none of my business to mention it – but if he should want to know anything about the loss you can tell him all the Tobacco, shot, Tinware except Lamps and Lanterns, half the drugs, about half the Hardware, all the crackers, half dozen boxes, Boots and shoes, all the dry goods but one box, all the soap, and stationary together with some other things were lost, such articles as were all lost we want badly, others we will do well without except vests, and I think it very well they were lost, because there is entirely too many goods in this county this fall – the new store has a stock of Twenty Thousand dollars which is plenty to break them I should think. But I must close for the present as I have written all I know that will interest you, and all I can think of to night, when I get more time I will write you a longer letter and a better one – and as Christmas is soon coming on I suppose you will be expecting a Christmas Gift, which I will send about that time – give my love to all in the family and enquiring friends, and write me again as soon as you can. Your affectionate son
John
Matthews |
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Dear Mother I received your letter sometime since and ought to have answered it before now but for a few weeks past I have had so much to do that I did not get to do many things I should like to have done. I suppose you have heard before now that Jess is here - tomorrow night will be two weeks since he came and got here at eleven o’clock at night just as I was going to bed – I hardly knew him at first as he is much larger than when I left home, and did not look exactly like himself to me untill the next day – but by this time he looks right. Since he came we have been very busy taking inventory of goods and tomorrow morning we are to begin the business for ourselves – the stock is much larger than any of us expected it to be and will amount to about Ten Thousand dollars which is quite a big beginning for us indeed much larger than I would like to have had – but if successful the business it will be the making of us, and if not it may be our ever lasting ruin, and as we have gone this far, then is but one remedy I know of, which is to commit all to the care and guidance of a kind Providence and trust in him alone for success – with this of course we have our part to perform and shall leave no stone unturned in our efforts to come out right in what we now undertake. I will enclose you one of our circulars which we will send out to the people after tomorrow. I believe we have no news of importance to write at present more than we are both well and have been for sometime past living on the hardest Beef and cornbread you ever seen, and sleeping on the hardest bed you ever heard of, made of a few blankets under and over us through which the cold keeps us quite restless the largest part of the night – but we hope to have better living after tomorrow as the family we have been boarding with are to have the house and we are soon expecting a much better one to occupy it and hope they may get here in time for gardening that we may have plenty of vegetables during the summer. For some several days past it has been quite cold here and during this winter we have had two snows here which is something quite unusual for to be seen in Texas – but we hope the winter is now pretty well over and expect to have very little more cold weather. I was quite glad to hear your meeting had resulted in doing so much good and still gladder to hear of Rodney’s having been among those who were converted and joined church and sincerely hope he may be one of those who hold out faithful to the end – I hope ours for the third Sunday in April may also result in doing great good here. But I must close for the present and will write again soon – give my love to all the family also to Mr. Hough and all his family and write me again soon as you can – as to the Christmas Gift it was no more than my duty to make it and made only for this reason – Write Soon – Your affectionate Son
John
Matthews |
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Dear Mother I received your letter of Sept. 9th on last Friday and was glad to hear from you again. It found us both very well though for several weeks before I had been about half the time sick with fevers. I have now had none for nearly two weeks, and as the weather is getting cooler hope I shall have no more sickness for some time to come; a few days last week was quite cool here and fire was very comfortable both morning and evening, while now it is just cool enough to be pleasant without any fire. I am glad to hear that Rodney has not yet been called away, and hope he may not be, as also to hear that Dot is still well and so far safe though exposed to so much danger; I hope he may not have the luck of getting into another Battle, but if he should, that he may escape as well as he did before – every mail day we are expecting to hear of another big fight at Washington and while I am anxious to hear of the success of our army again, I almost dread hearing the news, for fear that Dot or some of our friends may be among the killed or wounded. Jess had a letter from Mr. Evans the same day I received yours in which he says that camp life seems to agree with the Hillsboro boys and that Dot has fattened up very much on it. We are living tolerably well for war times such as these but would consider it pretty hard if times were good as they used to be. Have plenty of cornbread and beef with some sweet potatoes and butter and occasionally a chicken which is all we ever get and am thankful for it. As to coffee we have had none for months past and drink in the place of it a stuff made of sweet potatoes cut up in slices dried, and parched and made up like coffee – but it is mighty mean. One morning while sick I drank a cup of it that had liked to vomiked me to death. We have now a greater excitement here about the War than we have had at any time – since the commencement of it last Spring, everybody is expecting our coast to be attacked and large quantities of troops are being stationed in Galveston and all along the coast. Jess is a member of a company that is expecting to start to the coast in the week from now, to be stationed on the main land at the west end of Galveston Island, to keep any of the Lincolnites from landing there; when that company is gone men will be very scarce in this section; everybody that can leave home are going even to our Parson who is a member of an artillery company; I however do not think there is much danger of their coming away round here to attack us as I think they will have their hands full nearer home than Texas. Still it is well enough to be prepared for them if they should come. As to business for the last month or so it has been fully as good with us as ever it is at this season of the year notwithstanding we have not half as many goods as we generally have at this season, but we get no money at all for anything we sell, and cannot get any until the Blockade is done away with, so that the people can sell off some of their cotton and how soon this may be, is more than any of us can tell. I am afraid I will not be able to send you your usual supply this Christmas unless I should see some one going to Virginia from here which I think is very doubtful. So if you do not get some funds as soon as you may need them you will have to strain your credit untill I can see a chance to send you some, and you may feel sure of getting it the first chance I may have to send it to you. I would have sent you some by Mr. Evans had I have had any idea that matters were going to turn out as bad as they have been doing since. But still I hope I may be able to get you some yet in time to do you good. I have had to stop some half dozen times since beginning to write this letter and will now try and finish it before the mail gets here though it is almost time for it now. I hope I may receive Dot’s letter by it today as you said he had written to me, but have not received it yet. I shall also look for one from Kate in a short time and wish she would write oftener and let us know how Dot is getting along in the army and all the news as we feel more anxious than ever to hear from home during the war but get fewer letters than ever before. Tell her I am glad to hear that her boy is still safe and hope he may remain so during his term of service in the army. Our house is still vacant and used by nothing but the cattle and horses as a rubbing place to ease their mosquito bites. I am afraid there is a poor chance of having it occupied unless I get a housekeeper and go to living in it and this I dont like to do untill the war is over, and fear before that time the stock will have fences and everything else torn to pieces – So I hardly know what to do with it. But I must close as it is mail time. I have written in a big hurry and hope you may be able to make it out by spelling and guessing – give my love to Kate and Rodney and Dot when you see him, also to Mr. Evans and all our friends – Write again soon and tell Kate to write to us oftener. Your affectionate Son
John
Matthews |
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Dear Brother I believe I have never written to you since I have been in the Army not because I have had no desire to do so but because my situation has been so unfavorable to letter writing that – it has almost – been impossible. The Regiment to which I belong (8 Va) is now encamped near Centerville since it was first organized and mustered in to Service (which was on the 25th of April ). It has been at almost every Ford and point of the Potomac between Alexandria and Harpers Ferry, we have encamped at 14 different places and have been seen from one place to another so much that the citizens along the River call us the flying Infantry during this time we have engaged in two very severe fights the first at Manasa in which the regt. sustained a heavy loss in our company alone, there was 15 men wounded two of them died instantly, two of the others died shortly after and several of the remaining ones were so disabled as to never again be fit for the service. Just three months from the time of the Manasa fight being the 21st of October our regiment then encamped at Leesburg about 2 o’clock in the morning we were ordered to strike tents, pack up and send our baggage wagons back to Alde, we were then ordered down within about 2 miles of the river, we were there drawn up in line of battle. Our Colonel at the head of the line who is about as brave a man as the Yankees advance very cautiously toward our line. We were ordered to lie down, when they got within about 100 yards of us we opened upon them. They returned fire, we fought them from that time untill dark when they surrendered and fell back to the river at one time we charged on their batteries and got about 1000 stand of arms, we all supplied ourselves with overcoats and oilcloths and other articles of clothing which were found in abundance in the field. I got three letters out of a dead Yankee’s pocket, his pocket knife and pencil. About six weeks ago we were ordered to Centerville since that time we have been encamped where we are at present. We had orders to build ourselves Cointer Quarters which most of us have done – they were built of logs 12 x 14, just high enough for us to stand up in and covered over with pine tops and dirt – My bed is the soft side of a plank but to make it a little more comfortable I have kut some pine tops and spread over it – the Government furnishes us with a blanket but as that did not keep me very warm of a cold night – I sent home and got a bed quilt and manage to get along very well – it is impossible to get any straw to sleep on here as there is I suppose about 10,000 men almost in sight of us and all the straw within ten miles of the place has been used up. We do not get much time to idle away, we have various kinds of duty to perform such as working on the fortifications, working the Reeds standing guard drilling and besides this every 14 days we have to go out on picket duty and stay on the outposts for four days which is sometimes a dangerous business. We are stationed on our posts where we have to stand for 12 hours and not allowed to have any fire we are then relieved by another squad. Three men stand on each post – the cavalry always go out in front of us and skout through the country – they are sometimes drove in by the yankeys and they frequently succeed in capturing prisoners. They brought in two prisoners yesterday since we have been here there has been at least a thousand diferent reports about the yankeys advancing but they have so far been unfounded and I only hope they may keep back untill my time is out which will be on the 25th of next April for I do not feel the least like going in to another fight – I have saw enough of a soldier’s life to know that there is nothing desirable in it. I am fully satisfied and when my time is out, I do not think I shall volunteer again if there is any Honourable way of getting out of it. I have not heard from home for some time. I do not expect to get home again before next spring. Give my best respects to Mrs. Matthews and the baby and also to Jess and tell him to write to me soon – you must write to me again soon if you get this and I am in hopes we may be able to get letters regularly for time to come. If I find they go straight, I will then send you some letters. Gen. Lee’s Army is in Grany and Culpepper County, the old 8th Reg. is filled up with conscripts and I am going to get out of it if I can. Affectionately your Bro Jonathan Matthews I will try and write to him as soon as I can. I expect he is now in the army as he belongs to a company and I saw in yesterdays paper that your governor was calling out the militia. You must write to me soon as you can, direct your letter to Hillsboro and they can send it to me, let me know how the business is prospering these war times, if you want me out there after the 25th of next April I will come. Affectionately your Brother Jonathan P. S. There was a fight a few days ago the Yankees got rather the best of us, it was only a skirmish fight. We had about 150 men disabled, 30 was brought in, also we have not heard the Yankey’s loss.
Yours –
J. M. |
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November 27th 1863 Dear Brother About eight days ago I received a letter from you written Sept. 20th in which you stated you would send it by a Mr. Rose of Houston, it was mailed to me somewhere in the State of Mississippi. You requested me in it to send you an answer by the courrier but as it came to me through the mails from Miss. and I knew nothing of the courrier that brought it across the River, I concluded to start a letter to you by the mails hoping you might receive it and accordingly started you one on the 20th of November. I have today received another letter from you written Oct. 30th. It also came by mail, but there is a card pasted on the back of the envelope headed “Forwarded by E. H. Cushing” and below he gives directions to forward our letters to Dr. Gilbert in Alexandria or Dr. C. M. S. Gayle in Shreveport. I do not know what state either place is in but I shall try and find out and if they are on this side of the River, I will send this by the directions hoping it may find its way to you. I will give you about the same news in this as I did in the other, and it may be that through them both you will get it. We are now camped near Drury’s Bluff about 10 miles below Richmond on the James River. We were sent here about the 1st of Sept. and will probably remain here during the winter. Our division (Gen. Picketts’) was so badly used up in Pennsylvania that they assigned it here in order that we might rest and recruit up this being a place where there is nothing to do but watch the Yankey gun boats on the James, and that is a light task. I was not with the army in the Pennsylvania campaign. I was left at Petersburg in the hospital and it was well for me for our division was in the hottest of the fight at Gettysburg and suffered terrible. Our company (A) went in with 18 musketts and out of that number we had six killed on the field, three wounded and six of the others taken prisoners, only three out of the company making their escape. I will give you some of the names, perhaps you will remember them. The names of the killed were as follows: Capt. Bissell, formerly of Maryland; William Leslie, son of Joseph Leslie in Hillsboro; Townsen James, from Smyersville; Jacob Shreyley, from Hamilton; A. F. Rollens, Leesburg; and Henry Rabes, Neersville. Samuel Leslie, our first Lt. was wounded and taken prisoner. Oscar Beans was taken prisoner. Decatur Osborn also and others you do not know. Our prisoners are still in the hand of the Yankeys. I have not been home since you last heard from me, but I hear from them almost every week. They are all getting along finely. Kate and her husband (Moore) are living with Mother. I do not know why he quit his mill so soon but presume the Yankeys drove him away. White Batalion to which Rodney belongs has been staying in Loudon ever since our army came out of Penn. Untill within a few weeks past they were ordered out to join their brigade (Rossens) in Culpepper County. Rodney was at home every few days until they left. I frequently get letters from him. He is getting along finely. He is much larger and I expect stouter than any brother he has, soldiering agrees with him finely; their company run into the Yankeys several times while in Loudon, in one skirmish near Waterford his captain, Richard B. Grubb was killed, but they drove the Yanks back and succeeded in getting his body; one of William Grubbs’ sons was killed at the same time John Hamerly was badly wounded, but is recovering. It was thought he would not live. I believe there has been no more hurt in the Batalion that you know except Tom Spates. He was wounded slightly in the leg. I saw B. Hough a short time ago. He is strong for southern rights and when the Yanks get too thick for him he comes out south, he mostly stays about Lynchburg and Charlottesville and sometimes speculates a little in Tobacco in order to make expenses. T. R. Clendenny is generally with him but when I last saw him, he talks of joining White’s Batalion as he expected they would conscript him. B. Hough told me that. P. C. Evans was still in Loudoun, he is not engaged in anything, everything about Hillsboro is going on after the old stile. Wm. Matthews and James Torreyson are both at work at their trades and when our men get too thick for them, they go across the River. They both believe in Union. Tell Jess for me that Miss Mollie Jane is still single but shant be long after this war is over if I can have my way about it. There is, I suppose, an army of between 40 and 40,000 men around this place. We are not allowed any privileges whatever. We are not allowed to go out of sound of the drum without a written pass from our captain. They will not give a pass to anyone to go home even if he is sick. Several of our men have been sick since we have been here. Their parents have come after them (from Loudoun). They would not let them go home but sent them off to Richmond. The pickets that surround the army have instructions to allow no one to pass out unless he has a pass signed either by General Bouregard or Johnson since they have caused a great dissatisfaction, especially in the regements of the surrounding counties and there is a great many that declare they will never volunteer again. There has been several men shot for not obeying orders. I saw them shoot two men last week; they were from the Louisiana Volanteers, both From New Orleans. It was a solemn sight. They were marched out, knelt down, were tied to a stake and 12 guns aimed at the hearts of each of them. Give my love to Jess tell him to excuse me for not writing to him. The Yankeys in Loudoun have been doing some damage; they have burnt John Thompson’s house and barn and Robert L. Wright’s barn. Wright has come deranged. They have taken B. Hough’s horses several times. Albert Newton sends his respects to Jess. I will try and get you a letter from him by the time I write again. Your Bro
Jon
Matthews |
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