These letters are from my third great-grandfather, Jasper Guthery, to his wife Amelia Link
Guthery, and cover the period from June, 1862, to his death in January, 1863. He was a
private in Co. C, 7th Reg. FL Vols., in the Confederate Army, and dictated the letters
through friends as he was unable to read or write. The letters tell of a lonely soldier who
greatly misses his family. However, Jasper became sick with "congestive lung disease" and
died without ever seeing his family again. The final letter is from J. C. Thigpen to Amelia
regarding Jasper's death.
Debbie McLeod
The webaddress and e-mail address for Debbie Mcleod formerly annotated in
this page are no longre working so I (Laverne Tornow) removed them. If anyone has a
current e-mail or web address for Ms McLeod contact me
please. ( lhtornow@gmail.com ) Please use a subject line with the following: Guthrey
Letters Alachua County
Chattanooga Tenn 1862 June 9th
Der Wife
I received your letter that you and Eliza sent together to day I saw Brent to day he brout me
the letter and I was glad to see it but it was a nary b_ too short if it had of bin longe it
would of bin sweeter to me but I dont complain Also I was very glad to here that you was well
and the Children and that you had a good crop This leaves me well and John and J. C. Thigpin
is verry harty he ___ is fine and I hope that these few lines may arrive safe to hand and find
you and All the family well, is my prayers in the name of the farther, above, I way as much as
usal provisions are short but we get ennuf to make out and we are close to yankees in 2 miles
of them I ecspect we will have a fight shortly but we may not the pospect of pece is great the
opinion is that we will have peace shortly
love the Children for me I think that I will return shortly England and France is raising the
blockade and they said that they have ordered lincoln to stop fiteing J Pifer and all my
frinds that came with me is all well at this time we taken some yankees the other day and
fifteen hundred dollars worth of property nobody hurt in the little fite nothing more at
present I will close by my prayers assign my self your Efectionate until death good by my dear
wife Jas Guthery
J C Thigpin sends howdy to you and the children wishes you well
Chatahoochia River West Fla June 16th 1862
Dear wife
I havent Received a letter from you but once since I left Home I get no letters attol from you
Dear wife this leaves me in good Health thank god and I hope that these few lines may arrive
safe to hand and find you and my children well is my prayers in the name of our Lord we are
camped to knight on the River and will take the boat in the morning for Chatanuga Tennysee and
I want you not to take on about me for I think that I shall return again drive on and doo the
best you can and you must kiss the babie for me you must rite to me soon and let me no whether
you Received my bounty or not and write how your crop is doing give Billy and his family my
respects and tell him to remember me in his prayers the Chance is bad to nite and I must Close
by a short leter but its as Efectionate as if it was five times as longe your Efectionate
husband until death with the prayers in my Heart
tell farther and mother Johns wife that he is well and not to geve after him becose he is
going away he will return back with the help of god tell them to rite to the same place that
you doo as follows to the care of Col M.S. Perry 7th Regiment Fla vols Company B Chatanuga P O
Tennysee Excuse bad writing J C Thigpen held the paper on his nee and wrote this letter and he
send his Efectionate love to you and the Children
Jasper Guthery
Bom(?) County Loudon Tennissee July 28th 1862
Dear Wife
With much plesure I seat my self to write you a few lines in answer to your letter that I
received yesterday I was verry glad to here from Home and to here that you was all well this
leaves me well and I Hope that this will find you and all the Children well I havent much news
to write at this time though I will write all that I have worth your attention you must send
me a lock of the babies hair and one of Nanceys in your next letter be Shore to send it to me
tell farther that I was glad of that mesage that he sent to me it revived my feelings tell him
that I have the Same feelings for him and I remember myself with his wishes and desiers tell
James to write to me and to write Something to encourage poor Soldiers up that I want to here
from all of the people that is left bee hind me give them my respects and save all my love for
your Self John and William and Brient mose(?) is all well att this time we stay in the same
encampment Abraham is in the Hospital sick and has been there ever sence we have bin he has
the reumatism pains all of my molars is all well at this time John [ ] is complaining alitle
to day I think that the mumps is working on him there is a great many of the Regiment dead
since we got here John Turner died the other day and lots has died lately but you are not
aquinted with any of the rest of them Pitman is ded Robert Beckham is a fine man he ses you
must give his love to all the frends and the girls Joe and Jake is in the Hospital but they
are ond the mend at this time tell your Mother not to bee uneasey about them for they will be
well shortly I think I cant give you any satisfaction about the War for you no as much as we
doo about it but I hope it will end Soon I want you to write all the news nothing more at
present I will Close by asigning myself your loveing Husband until death good by may god help
us in our distress and trouble fare well dear wife god is our protiction we no in him to trust
there is no other that can Help us but god alone
Jasper Guthery
Boston Kentucky 1862 Aug 23rd
Dear Wife
I seat, Myself to write you afew lines to let you no that I am well at this time and I hope
that thouse lines may find you the Same and all the Children the Same I havent any thing new
to write ondly I am on the march now we left Home in time you must get James ___ and farther
to grind your cane for you I dont no wheather I will get Home in time or not if I dont get
them to doo it for you Joe and Jake is at Knoxville in the hospital but not dangersly sick
though I havent seen them in a month or better Bro John has had the measles and was weak and
when we started on the march we left him at the Hospital as we thought it best for him to Stay
there and be quiet being that he was weak tell farther and the family not to bee uneasy about
him as he is not dangersly sick at all tell farther that William was taken Sick on the march
and was left in the rod at Clinton Hospital Bryent and Abe is in good Health at present they
are withe us on the march tell all the people howdy for me and tell them that I want to see
them verry bad I want to see you all as bad as I can I must Close with my love to you and the
children your loveing husband until death
Jas Guthery
Dear Wife
I have one request to make of you which is this dont grieve after me and at every oppertunity
you may have take your bible and read to your Children and teach them to love god and lern
them not to Sin against god there is nothing more respectable than a religus family if I am at
Knoxville on 14th of this month to march in to Kentucky and we landed here yesterday we dont
stop longer than one or 2 days in aplace we are on the moove all the time continely on the rod
from one place to the other and when we will stope I dont no that is unknown to me I dont no
where we will go before we will get done with is I expect that we will bee on the moove til
the war is over and I dont no when that will bee nor I dont think that any body else dos
nobody but god noes about that Knoxville is the nearst Post office and that is sixty miles
from where are at this time and it will bee fother than that in a few dass longer if we keep
on the way we are going at this rate fiften and Twenty miles a day we go night and day both
and never stope at all the Chance is bad about writing Home we got an awful bad Chance we cant
get our leters of ondly by Chance the mail is on regular
[rest of letter lost]
Jasper Guthery
Newmarket Oct 7 1862
I take my pen in hand to rite you a few lines to let you now that I am well and hope these few
lines will find you and the childring well I am here in the Hospital living on lite diet and
dont epect to be here very long I think I will go to my Regiment before long I dont now
whether the Regiment has got to Knoxvill or not but if report be true it has left the gap and
gon to Knoxville I hope it has for I dont want to see the gap anymore when will this war cum
to an end sum times I think it will end this winter and sum times I dont now what to think of
it I do pray it will end soon so I can get home to see you all
I want James to get [letter torn] make a pare of shoes and send them by Brother John I want
them made prety hiquartered and so them and put a ro of tacks round them I havent herd from
John Thigpin sens the 27 of last month he was well then We have fine times here nuthing to do
but sit and look at one a nother and think of home we can look over towards home but cant go
yet but I hope the time is cuming when we will all get home R J Pecham is up and a bout and
doing prety well now
I think he will get a long now When you rite let me now if Mr McCraray went back thar when he
left her he did not now whether he would go to Flar or Caralina direct your letters to
Newmarket to the care of Dr Bently
Jasper Guthery
Knoxville 19th 1862
Dear wife
It is with the greatest pleasure that I seat my self to rite you afew lines to let you i am
just in tolerably health I am up and down have the fever sum times John Thigpen is at the gap
he was tolerably well when I left him I havent herd from him sens I left him The Regiment is
at the gap yet and I dont now what it is goin to do I here it is ordered here but dont now
whether it is so or not we here so much we dont now whether anything we her is so or not When
John cums back or Pery I want you to send me one pair of pants one pair of drawers and one
shirt, pair of gloves I want you to have one Thousand or Fifteen Hundred rales Split if you
can get them Mr Ben Becham ose me sum and try and get him to split them if you can and if he
cant do it get somebody els to do it dont pay over customary price if you can help it I want
the rails to fix the pens with and to build cow pens with next spring Ask Riley if it will do
to put my Cow pens on the east side in side of the field
I want you to rite to me how my Coalt is doing and the ___ how is the mair doing hav you got
hur fat how is your stock hogs doing are you raising any more I want you to tell Jimey if my
Bull is shot hav him altered and sel him for Beef hav him altered any how and sell him next
summer I want Jimey to take his axe and go to every corner of my land and put up a good ___
stake up before the woods is hunt of I want to now how much Corn you maid Make John a Shirt
and giv it to him I got one from him sens I started this letter and you need not sen me one
How many potatoes did you make I want to now how much shuggar and sirup you maid, I was
examined today but did not get a furlow and cant tell you when I can get home I will be a long
when the war ends if not be for I never hav any luck if I had not went to old Kentuck I mite a
got a furlow but they thin I can stand it a while longer
Give all of my people and yours my Compliment and tell them I want them to rite to me my Dear
wife take care of the childring and your self the best you can and dont grieve your self for
me, If Brother Abrims wife cum to you for five dollars let hur hav it and if you let hur hav
it rite to me I have loned him five for now and he will pay me ther I am goin to send you
Forty Dollars by Brother
John rite to when yo receives it in your next letter I got a letter from you a few days ago
dated the 9 of this month and I got one from you dated the 4 of this month Put your trust in
god and he will take care of you I must bring my letter to a close by saying I remain your
True Husband
Jasper Guthery
Dear Brother James Terel(?)
I will rite you a few lines too I want to here from you oftin and am glad to here from you any
time and want you to help my family a long when you can and I will pay you for it sum time
Jasper Guthery
Nov the 22 1862
Dear Wife
I brace my self with the opertuny of addressin you a few lines me in tarbul health I am in
beter health than I was when my brother left me I want you to rite to me how the Children is
geting along at school and tell them be smart and lern fast and I will by them a pocket knife
___ when I com hoam Dearest Dear wife I want you to kiss the baby for me in the Remembrance of
me and reed your Bible to the Children in the remembrance of me I will remember you in my
prar's all you give my best respect to father and mother to remember me in all thair prars and
giv brother James an family my lov and respct remember me in thair prars giv your mother and
father and family my love and complimits and all good giv Sister Christena ___ my lov and ___
coments all sow if it wood be her plesur to find the church and be with her husbin it would be
a plesure for me to here of ____ that Mr. ____ is in ____ good health Dear wife you doant know
how bad I want to see you and the Children for I surely about ___ som times until it sems like
it will all but melt my hart my prars is for you daily I doant know whether this will be my
chance for me to kom hoam or knot un til the war ends or for Robird(?) R. Before has trid ____
for a furlow and he failed to get it and the ___ som talk at how ___ hear in the papers and we
hear that the ___ ___ has give the oficers untill January to make peace and if the doant the
aint going hoam and will hav heard that our Ridgment is ordered to mobeal alibama good good by
I must come to a close by Remain your ____ husband
Jasper Guthry / D____ Guthry
Knoxville tenn 1862 Dec 21
Dear Wife
I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you no that I am well and I hope that these few
lines may find you and family the same I am with the Regt now and I am very hearty I weight
175 lbs Direct your letters to Knoxville Tenn I havent time to rite much George Sparkman is
going home in the morning we will send our letters by him you must rite often to me and let me
here from home as it is all the plesure that I see is when I here from home Dear wife I dont
no when I will get home you must take care of your Self and Children and start your plow as
soon as posable for annother crop Mr Phifer was improving when I saw him last nothing more at
present I will close for this time may god bless you
Jasper Guthery
THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN 13 DAYS BEFORE JASPER'S DEATH.
Morristown E. Tennessee Sunday Jan 3rd, 1863
My dear Wife
As I have some spair moments this morning and it is raining so as I can not be out of my Tent
I will imploy myself in addressing you a few lines to let you know where I am & how I am well
first and formost We are now at Morristown forty two miles above Knoxville on the Virginia
Rail Road we were ordered here because the Jay hawkers sliped across from the mountains and
burnt the bridge above this at Bristol and I expect we will remain here for some time as the
government is killing a great many hogs at this place and will need some one to guard it.
I am well and hearty as I ever was in my life and I hope you are the same. I have better hopes
of getting home now than I have ever had before, but I dont know when it will be but why I
think it will be long before we will all be at home is because there has been such great
battles fought lately and we have been victorious in all of them. we repulsed them last week
at Vicksburg with great slaughter to the yankees and at Murfreesboro last week Genl Bragg
whiped fifty thousand yankees and drove them back six miles their loss was fifteen Thousand
Killed & wounded and our loss five Thousand and the last news we got from there yesterday was
that Genl Morgan had got in behind the yankees and captured all their amunition and cut off
their retreat and it was thought very probable that Genl Bragg would take the whole yankee
army ____ -over. we all begin to think now that all the hard fighting is over with and the war
near its close god grant it may be so. You can tell Brother John where we are and you must
write to me and tell all about every body in the neighbourhood and the health generally
remember me to the children and give them my love and kiss the baby two or three times.
Remember me to all of our people and give them my kind regards. when you write to me tell me
where Mr Stokes is moveing to and if you need any advice about getting along with the crop you
must get James Terril or Billy Perry to show you how and give you direction. direct your
letters as before to Knoxville.
Ever your affectionate
Husband until death
Jasper Guthery
THIS IS A LETTER FROM J.C. THIGPEN TO AMELIA, AFTER HER HUSBAND JASPER'S DEATH.
Knoxville Tenn 1863 Feb 15th
Dear Sister
I received yours on yesterday and was glad to here from you and family this leaves me well
hopeing that thouse few lines may find you and family the Same I am very sorry that you have
to give up your husband you wrote to know who was with him when he died he was with the
Company at greenville James Zitnoe was the ondly one of our ___ that was there but he was
verry well attened too he was ___ verry well Dr Meceaa was with him his disease was congestion
of the lungs he was out of his sences when he died he left no request atal ondly he said that
he would like to bee at home to die with his family was all that he said he also said that he
was satisfied that he was going to heaven he lived a Christian life poor Jasper I miss him
very much Melia you must take it as easey as posable dont greive about your husband if you can
help it you can make a liveing I think you must not sufer your Self ___ ____ upon make your
Children obey you and respect you lern them to work and you can live like a ___ I have Sold
Some of the things and I will Send you the money Shortly Jasper had $125.00 whin he died you
must doo the best you can Sister you are left alone now in this world give my love to all the
Children I will Close for this time by requsting you to write