Greenville Miss April 16^th 1863

 

My Dear Wife Emelia and Brother C.B.C.

                        I promised you in my last that I would write you a long letter and tell you all about our march &c. but I am afraid I shall fail. We landed earley on the morning of the 5^th and marched about 6 or 7 miles. we passed through as fine a countrey as I have seen since I came South and saw many large plantations with fine dwellings (For this countrey) for the land lords and long rows of lowley cabins for Gods dispised poor (I just heard a noise at the door and on looking out I saw 100 or more slaves that had just come in from the countrey of all sizes ages and colors. I wish you could have seen them though my eyes filled with tears to think how wicked the nation is and how slow it is growing beter They will suffer much but I hope the great God will look after them if our rulers do not. But I am geting to fast) At most of the places we found the overseer and the women and sometimes the masters, but on many we onley found the poor down troden much abused slaves. (My Wife and brother you think you are abolishionists but you dont know much about it. I wish you could see the dam Institution just as I have, no I do not either for there is nothing about it pleasant to think of, but I wish you could / hear me talk. I talk loud and swear and shed tears but I have to do it mostley to myself. Friend C you wrote me in your letter of Mar 15^th that if we could change places I could write powerful to you, for I had been baptised in the Slough of Slavery but I had onley been sprinkled then, now I have been emersed. I thought I was an abolishionist before I came South, but as you say the people at the North are doomed and dammed and will be eternaly dammed because they do not know and do not wish to know any thing about slavery. Tom Williams lies when he says I am not an abolishionist for I never was one till now, but I am getting fast again) The slaves all flocked to see us as we passed and wer much pleased that we had come, and one old lady blessed and prayed for us as loud as she could, and I am sorry to say that many of our men insulted and laughed at them and would give them no encouragement to go with us (How few true men we have in the world) One fine looking young fellow asked me when we wer comeing to take them all away I did not know what to tell him but said it would all be right sometime. Many of them followed us on the way out, but comeing back they came in by hundreds. The 2^d day we marched 15 or 16 miles and the 3^d about the same We found plenty of corn meat beans sugar molases &c. but they seemed to be short of salt coffee tea and all the little fixings but we can never starve them out for they have plenty of the substantials, but if they will take every thing / from them slaves and all, we can whip them in time. We wer after a band of Rebs (and provisions) commanded by one Furgeson got up to protect the planters along Deer Creek but he never stoped to protect but was carefull to keep out of our way. some of his band laid back in the woods and would come out and pick up straglers that wer worn out and fell behind We lost a number in that way. We chased them as hard as we could and came prety near them the 3^d day. we wer drawn up in line of battle and our artilery gave them a few rounds and the Negroes say we hit some of them, but we wer tiered and foot sore and they wer mostley mounted and we camped for the night on a fine plantation. We found plenty of sugar molases and bacon and we killed all the sheep hogs and cattle we could eat going and comeing and some more. We started back earley on the 4^th day and we left nothing behind us in the shape of grain mills or coton ginns of any kind and took all the animals we could get. Dick caught a mule so I rode a little the last day. The guerilas folowed us as close as they could dared to pick up straglers and our Artilery got a few shots at them the last day. We got milk honey & butter and lived well and the expedition done a great deal of good and we could have had them whiped if we had begun in this way. The day I wrote you my last Crozier went down to our old camp at Youngs Point and brought up our good things letters &c from home, every thing came safe in my box but the pickles. they broke open and injured / the cake some but every thing elce was safe. I got the money and Wendals picture all right I should not have known him he looks so fat and his hair is so long I never would cut it. How much I would give to take you all in my arms it will be the hapiest day of my life if I live to do it. You wonder if I wish to be with you as much as you with me. yes Emelia I never wished to be with you as much as now and I never will leave you again. you need me more than ever now Mr C. is going to leave. I shall worey about you but I must get along as cheerful as I can and you must look on the bright side and have hope I shall go to you when the right time comes I dont know what to say to you about selling the stock I should think as it will not cost anything to keep them this summer you had better keep it unless you need money if you do sell whatever you think best of course. I should rather you would sell the buggy than the colts but I dont know what it is worth ask Oliver what he thinks about it. Write me what Mrs Wallace will give for it. Have you found the red heifer yet. I have much more to write but I am obliged to go on duty. I will write all about John Schuyler in my next

 

About the sword dont do any thing about it if you have to pay much yourself I have one that will do but if my friends see fit to give me one I should think much of it. I understand they can be bought cheap in Chicago. Dont let Mr C. see this letter but you can read him most of it. Give my fond regards to all

 

Ever your own true husband

George

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