Gregory^s Conner

Chesterfield County V^a

May 1^st            1865

 

My Dear Wife,

                                    I will try and write you a few lines to let you know of my whear-abouts. I was detailed with six men to go out into the country as a safe guard to a place called Gregory^s we are on the South side of the James and eleven miles from Richmond, and nine miles from our Reg^ts camp. so you see I am on my owne hook, that is I run the machine. our Quarters are what use to be a docters office. I have a bed with a mattrass on it to sleep on and all that we have to do is to keep any one from disturbing the neighbors but we are so far from any troops that we dont have any trubble only when the troops march through here and that is not very often. we have the Negros to cook for us (I tell ye) 

 

The man that owns this plantation is a Baptist minester. his name is Elder James Gregory. so yesterday evening he said that he would take me arround to the neighbors to see the girls. so he and his wife and I and his daughter took a walk and I tell you, we did see the Gals. I began to think that I was some-body. I ranked with them, as high as a Brigadier General, and the gals, oh lord, the F.F.Vs, it seemed as though thay could not entertain me well enough for I had to stop to supper with them, then go into the parlor and hear them play on the Pianno &c. we made two calls and come back one of the girls comming with us, so I had two to come home with. but I had not been home long before a little darkey boy come to me and said that Mr Graves wanted the Serg^t to come over to his house and spend the evening, but the girls said that I should not go unless thay went to. / "Mind you, thay knew that I was married. thats what made them cat-hall me around so, I suppose thay thought that thay could trust me."

 

            Well we went over to Mr Graves and spent the evening. he has got three bouncing fat girls. I had a very good time considering the stile. you see the people out here dont have the same ways that we "Yankeys" do, it is very hard to understand them thay use such expressions. I will give some of them we were all together last night, and Mrs Graves was not very well, and she said that she felt as though she was completly knocked up. "I smiled" but I found that it was a very common expression for them. I had a good mind to tell her that she did not look as though she was knocked up. The Elder calls his wife Old woman, and she calls him Old man, and forty other words thay use, that would make one laugh. 

 

I received two letters from you last Saturday, one of the 22^nd and one of the 23^rd but have not had a chance to write before now. And to day I sent a man into camp to get the mail for us and he got me a letter from you of the 26^th and one from Bezaleel and a paper from Frank S. Smith. I was right glad to hear from you. glad to hear that Elmer was getting along so well. tell him that Papa heard some-thing about coming home to day but he must not tell mama about it, for it may make her feel bad, to think that papa is coming home so soon to make her so much trubble, but never mind. if mama dont want him at home he will come back again, for this is a splendid place to live. I wish Ari that you and Elmer were out here and I was out of the service then I would say "Good-by" to New Hampshire for a while Ill bet. what do you think about it "hay". 

 

Tuesday Morning

May 2^nd

                        Then you think that Bezaleel will be a Brother in law of ours. well Bezie is a good steady fellow and if he and Hattie are agreed I dont know who should object to their comeing into the Union, that is, after thay take the othe of Allegiance as the law directs. I must write to Bez and if I dont give him ginger, then it will be because I cant write. How long ago did Hattie loose her heart. Mr Gregoreys daughter told me one day that she almost lost her heart when the Yankeys come here, and I said to her if she had, perhaps I could have found it. well said she, perhaps I could have stolen yours if you were not married. "what a shame" said she. I thought that she must want to get a man prety bad, "dont you".

 

Well Ari, I dont know what to write, for I am so far away from the Reg^t that I dont know what is going on any better then you do. My boys have gone out into the woods a gunning and I am left all alone in my office writing to you. the boys call me Provost Marshal General of Gregorys Cross Roads. I expect every day to see our Adjutant coming up to see me. I send him down some eggs and poultry once in a while so to keep him all right, "that is" so he will let me stop here as long as the Reg^t stops around Richmond. there is a good many holes in a skimmer, you know. I like here first-rate and so do the boys, and well thay might for thay dont have the least kind of a thing to do. The citzens think here that I am a wonderful childe. some of them told the boys about me going away over through the / woods about two miles all alone without my gun to see an old Lady. thay said that she felt quite easy now. she said that I told her to send for me if she had any disturbance and so I did tell her to send for me. that is what I am put here for.

 

There is lotts of Lees paroled soldiers about here. thay come here and see me and have a talk about the hard fights that we have been in, but thay say it is all over now, and thay are right glad that it is.

 

            There is a little million of little darkeys here. the boys have to drive them away some-times. thay bother them so, there is but three men servants left on this plantation thay all ran away after we come to Richmond. there use to be between forty and fifty.

 

                                                Then you think that you could trust me with a city full of pretty girls, "hay". / do you judge me by your-self. Well Ari to be honest about the matter I have not seen a woman that I would give a snap for since I left Boston, in any position do you believe that Ari. ("soft soap.") well Ari if you can make any sence of this letter you will do well for I fel as though I was compleetly knocked up.

 

                        I must stop this nonsence for it dont amount to shooks.

 

            Give my love to Father & Mother

 

and all the rest of the folks.

 

my love to your self and Elmer

 

            and write as often as you can, the same as I do,

 

I remain your

Most Obedient

Serveant

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton

Military Governor of Gregorey^s

Cross Roads

SOURCES