Camp Near Camden Arkansas

October 16^th 1864

 

            Dear Wife I again after delaying to write to you for a week or two in hopes of having something of interest to write take my pen in hand to let you know how we are getting along up here now. I have not been very well for several days & not much sick not enough to report sick. I taken cold which has made me feel bad well I wrote to you at Monticello on the 30^th ult that evening we received orders to take up the line of march towards Camden & arrived there on the 6^th inst & stayed one day & went out to Camp Brag some 22 miles south of west of Camden there we expected to rest for a while but about the time we began to get fixed up a little we we were ordered back to this place (Camden) for the purpose of fortifying here we arrived here on the 14^th inst & have men at work on the fortifications now how long we will stay here I have no certain means of coming at Some think we will leave as soon as they get the works completed which perhaps will be in a week or two the Federals are not nigher than Little Rock that I know of. there are three Divisions here Walker's, Polignack's & Churchhill's camped close around camden. Our commissaries I think mostly come from off of Red River the country between here & Monticello is nearly a perfect waste & scarcely any thing raising Camden is nearly the head of navigation on the Washita & there has been a large amount of business down there it is not a very pretty location for a city it being to hilly but has some fine buildings in it & a considerable place to. we were under the painful necessity of witnessing the execution of another man yesterday, Captain Grimes belonging to Walker's Division was shot for persuading his men to desert down on Sicily Island in August there were over five thousand men witnessed the execution he was a brave man & would not allow himself to be blindfolded but set & never moved a muscle until he was struck by the balls when he fell over on his face & died / without a groan he was attended by two Clergymen who prayed with him twice on the ground. he was once a professor of religion but since he came in to the army like many others had backslidden until he had lost all hope & I understand that he expressed himself as having no hope up to the last. may God in his mercy grant that his sins may have been pardoned before he was summoned before that awful tribunal. O how dark and gloomy it must be for one to coolly face death without having made any preperation for the awful change. Oh may our Heavenly father grant that we may so live that when we come to press a dying pillow that we may look back on a life well spent and forward with a bright manifestation of the glory that shall be revealed in us that it may be so let me ask your prayers in my behalf that I may hold out faithful until the last & that we may soon meet together in peace again. as to war news I have not any of a late character the 12^th of last month is the latest news I have from you we are looking for our clothing wagon in now evry day I shall not know whether to look for clothing or not it looks like we are not going to get much from government. Well I have been to preaching once to day & it is about time to go again & as Capt Blythe starts out in the morning I must come to a close & I am afraid I will run short of paper before a great while but we are looking for our sutler in & he will fetch paper &c.

 

Give my love to Jess & family & tell them I would love to se them very much give my kindest regards to Mr Powel & family Ellen & Betty tell Eddy & Johny & Willie that I want to see them very much that they will be good & kind boys I know & will love each other it is useless to say I want to se you so except my love and prayers for your wellfare now and hereafter. from your afectionate husband

Tho. W. Johnson

 

Martha. E. Johnson  /

 

            Dearly beloved wife I had finished my letter but in the last hour I have received the clothing you sent me they came in good & I am a thousand times obliged to you for them they came in good time & place I think they are pretty & I know they are good. I almost hate to put them on here in the dirt & pine smoke but I can make out pretty well for a long time without any more. I will need socks before any other thing now I have two good pair that you sent me I had thought there would be some clothing issued to us but I think now that it will be very scarce. England came in this evening from Texas he said he passed all through your country but could never hear of Givens you spoke as though Jess was going to move back to Cook agained that I had not learned as some of your letters I have not gotten you wrote in one of your letters that he started up to get a place in the next that he had give it out and would move on the place you are living but let that be as it may I shall expect you to do as you think best as I cant be there to advise with you So do for the best as nigh as you know how & you have my approval & best wishes. as Mr Blythe is packing up his letters I must close your affectionate Husband

TWJohnson

 

[overleaf]

 

Mrs Martha E Johnson

Weston            Collin

County Texas

 

From TWJohnson Co (I)

31^st T.D.C.

SOURCES