#11

6 miles south Grand Junction, Tenn

November 18, 1862.

 

Dear Mother:

                        I received your letter to me, directed to Corinth, in due season, but as I wrote letters to Jerusha and Hiram I have deferred writing to you until the present time. This afternoon, having a few spare moments, I will try and write you a few words. As you will see from the date of my letter, I am still in the same place in which I was when I wrote to Hiram. We have been here now one week, doing picket duty much of the time. We have not been disturbed by the secesh, and judging from the reports of contrabands and deserters who have come into our lines, there are is probably no large force of the enemy nearer than the Tallahatchie River, which is about 14 miles south of Holly Springs. This would make / the main force of the enemy distant about 30 or 32 miles from us. The reports of a deserter who came in the other night on a post where I was standing guard, and of the numerous contrabands constantly flocking in agree to this point—that the enemy are fortifying at the point I have named, and that they will probably make no stand this side of there. How long it will be before we advance upon them it is impossible for me to say. It may be before you receive this.

 

            The country hereabouts is an excellent one to afford opportunities for forage. We have, too, an exceedingly cool way of doing things in that line. We march up to the plantation of some rich old secesh, drive our teams into his large corn fields, and load up, drive up all the eatable stock that we can find on his farm, appropriate whatever cotton he may have laying around baled up, and if he chances to / have any extra sweetening in the shape of sugar and molasses take it, and then give Mr. Reb. or his wife, if he chances to be absent in the army, a certificate that this property has been taken, which he has the comforting assurance of knowing will bring him his pay provided he can prove his loyalty. The other day I went out on a foraging party, and we took from one single plantation about $4000 worth of stuff, and not content with this, the next day another party was sent out who brought in some $2000 dollars worth of cotton from the same plantation, which we were unable to bring away. The owner of the plantation is a Major in the Rebel army. We were guided to the property by a contraband. Part of the property was hidden, and was to be conveyed off the next day to the secesh army, and had it not been for the timely information of the darkey, we should have obtained much of the property. 

 

Speaking of these contrabands, they still continue to come in in great numbers. The other night 17 came in at the one post at which I was on guard. They tell the same old story of tales told them by their masters of the cruel way in which the Yankees would treat them. One of the darkies seemed to me to take a very philosophical view of the matter. He said that his master told him the Yankees would work them very hard, and that finally when the war was over they would again be restored to their old masters; but he looked at the matter in this light: I have to work hard anyhow and it makes no difference whether I work for my master or for you, and I didn't believe you would hurt me anyhow, and "I thought I would come up and see you all." The slaves are being run off south as rapidly as possible, but many of them escape to us.

 

            Last evening I learned that preacher Fry of Marietta was to preach at Brigade Head Quarters, and I went over to hear him. I hear was disappointed both in the man who preached, and in not being able to get into the house. On the outside there was a negro prayer meeting, and I stopped awhile and listened. One darkey took the lead. He made a pretty good prayer; there was some singing, and then he made a few remarks. His manner of speaking was—I can say nothing less than—awful. One moment his voice would be a perfect yell; at the next he would speak scarcely above a whisper. He was very wandering in his remarks, but there was evident sincerity about him, and the burden of his talk was Jesus; come to Jesus. Very many of these negroes are religious, and although their manner of conducting services is rude there is probably as much sincere piety among them as among some more favored.

 

            I must close. Last night I received a letter from Jerusha. It was very welcome. Write often, and do not be alarmed if you do not hear frequently from me. I may be so situated that I cannot write, but I will be sure to do so when I can. There is one matter that I am almost ashamed to speak of. /

 

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I have used up all the postage stamps that you sent me except 2 or 3. I had contracted some debt previously to receiving the stamps and paid that, but I acknowledge that the temptations to purchase little things has been too great for me, and I have some times spent money foolishly. I do not wish you to send me more than 10 or 15 stamps, and I shall not then feel the same temptation to spend.

           

Give my love to all the friends

                                   

Your Son,

George

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