Martinsburg July 29^th

 

Dear Brother

                        Your letter with Chesters and Fannies all came to hand in one day and right glad were we to receive them I agree with you on one point that is “that the Union must be sustained” but t’was Old Buchanons business to sustain it and And Jackson been in his place he would have done it, the South is determined to not live with the north and if she is subjucated this time the fire will brake out a gain the South is equal to the Federal Army in brave men good Generals arms that were brought under Buchanon, South, and they will run till they get the Federal army where they want them and then st[?] they have not so much money as the Federal army, and are not near so well/ provisioned, but they have the example of the Revolution when our fore fathers suffered so much and many a brave man will give his life for the South thinking he is in the right Homes and Tuck Conrod and Tate Harrison were just as sincere in giving there lives for the South as I should be if I gave mine for the Union it is distressing the way people are divided in thinking in this county you seldom see Union and secession people togather men or women and it even affects children so much that teachers cant teach school If we could afford to send Clinton to you to go to school we should do it for his time is just waisted here in fact I think we have all stayed as long in this state as we want to, but it is not best to move just now, but as we have not much what we have will last longer if we keep still than twill if we/ move about, and we are not afraid but what we shall have plenty to eat here for a year to come, for there is no railroad to take the produce out of the county, and the armies have left plenty for home consumption, the Federal army guarded the cornfields when they encamped near them and if they had to go through them went single file. You asked me if I did not engoy the celebration of the fourth of July? I must answer both yes and no. Part of Johnsons army was put at Snodgrass’s spring and I had not heard that the soldiers were going to celebrate the 4^th, and when I heard the cannon I thought Johnson’s army was bombarding the town, and the whole time the soldiers were here I have not been more frightened than I was for a few minutes, but the music that they gave us all day was perfectly delicious and you dont know how good it did and to hear yankee doodle once more/

 

Conrods boys probably would not have been killed if Homes had heard Col Allen give the order to retreet but he did not he was Sargent and he ralled his men Tuck heard Allen and was about to retreet when Holms told him to stand by him and he did, and they were both shot at once Holms through the heart and Tuck did not live five minutes the last act of Tate Harrisons fife was to prevent Aron Cline from bayoneting a man that he had shot and want dead just as he told him not to do it he said to Cline “Im shot” he died in a half hour young Frid Hathfriett son was shot in the side he fired five times, and part of a shell took his head off. they were all brought in at [?] and burried at once they could not open the coffins, a discourse was preach at four in the afternoon for Harrison and at six for the Conrod boys and they were both such as they deserved. Tuck had not been gone over two weeks, went while the Federal army was here got a pass from Paterson and Jopha Buchman took his uniform under her hoops, his father is a union man did not want Tuck to go and would not give him mony to go with but his Mother gave him money when she found he would go they were with that part of the army that won the battle I cant say with you Fannie, that I am glad that this has/ come in our time. I would much sooner have enjoyed the glorious old Union as it was before the war my life time, than to take the chances of its being as good as ever after the war is over Father is sanguin that it will be as good as ever and sometimes I feel so but at other times I think twill be more than one year of war and many prescious lives lost, for the good for nothing never get shot, at any rate the three best are taken from this town Father thinks he will come on the last of this August and can tell you better than I can write how matters are here he is not very well now he has had some thing of diereak for three weeks and he does not diet himself enough to get well the rest of us are well, Benja and myself are going to Harpers Ferry to morrow with B’s g and Grand ma they are going to Balt and/ we are going to bring the carrage back and stop at Hoberts all night if he is there now there are reports here that they expect to be attack at the ferry but we dont think there can be any truth in it or we should not go. I anticipate a good time if we dont come across any Virginians to press us into service and I guess we shant. I hope some of the bands will play while we are there that Massachusetts regement that you & Ches speak off in your letter had a splended band they encamped close to Mrs Fullers also three other rigements you know what a hospitable woman she is one morning she had twenty three to breakfast none went from her door hungry they have plenty to eat but it is this hard pilot bread and they get tired of it, but it is healthy and there is not so much sickness among them as among the other army. Let us hear from you soon for if the Southern army gets posesion here again the post office will be closed again I will put this in at the Ferry and you will get it sooner we think from Ches picture that he must be thin and his head looks like twas shaved and sandpapered as Dick Boys said about his own when he had it cut close

 

with my best love to all your affect    sister

                                                                        Harriet

 

[front margin] the mail is stoped here again so dont write till you here from us again

                                                                                                                        Aug 1^st—

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