James Island S.C. July 4^th 1862

To—The Justices of the Superior Court of Randolph County Georgia

 

            Gentlemen,

                                    A short time since I was shown a communication from you to Capt Davis informing him that the Soldiers belonging to the Company that I had the honor of commanding when we left home and which he now commands were thereby notified that unless they would send home their bounty money their families would not be fed by the County.—I would have given this immediate attention but for arduous duty which prevented me; for I assure you, while reflecting of the members who compose that body and knowing how calm, clear and decisive they are, and how much indisposed they are, to do injustice to any one, that I was not only surprised but completely stuned to meet with such an order, emanating from such a source. Gentlemen I know you, and know that such an order could never have been passed by you without a misconception, or total forgetfulness of the circumstances under which we left our homes. Others asked and received money at your hands to make them comfortable in the field and have had their families well fed at home—but we asked, and received not a dollar at your hands, and coming off from our homes half clad and without a cent in our pockets, to Battle for our / Country, only beged that you would see that our wives and our children were cared for; which was promised us by individual members of your body, and yet not four months has passed over our heads when we are told we must send home our bounty or our families must starve. The larger part of that bounty has been expended in procuring an outfit to render them only sufficiently comfortable to enter the service, and the residue in nearly, if not quite, every instance has been already sent home to their families, and not having received anything else from either their County or their Country they are to day without scarcely a dollar in their pockets. They have been economical and frugal, and have not foolishly or wantonly spent their bounty. They are sober, steady, reflective men, and I ask Gentlemen is it right, is it just, that others should receive money at your hands and they none? is it right that the families of others should be fed for over twelve months and theirs cut short at four? And for what? Because others have abused / your favors by wantonly squandering your donations: If so, not with us, but with them let the fault rest. Give unto Cezar what is Cezars. Grant this our only request and see that the families of our poor suffer do not suffer. Although you have given others and have not given us, yet if it is necessary levy a tax upon the effects of us all, and we will willingly bear the burden here and share it at home; but let not those we love so dear suffer in our absence, for it is the reflection of them that renders our Country worth fighting for and nerves our arm when in the face of the foe: tis for them we would gladly live, and willingly die.—But Gentlemen I will not trouble you farther, having every confidence in your wisdom and justice upon reflection and investigation I am

 

                                                                                    Most Respectfully &c

                                                                                                Your Obt Servt.

                                                                                                            E Ball

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