Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Kezia Stradley Osborne to Roland C. Osborne, February 3, 1862

  • wcu_civil_war-11.jpg
1 / 4
Item
  • In this letter of February 3, 1862, Kezia Stradley Osborne describes the military situation in western North Carolina and reports news of family and local people to her husband Roland C. Osborne.
  • February 3, 1862 Beaverdam Feb 3d 1862 My Dear Husband Something or other makes me feel very sad this evening. I hardly know what it is; perhaps it is because it is raining and dark; whenever it rains, I feel like I want to sit down by your side, by the fire, and lay my head in your lap, and talk to you; instead of writing I want a sweet kiss this evening so bad. I have been wanting one all day for I have felt bad. Somehow I have been dreading lest some evil was about to befall me; at least I felt that way until a little while ago. I went off by myself and tryed to cast my burden of real and imaginary cares upon the Lord and I felt that He would care for me. It seemed to me while I was on my knees I could all most hear the voice of my Heavenly Father saying It is I be not afraid. I will be with thee and bless thee and take care of thee. Only be still and know that I am God. I will try and trust my self and my Darling Husband and sweet boy to His care. I know that he will do right with me, however hard it may seem to me now. Thomas and Harriet and their children and Frances and Ruth and Feby have been here all day Feby is a Captain let me tell you a secret but you Must not tell it to anybody. Feby will have a little Playmate some of these days. Ain’t that funny? Our sweet Boy is not well today. He has not been for a good while past I do not know whether he is seriously sick or not. I am all Most afraid he is. He is so dull and does not care to suck Much. I have been giving him some teas. If does not get better I will get a Dr.’s advice. Monday Morning I did not get to write much yesterday, so I must finish in a hurry this morning as I have a chance to send to the office. I know you want to know what I am going to do about going to see you. I have received your letters of the 19th and 26th. I was so glad to get them. I guess I am as glad to get letters as you are and I know I want to see you so bad as you do me, only you I know you want to see your boy so bad I do wish you could see him, but Dear I am afraid to take him unless he gets better than he is now. I don’t think I can try to start for a few weeks any how; so you need not look for me by the 15th of Feb. Perhaps something may turn up before that time. May be you will get to come home. I think that would be the better way if you could get off for I am afraid I can’t go, but if you can’t come I think I will try to go for I do want to see you so bad. I had a letter from Sister Addie last week. She does not want me to go very much on account of the baby. I don’t think she will go. Her sister Lou is in a bad state of health. You must not be uneasy about the baby. You know I will do the best I can for him. Perhaps he will get better before long and then by that time you will know whether you will have to fight any or not. I think the Yankees will have to leave the southern climate before long I am afraid the climate will be to warm for you in the spring. Do try to take care of yourself Dear if you must stay there. Thomas is playing with his little girl. It is very fond him it makes me feel bad. My poor boy has no [Papa ?] to play with him or notice him anyway. The girls Are very fond of him. They think there never was such a baby I suppose you have heard of the Death of General Zollicoffer and of the defeat of his army. It was a sad loss to the South. It reported now that there has been another battle in Kentucky in which the South gained the victory. I expect you know more about these things than I do. I hope you get your paper [Papa?] now. I am sorry you have such a wicked mess. It must annoy you very badly. You must try to live [line?] them down. Perhaps they will quit playing and swearing before you when they find you want join them and that you don’t like to see and hear such. It seems to me that if the Confederate army is ever confede conquered it will be to punish them for their sins. It seems that they are getting worse and worse. But I guess the Northern army is as bad. But that does not excuse our men. [Heps?] had letter from [Lo?] last week. He had been in the hospital but was getting better. It is thought that their Regt will have hot work before long. [Lo?] says if there is any fighting to be done he wants to be in it. Brother John resigned his position as Lieutenant in the company he was in at first and sent home and raised a company for himself. He is the captain now. I think he is in Knoxville drilling his company. I have made you some pants and I don’t know how to get them to you. If I was sure you would get them I would send them by the stage. I would love go and take them but I am afraid you will need them before I can go. I could not get velvet to make strips for them but I did the best I could. We can hardly get any thing here now. I hope they will fit you. I cut them like your others and lined them in the seats and knees to save you patching What boys was it talking about [Heps ?] I guess it Jud Heren or Thad Hyatt . Ain’t I good at guessing if it was a right clever fellow and he will behave himself right nice and let them nasty black gals alone. I will let him leave her if the old folks are willing to it. Won’t you feel right funny asking the old Man for his gal again. You recollect you [gave ?] her up when you went off, and you will have to ask for her again. Will you do it running like you did before. I guess you want be so bashful again. I had like to have forgot to tell you that we had a little snow last night. It was the first this winter. It looked right strange. It has nearly all melted off. I think there will be more soon. Come up and hunt rabbits a while. You have hunted Yankees long enough. They are so wild you I think will never find them. Matt has been letting Rufus pull my paper out of my hands. I kissed him on both cheeks for Papa. I love his Papa and I want him to love him too. You ask if he can sit alone. Not quite. He can a little at a time and stands on his feet right strong. You ought to see him eat apples. He can eat a whole one scraped for him he will cry as soon as he sees one. There is a great revival going on at Hominy Church. Some 50 or 60 have joined the Church. I wish it would reach as far Locust Fields . I wonder if they will have Parham again. I hope they won’t. I don’t like to hear him and I know you don’t. I wish they could get a good preacher there. You must tell Uncle Judson not to have Parham elected for you want to join the church when you come home. That would be a happy time for me. We ought to right ourselves so we could raise our boy right. So thinks you Wife. Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell
Object
  • In this letter of February 3, 1862, Kezia Stradley Osborne describes the military situation in western North Carolina and reports news of family and local people to her husband Roland C. Osborne.
  • February 3, 1862 Beaverdam Feb 3d 1862 My Dear Husband Something or other makes me feel very sad this evening. I hardly know what it is; perhaps it is because it is raining and dark; whenever it rains, I feel like I want to sit down by your side, by the fire, and lay my head in your lap, and talk to you; instead of writing I want a sweet kiss this evening so bad. I have been wanting one all day for I have felt bad. Somehow I have been dreading lest some evil was about to befall me; at least I felt that way until a little while ago. I went off by myself and tryed to cast my burden of real and imaginary cares upon the Lord and I felt that He would care for me. It seemed to me while I was on my knees I could all most hear the voice of my Heavenly Father saying It is I be not afraid. I will be with thee and bless thee and take care of thee. Only be still and know that I am God. I will try and trust my self and my Darling Husband and sweet boy to His care. I know that he will do right with me, however hard it may seem to me now. Thomas and Harriet and their children and Frances and Ruth and Feby have been here all day Feby is a Captain let me tell you a secret but you Must not tell it to anybody. Feby will have a little Playmate some of these days. Ain’t that funny? Our sweet Boy is not well today. He has not been for a good while past I do not know whether he is seriously sick or not. I am all Most afraid he is. He is so dull and does not care to suck Much. I have been giving him some teas. If does not get better I will get a Dr.’s advice. Monday Morning I did not get to write much yesterday, so I must finish in a hurry this morning as I have a chance to send to the office. I know you want to know what I am going to do about going to see you. I have received your letters of the 19th and 26th. I was so glad to get them. I guess I am as glad to get letters as you are and I know I want to see you so bad as you do me, only you I know you want to see your boy so bad I do wish you could see him, but Dear I am afraid to take him unless he gets better than he is now. I don’t think I can try to start for a few weeks any how; so you need not look for me by the 15th of Feb. Perhaps something may turn up before that time. May be you will get to come home. I think that would be the better way if you could get off for I am afraid I can’t go, but if you can’t come I think I will try to go for I do want to see you so bad. I had a letter from Sister Addie last week. She does not want me to go very much on account of the baby. I don’t think she will go. Her sister Lou is in a bad state of health. You must not be uneasy about the baby. You know I will do the best I can for him. Perhaps he will get better before long and then by that time you will know whether you will have to fight any or not. I think the Yankees will have to leave the southern climate before long I am afraid the climate will be to warm for you in the spring. Do try to take care of yourself Dear if you must stay there. Thomas is playing with his little girl. It is very fond him it makes me feel bad. My poor boy has no [Papa ?] to play with him or notice him anyway. The girls Are very fond of him. They think there never was such a baby I suppose you have heard of the Death of General Zollicoffer and of the defeat of his army. It was a sad loss to the South. It reported now that there has been another battle in Kentucky in which the South gained the victory. I expect you know more about these things than I do. I hope you get your paper [Papa?] now. I am sorry you have such a wicked mess. It must annoy you very badly. You must try to live [line?] them down. Perhaps they will quit playing and swearing before you when they find you want join them and that you don’t like to see and hear such. It seems to me that if the Confederate army is ever confede conquered it will be to punish them for their sins. It seems that they are getting worse and worse. But I guess the Northern army is as bad. But that does not excuse our men. [Heps?] had letter from [Lo?] last week. He had been in the hospital but was getting better. It is thought that their Regt will have hot work before long. [Lo?] says if there is any fighting to be done he wants to be in it. Brother John resigned his position as Lieutenant in the company he was in at first and sent home and raised a company for himself. He is the captain now. I think he is in Knoxville drilling his company. I have made you some pants and I don’t know how to get them to you. If I was sure you would get them I would send them by the stage. I would love go and take them but I am afraid you will need them before I can go. I could not get velvet to make strips for them but I did the best I could. We can hardly get any thing here now. I hope they will fit you. I cut them like your others and lined them in the seats and knees to save you patching What boys was it talking about [Heps ?] I guess it Jud Heren or Thad Hyatt . Ain’t I good at guessing if it was a right clever fellow and he will behave himself right nice and let them nasty black gals alone. I will let him leave her if the old folks are willing to it. Won’t you feel right funny asking the old Man for his gal again. You recollect you [gave ?] her up when you went off, and you will have to ask for her again. Will you do it running like you did before. I guess you want be so bashful again. I had like to have forgot to tell you that we had a little snow last night. It was the first this winter. It looked right strange. It has nearly all melted off. I think there will be more soon. Come up and hunt rabbits a while. You have hunted Yankees long enough. They are so wild you I think will never find them. Matt has been letting Rufus pull my paper out of my hands. I kissed him on both cheeks for Papa. I love his Papa and I want him to love him too. You ask if he can sit alone. Not quite. He can a little at a time and stands on his feet right strong. You ought to see him eat apples. He can eat a whole one scraped for him he will cry as soon as he sees one. There is a great revival going on at Hominy Church. Some 50 or 60 have joined the Church. I wish it would reach as far Locust Fields . I wonder if they will have Parham again. I hope they won’t. I don’t like to hear him and I know you don’t. I wish they could get a good preacher there. You must tell Uncle Judson not to have Parham elected for you want to join the church when you come home. That would be a happy time for me. We ought to right ourselves so we could raise our boy right. So thinks you Wife. Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell