Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all
  • Cathey, Joseph, 1803-1874 (1)
  • Edmonston, Thomas Benton, 1842-1907 (7)
  • Osborne, Kezia Stradley (9)
  • Vance, Zebulon Baird, 1830-1894 (1)
  • Allanstand Cottage Industries (0)
  • Appalachian National Park Association (0)
  • Bennett, Kelly, 1890-1974 (0)
  • Berry, Walter (0)
  • Brasstown Carvers (0)
  • Cain, Doreyl Ammons (0)
  • Carver, George Washington, 1864?-1943 (0)
  • Champion Fibre Company (0)
  • Champion Paper and Fibre Company (0)
  • Cherokee Indian Fair Association (0)
  • Cherokee Language Program (0)
  • Crittenden, Lorraine (0)
  • Crowe, Amanda (0)
  • Ensley, A. L. (Abraham Lincoln), 1865-1948 (0)
  • Fromer, Irving Rhodes, 1913-1994 (0)
  • George Butz (BFS 1907) (0)
  • Goodrich, Frances Louisa (0)
  • Grant, George Alexander, 1891-1964 (0)
  • Heard, Marian Gladys (0)
  • Kephart, Calvin, 1883-1969 (0)
  • Kephart, Horace, 1862-1931 (0)
  • Kephart, Laura, 1862-1954 (0)
  • Laney, Gideon Thomas, 1889-1976 (0)
  • Masa, George, 1881-1933 (0)
  • McElhinney, William Julian, 1896-1953 (0)
  • Niggli, Josephina, 1910-1983 (0)
  • North Carolina Park Commission (0)
  • Owens, Samuel Robert, 1918-1995 (0)
  • Penland Weavers and Potters (0)
  • Rhodes, Judy (0)
  • Roberts, Vivienne (0)
  • Roth, Albert, 1890-1974 (0)
  • Schenck, Carl Alwin, 1868-1955 (0)
  • Sherrill's Photography Studio (0)
  • Smith, Edward Clark (0)
  • Southern Highland Handicraft Guild (0)
  • Southern Highlanders, Inc. (0)
  • Stalcup, Jesse Bryson (0)
  • Stearns, I. K. (0)
  • Thompson, James Edward, 1880-1976 (0)
  • United States. Indian Arts and Crafts Board (0)
  • USFS (0)
  • Weaver, Zebulon, 1872-1948 (0)
  • Western Carolina College (0)
  • Western Carolina Teachers College (0)
  • Western Carolina University (0)
  • Western Carolina University. Mountain Heritage Center (0)
  • Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892 (0)
  • Wilburn, Hiram Coleman, 1880-1967 (0)
  • Williams, Isadora (0)
  • Letters (correspondence) (162)
  • Manuscripts (documents) (3)
  • Transcripts (1)
  • Aerial Views (0)
  • Albums (books) (0)
  • Articles (0)
  • Artifacts (object Genre) (0)
  • Cards (information Artifacts) (0)
  • Clippings (information Artifacts) (0)
  • Crafts (art Genres) (0)
  • Depictions (visual Works) (0)
  • Design Drawings (0)
  • Drawings (visual Works) (0)
  • Envelopes (0)
  • Financial Records (0)
  • Fliers (printed Matter) (0)
  • Glass Plate Negatives (0)
  • Guidebooks (0)
  • Internegatives (0)
  • Interviews (0)
  • Land Surveys (0)
  • Maps (documents) (0)
  • Memorandums (0)
  • Minutes (administrative Records) (0)
  • Negatives (photographs) (0)
  • Newsletters (0)
  • Occupation Currency (0)
  • Paintings (visual Works) (0)
  • Pen And Ink Drawings (0)
  • Personal Narratives (0)
  • Photographs (0)
  • Poetry (0)
  • Portraits (0)
  • Postcards (0)
  • Programs (documents) (0)
  • Publications (documents) (0)
  • Questionnaires (0)
  • Scrapbooks (0)
  • Sheet Music (0)
  • Slides (photographs) (0)
  • Sound Recordings (0)
  • Specimens (0)
  • Speeches (documents) (0)
  • Text Messages (0)
  • Tintypes (photographs) (0)
  • Video Recordings (physical Artifacts) (0)
  • Vitreographs (0)
  • C.W. Slagle Collection (16)
  • Major Wiley Parris Civil War Letters (3)
  • McFee-Misemer Civil War Letters (34)
  • A.L. Ensley Collection (0)
  • Appalachian Industrial School Records (0)
  • Appalachian National Park Association Records (0)
  • Axley-Meroney Collection (0)
  • Bayard Wootten Photograph Collection (0)
  • Bethel Rural Community Organization Collection (0)
  • Blumer Collection (0)
  • Canton Area Historical Museum (0)
  • Carlos C. Campbell Collection (0)
  • Cataloochee History Project (0)
  • Cherokee Studies Collection (0)
  • Daisy Dame Photograph Album (0)
  • Daniel Boone VI Collection (0)
  • Doris Ulmann Photograph Collection (0)
  • Elizabeth H. Lasley Collection (0)
  • Elizabeth Woolworth Szold Fleharty Collection (0)
  • Frank Fry Collection (0)
  • George Masa Collection (0)
  • Gideon Laney Collection (0)
  • Hazel Scarborough Collection (0)
  • Hiram C. Wilburn Papers (0)
  • Historic Photographs Collection (0)
  • Horace Kephart Collection (0)
  • Humbard Collection (0)
  • Hunter and Weaver Families Collection (0)
  • I. D. Blumenthal Collection (0)
  • Isadora Williams Collection (0)
  • Jesse Bryson Stalcup Collection (0)
  • Jim Thompson Collection (0)
  • John B. Battle Collection (0)
  • John C. Campbell Folk School Records (0)
  • John Parris Collection (0)
  • Judaculla Rock project (0)
  • Kelly Bennett Collection (0)
  • Love Family Papers (0)
  • Map Collection (0)
  • Mountain Heritage Center Collection (0)
  • Norburn - Robertson - Thomson Families Collection (0)
  • Pauline Hood Collection (0)
  • Pre-Guild Collection (0)
  • Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Collection (0)
  • R.A. Romanes Collection (0)
  • Rosser H. Taylor Collection (0)
  • Samuel Robert Owens Collection (0)
  • Sara Madison Collection (0)
  • Sherrill Studio Photo Collection (0)
  • Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Collection (0)
  • Stories of Mountain Folk - Radio Programs (0)
  • The Reporter, Western Carolina University (0)
  • Venoy and Elizabeth Reed Collection (0)
  • WCU Gender and Sexuality Oral History Project (0)
  • WCU Mountain Heritage Center Oral Histories (0)
  • WCU Oral History Collection - Mountain People, Mountain Lives (0)
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection (0)
  • Western North Carolina Tomorrow Black Oral History Project (0)
  • William Williams Stringfield Collection (0)
  • Zebulon Weaver Collection (0)

William Bryant Carden to "Dear sir," October 6, 1861

  • wcu_civil_war-151.jpg
1 / 4
Item
  • In this letter of October 6, 1861 William Bryant Carden (16th Infantry Regiment) writes to an unknown "Dear sir" describing in detail recent battles around northwestern Virginia following the Battle of Cheat Mountain. He describes conditions of weather and diet and expresses his feelings about the war.
  • Pocahantus County V.A. Camp Lee oct 6th 1861 Dear sir I seat my self this morning to let you know that I am shering A Reasonable portion of health At this time I hope these few lines may come to hand And find you the same we are wating hear for A movement of some sort or nother our genrel has gone with the most of our army to assist Wise they have had sevrel fights sence our Army has gained the victory evry time they have killed and taken prisners large nos Jackson has whiped them out on cheat mountain we are kep hear on the Acount of sic[hole in page]s [sickness?] we are lisning for A call every day there was only 30 men in our company this morning Able for service our Redgment has done most All the service thats ben done in this Army it has went before all the time we was at Valley Mountain one month before we had Any help when we had our little fight we was in front and center 2 company flanked on the left while our company and the Buncom company flanked on the rite we was kept there 5 days the fire was kept up nearly all the time they fired on us with there cannons throwed Afew burns (?) they done no good we fought there picets 11 miles run them in to there trenches taken som[hole] [some?] provisins some of arms while we was engaged our officers was looking round And saw there condition Genrel Lee said he could take them with the loss of 1000 men but he said he would not give 500 men for Northwestern V.a so he called of his men And quit the drive. this country is well situated for wood And water though very coald we have plenty to eat such as flour Bacon pork and Beef sugar & coffee rice we have plenty of clothing we have had 2 suits of uniform & A good overcoat and can get more if we want them shoes is hard to get. I will tell you A little joke about 2 Irish. we had some Irish out on picet one of them went into A [_______ ? / hole] potato patch to get some potatos when he got there there was another they did not know but what they boath belonged to the same Army after they got ready to start our Irish said to the other what redgment do you belong too he said the 7th Indiannah faith and be Jasus and you are my prisner so they went at it after A long fist and skull fight he fetch him in and he is now at Richmond where we send All our prisners we Are now Blockading the road tom is overseeing A company of Irish he gits extry pay Crops is good in this country all the way we came though they rais but very little About hear we had A good sermond to day delivered by the Rev Wm Hicks for the first I have heard since I left home the text was this therfore be sober and watch unto prayer for the end of All things is at hand: the congragation give good attention we will have preaching from this time on. we have lost All hopes of peace. we dont expect piec untill we get it by the mouth of the cannon the malitia has all ben called out hear long ago we expect some hard fiting to do and if we do I hope we will whip the yankees every time that is what we came hear to do and if we dont do it we will be disappointed there is no doubt but this will A protracted war if it is them that comes first will fare the best we can be at home when others will have to take our place it is true it is harde that wives and husbands should be separated but it cannot be hape I often think of the time when I could be at home with my Dear wife and sweet little Baby it was more pleasure to me than every thing besides but I am deprived of that enjoyment now though I hope it will not be long tell I shall see them Agane whille I was writing it begane to rain and wet the paper I fear you cant read it I cannot tell where we will take up winter quarters yet if we get neer the railroad I will come home if not I will as soon as my time is out Larks boys is well as comman (?) Hem is in the hospittle though he is on the mend ____ [? Liege ?] is not able for duty Jackson and the yankees had Anther fight yesterday I have not heard how they made it we heard the fight they was fiting while I was writing this letter we have heard Wise and them fight sevral times I could tell you many things about the war if I had time but as I have not I must shortly come to A close [hole – I?] want you to write to me fail not give me all the news of the country then I will write to you give my best respects to will tell him I would be glad to see him but dont no when that time will come I send howdy to Ant Nance and you allso so I will close my scattered remarks Nothing More At present Remains yours & c Wm Beezley Wm B. Carden october 7th 1861
Object
  • In this letter of October 6, 1861 William Bryant Carden (16th Infantry Regiment) writes to an unknown "Dear sir" describing in detail recent battles around northwestern Virginia following the Battle of Cheat Mountain. He describes conditions of weather and diet and expresses his feelings about the war.
  • Pocahantus County V.A. Camp Lee oct 6th 1861 Dear sir I seat my self this morning to let you know that I am shering A Reasonable portion of health At this time I hope these few lines may come to hand And find you the same we are wating hear for A movement of some sort or nother our genrel has gone with the most of our army to assist Wise they have had sevrel fights sence our Army has gained the victory evry time they have killed and taken prisners large nos Jackson has whiped them out on cheat mountain we are kep hear on the Acount of sic[hole in page]s [sickness?] we are lisning for A call every day there was only 30 men in our company this morning Able for service our Redgment has done most All the service thats ben done in this Army it has went before all the time we was at Valley Mountain one month before we had Any help when we had our little fight we was in front and center 2 company flanked on the left while our company and the Buncom company flanked on the rite we was kept there 5 days the fire was kept up nearly all the time they fired on us with there cannons throwed Afew burns (?) they done no good we fought there picets 11 miles run them in to there trenches taken som[hole] [some?] provisins some of arms while we was engaged our officers was looking round And saw there condition Genrel Lee said he could take them with the loss of 1000 men but he said he would not give 500 men for Northwestern V.a so he called of his men And quit the drive. this country is well situated for wood And water though very coald we have plenty to eat such as flour Bacon pork and Beef sugar & coffee rice we have plenty of clothing we have had 2 suits of uniform & A good overcoat and can get more if we want them shoes is hard to get. I will tell you A little joke about 2 Irish. we had some Irish out on picet one of them went into A [_______ ? / hole] potato patch to get some potatos when he got there there was another they did not know but what they boath belonged to the same Army after they got ready to start our Irish said to the other what redgment do you belong too he said the 7th Indiannah faith and be Jasus and you are my prisner so they went at it after A long fist and skull fight he fetch him in and he is now at Richmond where we send All our prisners we Are now Blockading the road tom is overseeing A company of Irish he gits extry pay Crops is good in this country all the way we came though they rais but very little About hear we had A good sermond to day delivered by the Rev Wm Hicks for the first I have heard since I left home the text was this therfore be sober and watch unto prayer for the end of All things is at hand: the congragation give good attention we will have preaching from this time on. we have lost All hopes of peace. we dont expect piec untill we get it by the mouth of the cannon the malitia has all ben called out hear long ago we expect some hard fiting to do and if we do I hope we will whip the yankees every time that is what we came hear to do and if we dont do it we will be disappointed there is no doubt but this will A protracted war if it is them that comes first will fare the best we can be at home when others will have to take our place it is true it is harde that wives and husbands should be separated but it cannot be hape I often think of the time when I could be at home with my Dear wife and sweet little Baby it was more pleasure to me than every thing besides but I am deprived of that enjoyment now though I hope it will not be long tell I shall see them Agane whille I was writing it begane to rain and wet the paper I fear you cant read it I cannot tell where we will take up winter quarters yet if we get neer the railroad I will come home if not I will as soon as my time is out Larks boys is well as comman (?) Hem is in the hospittle though he is on the mend ____ [? Liege ?] is not able for duty Jackson and the yankees had Anther fight yesterday I have not heard how they made it we heard the fight they was fiting while I was writing this letter we have heard Wise and them fight sevral times I could tell you many things about the war if I had time but as I have not I must shortly come to A close [hole – I?] want you to write to me fail not give me all the news of the country then I will write to you give my best respects to will tell him I would be glad to see him but dont no when that time will come I send howdy to Ant Nance and you allso so I will close my scattered remarks Nothing More At present Remains yours & c Wm Beezley Wm B. Carden october 7th 1861