 |
 |
|
|
|
LETTERS FROM COLUMBIA COUNTY CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS The originals of the two following letters belong to Fletcher Smith, Jr. Conway, a relative of Newell McEachern, writer of the first letter. Both writers were members of Company G, 6th Arkansas Infantry, first known as Captain James P. Austin's Columbia Guards. Newell McEachern died of typhoid a few days after the date of his letter to Effie McEachern, his sister. H. B. Harris, writer of the second letter, continued with his company into Mississippi. The last word of him is a note in the muster roll of October, 1862, which says: "Left sick at Corinth in the country Apl 62." Members of the company mentioned by Harris, are further identifiable from muster rolls as James F. Abney (Jim), C. C. Brown, and John Glanton.  Pocahontas, Ark.
Effie I thought I would write to you this morning although I have not received a letter from any of you yet---Therefore it is with some reluctance that I write. There is [nothing] of importance to write. We are fixed up for house keeping here now. They are going to organize a Brigade, Capt. says when we leave here, that we will [have] Twenty thousand men. We are sixty miles from Bonneville, Missouri, where they had one fight. Five thousand men can [be] collected here now in a few days notice. It is thought to be certain now that we will [be] turned over to the Confederate Service. Then we will no longer be Arkansas troops And Hardee the author of Hardee's Tactics will be our General. But should we remain Arkansas troops, Yell the Brother of the Mexico Yell will be General. Our Brigade is intended to consist of Five Regiments of Infantry 2 of Cavalry 2 companies of Artillery, which will make quite a crowd together. One of Sentinels got scared at his post last night. He says a panther was passing around him. I reckon it was a wolf. No man passes the guard now. We are camped one and one half miles from Pocahontas now South. Our camp is called Camp Missouri. I have never been so well and hearty in all my life as I have been since I got over the spell I had before I got to Little Rock. I get heavier every day. If continue long I will weigh 180 and that is enough for any body to weigh. We will be sent into Missouri when [we] are moved. There are the prettiest Rivers here in the world. You can see the Fish swimming about in them. And Springs in abundance. Most of them though are lime. We are accustomed to lime water though now, so it does about as well as any. And I have to acknowledge that I never saw any rock before this last trip. Neither did I ever see Corn Country before either and the best of crops the farmers say. I think I will wait writing any more until I get letter from some of you. I have nothing more to write. Give my respects to all. Newell McEachern Camp Hardie Arks Miss S. S. Smith Dear Friend Your very welcome favor has been on hand some time and I gladly would have answered it ere this time, but I just returned day before yesterday from the Hospital at Pocahontas & all letters that came to the Regiment are sent out in a package & then distributed to their owners. You may rest assured that it always affords me the greatest of pleasure to hear from home, & especially when it is a letter from one of the Girls, but with the exception of you & Mrs. Williams the Girls have all failed to answer my letters (especially Bettie & Carry) I have written to no others especially, though I included all in general letters. You said in your letter you wanted to know how the boys died. I thought we had written sufficiently on that subject but will gain [tell] all the best I can. J. A. McEachern died of Typhoid fever and never talked any thing about dying as he believed until the last that he was going to get well, & and as for Davie I think he was sensible when he was first taken he would die for he told Jack Glanton he did not think the Dr would do him any good, nor was his physical strength sufficient to restore him & if he got well it would only be through the hand of providence but did not seem to be excited at no time during his sickness & as for Newel he died of the same fever of Garrison (what the Dr now terms the camp fever) tell Mrs. McEachern I was setting by Newel about an hour before he died & he was quite nervous and had his hands down his sides under the cover & commenced patting his hand very fast. I said Newel be still and go to sleep, and he says Hardy this is too good a place to sleep, and wanted to know when I come. I told him I had been there some time, & he says & Davie aint he coming & I told him Davie had been here some time about that time Jack Clanton steped to the tent door & he says Jack he's come too he then says aint Les coming I told him Les had been there some time he says I am afraid Les feet will not get in & again remarked Hardy this too good a place to sleep and wanted to know what time he died to day I says Newel you never died you are not dead, he then asked me if he was just caught up to heaven, he talked and called me my name just as rational as he ever did. I never had much feeling before nor since. Wade was sick about 28 days with Typhoid and sleped pretty much all the time for three or four days before he died we could only rouse him up for a word or so at a time so he never said any thing about dying. He died the easiest I ever saw any person went off just like he was going to sleep. You wanted to know about the Yankeys I have not seen any but I know for certain they were abolitionists we taken them prisoners an sent them to Little Rock they were in a northern army and our men caught them out in a peach orchard you wanted to know if we got plenty of fruit we can get any amount of aples & now & then peaches and watermelons but this [is] no country for peaches and watermelons and when we get them we have to pay pretty high for them & there is so many of us together we are often deprived of things we could have obtained otherwise you say tell what sort of country Missouri is I was at the hospital at the time the company taken their trip up there but it is a mountainous country all through this section of country Les has been quite low but now getting better Jim Abney is very low with chills & fever Brown and Glanton are right feeble with colds J. T. Smith is rather unwell all the rest well except myself and I fear I will have to get a discharge and go back home yes there is Freeman has been sick for some time but is getting well George Dickson is also unwell Tell Mrs. Williams I will write to her soon I am too nervous to write lengthy tell any and every body to write and give my best respects to every body Jim not excepted & accept the same to yourself & manifest the reception of the same writing soon & long letter like your last H. B. Harris P S please excuse brevity |