Greenville N.C. Decr 28th 1863
Dear Brother
The reciept of yours of the 13th inst is acknowledged, and though I deeply regret to learn that you are on your croutches, it affords me great - yes unspeakable pleasure to know that you are alive and at home, for I entertained for several weeks after the Battle of Gettysburg very serious fears that you was dead, "You say your Fourlough expires the 29th inst, and to know what I think you had better do" I presume you are on your parole of honor, and not exchanged, if that is the case, make yourself easy, for we have nothing at all to do with you, you are under the control of the officer who has charge of the paroled prisoners and if you were not to report back at all until you are exchanged you cannot be hurt, but still it is your Duty to go to some practiceing Physian (it is not necessary that he should be an army surgeon), Dr Stovall, Hairston, or Greer will do, and get a certificate and send a duplicate of it not to the Commander of this Co but to the man or surgeon who furloughed you. The Law provides that when a man Subject to Duty here goes home on furlough, and is not able to go to an army surgeon that he shall get a certificate from some practiceing Physian and send this certificate to an army seurgeon who assigns it , and he then sends it to the Commander of his Co, but in your case a certificate from a physian alone will do. in all cases you get Two certificates, keep one and forward the other. I recieved a letter from you some Two weeks ago which I answered from Kinston please let me know whether you recieved it or not, Our Regt has been Temporarily Detached from the Brigade and sent to this place, for reasons which has been stated in a letter to Sallie, This Section of country affords the most extensive Farms I ever saw, immense quanties of corn, potatoes, peas and cotton, considerable quanties of rice is also raised, But wheat is not raised at all and I see no orchards, Though we are living better and are better clad than we have ever been, I and Lt Ward are as comfortably situated as soldiers can expect to be, I am still in command of this Co and have been for nearly Four months, I am getting tired of it, and hope I will be relieved soon, Lieut Ward says he would be glad to see you but advises you to stay where you are until you are well, Many changes have taken place in the officers of this Brigade since you left, You have no doubt heard that Col. Hodges of the 14th, Col. Edmonds of the 38th and Col Owens of the 9th and Magruder of the 57th were all killed at Gettysburg, C.R. Fontaine is now Col of this Regt. he does not possess Magruders great interlectual endowments for the Trees of the Forrest do not all attain the same height, but the sweetest Fruit sometimes grow on Trees of the most Dimutive size, hardly a letter reaches camp but brings us Tidings of some new new contract the govarnment has made with some Body for carrying on the Taning Buisiness in all its various "Ramifications" and it would be a very natural conclusion to suppose that Jeff Davis intends for for all his Rebel Family, soldiers, men, women and children another year to be clad from head to foot in Leather Vestments, as I belong to the fighting Department I do not Bother myself much with the Legislative, but I wouldnt be suprised if Some of Jeffs Taners would do more good making corn than they would pulling hair. I am glad to hear that A.B. Ross is going into Buisiness at your Tanyard, for I think it will be a benefit to Sallie, I shall always hold myself under very many obligations to you for your kind and generous treatment to Sallie, and if I survive the awful conflict in which I am engaged I hope to be able to make you a suitable return for it, I do not wish her to be any expense to you whatever for unreasonable as the prices of every thing is my wages will enable me to support her, if I ever get home again, I shall be out of Debt, and with Gods blessing I think I could take Sallie and my mischieveous Brat back to the Knob, and spend the residue of my life hapily, if I perish in this conflict it will only be one more humble soldier sacrificed in a cause which he honestly believed to be just , and in that ___ I leave but one request with you and that is, to help Sallie to Educate Jule, for without that advantage men and women have but a poor chance On the evening after the Battle of Gettysburg I suffered not only from my wounds, but my fears of your fall (which circumstances seemed to justify) made my condition still worse, I heard nothing from you until next morning, when I was informed by Mr. Davis that Mr Feazle saw you fall Dead on the field, I met with Feazle in Winchester and he Told me that he had no recollection of seeing you on the field at all. This gave me Some relief. The first reliable information I had from you was your letter to your Father of the 19th of July I answered it from The White Sulphur I think ____ have said you recieved it please let me know when, I would also be glad to know where you last saw me on the field, for I know we was only a few steps apart when I recieved my first wound (insert)That was the last time I saw you (uninsert) I would also like to know where you last saw Ike & Capt Smith, It would afford me some pleasure to know whether you was kept at Gettysburg during your captivity, and by what route you came to Richmond So to political affairs I am entirely ignorant____________________hear nothing that transpires out side of Camp. I still have the most undiminished confidence both in the justice of our cause, and its final triumph, indeed I am satisfied if the Southern people remain true to themselves the time of their deliverance is near at hand I will just merely say that there has been a great deal more said about the Disloyalty of North Carolina than is true, Tell Sally that I started her a letter _________not recieve another from me for some time not to be ___ as I am ordered to leave to morrow to take command of our advanced Pickett line 15 miles below here & near the Enemies Garison at Washington, I shall have no chance to write until I get back which will be about 10 Days
C. S. Prillaman
Camp Drury June 8th 1862
Dear Father
Your kind favor of the 1st of June was duly received on Thursday morning. You will find an account of our health in Sallie's letter. I was very much gratified to learn that you & Sallie had employed Mr. whitlock to finished our house. Get him at it as soon as possible.
You also desired me to inform you whether or not any moneys was Due my Lamented unkle Danl Prillaman. having been called out under the Laws of Virginia, and never having been assigned (or if assigned at all) only a few Days previous to his Death to the Confederate States it is quite clear that there is nothing Due him from the Confederacy. Several men have been discharged from the Regt in consequence of their being over thirty five years of age. They drew no pay only from the Time they came to camp until they was Discharged.
I think there is no doubt but what the State of Virginia will owe him, and either has or will make some provisions for paying the Malitia called out by its governor last march, but having Spent the most of my time Since I left home in an other state I am not able to say what provisions was made.
Mr. S. O. Smith informed me to Day that A. H. Turner desired me to inform him whether there is a necesity for his coming to this Regiment to get a Discharge. It is my opinion & I have had a conversation with a great many of the officers here who agree with me that he is exemp by the conscription Bill provided he can establish his age to be over thirty five & if he does not come back there is no penalty attached to the Bill by which he can be hurt, yet he would not be honorably Discharged. if he is not able to come here he can go to some Physian & get a certificate of his Physical Disability to come to Camp & then get a coppy of his Register and have his Father to appear before some Justice of the peace & make oath to it & forward these papers to me & I will see that Capt. Fountaine has his Discharge made out. It is now Dark and I must close this note. I have been Busy as a Bee all Day and have no time to write. you will get all the news __ I am in possession of in Two letter that I satrted to Sallie last Thursday
I Still remain
Your Son
Chris S. Prillaman
Camp near Druries Bluff aug 11th 1862
Dear Father
As Flem had written to you this week I did not expect to do So until the next, but if the weather is as hot in Franklin as it is here in Chesterfield, I supose you Spend a good portion of your time under the Wide Spread branches of your Mulberry and have as much time to read letters now as you will hereafter. passengers from Richmond, as well as the Richmond Papers inform us that on Saturday last an engagement took place at South West Mountain between "Stone Wall" Jackson and Pope, in which our arms are again Tryumphant. The yankees were driven Several miles from their position with a loss of 330 prisoners (privates) 29 commissioned officers, and the yankee Gen. Prince. When Pope took command of that part of the yankee army he issued a proclimation requireing his army to Subsist on the effects of the private citizens living in the country they overrun, in other words they were authorized to Steal and destroy what-ever they pleased. and in addition to this the yankee gen'l issued an order that when-ever a yankee was shot by what Pope is pleased to call "Bushwhackers" that an inocent citizen was arrested and held as a hostage until the offender was given up, and if not given up then the citizen is to be put to death. Jeff Davis pronounced this proclimation of Popes more brutal and inhuman than could be found among Savage and barbarians. under this proclimation many inocent families was Stript of evry thing they had to subscist on in the world, even to their houses which sheltered them from the pelting Storm. in order to protect those inocent people as far as posible from a fate So horrible, President Davis issued a counter proclimation calling on Pope to countermand his Order, and informing him that if it was not Speedily done all the officers captured by us belonging to his army would be dealt with as theives and murderers and not as prisoners of war. now we have in Richmond 29 of their commissioned officer and one of their Generals. Their fate is hard but just. after the Battle of Malvern Hill the yankees determined to make Pope Strong enough to repossess the Valley, and advance on Richmond by way of Gordonsville. The Confederates determined to make Jackson Strong enough to whip him. Maj Gen Ewel with 35 thousand men took up a position in front of Gordonsville, "Stone Wall" with 40 thousand took up his position on the rail road below. the yankee thought for a long time that he was here on James River. On last Saturday "Stone Wall" taught Pope, that killing, robing, Stealing, ravishing women &c was a game at which Two could play. Pope has fallen back Several miles and Jackson is advanceing on him from three different points, and a decisive Battle it is said will be fought this week. Great Revolutions like this call for great minds to manage them, and if we put forth the wrong men in the Start they will soon prove themselves unequal to the task, and the attention of the people will soon be directed to the propper ones. at the commenc(ement?) of this Great Struggle which has knocked "Big Men" Down and littles ones up, which has baffled all human wisdom, and run its own way, We thought our Lees, our Letchers, our Hunters & our Masons would be the propper ones to deliver us from the enemy, but the plain old fashioned and hitherto unknown Jackson Wright, Mahone &c are the men for the times now.
Augt 13th 2 days later
The Victory of Jackson on Saturday last is fuly confirmed, but all news from his command Since that time is either cut off or Suppressed, the morning Pappers reach us with-out a word of intelgence from him and the most painful anxieties are felt in this camp for the fate of that army, for great events destined to have a great bearing on the future of this war are certainly transpireing in that quarter at this time.
I See from the Richmond papers of this morning that the yankee government has determined on a Draft, and from an order issued by their Secetary of War the Northern States are informed that unless their quota of thre hundred thousand men are furnished by the 15 of this month, the necesary instructions will be given for calling them into camp by impressment. their policy is to call out 300,000 to serve during the war, and 300,000 to serve for nine months. What an army this will be !Oh Vengeance when will thy thirst for blood be satisfied, and !Oh Tyrant when will thy love of human Slaughter and the destruction of human happiness cease to be a pleasure? have we any Gideon, who will be able to select a Band of true and faithful followers who will go forth in the name, and cause, and Spirrit of liberty to deliver us from this mighty host . Yes I think there is, I believe the day of our deliverance will come, but before that day can ever dawn we have to pass through fire and blood for one of the bloodest campains know to history is about to be inaugurated, and if we would be free we must work for those who are to live after us, not for ourselves. I have not at any period of this war felt in a better fighting mood than I now do for I glory in being a soldier in the army of liberty, and forgiting evry pecuniary consideration on earth, I shall struggle on in what I believe to be a just and riteous cause until death gives me a release, or I witness the down fall of one of the Vilest, and most wicked Tryrant _______________
We also have (some new?) element of Strenth which we have not enjoyed before. Thirty thousand missourians have banded together and resolved to free their state and the Malitia have relsoved to resist Lincolns Draft. Morgan, Forest and other darring Partisans have nearly cut the Shackles off Kentucky. east Tennesee we find the Southern people united in a deterimanation to see the South Smoke in one general ruin rather than See the wicked policy of the yankee carried out.
I and Flem are both well
Show this letter to Sallie.
yours as ever,
C. S. Prillaman
Chimberazan Hospital Ricmond Va Nov the 18 1863
Dear Farther Mother Brothers & Sisters
I am once more on Surthren soil but after a long & Tyersome jirney. I left the City of Boltimore, Md on the 12th of this month and landed her last night, 9 Oclock P M my wound is Entily healed up But still I cant walk a step without my cruches my General health is very good I eat all that I can get I feeale like a Bird out of cage since I got out of the yankees hands although they Treated me very well. little did I think foure munts ago that I would ever write you againe from this side of the Potomac but providence Seeames To have smiled on me & I now have a hope of seeing you all againe I stade at Gettysburg Penn three mounts & 6 days the balance of the Time at the City of Baltimore if thare is a mortal on Earth that has past though firy Tryals I am he.. The yankees are organizeing a grate many negros & seeme to be loud for war I saw a grate many negro souldiers in Balt I am very anxious to hear from you all and still (mourn?) so to see you all they Tell me heare that I can get a furlough as soon as I can Travel which I hope wont be long. I hope you will ___ (my?) sons and let me no re how all my brothers are. I was very glad to learn that Christian got out of the battle of Gettysburg a live I have often thought of him & laft(scratched out) laughtto my self Remember me to all my friends & beleave that I want to see you all
as ever,
F. M. Prillaman
PS
John Bay is at Baltimore & Requested me to let his Farther no that he is doing well he has his left leg ampertated above the nee a grate many of my Co was kiled whose names I cant give now the neale boy is waiting for me now and I must close
FM Prillaman
PS Direct to Chimborazo Hospital 3rd Division Ward I Richmond Va
Rappahanic CH Va Aug the 20th 1863
Dear Farther
as a gentleman is going to Charlottsville this morning it affords me an opportunity once more of address you. on the 15th of the present month we left Richmond & have ben marching most of the time sine. I cant give you any nuse from Christiane for I have not seene or hearde from him in better than a weak. I am Derated to go with a Trane of waggons which goes behind the Troops Tell Salie the last time I saw Chris he was well & harty we have Drive the yankees on more than 30 miles before us we Run old Pope out of his Rest in his Shirte-tale & the Raine poreing on him. we taken $25,000 in gold & $75,000 in Tresure nots we have no male Routs heare But I learne from Souldiers Rite from the army that Jackson has got Popes hole army surrounded 7 tha will bee compeld to surrender this is the nuse in this Town I Dont (say?) that it is ____ the Traine of waggons that I am with Reaches for 5 miles just as clost to each other as tha can get I & _______ Ray liked to got kiled the other Day by Driving to clost whare tha was fighting a Bom came along Rite at us & kiled a Negro & five mules it kiled the Negro so Ded he Did not know what Don it it is sead that our Division was fighting at Salem yesterday I serpose we will cross the mountain into the Valley of Va to Day this is the Best Part of the cuntry that I war Ever in Every thing seamer plenty the yankees has had this parte of Va several monts & the siterzens war very glat to see us. tha have stoled most all the Negros from heare
I have much to wright But have not got tim to write it just as soon as thare is a male Rout from this cuntry you shal heare from me. there Bad written (lines?) Serves me well with my Best wishes for your welfare &c
FM Prillaman
I Recd Gabs letter of the 17 inst
I Dont know what to say to you about writeing to us for I know hare we will to morrow
PLEASE NOTE: I stopped updating the web page around 2001, but I've continued to work on my project. My family history is now in Word document format, with the goal of publishing it once I consider it to be as complete as I'm going to get it. While I'm greatly indebted to those who have assisted me in my research, I'm finding that the demands of everyday life don't allow me to consistently respond to email inquiries. So, I'm offering my most up-to-date volume for sale, at a price of $19. For those interested, it is at 118 pages right now, printed by a laser printer on 8.5x11 32-lb./98 brightness paper, and wire bound. The table of contents, revision history, and index are available at the following links. To order a copy, please email me at [email protected], and I'll send it within 3 days of payment. If you indicate the family line you are interested in, I'll send you a new bound copy if and when I update my research for that line. Thanks,
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