MMS 849 - Capt. William H. Hardman Correspondence

Captain William H. Hardman served with the 55th Georgia Regiment, Company I. These letters are addressed to his wife.

November 17, 1863

Johnson Island near Sandusky, Ohio
November 17, 1863

Dear Wife

I seat myself this morning to inform you that I am well & hardy. Truly hoping these few lines may reach you & find you & all the family in the enjoyment of all the comforts of a widow. I have not a word of interest to write. The weather remains warm for the season & damp. I rec'd a letter from my men the 10th inst. & they were all well. W. D. Bruell & G.W. Sweat have died since they was captured. My dear, I hope you will take my imprisonment like a soldier & content yourself the best you can give yourself. No uneasiness about me for I will do the best I can. Our fare will do to sustain life our quarters are very comfortable & I have clothes enough to last me until next spring & I want you to move & commence business as if I was there. Hire our old Montgomery negro & have all your plantation done up & your stables & everything that is needed. I would like to be with you and my children though it is out of my power at present. Capt. Charles Triggle* died here 6th Oct. Our command are generally in good health. Tell all my friends to pray for me--give them all my love, tell gr. L. Yancy to do the best he can for me. My dear, keep all the money for your own use until I am exchanged. Be of good cheer my dear wife. If you should wish to write to me oftener than I write to you, get some United States stamps & back your letters like the envelope I send you. Give my love to the children and negroes & share a husband's love for yourself. So farewell my dear.

Captain William Hardman

Co.I 55th Regt. Ga. Reg.

*[handwritten note by transcriber: "Could be C. M. Tuggle in Frohman's Book, Grave #2, d. Nov. 6, 1863 or one of 5 "unknown" who died that day, Graves 3-7"]

October 5, 1864

Johnson Island, Ohio
Oct. 5th 1864

Mrs. Mary E. Hardman

Dear wife, I am thankful to inform you that I am well & hardy. Hoping this will reach your lovely hands & find you & all. our family well & in the enjoyment 0f all earthly happiness. I am writing this morning under quite unpleasant feelings Fearing the request I am going to make of you will have the effect to disturb your happiness though I hope you will not cause it to give you any unhappy moments. I want a change of diet & I want you to send me a bbl. of flour & 1 bushel of potatoes, one half bu. of dried peaches. Carry the fruit & potatoes to Mrs. Moss & have them pact in his box. Have the barrel the flour is sent in well hooped & say to Mrs. Moss to have her box made very strong & if you have plenty of syrup send me a few gals. I wish to have you say to Mrs. Moss that Lt Solinas [?] have written to her this morning for 100 lb. of bacon & if they don't get his letter you will inform them to send them with my lot. We are in the same room & will divide if we are lucky enough to get the articles. My dear I wish you to get John of Mr. Glass in case of his absence to attend to the shipping of the provision & pay the confederate express to Richmond & I will pay the other here. Direct your box & barrel as you do my letters in care of Col. Ould at Richmond. My dear I will send you a power of Atty. to draw my money due me for my service & I hope you will draw it & use it as you think best. Write to Capt. M. J. Bearden for a certificate of the time I was last paid & then you will be all right. His address is Ashville N.C. Give him your address. Write to me when you recieve power of atty. and receipt. I received your letter of Sept. 9 giving me great satisfaction to hear from you & our little babes & if I never see all of you again I hope to meet you in heaven. I plenty of clothes & plenty of nourishment untill recently. Send those articles immediately. Tell Tommy he must write to me. Tell Charly I hope his sore leg is well. Say to my favorite as you call her to be a lady & don't forget her pa. Tell Montie to learn to sing for me & my love to John & family & all connections & Patty & husband. Love for you & the children. Goodbye.

William H. Hardman
Capt. Co. I.
55th Georgia

February 9, 1865

No. 5 (B19 m2)
Johnson Island Ohio
Feb. 9 1865

Mrs. Mary E. Hardman

My dear & loving wife I again write to you. This leaves me well & hope this may reach you & family & find you all well & in a better state of mind than you was on the 19th of Dec. 1864. It made me feel quite sad when I read your Sad Tale. I would like very well to know what caused your mind to be so much troubled that you would give the world to see me if it was not longer than one day. My dear there is much in this world for to sacrifice without making such a sacrifice for such a worthless rebel as I. You must not become discouraged or give up to grief. Never despond as long as you can feed and clothe our little family. If you should have all we possess taken away strive to make another rise. Never, no never, despond. God will bless us if we only humble ourselves. Remember what our forefathers and mothers have had to suffer in the days that have passed and ask yourself if you are as good or any better to suffer than they. Give all you possess on this earth and if necessary give yourself as a sacrifice for the sake of Christ. We are commanded to be humble and cheerful on all occasions and we are taught to serve God and trust in him for he will comfort and console us when all other prospects are vanished. Read your Bible and follow its precepts. It is the best guide for us all that we can get. My Dear, I wish you to go and see W. W. Clark and get him to use his influence at Richmond to get me a special exchange & I will satisfy him for all his trouble. I received a letter from you this week and one from George I. Yancy. Glad to hear from you both. Say to George I would have written to him ere this only I always included him as one of my family. I will write to him in a few days. I would be very glad to see you & all my little children & hear them call their pa & tell their sweet little Jokes & sing their pleasant songs.

My dear No. [number] your letters as you see at the top of this. That is the number I have written since Christmas and you will know by the number whether you get all my letters. Send me some stamps in every letter. My love to all the connection and a husband's love for yourself and children

Captain William H. Hardman
Goodbye dear M.E.H.