MS 997 - Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers Transcripts (July - December 1861)

July 22, 1861

Kanawha Valley
July 22 /61

Union Song - Norton and his men

Oh don't you hear the union boys
Its Norton and his men
They came from the north to Charleston
At hast beyond your ken

-Chorus-

With cries of popular Sovereignty
From Every hill and glen
Oh don't you hear the union boys
Its Norton and his men

Come young, come old come middle aged
Now all go hand in hand
From Mountains to Ocean tide
They join the Union band

-Chorus-

We all unite in this great fight
The union boys so true
We are going to clean old Charleston out
That little trick will do

-Chorus-

Now three times for little Jess
Lett shouts be loud and long
Along the line of Battlement
By music, speech, and song

-Chorus-

But it is the union cries
From Every hill and glen
O don't hear the union boys
Its Norton and his men

The End

Coppied By Sadie

Shades of evening close not oer us
Leave our lonely bark awhile
Morn alas will not restore us
Yonder din and distant Isle
Still my fancy can discover
Sunny spots where friends may dwell
Tis the Darker shadows round us hover
Isle of beauty fare thee well

Tis the hour when happy faces
Smile around the tapers light
Who will fill our vacant places
Who will sing our songs to night
Thro the mist that floats above us
Fainty sounds the vesper bell
Like a voise from those who love us
Breathing fondly fare thee well

When the waves are round us breaking
As I pase the deck alone
And my eye in vain is seeking
Some green leaf to work upon
What would I not give to wonder
Where my old companions dwell
Absence makes the heart grow warmer
Isle of beauty faire thee well

SVE [1861?]

Fragment

[letter fragment? - mid 1861]

well mis Elder I think that his is a bout time too let you know that I have knot quite forgotten you yet all though I thought that you would hear from me every wonce in a while there four I did knot write too you sooner & know I want you too write & let me know all a bout the things that is a going on there & all so a bout the weathere & whether Pappa & all of his boys is ar a getting a long & wheather Emma is a teaching school or knot. O yes there is a mamma I of course would like too know how she gets a long & tell her that I will write her that leter soon as we get in too camp but god onley nowes when we shal get in too camp soon or knot. I think knot on this side of the tennsee river and then we shal. Then I can write a leter too all that I promest there four I will close this leter at this time hopeing to hear from you soon. Write soon I still remain yours

J.H. Dicken

E. Elder

Here is a stamp or too take and use them if you can for I can't

October 15, 1861

Camp Nolin
October 15 / 61

I received your leter dated the 6 and it gave me much pleasure to think that you had not forgoten me yet. I thought that you had almost. I have not found any thing in that which did not interfere with my fealings at all although I hope that you can rely on what I wrote in the leter that you got from me before that I thought was as I ment in it it is not necessary to write it any more for if I do you might think that I was agoing to [illegible] you that is the last of my [illegible] I think of you at al times [illegible] The day of my travel [illegible] of that I and [illegible] has ben very sick for the last 8 or 10 days we have ben in the hospital all that time and on Sunday the 13th we cam to camp and feal as weak as a commen cat al though we think that in a few days we will be read for duty in a few days our disease was a very hard wone it was the flucks and Jesse was on water there at the hospitle my mind is so confused that I can not write hardly at all al though I will try to do the best I can. We had a meathodis for our gospele it was a fine brick church and we had a fine plase to sleepe there and when that was sead it was all sead. This is the first time that I eve complained yet and if we did not all most starve more than our disease and the disease was a very precaries wone we had nothing to eat onley a bout to spoon fools of rise a day for a weak or to or all the time that we was at the hospetle and thus you see that is is not the plase for the sick to be at. We ar encamt on the banks of the Olin River and it is a very nice place here and the country awround here looks fine here it don't look like ould Virginia at all. You wrote in your leter that it was very lonesome there I hope that it is not as lonesome there as it is here. I hope my dearest if I have wrote any thing that don't please you any write it to me so that thre wil be nothing to a wait your mind. Let me know it. That is all that I can write this time. Onley remember I remain your old sincere friend

J.H. Dicken
To Miss Sarh Elder
Direct your leter
Co K 49th regment
[illegible]
in care of Cap J.M. Patterson

write as soon as this comes to hand and send all the newes there that is all

December 13, 1861

At Home Dec 13th 1861

Dear Cousin

I arived safe at home Saturday, found all well and glad to see me, every thing loocks naturel, and good I have seene a grate meny of my oald friends, I was at Boons School, this mornig, and if you could have just seene the oald General, with all his dignaty, you would neve smile on eny body else, I am happy to say that my caulf is better, I got some medison in Bedfor and am in hopes I will be well sune, We have a protracted meeting, in Rainsburg now, Poor oald Mother sais She can never leave me go back again, but if I get well I entend to come, pleas excuse all mistakes, tell Bill I seene his brother thay are all well, Remember me to all my friends and boath pleas write sune, GW Cessna, Emma & Sade, Elder

Dec 14th I am just out of Bed - have bin worse, the Doc sais I have got the Despepsy show this to Sister Rachel and no one else,

December 23, 1861

Rainsburg Dec 23th 1861

Dear Cousins

I hav writen to you twise since I left Ohio I hav neve heard from you yet, can it be that I am forgoten by you all but I hope not but I can say that I will neve forget any of you for you kindnes to wardes me & the meny happy hours that I hav spet with you all will neve be forgotten no never, & I deary would lov to see you all, Thar has bin a grate meney changes sinc I last saw you all, I hav had

Mother Died Nov 21th 1860, Brother Morg went crasey and handed [hanged] himself last July. he left a wife & six children, I was apointen Administration of his estate Lilly Died Nov 14th 1861 with the Diptheria she suffered varey much we all mis her a grate deal as you know she was a lovely childe por Rache has freted her selfe sick but I hope she is better of she talkes vary sensiable till the varey last toled no not to fret after her I would often say she would love to see you all while sick asked them to rais her up in the bed then kissed them all and said she was dying & slipt a way

I am at home Will & I are farming the plase as I toled you Father is with us we hav the same Girle that has lived with them for Three years Jonathan is at Lacaster Colage, has bin for 3 monhts he is going to Philadelphia nex week, you Brother is well at leas the last I heard from him he has groad a grate deal & old mister Elder is about as he has bin for a long time, I was out in ohio to colect my money too months ago I could her nothing of you, Cousin Bill Elder had the Grey but was some better when I left I have neve heard from them since I was sick good part of my time dureing my stay that I had but little pleasure I had a loved to visit you but owing to surcomstance at home could not .

The ware is all the talk I had the ohner of beaing elected Capton last June of a compney, Than had bin a compny, left Raingburg lately, I hav a grater meny freindes gon Cousin John Cessna, Mart & Jo. Sam Elder has bin in the aremy for some time I would be a bit surprised if a grate meny more of us will be neaded befor long, Ema, Dillen Wildon is in the armey I had the pleasour of seeing him in Ohio like wise Sue Campbell & Doria & Bill Amell Ben Morgan is married to Miss Yegar

I am still single expect to remain so, pardon all mistakes & please write to me and tell me all about how you are getting a long good night as I am in a (----) went to go my love to one and all a kiss for (-------) take GW Cessna

Emma & Sade Elder
Rainsburg Bedford Co

1861?

Kanawha Expedition [1861?]

Down from the north to Charleston, far South beyond yor ken
There went a host of Union boys Jess Norton and his men
With cries of Union Sentiment from erery hill and Glen
We went to rout Secession, boys old Wise and all his men
With General Cox we ventured up the old Kanawha stream;
While little did the rebels think that we would come by Steam;
The gallant 21st, my boys went foremost in the fray
And routed every rebel band they met upon the way;
Some prisoners we have taken and Wise run away
It was the gallant union boys just at the close of day.
They Showed us fight at Seary and made the twelvsters run
But when the 21st came up we soon the battle won
We fired upon a rebel boat while gliding up the streams
Of our attack upon them then but little they dream;
They landed on the other Shore when we gave them three more rounds
Which made them Scamper o'er the hills, just like a packs of hounds
Our booming Schells among them fell as o'er the hills they run,
If you had Seen them Scratch my boys you'd thought we had Some fun
They left their boat, and all behind, a lot of guns and wheat,
And many fell upon the way while on their swift retreat;
Soon as the Charlestown rebels did hear our cannon crack,
They took the hint and Started off upon the eastern track
Soon as they croossed the river Elk, they Set the bridge on fire;
And before we overtook the rogues they nearly cut the wire;
The discovered we were near at hand which made them leave and run
If we had caught them there my boys, oh would't we had fun.
We worked all night to fix the bridge and Started in the morn
If we had caught old Wise my boys we'd killed him Shure as your born
Beyond Gauley Stream he did retreat and Set the bridge on fire
It Soon came tumbling down below for it was not hung on wire;
Here the union boys were hindered and could not crooss the Stream
For the river was So Shallow their we could not go by Steam.
Still eastward Wise retreated over hills and lofty rocks
While hundreds have deserted him and many joined with Cox;
For their food was Scarce while on the way, and all they had to eat
Was what they gathered on the way potatoes Salt and meat.
They Scarcely dared to stop and cook as on the way they ran
For fear we'd overtake there crew and have a little fun
At Gauley we gave up the chase untill a bridge we built
So on this rapid chase of Wise, no human blood was spilt
We got Some thousand Stand of arms Some kegs of powder
Which Wise and all his men had left their way they flew
And now weve lost all hopes my boys of getting in a fight
Or catching old Secession Wise while on his rapid flight

Farewell to Ohio farewell for awhile
Farewell to our Sweethearts with their witching smile
Farewell dear wives and mothers we leave you hear behmd
Were going to plant the stars and stripes over south carolin
We are the sons of Washington Who fought in days of yore
Who led our sires through smoke and fire all in their
Bloody gore Well fight like noble volunteers the union for to save
In memory of our fathers that lie mouldering in their graves
We have a noble captain he is a hero of renown we'll march
With him to Charleston and pull their colors down
We'll hoist our noble flag my boys on every sea and shore
And our stars and stripes we will maintain till tyrants are no more
We had a loving sister one we called her caroline now
She has disgraced herself and to us has proved unkind
We whipped the british for her sake and on the fields of battle stood
Now she has drawn her saber and spill our brothers blood
The insults of these murders no longer we could bear the
Life of Col Ellsworth you no they did not spare to
Civilize these murders we now take up our gun and
The starts and stripes again shall float oer the land
Of charleston

Now to conclude and we bid you all goodbye
To our wives and sweethearts we hope they will out cry
When the war is over well meet them with three cheers
And they will all welcome home the ohio volunteers

My hearts by the tower my barks in the bay
And both must gone ere the dawn of the day
The moons in her shroud buts to guide thee star a far
On the deck of the darings love lighted star
Then work lady wake I am waiting for thee
And this night or never my bride thou shall be
Forgive my rough mood unaccustomed to sue
I woo not perhaps as your land lovers woo
My voice has been tuned to the notes of the gun
What startle the deep when combats begun
And heavy and hard is the grasp of the hand
Whose glove has been ever the guard of the land
But think not of these and this moment
And the plume of the proudest shall lower to be thine
One hundred shall serve the best of the brave
And the chief of a thousand shall kneel to thy slave
And thou shalt reign queen and thine empire shall last
Till the red flag by inches is torn from the mast
Oh island there are on the face of the deep where
The leaves never fade and the skies never weep
And there if thou wilt our love bowers shall be
When we leave for the green land our home on the sea
And there those shalt sing of the deeds that were done
When we loosed the last blast and the last battle won
Oh haste love haste for the fair breezes blow
And my ocean bird poises her pinions of snow
Now fast to the lettice these silken cords twine
They are meet for such feet and fingers as thine
The signal my mates hoi hurrrah for the sea
This night and forever my bride thou shalt be

Sarah V Elder Lucinda Koleman Susan Whitmore [circa 1861]