MS 997 - Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers Transcripts (April - July 1864)

April 4, 1864

Camp Hamilton
Near Athens Alabam
April the 4th 64

Brother Joshua

I received a letter from you yesterday, and I was very glad to hear from you as I had not heard from home for nearly one month it was a welcome vizitor to me. it found me enjoying good health but Sadie letter did not find Curt in very good health he has been under the weather for a week or more he is not in the hospital yet. I hope that he will not heave to go there either. I don't know what his disease it but he is very weak at this time. there is Six or Seven of our Company in the hospital. John Moneyheifer is one. that is all you know of them. John Moneyheifer has been very low but he is a getting better the last I heard from him there is a great deal of Sickness in our Regt now and there has Several died Since we have been here but none out of our Company yet for the next thing I will tell you Something about the weather well one day will be very nice and warm and the next day rain it rains regular every other day and that is the way it goes I will tell you a little about our Scout Since we have been here we started one Sunday morning and we went within two miles of florence Al and we Scouted around there a while and then Started for Camp and against we got to Camp we had about 100 head of Cattle and 80 head of Sheep and 50 head of hogs which we pressed in to the Service we were only gone 5 days that is all of that Stuff. I got a letter last night from D.A Sprout and he Said that him and Jesse was all right he said the 49th Started to Chattanooga and him and Jesse were at Nashville yet Jesse is Cooking at Hdq. Nash

I got that paper that was sent to me papers come very good to pass a way time I would like to get one about every two weeks for papers here coste Something they are 10 cents apiece and not very plenty at that but money is the Scarcest thing now that is all I wrote a letter to father and Nancy just after we reached this place and I have not a received any answer from them yet tell them to write if they please I guess I will bring my Scratching to a close hoping to hear from you Soon again From your Brother

HC Dicken

April 4, 1864

Camp Hamilton Near Athens Alabama April the 4 1864

Sister Sade

I received A Letter from you yesterday evening.

I was very glad indeed to hear from you again and to hear that you all was well. I do most sincerely hope that Mrs. Ash will get well again Frank got A paper from home yesterday. We Draw flour and Corn meal here we make flap Jacks but our Company has built an oven now and we can bake bread we draw pork and Beef and beans and Sugar and Coffee. yesterday we drawed pickeled Cabbage that did not go to bad

We have some big times down here we go to some of the houses and get Milk A good many times and that goes pretty well for A Soldier for he don't get it all the time I take Notice. there is some old Infantry Regiments here in Athens

I was Down there one Day and got to talking with some of them they did not know that I belonged to the 9th. They said that the 9th O Cavalry was the darndest Regimet that they ever seen they thought that they would fight all the time and no difference how big A force either.

Well Sade I don't know hardly what to write any more this time so I ges I will have to close and write Josh A few lines.

From Curt

Write Soon
Write Soon

Camp Hamilton Near Athens Alabama April the 4 1864

Well Josh

I will try and write to let you know how I am at getting A long well I am getting along very well now I am in my day tent camped down most any way Hank has just gone out after a load of Boards he had wrote A letter to you I was writing to Sade and I thought I would write A few lines to you. I will have to close for this time write soon from Curtis Elder

To Mr JH Dicken

June 6, 1864

Fort Strong Va. June 6th A.D./64

Dear Cousin Emily

It is with pleasure I avail myself, this pleasant morning before the departure of the mail to inform you that I am well at this writeing. Enjoying myself with pleasure and contention.

Miss Emily

I have Spent Some Fifty days in the land of Rebeldom And I have not Seen a rebel yet If the rumor is true about the rebs a coming back we may get to see them yet but I think it is onely a rumor.

Cousin I hope that these few lines will find you allright Enjoying the blessings of a happy in Old Liberty

Emily I want you to give me a history of the Center of the township and the assistant corp for I have not seen for sometime Emily I can tell you Girls one thing more and that is this to prepare for to Spend the Sabbath eve in a few weeks For I think you Girls ar getting very lonesome at present (---) Camp G. will go a head of the very miser himself to coquette

Good by
Write Soon
JD Cessna

June the same date

Mrs Sady D I think I have rather slighted you this time But you must excuse me this time this is the second time I have writen you a letter and I have receives none

But I shall look over that and say nowmore about that I have receive know letter for the las three weeks I hope you will write as soon as comes to hand Sady I came on Guard pretty often I think it would be much pleasanter for I had an assistant one that would stay you Now don't you Sady I must close Now I haff too report the picket to headquarters this morning Write Soon Good by J Dick

June 15, 1864

Fort Strong Va. June the 15/'64

Cousin Sady V.D.

It is with pleasure that I Seat myself this pleasant morning after eating a harty Breakfast composed of Beef Bread and Coffee I am well at present enjoying myself as though I was at home I have not been Sick yet Tip is trouble considerable with the tooth Ache at present He smokes one of the nices Pipe that I ever Seen It is pretty enough too Scare the very old harry himself Sady it frighten me more when I Saw that huge pipe laying in my bunk than forty rebs would were they all Shoting at me at once. Sady you will laugh when you see it providing Tip get home all right with this monstrous pipe Sady I must quit informing you of tha huge pipe or when we get home you will be afraid to pay us a visit. All quiet on the Potomac

Sady I want you to send me the news of the day and how things are getting along at home and how the Jacksonites are getting allso

Cousin Sade We have lost four men from our Regt There is Six or eight men in the Hospital at present Their were three men from our company in the hospital for awhile I will give their names Bateman Hardrock William Burger and Markest Trumbo they are all about as well as ever they will be able too do duty in aday or too The hospital is kept nice and clean they have nice little begs So large enough So one man can lay with ease. they have nurses their and they tak good care of the Sick or I thought so at least I must close for this time

Write Soon Good By
J.D. Cessna

The Same Date

Cousin Emily

It is with pleasure that I avail myself with great pleasure and happiness to indict a few lines to a worthy Cousin that resides in old liberty where men and women have the privelege to walk on the mane road with out a pass while we live in old virgin where neither Soldiers or citizen whether white or black has not the privelege to pass along the road without being halted and their pass read if they have one And it must be Sign by the commander of this Department if not they will get a fix

I was on picket the other night and I like it very well we Saw no rebs while we were out but I saw more negroes than white people I Saw Alford Mowery he belongs to the Same company Cessna Boor does he paid us a visit the other day and he Sessna was not very well at present I am going to try to get a pass to go over to Fort Ethan Allen next Sunday where Cessna company is Station I am not able to Say whether Pete is there or not I was going to go last Sunday but I came on Guard as Corporal that day There fore I could not go We have it a little harder now than we had a while back I have been out for the last three nights Oour company laid out last night and we will half to get up tomorrow morning at three Oclock and So it will go every other night with us first one company and then the other

Emily It would be much pleasanter for me to know how you are getting along with your School whether you avrage more Scholar per day than the day you commence your School I want you too Send me Curtis Post Office Address in your next All quiet on the Potomac

Write Soon Good by
Dick Cessna

July 20, 1864

Fort Strong July 20th /64

Dearest Cousin Emily

I received your kind favor and was truely glad to learn that you was enjoying the true blessing of a happy life I am still well and passing away the leisure moments of time in reading the testament I have and several chapters which I think it wont hurt me if I read the testament through before I am home. There is a man that comes round once a week and gives the Boys testaments and little him books. Nearly every one of the boys has one

Cousin I am truly glad to learn that the Girls in the center of the Township are all well at the time of your writing And hope they may still remain in good health I am (----) glad to learn that Old Liberty Still has enough of boys that will answer the purpose as escorte. Therefore the Girls are not very lonesome at present But I think that some of the Escorts are not true blue to their country or they would Shoulder the musket awhile for U.S.

Emily I received a Letter from Cousin Mary Lerbiger last week And She inform me that She got along with her School well But She told me that She whip one fellow like the d---l I think that the book of correction is the best book that can be taught in case of necesscity When I went in Summer School I would get a lesson or too

Em I was corporal of the picket last Sunday and I tell what I just more than had fun For the Negroes had meeting in the forenoon and afternoon and allso at night and in the forenoon there was a marriage. My post was not more than five rods from the house where the loveing couple took there dinner and they just more than eat chicken. I tended meeting at night and the negro preacher just more than prayed for our soldiers There wa onely Six white citizen there was three men beside my self and too Girls by the name of Cessna whether they was any relation too us I could not find out they said they had know relation in Ohio their Mother died a few weeks ago Their father is very rich I suppose or was before the out break of the rebellion And I suppose he was a Slaveholder for there was negroes living with him when I go out on picket I will find out I must close for this will be my last. you need not answer this for I think we can correspond in a little different way before long

Good by J Cessna

Mrs Sady V Dicken

I am happy to inform you that Tip and I are Still numbered in the living Sady you told me that the boys gave you Severall introduction to the hay field and wheat field which I think you did not receive with a clear concients I think you Spent the fourth of July quite diffrent from what you did last fourth I suppose you have enjoyed your self So well as you did when the pies and those flowered cakes was set on the table for supper. All quiet on the Potomac

Sady I received your kind and interesting favor It was a pleasure supreme to learn that you were enjoying good health at your writing The weather is very fine at present last Sunday night it rain like everthing and I got my Jacket wet for the first time since we left Cleveland I was happy to learn that the folks in and around the vicinity of home enjoying good health and that the old Jackson is well and flourishing in wealth and prospering; Tell Mother that I am well. Tell Emily that hundred days is about gone and She can prepare for an escort that (-----) is an at present Emma must think like this A soldiers is life is a dreary life It robs pretty Girls of the hearts delight I think it has safe several of their delight But I suppose that Raal is not rob of her delight yet Sady This is my last I Still remain your affectionate cousin

J D Cessna