Letters

Letters of John F. and Placidia Gwyn

I have photocopies of letters that John and Placidia wrote to each other while he served in the military during the Civil War. I also have a copy of the letter sent to Placidia notifying her of John's death. These letters are transcribed as written, with all misspellings and lack of punctuation. Items in brackets {} are either totally or partially illegible. Where possible, I have made my best guess.

May 6^th 1862 – Letter from Placidia Gwyn to her husband

September 22^nd 1862 – Letter from John F. Gwyn to his wife

October 10^nd 1862 – Letter from J. F. Gwyn to his wife

November 10^th 1862 – Letter from Arris Cox to Placidia Gwyn

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Letter from Placidia Gwyn to John F. Gwyn

{Morvin?} Clarke County Alabama May 6^th 1862

My Dear Husband time with its un{illegible} wings has

at last wafted you kind letter to it destination I was

truly glad to hear that you were well this leaves

all well except that Baby she is worse than she was when

I wrote you before, you stated in your last that you

were all down there without arms or ammunition

which I was sorry to hear I was unhappy enough before

I heard it but now I am miserable I don’t know what

good a soldier can do without it I think they might let

you come home untill they were {prepared} to receive

them, Th{illegible} is doing very well only I cant

keep the {illegible} no one to help me I will send

the note to {Mr Cox} as soon as I can My Dear I did

not receive the message you sent by Mr. Welch or I

would happily complied with the request and

if you still need it or anything let me know and

if it be in my power God knows I will send it

to make you comfortable and happy. I heard that

your Officers were not kind to you all that you had

become very much dissatisfied please let me know

in your next whether it be so or not The children

all want to see you the baby I think has forgotten you

as for Huberta when she heard the boat yesterday

she was so sure that you were coming it was hurtful

to see the innocent tears trickle down her little

cheek I want you to write to me what you are

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willing for me to do for I don’t believe that I can

live here much longer write me ~~if me~~ if you want

me to stay here if you should be killed and if it

be your last request I will try and bear it as well

as I can. I want you to tell your Captain that if it

be the Lords will that you should be killed that I

want him to send your body home I must have it

if it takes all that I possess in this world I feel this

morning my Dear Husband that my all on earth is gone

never to see him no more but if our heavenly

Father ~~with~~ will hear & answer my prayers I hope we

will meet at the right hand of God and there be

forever blest where I know there will be no more

wars nor parting let me beg of you {not to?} forget nor

neglect your Christian duties when {illegible} are fighting

for lifes and liberties let us allso fight for our souls

to be free and happy. as I know it is as painful for

you to read of my troubls as it is for me to write them

I will say no more about them this time. I hear that the

invading vandals will take Mobile in a few days

and before they do I want you to get me 2 Calico

dresses and some Sugar if it is not too high I want you

to write me by Fridays boat I will go down to the river

myself to get the letter so I will close for the present

and look to the Lord for his mercy upon

I remain your loving wife

P Gwyn

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Letter to his wife from J F Gwyn

Graham Station Tenn

September 22^nd 1862

My dear Wife

I received your welcome letter

yesterday & was glad to hear from you & home.

it found me well. Mr. Davidson leaves for

Clarke Co this evening. So I will write you a few lines

more We will leave tomorrow for Tullahoma

70 miles from Nashville--so you see me one

bound for Nashville. But write to Chattanoo

ga. until further orders from me.

I send a small tract on profane swearing

and its ill usages. Read it to the children

and instill into them what a vile habit it is.

I think you can get John R Cox & Wm. Alston

to supply you with wood during the winter with

out putting you to the expense of hiring a negro

man—besides I do not want you to hire a negro

if you can possible avoid it.

No more for the present. So farewell for

for the present---Your Affectionate husband

John F Gwyn

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Letter from J.F. Gwyn to his wife

M{illegible}sburough Tennessee
October the 10, 1862

My dear wife I am permitted again the privelege of writing you a few lines god has been so kind and good as to preserve my life through many dangerous up to the present my health is not good though I am about and I do sincerely hope these few lines may find you and my little children enjoying good health. I received your kind and welcomed letter last night dated the 4 of Sept though I have receive several ritten since that I will just tell of all that I have received since I left Mobile one July 20 one Aug the 19. one Sept the {2?} one Sept the 10 one Sept 23 the one I received last night was dated Sept 4 these are all that I have received I hope you will not expect a long letter as I have but a short time to rite I recon you have heard of our having to fall back from {Lenoir?} We were attacked there on the South shortly after arriving there the enemy overpowering us and having the advantage of us by having plenty of artilry we were compelled to fall back as we had no {next line or two cut off on copy)

(Page 2) is tolerable good at present considering the exposure that we have had the most of our regment lost all of there clothing as for my part I have mine with me yet though we have not a tent to sleep under the weather has turned verry cool here last night if we don’t get tents in a few days we will be compelled to suffer {very much?} I suppose we will attact Nashville as soon as we can get reinforcements. I suppose the enemy is well fortified at that place though I hope we may be succesful when we undertake it our forces here number about six or seven thousand I must hasten to close I am glad to hear that you pray for us so mutch and I do hope that your prayers may be answered I know that many of us to often neglect to pray I think it is now time for every true Southern man and woman to pray I hope you will continue to remember me in your prayrs Give my respects to the {connection?} and inquiring friends my love to my little children and please accept a good portien {portion} for your self may god bless and save you all is my prayer.

J.F. Gwyn

Bright banner of freedom with pride I unfold thee
Fair flag of my country with love I behold thee
Gleaming above us in freshness and youth
Emblem of liberty symbol of truth
For the flag of my country in triumph shall wave
Oer the Southernerss homes and the southerners grave

J.F. Gwyn

I think this is a beautiful peace
I hope it may reach my happy home
Finally farwell
My happy home

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Letter to Mrs. John F Gwyn

Tullahoma, Tenn November 10^th, 1862

Mrs. Gwyn Dear Madam, it is with much

simpathy and grief that I seate my self to write

you a few lines to inform you that your Dear

husband has left and gone to a world of {Spirits?}

where he will kow no more trouble where the pain

of death will be felt no more, he is gone the way

of all flesh, his sould is now at rest for I believe

that peace was made between him and his maker

and there is on request the I have to make of you for your

own welfare. and that is to prepare to meet him

in heaven, he was detailed for a nurs in this hospital

last Saturday was a week ago and was taken sick

the next Monday and died this at 3 oclock his disese

was pneumonia, the day he was taken sick he

requested me to take care of his things and do the

best I could with them and to send his money home

to you he has 20 dollars in cash that I have in care

and the best that I know to do with his clothes is

to sell them and send you the money for them

if I were to send them they may not {illegible} you so it

is best to sell them for the money I can send

by express to you, I will send you the children

hare you sent to him and also a verse that he

was going to send by Jas Pace

So nothing more at present tho

I remain yours truly Arris Cox

Write and let me know if you think

that I am doing rite {with}John things

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