To Martha Sartain
Dear sister it is nothing but the mercy of
God alone that has spaired us to live this long. It is very
painfull for me to have to write the awfull concequince to you but
take it the best you can Martha, your husband is deed [dead], he
tooke the measeles about the first of August we give him tees and
he brook out as good as I ever saw and thay staid brook out three
days or longer and he commence mending and was doing finley and
order come and we had leave and me and Vandver went with the Redgiment
and left Bill Beard with Lewis and Thomas [Scarborough] and bill
said he was doing well and on thoe 8 of Augt. he was sent to the
Bragde [Brigade] Hospitel againce his will. He dident wont
to go to the Hospitel and moving him was jest what cosed his death
to my a piomian [opinion] Martha while I was with Lewis I took good
ceare of him and tended to him brought him leaves to ly on and done
every thing I could. I done every thing he wanted to do.
It was moving him what caused his death. It is all most more
then I can do to write to you his death but O that had the tung
of a Angle to write something to you that would satisfy you but
O there is no satisfaction for you when you here this letter reed
[read]. I had ben at worke and never got home tell 10 o clock
in the nite and I was powerfull hungree before I got to camp but
when I got to camp I went to commence eating my supper I tooke one
bite of Breed [bread] and Perry Thompson spoak and said that Lewis
was deed. I was struck so sevear I couldn’t hardly speak
nor eate a bit. I never seed much more trouble in my life
as I have sence last nite and aske god to have special mercy on
you and the children. I went home and went to bed but I could
not sleep much but dreamt I saw Lewis as well as ever he was but,
he said to me Guilford now you can git to go home and he coughson
[cautioned] me of something but for my life I cant recollect what
it was. Martha if it was in our power we would send him home
but it out of our power. I couldn’t git to go to see
him nor tend to his things, Thomas Scarborough went to the Hospitel
with Lewis. He has got Lewis s money and Tom will be at Redgiment
before long. I will send his money to you. I will sen
his close and things to you as soon as I can and I will git the
captain to fin and draw his bounty as son as he can and I will send
it to you. Martha I would willingly give one hundred dollars
to have him sent home but I cant git the chance to do nothing her.
I don’t know where he was beared at, but Tom dos and if Tom
wont him taken home and Alford or some body will come after him
I will help pay for carring him home, but it wouldn’t do any
good but it would be a satisfaction to you but there is one concelation.
I no he is much better off then we are. I am satisfied that
he is in heaven this morning relizing the blessings of God with
his elder brother. O that we was all as hapy ass thay are
to day. Martha I wont you and your children to meet him in
heaven.
Martha I have jest ben asking God to have
mercy on you and bless you and I am prayin for you every hour I
live and I wont you to pray for yourself and children and not greave
about after him for he is so much better off then we ar.
I was so sorry he died here. I don’t
know want to do but I could no help it. I wont us all to
meet him and Larking in heaven. We have all got to dy and
my pray to god is that we all may meet a bove. Amen
Martha write to me again
So Fair well Martha and Children
Guilford Sartain
Martha Sartain
Guilford, Lewis, Alford and Larkin Sartain
were sons of Elisha Sartain and Frances Bond. Thomas Scarborough was
the husband of their sister, Patsy Sartain. Larkin Sartain, Guilford's
older brother, had died earlier in the war.
Lewis Sartain married
Martha Beard on 21 Sept 1854 in Madison County. She was the daughter
of Samuel F. Beard and Elizabeth McEver. Lewis and Martha had three
children; Amanda "Mandy" (named after Martha's sister), John and
Henry.
Transcribed and contributed
by Charlotte Collins Bond
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