Letter from Russell Sartain to his wife Malvina Sartain
July 5th, 1864

 

                                                                                                                                   Tuesday July 5th. 1864

In Line of Battel 2 miles south of PettersBurg V.A.

Most Dear and much loved companion, again I am purmited to rite you a few liens which will inform you that I am yet a live and tolarbl well. I have a vary bad cold and broke down and I do hope these liens may find you and the children a live and well. We are still fighting old grant yet and will all the summer I am a fraid. I am so vary tierd of the way we have to liv, lying in brest works. I havent had but 2 clean shirts in 2 months. I am vary black and dirtty and stink as bad as a negrow. Have sleep in a hole in the ground ameny night sence we left____winter quarters. I hope this campain will soon end and we can rest some. Old grante never noes whend to quit whend he commences .

My dear Malvina I will have to close as I havnt time to rite more. I will have a chance to send this by hand by one of the 17 Miss. I wante you to write if you pleas for I havent recvd a letter from you sence in June. I am vary oneasy. Our Captain was searvearly wonded the 19th June in the thy [thigh]. He is at Richmond. He is not doing well. I fear that he will not git well. We have lost 3 of our company kild sence we commenced fighting and 6 wounded. We have 25 men in our company and no officers. I must close. Good by for this time.

                                                                                                 Russell Sartain

P.S. Brother Henry is dead. I _____[saw?] a list of those that had died taken from a yankee paper and his name was in the list. Good by Mrs Malvina Sartain.

                                                                                                Russell Sartain

Russell Sartain was the son of John Sartain, Jr. and Nelly Bond.  Nelly was the daughter of Richard Cox bond & Susannah Mays.

Russell Sartain was born August 24, 1828 in Madison County Georgia and died April 24, 1909 in Gibtown, Texas. He married Melvina [maiden name unknown]; their children were Henry, Lena, Epsey, Esther, Martha, Sarah, Columbus Jefferson & Johnny. They lived in Mississippi. When his wife Melvina died, he came back to Madison County and married Martha A. Beard Sartain, the widow of his double first cousin, Lewis Sartain.

Russell & Martha A. Beard Sartain had the following children: "Mazie" Elmira "Ella" Catherine (named for Martha’s mother Elmira and her sister Catherine); Lee Russell Quintillus; and William Samuel Alfred "Alfie" Sartain.  Alfie was named William for Martha’s father William Beard, and Samuel for her grandfather Beard, and Alford for the brother of her late husband Lewis.

The children of Lewis Sartain and Martha Beard were Amanda, John Calvin, and Henry Bradley "Dock" Sartain.  Martha Beard Sartain died in Gibtown, Texas and was buried next to her second husband, Russell Sartain.

The "brother Henry" that Russell mentioned in his letter as being dead, was in fact his brother. Henry  was born in Madison County, GA in 1834, and died in 1864.

Transcribed and contributed by
Charlotte Collins Bond

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