Camp Vandorn Near Knoxville
Tenn June 21 1862
Dear Companion I imbrace the present opertunity of writing
to inform you that I am well at this time hopen these Lines will
Reach you safe and find you and Children well I Received your Letter
the other Day and have not answered it yet and I have two Reasons
for not answering one is I had Started a Letter to you the Day Before
I got it and the other Reason is that I cant Read it But I will
write the same as if I could Read it we have got Back to Knoxville
but I Don’t know how Long we will stay here this time But I
Don’t think we will stay Long we are in Taylors Bregade we
have got out from under Barton and I hope we will stay out from
under him I don’t know whether Taylor is a good General or
not yet But I Know he cant make his men go through more then Barton
Did I Cant say when I come that I can come to stay But the prospect
Looks Bad at this thime a Bout pease But some thinks that it will
soon Be made but I think Different for I see no prospect of pease
I want you to write Evry week shure and get some one to write that
that can write So I can Read it for I cant read enough of what you
wrot in the two Last letters you sent me to get any since in them
I understand that Frances Jackson is Dead and G M Jackson is no
more he dide the 21st may with Brain fever in the hospatal in Richmond
Va
(pg 2) Mich Hood was killed in the Battle at Richmond
by a Cannon Ball Andrew Merrett Says he was the worst tore up man
he Ever saw his ribs all tore out and his hart out and hanging by
a string Some of the Boys that is gone home is sick and some of
them I don’t think was but they all got sick furlows and some
of them I don’t look for to ever come back unless they are
sent for and brought back our company is all gone home But thirty
men and some of them is sick N M Freeman Steven Merett John H Colley
is in the Hospatal at this time J S Wells William Payne D O Roberts
W R Ledford and D W Jackson is sick here in Camps and several others
feels Bad but don’t complain much I understand that if we Don’t
Draw money the 30th of this month that we wont Draw in three months
Longer and if our officers Don’t fix for us to Draw at that
time I shall think they are a slack wad and the Rest of the Boys
sill be good mad for they have paid them Bond on marches tell they
are all Like my self all out of money I have one postage stamp that
I shall put on this Letter and that is all I have untell I Draw
so the next Letter I write I will have to send without paying unless
I draw some money the 4th of next month the Confedracy will Be Due
me 61 1/2 Dollars wether I get it or not But I don’t think
that I will get more then half of it at this pay day if I get any
so I must come to a close for this time write soon So no more But
Remains your Husband untell Death L F Crumly
To Nancy E Crumly
Written in margins of first page:
Henry and Merrida you be smart Jane you play with Warren
and give him prettys Elick you pick up chips and be a man tell Louise
that Don’t know whether I will ever be able to pay her any
thing for staying with you or not But if I don’t I will Bring
her a Bow when the War Ends and her is as good a place to tell whether
a man is any a count or not so I will try to bring one that will
do.
Written in margins of second page:
William is well and on Duty to Day and we all have to
Drill five Hours a Day while we stay here and all the officers that
Don’t get so they can Drill men in 40 Days is Brake of ther
commitions and another put in
Crumley family papers transcribed and contributed
by
Christine Crumley Brown