1863-02-09: George Washington Cherry to Folks at home, letter
This document is a letter from George Washington Cherry near Shelbyville, Tennessee, to his family at home in Alabama on February 9, 1863. The letter discusses an acquaintance injured in battle and hospitalized, the leasing of slaves to other landowners, advises his family on growing crops including...
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| Format: | Electronic |
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Auburn University Libraries
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| Online Access: | http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/cherry01,10 |
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Electronic |
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| collection |
Cherry Family Civil War Letters Collection |
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Auburn University Digital Library |
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Auburn University Libraries |
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Family letters |
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Family letters 1863-02-09: George Washington Cherry to Folks at home, letter Cherry, George Washington |
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Family letters Cherry family; Cherry, George Washington--Correspondence; Confederate States of America. Army--Military life; Soldiers--Confederate States of America; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Health aspects; Agriculture -- Fruit and Vegetable Crops; Folklife -- Horticulture; Government & Politics -- Military; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; Peoples -- Agricultural Life; Peoples -- Domestic Life; Peoples -- Military Life; |
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1863-02-09: George Washington Cherry to Folks at home, letter |
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1863-02-09: George Washington Cherry to Folks at home, letter |
| description |
This document is a letter from George Washington Cherry near Shelbyville, Tennessee, to his family at home in Alabama on February 9, 1863. The letter discusses an acquaintance injured in battle and hospitalized, the leasing of slaves to other landowners, advises his family on growing crops including potatoes, beets, and grape vines, and decries merchants taking advantage of the war to drive up prices. This item has been aggregated as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)'s "Deeply Rooted: The Agricultural & Rural History of the American South" project. |
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Cherry, George Washington |
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Cherry, George Washington |
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AUcherry0110 |
| url |
http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/cherry01,10 |
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https://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/cherry01/id/10 |
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1705448444853747712 |
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1863-02-09: George Washington Cherry to Folks at home, letterThis document is a letter from George Washington Cherry near Shelbyville, Tennessee, to his family at home in Alabama on February 9, 1863. The letter discusses an acquaintance injured in battle and hospitalized, the leasing of slaves to other landowners, advises his family on growing crops including potatoes, beets, and grape vines, and decries merchants taking advantage of the war to drive up prices. This item has been aggregated as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)'s "Deeply Rooted: The Agricultural & Rural History of the American South" project.[page 1]
1
Camp 5 miles from Shelbyville Feby 9th 1863
Dear "folks at home",
I promised you a day or two -
ago to write you a long letter. I don't know -
what I can make a long letter out of for every
thing goes on just as it did, and I can get
but very little material out of which to manu-
facture ideas. My health still continues good
my appetite good and plenty of fat bacon
and corn-bread to satisfy it with. I have
got plenty of corn bread over[?] time at last since I
have been in the army, and to tell you the
truth I would like very well to make the -
acquaintance of a biscuit once more – just to
see how it would taste.
You will please tell Uncle Lockhart that
Jimmie is sick and sent to the hospital. I wish
I could tell him what hospital, but cannot now
he was first sent to Shelbyville, and may be
there yet, but the sick are generally moved
back to some hospital in the interior if
[page 2]
2
possible and Jimmie though pretty sick, I think
could have been moved with safety.
I have not heard of Isaac Faulkenberry yet.
I learn that Dr Williams our assistant Surgeon that
was left at Murfreesboro to attend to our wounded
is expected here every day, and I guess we
will hear from him when he comes. I will
immediately communicate any news of him
I may hear to his father.
Sister I am very much obliged for the eggs
if I never get them. I have not tasted
an egg since I left home, and a mess of em
would go mighty well.
I think you have done very well with the -
negroes. I would have preferred that Margarett
had been hired to a farmer in the country if
possible. The note on Wash Thompson is good
if there is no offset or at least he was
good when I left home. I think he is a clever
man and will pay it.
Please attend to my grape vines as well
as you can. It is about time or fully time
for them to be pruned. Can you get
[page 3]
3
Irish potatoes for seed? If possible you had
better plant a good patch, even if the seed are
high. I would also advise a large patch
of beets, they are easily made and pay very
well for the trouble even if you have to
feed to cows next winter.
You request me to let you know in time always
what articles I need. I will try and do
so but there is so much danger of losing
clothing that it is impossible to tell what
I will need in future and it is not
prudent for me to have any more clothes with
me than just enough. I now need
some socks. I have got one new pair the
balance are getting "holy". I had about as
soon have cotton as woolen except when marching
The woolen socks are softer and protect the feet
when walking. The cow-hair pants are
most too thin for this climate. They will do
finely when the weather gets warmer. I can
make them do now by wearing 2 or 3 pairs at
one time. I have got plenty of shirts and drawers
and can get along very well for sometime yet
[page 4]
I need a pair of suspenders. Net cotton ones
are just as good and I believe better than -
woollen. I guess you had better not send me
any pants yet. I might lose them, but if
Worthy stays about home a month you might
send them then. I will write to Mr Fair
to day about Henry’s shoes and the corn. If
he does anything wrong further please write
me about it. If he acts the rascal I am
deceived in him, but it begins to look a
little like it. It is very discouraging to
the poor soldier that is enduring all
the hardships of camp and exposing himself
to the dangers of war, to know that their fam-
ilies at home are imposed upon "extortioned"
by those whose interests we are trying to protect
It is not so bad with me as with most others. I
know that under the present circumstances, you can get
the necessaries of life, but how is he that gets
only 11 Dollars a month, and left nothing at home for
his family to support it when provisions are held by
those that make it at such prices. It is a shame
a burning shame, and proves that the patriotism of the
[in margin:]south has been overrated. I wish I could make these 2 1/2 Dollars
a bushel for corn - men feel and know how contemptable
they are to the army. I have no hope of ever making them
blush – for the kind of pride that makes a man blush for doing
a mean action they are strangers to.
G.W.C.Cherry, George Washington1863-02-09Cherry family; Cherry, George Washington--Correspondence; Confederate States of America. Army--Military life; Soldiers--Confederate States of America; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Health aspects;Agriculture -- Fruit and Vegetable Crops; Folklife -- Horticulture; Government & Politics -- Military; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; Peoples -- Agricultural Life; Peoples -- Domestic Life; Peoples -- Military Life;Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, United States1863-02-09Cherry-Goldsby Family Papers, 1827-2018, Auburn University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Auburn University, Auburn, AlabamaCollection 1262, Cherry-Goldsby Family Papers, Box 1, Folder 194 pages, 19.8 cmengAuburn, Ala. : Auburn University LibrariesThis image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of this image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archives@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.Stillimage; Text1262-18-027-045_Letter from George Washington Cherry to Folks at home 1863 February 9 Shelbyville TN.pdfapplication/pdfDeeply RootedAuburn University Librarieshttp://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/cherry01/id/10 |