Original letters from Thomas Lancaster Johnson to his parents while he was serving in Army of the Confederate States of America, Rodes Brigade, Co. D, 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. The place of residence of Thomas L. Lancaster has not been determined.
Letter I
The envelope is not available.
Headquarters
3rd Regiment of Alabama
Near Norfolk, Virginia Sunday May 19 1861,
My Dear Parents,
Norfolk Va. June
8th 1861
Dear Parents,
Your letter of the
30th came to hand
yesterday evening late and I broke
it open and read it
while I walked my guard line. I was indeed glad to hear from you all
and always am glad.
And especially where you seem to be getting along well. I am enjoying
as good health as I
have for five years and considering
all things am getting along about as well as could be expected. I feel
a little bad this
morning for I was up all night nearly. Standing guard, the
Responsibility of which will not
allow a man to sleep much. But for all this, a sentinel sees a great
many sights, however
not so many if it be as dark as last night was. It gives a man such a
good chance to think
seriously on any subject for he is all alone. It is also enlivening and
amazing to hear
fellows slipping around the line and to hear the Sentinel bawl out
Who
Comes
There, at the top of his voice. You spoke of having heard of a
fight
near Fort Monroe,
there is nothing of the fight that was reported. But there has been
several little fights near
here no lives or but a few, these fights from batteries firing into
ships. We have had a
week of very rainy weather and the men of the Regiment have suffered
from colds, with
that exception we all keep pretty well. And I believe all keep in fine
spirits generally,
except myself. You know I am subject to get low spirited and find
myself very often in
that fix. But I always have reasons for feeling bad. But I try my best
to overcome
this disposition. I am getting better satisfied with my lot in life. I
believe that the most of
our men are anxious for a little fight. They say they came to fight,
and they want to do it.
Our breastworks that I wrote about are going up rapidly. But this wet
weather has
hindered the hands very much there are 300 hands at work on it. When
they get it done
which will be next week it will be a complete trump for the enemy. I do
not doubt but
that we are quartered here for the year. We may be ordered off 8 or 10
miles but will
hardly go far. We are pleasantly located and our Lieutenant Colonel is
trying every way to
render it as healthy as possible.
I received 3 letters yesterday, two from the Ridge, all is moving on
quietly and smoothly
there. I also got a letter from a young lady on the Ridge not long
since and it encourage
me so that I whirled in and wrote to Somebody Else. I do not
know how
she will
take it; that is yet to be tried. I do not know that there is anything
else to write. I have
described this country in other letters, and as to the fighting I cannot
believe that we will
have any fighting to do. Although sometime the signs look good for it.
There are 15,000
or 20,000 soldiers near Norfolk for Its protection and they
come in every
day, from all parts of the Southern States. You must all write to me as
often as you can
conveniently, for I do love to hear from you. And if I do not answer
every letter you all
write don't think hard for I have a great deal to do and postage is very
high and money
scarce. There are a great many little expenses come in upon me that I
had no idea of. We
have not heard a word about any monthly pay yet, only that we will not
get any until
August. It was thought that the folks at the Ridge and Union Springs
were going to ever
so much money to send to us. Well just let me tell you what they
collected, they made up
$112.00 and Dr Powell paid $100 of that. I do wish somebody would
publish it, and at
Tuskeegee, Alabama, the Citizens raised $11,000 for two companies.
I must close, Give my love to all the family and write soon and write
all the news. I got
letter from Jo dated May
1st it was sent to the Ridge and
forwarded
here by some of my
friends. I answered it immediately. I remain Your Very Affectionate
Son. As Ever.
Norfolk Va. July
26th1861.
Dear Parents, Yours of the 17th
came duly to hand this evening and found
me well and
getting on very well indeed. I was very glad to hear from you and
always am for I do not
hear from oftener than once in two weeks. The health of our company and
in fact of the
whole Regiment is better just now than it has been in some time. My
health is
unquestionably good, so far as I can judge by my feelings. We are here
yet, but how long
we will stay here is another question, if it was left with us to decide
that question we
would not stay 48 hours but, would be with Gen Beauregard at Arlington
Heights. Just as
soon as we could get there. I suspect that you will have heard of
the great-fight and
glorious victory of our troops under Gens. Johnston, President Davis and
Beauregard at
Manassas, long before this reaches you. O! what a time among the
Confederates, every
thing here is all excitement and from all signs we are left- to believe
that this war is just
beginning. We get the very latest-news here and we learned this evening
that Gen.
Beauregard in his pursuit of the retreating hessians has never stopped,
but-has taken
Alexandria and is now marching against Arlington Heights with 30,000
men. From which
place with Burnbs, he can tear Washington City all to pieces. Victory
go with him. I do
not know what is to become of the Lincoln Government. Certainly utter
destruction
awaits it. I see that New-York Tribune is asking Old Abes
Cabinet-to
resign because of
incompetency to fill their offices. I believe the boys of this regiment
are all ready to fight.
Last night I was on guard and about 12 oclock there came a Messenger on
horse-back-went to the Cols tent-deliver his message and in a few
minutes three kettle
drums were out on the parade ground, and roll after roll from the drums
told us in plain
terms that all must be up and ready, in ten minutes. (I do not
exaggerate.) the whole
Regiment was awake had their clothes and accoutrements on and was out
and had
formed a line of battle. All was quiet-there-every heart beat with
anxiety to hear the
command March.
What a beautiful sight to see 1,000 Solders; with
guns glittering
in the moonshine. All was quiet when Col Lomax came out - and told them
that he hoped if
ever they were called on in earnest that they would be as punctual as
then. So it proved to
be a false alarm done on purpose to try the pluck of the boys. So from
all you may see
that there is no certainty about our going or staying, you need never be
surprised to hear
that we are moved. The crops through this country all fine and reports
from Alabama say
that fine crops are being made there. We received pay for two months
service not long
since and I am getting on very well now in the money line. And you may
say what you
please about tarts and dumplings but my mess had a fine mess of apple
dumplings
yesterday with Sugar Sauce. Our battery is now about ready for
action, we have
several canon on it. We have good preaching here every Sunday and for
the future will
have it in the future twice on Sunday.
And last Sunday we heard a sermon from Rev. Dr. Smith President of the
Randolph
Macon College of this State. O!, what a sermon he did preach. He is a
little short old
man and carries his walking stick in the pulpit with him. His text was
the
25th verse of the
1st chapter of the General
Epistle of James.
Continue to get letters from the young ladies all right. Why is it that
Willie and Laura do
not write to me? I must think from your letters that you do not get all
my letters. Write
to me often. I thank the Ladies for the high compliment they paid to my
Ambrotype. Be
sure to present with my compliments on all occasions, I have my
ambrotype now that I
had taken not long ago. I would like to see you all very much. I know
that I am
remembered by all. I feel assured that I am followed with the love and
prayers of
affectionate Parents, Brothers, Sisters and friends. I have not heard
from Jo, in some time.
Give my love to all the children and accept a Same portion to
yourselves, remember me
kindly to the Negroes. I remain your Affectionate Son.