A First Letter From Jackson, Tennessee
Title
A First Letter From Jackson, Tennessee
Subject
William writes about desertion as more honorable fighting a war of abolition.
Creator
William Standard
Source
William M. Standard Papers
Publisher
Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Date
February 1, 1863
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Digitized manuscript
Identifier
February 1, 1863 letter from Jackson, Tennessee
Coverage
American Civil War
Text
[Camp] Reed Jackson, Tennessee February 1st 1863
Affectionate Wife and children
I wrote a letter to you one day last week and told you that I would write again today. This is Sunday night. I am very anxious to get home but the trouble is how can that be done? Furloughs are played out. There is no chance to get one and the doctor will not discharge a man until after he is dead or nearly so and as long as I have good health there seems to be no chance for a discharge.
I will tell you what I can do. I want to get my money before leaving or making an effort to get home. It is more honorable to desert than to stay in this abolition war to free the niggers and enslave the white man. Write to me what you are willing for me to do. You said that you did not care for the property. If you could only be with me could we take a new start somewhere else? I think that would hardly do. Tell me in plain words shall I make the Trial? I would run the risk of my life willingly to get to you and the children and stay with you. I see but little signs of this war being ended. I think that a portion of the North are trying to arrange so as to go with the South and that will make the war last longer and we will have a war between the East and the West but I hope not. War is the worst curse that any People was ever cursed with.
Dear Jane I will stop writing. This is a bad pen and I can’t see the lines and I will have to do my writing in the day time after this. Tell the children to be good children and help you do all the chores and learn all they can until Pap comes home.
Good Bye From your absent Husband
WM Standard To his Affectionate Wife and children
Affectionate Wife and children
I wrote a letter to you one day last week and told you that I would write again today. This is Sunday night. I am very anxious to get home but the trouble is how can that be done? Furloughs are played out. There is no chance to get one and the doctor will not discharge a man until after he is dead or nearly so and as long as I have good health there seems to be no chance for a discharge.
I will tell you what I can do. I want to get my money before leaving or making an effort to get home. It is more honorable to desert than to stay in this abolition war to free the niggers and enslave the white man. Write to me what you are willing for me to do. You said that you did not care for the property. If you could only be with me could we take a new start somewhere else? I think that would hardly do. Tell me in plain words shall I make the Trial? I would run the risk of my life willingly to get to you and the children and stay with you. I see but little signs of this war being ended. I think that a portion of the North are trying to arrange so as to go with the South and that will make the war last longer and we will have a war between the East and the West but I hope not. War is the worst curse that any People was ever cursed with.
Dear Jane I will stop writing. This is a bad pen and I can’t see the lines and I will have to do my writing in the day time after this. Tell the children to be good children and help you do all the chores and learn all they can until Pap comes home.
Good Bye From your absent Husband
WM Standard To his Affectionate Wife and children
Files
Collection
Citation
William Standard, “A First Letter From Jackson, Tennessee,” A Yankee Soldier's Struggle With The Union Cause , accessed May 18, 2024, https://timroberts.org/civwarletters/items/show/2.