David Anderson to his son, John Crawford Anderson, student at Arsenal Academy, Columbia May 13th, 1858
“…I send you at your request Five Dollars which I hope
will answer all demands at present…I hope you will make a wise
improvement of your time and opportunity…
David Anderson
I find I have but two dollars instead of five. D.A.
PS Your Uncle Frank borrowed me clean out. D.A.”
Andrew Charles Moore, age 22, visiting Washington with his first cousin Gov. Andrew Barry Moore of Alabama, to his mother Nancy Montgomery Moore May 31st, 1860
“…I visited the Capitol today for the third time & saw the great men of the nation. They do not look better or smarter than other people & I must confess my ideas of great men is somewhat lessened. I was introduced to the Vice President, Breckinridge, (who) pleased me more than any of the other celebrities I saw.”
Andrew Charles Moore to his recently remarried mother Nancy Moore Evins, written during a visit to body-strewn battlefield of First Manassas, Va. Oct. 20, 1861
“On yesterday Sam Means and I walked to the battlefield of 21st
July. On the battlefield I saw several Yankees partially rooted up by
hogs. One fellow was completely exhumed , lying on his back, the flesh
fallen and falling from his bones & the head gone…Never, never,
was I so forcibly impressed with the idea that war proceeds from want
of humanity,& wickedness of heart.”
(Ironically Andrew Charles Moore was killed at the Second Battle of
Manassas ten months later.)
Col. Benjamin Brockman to his sister Mary Brockman Harris (written from a hospital in Richmond) May 24th, 1864
“I have been unfortunate in losing my left arm in the battle of the 12th of May, the bloodiest fight of the war. (Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia) Jesse (his brother) was wounded, …and fell into the hands of the enemy. Poor fellow, the only brother I had is now perhaps cold in death.”
(both Brockman sons died as a result of their injuries)
John Crawford Anderson to his father David Anderson April 11th, 1865 (written from a prisoner camp two days after Lee’s surrender to Grant)
“…We all mourn for our country and every man’s face wears a haggard, dejected, and troubled look, we can only say it must be the will of God and is therefore right. We are now surrounded by more than one hundred thousand of our Enemy and are all prisoners of War..we have had scarcely anything to eat for two days but Mr. Grant is sending rations this morning. The terms of surrender were very liberal and as yet we have had none of the Yankee’s bravado of triumph.”