1864: James Taylor Eubank, Jr. to Susan L. Taylor

The following letter was written by James Taylor Eubank, Jr. (1842-1873), the son of James T. Eubank (1815-1867) and his first wife Sarah Dempsey of Covington, Kentucky. Before the war, James helped care for the family thoroughbred horses but he eventually enlisted as a corporal in Co. B, Jessee’s Battalion of Kentucky Mounted Rifles on 22 July 1862. Just a week later, on 29 July, he received a head wound and was taken captive in a skirmish at Mt. Sterling and eventually transferred to the military hospital at Rock Island, Illinois, where he was held until at least early 1864 when the following letter was written.

J. T. wrote the letter to his cousin, Susan Lucy (Barry) Taylor (1807-1881), who operated a benevolent society out of Newport, Kentucky, that supplied aid and comfort to Confederate prisoners of war confined in Yankee prisons. She was the daughter of William Taylor Barry (1784-1835) who served as a US Congressman, was the US Postmaster General under President Andrew Jackson, and who also was a US Senator and Governor of Kentucky. Susan was married to Col. James Jones Taylor (1802-1883) in 1824.

J. T.’s letter requests his cousin to supply a fellow prisoner with articles of clothing he was in need of. The prisoner’s name was Dr. Alexander Dowsing Mims (1839-1878), a native of Alabama who operated an apothecary shop in Mobile before the war. He was the son of Shadrach Mims (1804-1885) and Elizabeth Downing (1809-1895) of Autauga county, Alabama. Mims was an 1860 graduate of the Medical School at the University of Pennsylvania. During the war, Mims served as a private in Co. H, 3rd Alabama Cavalry, though he was often detached as working as a medical attendant. He was taken prisoner near Strawberry Plains, not far from Knoxville, TN., on 4 December 1863. It does not appear that he was paroled until May 1865.

The second letter appearing here is Alexander Mim’s reply to Mrs. Susan Taylor thanking her for the clothes she sent to him.

This color sketch of the federal prison on Rock Island, a small strip of land in the Mississippi River between Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa, was found in a letter written by Confederate soldier James W. Duke to his cousin (presumably a woman) in Georgetown, Kentucky. The sketch was drawn by a soldier identified only as H. Junius, and it apparently is the item described in Duke’s letter as “the picture of our row of Barracks.” Rock Island prison was authorized in July 1863. When finished, it consisted of eighty-four barracks, 82 feet long and 22 feet wide, arranged in six rows of fourteen each, and surrounded by a high fence. Each barrack contained two stoves for cooking, but potable water was scarce and at times nonexistent. From December 1863 until the end of the war, Rock Island held between five thousand and eight thousand Confederate prisoners, many of whom arrived before the facility was completed. (LOC)

Letter 1

Military Prison
Rock Island, Illinois
Hospital Ward 3
February 17, 1864

Dear Cousin,

I have a young Alabama friend here (Dr. [A. D.] Mims) who has charge of Hospital Ward 8 attending to our sick. He is very much in need of clothing [and] is very far from home & friends. Consequently I thought I would ask of you to send him a few articles. I would not ask the kindness of you but for my Father’s having contributed so much already & knowing you were much more able to meet the demand. Dr. Mims is quite a small man, wears pants size 31 in., shoes or boots No. 4, socks 9, hat 6 5/8, coat 2.

My wound has been rather painful lately. The Dr. extracted several fragments of bone from the wound. My health is good otherwise. I received a letter from Aunt A. M. Smiley this morning. Hoping you will not think asking too much, I remain very truly your cousin, — J. T. Eubank, Jr.

Letter 2

Prison Hospital, Ward 8
March 8th 1864

Mrs. [Susan L.] Taylor,

I have indeed been surprised and completely over powered by your kindness. I hardly know how to begin to award my thanks. The clothing all fit most admirably. I am perfectly charmed with the selection: the shoes & hat fit precisely. I feel very much elated with the idea of having such a good hat. It will last a long time.

Please accept my most sincere thanks for the kindness. Mr. Eubanks & myself are very intimate friends & I suppose I am somewhat indebted to him for his intercession on my behalf. At any rate, I shall repay the kindness in some way & if Mr. Eubanks is exchanged with me, he shall go home with me and have a good time. He shall be well cared for. And your names, Mrs. Taylor, will ever be fresh in my memory & long be remembered by my Alabama home.

Believe me sincerely indebted, — A. D. Mims