The following letter was written by Philip Josiah Overcash of Rowan county, North Carolina, who at age 30 enlisted as a private in Co. B, 57th North Carolina on 4 July 1862. Co. B, 57th North Carolina Infantry. In May of 1863 he was reported hospitalized in Richmond and then transferred to the hospital in Lynchburg, Virginia. While enroute to Lynchburg, he seems to have been taken a prisoner of war on 24 May 1863 by Union troops raiding the rear of Lee’s army. He was immediately paroled and sent to Farmville suffering from acute nephritis.

Finally, in August 1863, he was furloughed for 60 days and in April 1864 he was absent from the regiment. My assumption is that he never returned to the regiment as he was reported sick at home in Rowan county in September 1864.

Philip’s letter is directed primarily to his wife Margaret I. (Blover) Overcash, but he also adds a few lines to his son Eli Overcash (1857-1924) who was six years old at the time.

Transcription

Farmville, Virginia
July 24th 1863

Dear and affectionate wife and loving children, and affectionate Mother and  sisters,

I state to you that I received your kind and welcome letter yesterday, 23d, dated July the 17th (No 21) and I was truly glad to hear from you once more and to hear that you were all tolerable well—only Seth, you said, still  has the bowel complaint yet, but he didn’t seem to mind it. And I hope it is only a little brush and that he will get better of it again.

I now state to you that would have answered your letter yesterday but I was too sick to sit up to write. My breast and back hurt me too bad and my bowels were running off very bad and pained me very much. But I feel a great deal better this morning but am barely able to sit up long enough to answer your letter. And I have no appetite to eat much. And I hope if I don’t take a backset, that I may soon get better again.

I am glad to hear that you have your wheat all hauled up and in the barn and have your oats all cut and that you think you will make enough to do you if you didn’t have to give the 10th of all you made, which I can’t think you will have to do now.

You said that L. F. R. and F. L. & T. O. & A. M, and that H. W. O. & P. L. O. & J. A. R. were still at home yet and that H. W. O. was at our house today and that he was very poorly yet. And you wished if I only was at home too. So do I, for most all my neighbors boys are at home today with you. But I still hope that the day is not far distant when I may get to come home to see you all once more. And I am glad to hear that the corn looks so nice and that Elon was going to lay it by this week which I know will be a hard task for her but hope she may be blessed with good health to get the plowing done.

Now you want me to tell you which field you should sow in wheat. Well, I think you ought to sow the field you have in corn and turn the stubble in the field next to Uncle Henry and sow it and try and sow the old field in oats again this fall. And I am glad to hear that the tax was no more than it was this year.

Now my dear Eli, I was glad to hear from you once more and to hear how fast you are learning and that you got that pretty paper and had 2 in your book and [ ] to keep it there till I come home to see you and Seth which you hope would be before long and I hope so too. And I want you to be a good boy. So farewell, Eli, till I hear from you again. I must now bring my letter to a close by asking you to write soon and give me all the news you can.

So farewell till I hear from you again. Written by P. J. O. to his affectionate wife, M. I. O. and loving children, and affectionate mother and sisters. May God bless us all is my prayer.