The following letters were written by 34 year-old James Milton Miller (1828-1892) to his wife, Mary Frances Milam (1838-1909). James was the son of Samuel Miller (1792-1873) and Jane Hamilton (1794-1865) of Itawamba, Mississippi. James and Mary were married in January 1857 and living in Pontotoc, Mississippi, when the Civil War began.

Both letters were written while James served as a private in Co. G (the “Orr Guards”), 31st Mississippi Infantry. He enlisted in March 1862 and seems to have been with his regiment or on detail through at least the spring of 1863 except for a time in the Durant Hospital in December 1862.

After the war, in 1869, James loaded all of his family and their possessions in wagons and relocated to Freestone county, Texas, in an area four miles south of Brewer Prairie, where he lived out his days. After his death, his widow filed for a Confederate Widow’s Pension which is where the following two letters were found and brought to my attention by Billy Mercer, his ggggreat-grandson.

The events taking place at the time of these two letters, copied from the regimental history, included: “When General Grant advanced from Memphis down the Central Railroad, Rust’s brigade (which included the 31st Mississippi) fell back from Holly Springs to the Tallahatchie River and thence in December to Coffeville, where they participated in the battle of December 5. Colonel Orr commanding the brigade and Stephens the regiment. The brigade pursued the Federal advance back to the main army at Water Valley, and then retired to Grenada. VanDorn’s raid to Holly Springs followed and Grant retreated to Memphis. The regiment was then sent to the support of S. D. Lee at Chickasaw Bayou. The brigade was met at Edwards as it moved to Vicksburg by General Featherston, who took command, the brigade then including the Fifteenth, Twenty-second, Thirty-first and Thirty-third Regiment and Rayburn’s Battalion. Featherston’s Brigade was ordered to Snyder’s Bluff March 19 on account of the Federal reconnaissance by General Sherman and Admiral Porter on Rolling Fork and Deer Creek, and toward the close of the ten days’ operation the Thirty-first joined the Twenty-second and Thirty-third at the scene of action. Colonel Orr then taking command of the Confederate forces with Featherston. After an unique campaign in the flooded swamps with the Federal gunboats that were crowding their way through the bayou, the gunboats escaped into Black Bayou, and the regiment took steamer for Fort Pemberton, confronted by a Federal fleet. Late in April they moved to Grenada, whence the regiment was ordered again to Edwards. May 3 Colonel Orr at Edwards was ordered, “on the arrival of Featherston, with his brigade, your regiment and Snodgrass’ Alabama Regiment will go to the Big Black bridge.”

Readers are referred to “An Avalanche of Brave Southern Soldiers: The 31st Mississippi Infantry at the Battle of Baton Rouge.”

Letter 1

Abbeville, Mississippi
November 8th 1862

Dear Wife,

This is to inform you that I am well, hoping these lines will find you and the children well. I am not able to give much news about the movements of the army. They are still up at Holly Springs. All the army stores and all the sick has been sent off down the railroad. Col. [Jehu A.] Orr being commander of the post at Holly Springs, it was the duty of his regiment to carry off the government property and provisions. I was detailed to come with the captain of the Division Commissary. We have been here this is the third day at Abbeville. The depot house and the platform is full of army stores. Also all the vacant houses is full. The sick is all sent to Oxford and Jackson and other hospitals below here.

It is thought there will be a big battle. We have got rifle pits at three places—Holly Springs, Waterford, and Tallahatchie River. If they prove too hard at one place, we will have a chance to retreat to the next fortification and try them again. I don’t expect our regiment will be in the fight as there will be but few of them left after the details has been made. It come down with the Division Commissary. I was the [only] one from our company that come with the twenty-five. There is three of my company come with the regiment commissary but none that you are acquainted with. All that you are acquainted with is back at Holly Springs. I don’t know anything about Joe and Ben. I expect if they are well, they will be in the battle if they fight, [but] they may not fight at all. If they don’t, we will either go back up there or the army will fall back down this way. Us details will attend to the same business we are at until the army is stationed at some point. Then we will return to our regiment.

I want you to write as soon as you hear where we are stationed. If the army retreats, I don’t think they will fall back further than Abbeville. I want you to send my coat as soon as you can conveniently. If you get letters from Ples [Pleasant] or Hanp, send them to me. So nothing more but remain your husband until death, — J. M. Miller

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Letter 2

Milldale, Mississippi
February 25th 1863

Dear Wife,

This leaves me well except a bad cold. Hoping these lines will find you and the children well. I have got three letters from you since I came from the hospital. I have wrote you two but it appears that you have not got them. Lish Bowen ¹ come in yesterday. He said you was at his house the day before he started and you had never had a letter from me since I went to the hospital. I believe all the chance to get getters through is to send then by hand.

I did not see Bill Ausbon [Osborn?]but I have got my socks and gloves. I have not saw Ben and Jo since we was at Jackson. I understand they have went up to Grenada.

We are camped in two miles of the Yazoo River among the biggest hills I ever saw. There is large cane growing on the top of the highest hills. We can see the smoke of the Yank’s gunboats on the Mississippi river 12 or 15 miles off. The cannons is firing every day and every night down in the direction of Vicksburg but I don’t think they do much damage. It is thought the Yanks is going up the river. If they are, we will not have them to fight here. If they go up the river, we will go to Granada or Holly Springs or to the mouth of Cold Water.

Our provisions is short. We get meal that is nearly all bran. Our beef cattle is so poor they can hardly stand up. They have got the hollow horn and hollow tail and hollow belly. They frequently get down on the lift. As bad as the beef and meal is, we don’t get enough of that. We sometimes have to live a day or two on parched corn.

I have not got time to write any more. So nothing more but remain your husband until death, — J. A. Miller

[In another hand; possibly a nephew of J. A. Miller who enlisted underage?]

Dear Father,

I embrace the present opportunity of writing you a few lines. I haven’t nothing new to write. I received a letter from Mother by [Elisha] Bowen yesterday. I was glad to hear from you all. My leg is about as it was when I left home. We are here at a place called Milldale [Snyder’s Bluff] 12 miles east of Vicksburg, a little north of east. I can’t say how long we will stay here. I think not long. There is some talk of us going north, maybe to Jackson, then to Grenada. We was ordered to the mouth of Cold Water [but] that order was countermanded. We have stopped here waiting for orders now.

Father, I went to the colonel yesterday and talked to him about being discharged. The colonel says that you must go before the justice of the peace and make out an affidavit of my age to the day and date of my birth and send it to the colonel, J. A. Orr. You can send it by D. Rodgers and maybe by Z. H. Fulton. Sam says that his pa is a coming to this regiment to see him before long. Sam Fulton wants you to tell his wife she can send a letter by D. Rodgers. I say no more at this time. I remain your son until death, — W. A. Miller

¹ William Elisha Bowen (1834-1879) was from Itawamba county, Mississippi. Elisha served in Co. C, 1st Mississippi Infantry.