This letter was written by Pvt. Willis “Virgil” Wells (1841-1865), Co. D, 38th Georgia Infantry, to his older brother Lt. George “Riley” Wells (1838-1919) of the same company. The young men were the sons of Willis Lea Wells (1805-1887) and Drucilla D. Sexton (1813-1888) of Decatur, DeKalb county, Georgia.

When he penned the letter, Virgil was home on sick leave at Stone Mountain, Georgia, and his brother was at the front in Virginia. From the content of the letter we learn that Virgil feels his health will not withstand further exposures in the field and hopes to arrange a transfer to Atlanta where he might serve as a hospital nurse rather than return to the 38th Georgia. He was unsuccessful and after he rejoined the regiment, he was killed in action at the Battle of Fort Stedman near Petersburg, Virginia, on 25 March 1864—just two weeks before Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.

This letter was provided to me for publication on Spared & Shared by Dale Gary Nichols, author of “Hurrah for Georgia! The History of the 38th Georgia Regiment” who informed me that it was once part of a large cache of letters related to Lt. Riley Wells that were sold to various collectors some time ago. Nichols owns three of the letters and he used two of them in his book, but this letter was not used since it had not yet been transcribed at the time the book was published. The reason it had not been transcribed will be obvious to anyone who looks at the letter which was, in large part, written in Pitman Shorthand. Nichols believes the brothers agreed to write parts of their letters to each other in shorthand to practice their skills. It may have also been done to save on paper which was on short supply in the Confederacy. It certainly wasn’t done to convey any sensitive information in this case. In any event, we owe Ms. Tracy Harding a debt of gratitude for transcribing the shorthand and I’m reliant entirely on her for its accuracy.

Transcription

Good Morning
Stone Mountain, Georgia. 
March 5, 1863 

My Dear Brother George, I take my seat to drop you a line which leaves me in as good health as comes at present. I have no news to write at this time at all. I received your favor of 24 February; was very good to hear from you. I am sorry to hear that there was so much snow on the ground down there for I know it must be very disagreeable indeed. I guess you will keep quite warm with your new coat on. I am truly sorry that there is no chance for you to get permission to come home. I did hope that you would get to come this spring but I fear there is a bad chance for it.

Riley, I will just tell you a few things about old “Stone Mountain” as it has been a long time since you have been permitted to see the the old home spot. Things have all made a great change since you left. In the first place nearly all the people that lived near you has gone and new ones come in. Young Mr. Carr keeps up a new hotel in the large house below Mr. Bristol’s old study. Jenny also keeps up his hotel. R. B. Etheridge has bought out George B…… …… to have increased the stock some little. Mr. B…… is at work at his …… in Atlanta. Son Mr. Carr lives in …. house. Son of Mr. Livingstone lives at Etheridge’s old place. Mr. Rankin lives at Riley Bristol’s house.

Riley—(though I guess your little German [girl] has told it to you before this time)—[ ] anyhow has gone to the war. Mr. B…. lives at his father’s house. Time being has constrained and he has to go to war too; the ….. doing too. Besides this there are quite a few changes too numerous to mention. But enough of that stuff to satisfy you, I guess. I cannot comply with your request which was to write to you about your little German, for I have not heard from our nurse frau. I guess she is “all right in goons” anyhow. I will wait now till tomorrow to finish my letter. Riley, you must take mighty good care of my gold pen for I would not take the world for it. I shall send for it when I get back. 

Well, I have sat myself down again to write the letter more this morning, but I had not intended mailing my letter till tomorrow anyhow. You told me to write about your German book—where it is at home. I do not think it is here for I looked on the table where all your books are [and] I could not find it any where. I believe it was the one I bought for you that you was speaking of. I do not think you left one at home at all for I think I remember your putting it in the old trunk before that, before you left home. I guess it was then taken when your trunk was moved to ….River.

Well, while I think of it, I saw Doctor B. Ellings at Stone Mountain the other day. I told him to send a word for me the next time I write to you, so you may receive his best love and kindest regards, through me. You must excuse my poor writing and bad penmanship, for when you requested that I ensure study, I have but one day in my life, you will not think strange of it at all. My whole practice has been in this letter I have been writing it to you. Say you will not think that I ought to write it very well as, the unsure thing is I have no pen that to write with. Now I am not bothering you about keeping my pen at all, I don’t want you to think so.

Mason has just come in, his family are well as common, as for myself and has made some little has gone some ….I am for myself, but not strong. If you think there will be no change, I will not reproach this time. I think I will refrain not from a list of complaints, if I do not get my time extended at that time. I will quit now till tomorrow morning and will go to Atlanta this evening. I will wait for the news for …… I will give you the benefit of it this time. You can read about that will be a plenty for you when ……

March 7th 1863 

Will B….. has been and got back again. I sat him down to finish my letter. He brings no news at all worth relating. Your papers were approved all right, by Colonel Lee and Captain L…. Now it remains your Captain Rankin and Colonel Eberhardt to approve them, given that, so there’s no use to send them to the generals if they are coming in every few days and …. of just hours the ………… as this.

[Note: Pitman Shorthand ends and continues in plain English]

Col. [George Washington] Lee says that Capt. Rankin need have no apprehensions on that point at all, that is, that it might involve him in some difficulty, for he says there will be no danger at all. So if he will let us off, which I do hope he will do, I will be a thousand times obliged by him. And as we have every assurance here that it will all be right, I think he need fear nothing at all.

I will hold on to the papers a few days in hopes that I will have a chance to send by hand for I just feel like that is almost a decision between life & death for me; for you have seen that my constitution will not admit of my staying in that part and I guess I would not be as successful in getting home next time as I have been heretofore, and in Atlanta we could be sent home if sick, and would not be so exposed. So I do hope that you can get the Captain to let me off on the above grounds. The Colonel says he guesses it would be rather a bad matter to try to send them clear through.

I will close hoping & praying that I may be successful in this my last attempt to get away. I remain your unworthy brother, as ever, — Virgil

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Col George Washington Lee – (B. 1831, DeKalb Co., Ga., D. 3 April 1879, Rome, Georgia.) Former Regimental Commander and Colonel of the 38th Ga. Regt. Resigned 14 July 1862, due to illness. Later appointed Provost Marshal of Atlanta, Georgia, at the time this letter written. Charged by Union Gen. William T. Sherman with war crimes in 1864, results of charges unknown. 

Lt Col Robert P. Eberhart, (B. 13 Oct 1834, Madison Co , Ga., D. 17 Jan 1907, Fulton Co , Ga.)  wounded right lung, Fredericksburg, Dec 13th, 1864, resigned Feb 16th, 1864. Participated in William Walker Expedition to Nicaragua in 1850s. Died Atlanta Jan 17, 1907. 

Capt. John Gray Rankin, (B. 11 Dec 1815, Hampshire Co , Massachusetts, abt 1816, D. 6 Oct 1902, Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Enlisted 26 Sept 1861, as 2nd Lt,  in “Murphy Guards” Company. Elected Capt & Company Commander of Co. D, 38th Georgia Regiment, Jan 4th, 1862. Wounded & captured at 3rd Winchester, Sept 19th, 1864. Released Fort Delaware Jun 17th, 1865. 

Lt George Riley Wells – (Born 17 Sept 1838, DeKalb Co., GA., Died 5 Jan 1919, Stone Mountain, GA.) Brother of Private Willis Virgil Wells.  Enlisted as 2nd Sgt, 26 Sept 1861, elected 2nd Lt, 1 Apr 1862, wounded at 2nd Manassas , 28 Aug 1862, captured at Fischer’s Hill, Va., 22 Sept 1864, released from Ft. Delaware, 17 Jun 1865.