The following letter was written by Pvt. Asahel Washington Thompson, Jr. (1837-1864) of Co. C/G, 6th Arkansas Infantry. Military records indicate Thompson enlisted on 19 September 1861 at Pitman’s Ferry, Arkansas. He was wounded in the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863 and again on 22 July 1864 in the fighting before Atlanta. He died on 25 August 1864 at the age of 27.

He wrote the letter to letter to his younger brother (1840-1916), James “Parker” Thompson who joined James C. Coit’s Chesterfield Light Artillery (South Carolina) in October 1861 as a 2nd Sergeant and was elevated to a junior Lieutenant later in the war.

Ashahel and Parker were the son of Asahel Washington Thompson, Sr. (1800-1872) and Nancy Horton (1809-1899) of Chesterfield county, South Carolina.

See also—1864: Asahel W. Thompson to his Parents

Transcription

Bell Buckle, Tennessee
June 6, 1863

Dear Brother,

This short epistle will inform you that I have written to you but have not received any answer as yet. The last letter I wrote to you was dated April the 18th. I would have written to you again but I thought you had left Franklin. But through the kindness of father, I learned that you was still near Franklin, Virginia. This short letter leaves me well [and ] hoping it may reach you enjoying health and pleasure. I cannot interest you as you are unacquainted here.

We have plenty of rain at the present. Our division moved on the enemy on the 2nd inst. We attacked their pickets six miles from Murfreesboro [and] drove them back to their army. We only had one man killed dead in our Brigade. Bragg has been sending reinforcements to Vicksburg.

Dear brother, I have applied for a transfer but my generals will not grant it to me and it don’t sit well on my stomach. I am not near satisfied to stay in the 6th Arkansas Regiment. I have as good officers as I [could] wish form but I cannot enjoy myself as I could if I was a member of your company. My officers don’t want to give me up and they will give me any satisfaction whether I can get by law or not.

J. P., I am going to write to the War Department for a transfer. I want you to have a blank transfer wrote out [and] signed by your captain and Brig. General and forward it on to the War Department and see if they will approve of it. If I will have to send it, you can send it to me and I can forward it on to the War Department. You must have it signed by your Brig. General. You can ask some person or your General how to have it fixed up so I can get the transfer. My officers will not give me no satisfaction about it because they do not want to give me up, but if I can get it by law, I will have it.

T[homas] J[ames] Huntley ¹ is a member of my regiment. He is a son of R[obert] C. Huntley. He lives in Union county, Arkansas. He is a relative of J. S. Huntley of your company. He sends his best respects to J. S. Huntley and wants him to write him a letter. He wants to know if Isaac Huntley is in your company. ² T[homas] J. Huntly is the gentleman that married Hattie Edgeworth. Mr. Huntley’s address is T. J. Huntley, Bell Buckle, Tennessee, Co. H, in care of Capt. Martin, 6th Arkansas Regiment, Liddell Brigade, Cleburne’s Division. I must close. Answer in haste. Fail not. As ever, — A. W. Thompson

to J. P. Thompson

Address Bell Buckle, Tenn. Company C, in care of Capt. Duffie, Arkansas Regiment, Liddell’s Brigade, Cleburne’s Division.

¹ According to the Company Rosters, Thomas J. Huntley served in Co. I, 6th Arkansas Infantry and was wounded near Atlanta on 20 July 1864 and sent to a hospital. He was taken a POW near Franklin Tennessee on 17 December 1864 to sit out the war.

² The roster of Capt. James C. Coit’s (Cherterfield Artillery) South Carolina Artillery included George W. Huntley and Isaac S. Huntley. I don’t see a J. S. Huntley though I think this might be Isaac as the “J” and “I” are often written similarly.