The following letters were written by 30 year-old William R. Tanner (1831-1862) of Co. E (the “Jefferson Beauregards”), 3rd Florida Infantry Regiment. William enlisted at Monticello, Jefferson County, Florida, under the command of Captain Daniel E. Bird. All of the letters were written to his wife, Mary.
There are 16 letters written between August of 1861 and December 1862, the last i=one penned just before entering the Battle of Stones River where William was wounded and reported taken a prisoner of war. On 9 January, 1863, his name was entered on the prisoners rolls and taken to Murfreesboro on 9 January 1863, then occupied by Union forces. According to Union records he was exchanged at City Point, Virginia on 15 April 1863 but he never returned to his regiment. Neither does he reappear in census records after the war so it is presumed that he died of his wounds on the battlefield, as stated in one source, or that he died from his wounds as a POW. William’s widow, Mary (Hart) Tanner is enumerated in the 1870 US Census as the head of household with three surviving children, James Tanner (b. 1853), Elizabeth Tanner (b. 1858), and William Tanner (b. 1860). She appears to have remarried in 1876 to John Anderson.
There is some question as to William’s age. Enlistment records show him to have been 36 at the time he entered the service but the 1850 US Census Record suggests he was actually born in 1831. Indeed, William did not even seem to know his age as he asked his wife in the letter dated 8 July 1862 what his age and birth date was. From that census we learn that William’s parents were Joseph Tanner (b. 1795) and Mary Ann Moaning (b. 1800) of Jefferson county, Florida. In the 1860 US Census, both William and his wife, Mary (Hart) Tanner are enumerated in Monticello as 24 year olds which is probably an error. Mary was the daughter of David B. Hart (b. 1807) and Elizabeth Manning (b. 1808); married in 1828.
Florida supplied the Confederate Army with approximately 15,000 soldiers. A very small amount compared to more populated states. Out of the approximate 620,000 deaths during the Civil War, less than 1% came from Florida.
[Note: These letters are from the private collection of Matthew Miller and were transcribed and published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Letter 1
St. Augustine [Florida
August 28, 1861
Dear Wife,
I seat myself this eve to write you a few more lines which will inform you that I am well—all except a rising on the top of my foot—which I hope these lines may reach you and the children all well. Mary, I received your letter and was very glad to hear from you and the children. Mary, I want you to see you very bad and I think if I live and nothing happens, I will try to come next week or the week after.
Mary, you wrote me that you did not think you could stand it much longer there. I will say to you to cheer up and get along with it the best you can till I come and I will try after it somehow. I am sorry for you but I can’t help it now. I hope and trust the Lord will be with you and bless you. It is my desire that He may be with you. Write too, Mary, as soon as this comes to hand for I want to hear from you and the two children.
So I don’t know as I have anything else that [would] interest you much so I will close. Goodbye, — W. R. Tanner
Dear Brother Morgan,
A few words to you and your family. These lines leaves me tolerable well and I hope these lines may reach you and your family all well. Brother, I heard from you and heard that you was very sick since I was there and I was sorry to hear of that. I want you to write to me as often as you can. Direct your letter to St. Augustine, Florida, in care of Capt. [Daniel E.] Bird. — W. R. Tanner
Dear sister, I will say to you that I got your letter and was glad to hear from you and hear that you was well. You wrote that you had some clothes for me. I would be very glad to get them. I think I will come up in the course of two or three weeks and get them. I will try and pay you for them. Goodbye, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 2
Fernandina, Florida
January 8th 1862
Dear wife,
I seat myself tonight to write a few lines which will inform you that I am well and hope these lines will reach you the same and all the rest of the family and your mother’s family.
Mary, I have nothing of a very interesting nature to inform you with more than we are a getting along very well here at this time considering we are all piled up here in small tents. So far as fighting is concerned, I don’t think there is any danger at this place though we are very well prepared for the Yankees here now. There is about four thousand soldiers on this island. Some of them has gone on back to St. Augustine. There is not as many here now as there has been.
Our regiment has all moved out about one [mile] from town. We are stationed right close together with Daniel Hart and Sam Stiring. They are all well and Daniel sends his best wishes and respects to you all and says remember him.
Mary, write to me as often as you can for I don’t know when I shall get the chance to come home. I am a going to come as soon as I can for I want to see you and the children very bad. I want to know how you are a getting along there and I want you to write to me if you have billed [ ] and how you saved your [page creased]…meet if any of it spilt. And I want you to write to me what you think I had better do with my land and if you think there is any chance to get a crop made or not and if there is, I will write to you what I will give if you can hire anybody you are willing to risk. And if not, the land had better be rented out. And I want you to write to me which you think is the best and I don’t want you to sell any corn unless you can get a dollar and a half per bushel.
I saw Dr. Peelar today and he said he would take corn for what I was owing him and if he comes to see you about it, don’t let him have it without that price. I expect he will come to see you about it.
Tell brother that Jackson [C. Turner] is well and hearty and is a getting along finely and is well satisfied. He has not drawed any money yet but he will draw next time we draw again next week. Jackson says he wants his father to write him.
So I will come to a close by saying write soon as you get this. Your affectionate husband until death, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 3
Amelia Island
January 12, 1862
Dear wife,
I address you a short letter which will inform you that my health is very good. The most of the company is in good health, except colds. We have moved about one mile from Fernandina some ten days in tent, which is the cause of our having colds. There is considerable sickness on the island—measles, mumps, and typhoid fever. For the last four days, there has been seventeen deaths amongst the soldiers. Four was buried yesterday at Old Town. Though where there is so many in camps, we may expect sickness and death among us. I am in hopes, dear wife, these lines may find you and the dear little ones all in good health.
There is some talk of a fight at this place. We may have a fight soon. Report says the Yankee’s fleet is on their way here and will be here in a few days. They may come but I see no more prospect for a fight now than was here last summer when we left here. Some of our men has gone to the Battery at this time to mount two cannons that came down last night. We are very well fixed for their reception and are still fixing so if they come, we will give them the best we can.
Wife, I expect to be home soon or as soon as we get paid off, which we expect to get this week. I want you to send me word how much money you let Offy have when he was up there. Enclosed you will find two dollars that Offy sends and one dollar that Jacob [Hart] sends you.
Nothing more but I remain your loving husband. Kiss the children for me, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 4
Camp Dillworth near Fernandina [Florida]
January 23, 1862
Dear wife,
I address you a few lines this evening which leaves me well with the exception of breaking out on my right arm like Offy had. Dear wife, I have been flattering myself with the thoughts of seeing you the last of this week. I thought certain that I would start home tomorrow, honey. [But] in the place of starting homer on tomorrow, I have to start to [New] Smyrna which is about one hundred and sixty miles further from home. The Yankees is down there cutting live oak for the purpose of building ships and some of our men living down there is supplying them with provisions &c. Our company and the Jefferson Rifles [Co. H] is ordered down there in order to take possession of them and their labor.
Honey, I hate the idea of going any further from home but we can’t worst our situation much by leaving this place. If I just could come home before I had to leave for the east, I wouldn’t mind going. There will be no chance for me to come to see you until we get back from the east. Though we don’t expect to be down there more than one or two months at furthest. I expect we will have a rich time of it when we get down there. Our men that is feeding these Yankees, we will give them a general regulating, and if we can get hold of the Yankees, we will have a general Yankee killing amongst them. So you may guess that we expect a general spree. Our company will be entitled to all the prizes we may capture while we are down there. If they have much oak cut, it will be worth a right smart to us. I am in hopes they may have a fine supply cut. The more they have, the better it will be for us.
Honey, I will write to you every chance I get and you must be certain to write to me as soon as you know where to direct your letters. Honey, enclosed you will find thirty dollars I send you. I am almost afraid to send it by mail but it is the only chance I have to get it to you and I know you are needing some of it, and I know not what may happen to me before I see you again.
Honey, you must take good care of it and not spend a dollar more than you will be obliged to spend. Honey, you must be economical and save everything you can. I will bring these lines to a close. Give my love to my two blessed little babes and reserve a large portion for yourself. May God bless and protect you and the little ones until I see you again. God bless. Goodbye until you hear from me again, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 5
[New] Smyrna [Florida]
February 2, 1862
My dear wife,
I address you a few lines which will inform you that I am in good health, hoping these lines may find you and family all well.
We landed here last Tuesday. There is several of our boys that has measles. I think there is some fifteen new cases in our company. Jackson has had them. He was quite sick. We had to leave him and [Augustus] Hancock, [Thomas] Hammell, and [William] Whidden at Enterprise—some thirty miles from here. They was not able to walk. They rejoined us yesterday, all but Hamill. He was not able to come. Hancock thinks he will die. With the exception of measles, our company is in fine health.
Honey, we had 30 miles of the worst road to march I ever saw. I think out of thirty miles, we had twelve or fifteen miles to wade from half leg to knee deep. There was one stretch of four miles something deeper. Of all tired men you ever saw, it was the [Jefferson] Beauregards and Jefferson Rifles. We was all as nigh worn out as you ever saw a set of men.
Honey, we came here to meet a vessel loaded with arms and ammunition from England which we have succeeded. Last night the steamer Carolina landed here with 30 thousand stand of arms and ammunition. We have to protect them until we can get them to the St. Johns river which is thirty miles from here. The wagons is now loading to haul them to Enterprise on the St. John’s thirty miles. I suppose we can get them moved in three weeks. Then we will move nearer home. I am over four hundred miles from home.
Honey, you must write to me on reception of these lines and write whether you got the money I sent you and how much. Direct your letter to [New] Smyrna in care of Capt. Bird. Honey, you must keep in good spirits for [in] three more days., my time will be half out and then I will be free. I will bring these lines to a close. Give my love to the children, reserving a large portion for yourself. Goodbye, dear wife, until my next. — W. R. Tanner
Letter 6
Mobile, Alabama
May 28, 1862
Dear Mary,
I address you again that will inform you that I am tolerable well, hoping these lines may reach you through a due course of mail and find you and the dearest little ones all well. We landed here on Sunday night on our way to Corinth, but we was stopped again by Gen. Beauregard not having any use for us. We are here in warehouses awaiting for further orders. It is uncertain when we will leave here or where we will be sent to.
This is a large city with fine buildings, but it is a low, flat place and by no means a pretty place. I should judge it to be a sickly place from all appearances. There is the finest steamers and the most of them lying at the wharves that I have ever seen. There is 25 or 30 steamers and schooners lying here and some running from here to Montgomery.
We came here by way of railroad until we struck Mobile Bay, some 21 miles from here, then we took a steamer. We are getting good news and [ ] every day from our southern boys, from almost every direction. We are bagging the Yankees on every hand. May God let us continue so until the last Hession has to lay down his arms and acknowledge our independence which I think a few more months will settle the matter with them. A dispatch just in that we will go to Pensacola tomorrow or next day, but it is only report.
I will write to you again soon. Nothing more but i remain your loving husband. Give my love to all the children, reserving a large portion for yourself. — W. R. Tanner
Letter 7
Pollard (Alabama)
May 31, 1862
Dear Mary,
Again, I address you a few lines that I am well, hoping that these lines may reach you and the children enjoying the best of health.
On the 29th of this Inst., we was ordered to have a days rations cook[ed] and be very ready to march at 5 o’clock a.m., though we never got off until about 12 o’clock. The report was that the Yankees was marching from Pensacola to this place but the report turned out to be a false report, though our pickets had a small brush with the Yankees. I learn that one of our men got killed. I do not know whether we killed any of the Yankees. All of the Jefferson boys are here—that is, I mean all the rifles and cavalry. The cavalry will leave here today to go somewhere near Pensacola. We are here sleeping in the open woods with but very few cooking utensils—some has none, and it is uncertain when or where we will be sent to.
Honey, we are now soldering and that on the hard order. None of us have heard a word from home since we left midway and we write often. I do want to hear from you so bad. You must keep writing. Probably I will hear from you after a while. Direct your letters to Mobile, Alabama, until you hear from me again. Nothing more. Give my love to the children and enquiring friends, reserving a large portion for yourself. I remain your loving, — William.
Letter 8
[Note: this letter is missing a large portion that has been ripped from one corner, making transcription difficult.]
Mobile [Alabama]
June
Dear Wife,
Again [ ] on this letter that a [ ]. I am in tolerable health [ ]. I have a severe cold and [ ] in hopes these lines may [ ] due time and find you [ ] all well and we have considerable [sickness] amongst our soldiers. There [ ] of our regiment on the sick list and many of them dangerous. [ ] are now in the hospital [ ] I think is mending. Dear [wife], you don’t know how bad I want to [see you..] at one today. I would have [ ] of starting home in the morning [ ] is to start home in the morning and [ ] there will be some men to go with him, but I fear that there will be no chance for me. But dear Mary, the first chance I get to come to see you, you may rest assured that I will come to see you.
We are going to move out from here some two miles which I am glad to hear, for if we stay here many days longer, I am fearful that we all will be sick.
On Monday last, we had a hard rain and all the streets was covered in water—some of them from ten to 15 inches deep. [ ] place as this is. You know [ ] no late news only from [ ] giving the Yankees [ ]. My dear wife, I am in hopes [this war will] come to a close soon and [ ] more battles they will [ ] and when that time [ ] alive to see it and return [ ] be the happiest day I ever [ ] looking forward for that [ ] having nothing more I will [ ] to a close. Give my live to [ ] and reserve a large portion for yourself. I remain your loving husband, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 9
Camp Jackson, Alabama
June 22, 1862
Dear wife,
This Sabbath evening I address you a few lines which will inform you that I am in fine health, hoping these lines may find you and the dear little ones all well. I wrote to you a few days ago and sent it by Mr. Baynes—one of our company that was discharged. I have been getting along finely since I received your letters but I am getting anxious to hear from you again. Honey, you mustn’t keep me looking and expecting a letter from you long at a time for you have no idea how lonely I feel when I am disappointed in getting letters from you. But when I can get letters from you regular, my times passes off much faster and pleasantly. So you must write to me often and regular. To read your loving and affectionate letter, it does make me feel like I would almost give my life to see you and be permitted to gaze on your lovely features a few minutes. But my dearest one, pen can’t begin to describe the love and affections I have for you and the children.
Honey. I don’t think the wives have any idea the affections that the men has for them since the war commenced for I believe a man has more affections in one month now when from his wife than they would have in a year before they had to leave their wives. But I think I could love you good enough. If I was permitted to stay with you, I would be willing to try it.
The regiment has had considerable sickness but the health is improving. John Hart, Isaac Hart, and [Augustus B.] Hancock has mumps. Owen [B. Craven] and Buz Craven is both at the hospital yet. Owen is staying with Buz. Buz is about well, but hasn’t come from the hospital yet. He will be out in a few more days. Mr. Gillcrease died last night. He belonged to Capt. Haines’ Company.
Wife, I want you to write to [me] immediately after you get these lines the amount of corn you have let Mrs. Gravy have so Buz can pay me when he gets his wages. I would like to accommodate Mr. McGruder in letting [him] have money but I think you had better keep your money. We know not what time will bring around. Honey. I want you to make me some pants for things [are] so high here, there is no chance to buy them. I will try to come home when Jack does in July. Give my love to the children, reserving a large portion for yourself. I remain your loving husband. May God bless you. — W. R. Tanner
Letter 10
Camp Jackson [Alabama]
July 8, 1862
Dear wife,
I address you a short letter which will inform you that I am well and sincerely hope these lines will find you all well. Isaac has been right sick from mumps and is not fit for duty yet. Offy has a raising [boil] in his groin and has not been able to be up but very little for some time. John has been bad off with the mumps but is over them.
I do not think our regiment will remain here long for we don’t believe we will be needed here. Honey, I am very anxious to see you and will come the very first chance I get—let that be sooner or later. I never have wanted to see you much worse in my life than I do at this time, and the thoughts of some of our company going home on the 16th and I can’t go, makes the matter worse with me. Honey, you must do the best you can and not suffer your mind to run on me no more than possible for it will be my time to come to see you after a while and I believe that time to be not far distant for I don’t think the war will last much longer.
We whipped the Yankees badly and have drove them out of Virginia and are whipping them everywhere we can get a chance at them. So I think they will have to give it up soon.
Honey, when you write to me, I want you to send me my age so I may know my age. I have forgotten the date I was born. Honey, the farther I get from you and the longer I stay from you, the stronger my affections are for you. But about this time I would like to be with you and not love you so much, or at least, I would like to try it for a season. Honey, having nothing more, I will close these lines by saying I remain your loving William.
Give my respects to all enquiring friends. — W. R. Tanner
Letter 11
Camp Jackson [Alabama]
July 13th 1862
Dear wife,
I received your very kind and affectionate letter today bearing date 4th Inst., which is the fourth letter I have received from you since I left you. I was proud on the reading of your letter on hearing you and the dear little ones was all well. These lines leave me in the best of health. I am as fat as a mutton [and] am hoping these lines may reach you in due time and find you all still enjoying good health.
I have nothing of much interest to write to you. The war news, if true, is cheering to us though we hear so many false reports we know not what to believe. On Thursday evening last we received orders holding all of our men in service until the 5th of August which is a sad disappointment to a good many men in this regiment. I feel sorry for them as well as myself. I am in hopes there will be a chance for some of the rest of us to come [home] at that time, though you must not look for me until you see me for fear you would be disappointed. I know how bad it is to be disappointed and I am truly sorry for the women that has husbands in service and was looking for them home the last of this week. I know their disappointments must be great and I know how to sympathize for them.
I am truly sorry for Mr. Proper. His health is rather bad and he hates the disappointment worse on his wife’s account than he does on his own account. We have some sickness in our company though none or very few cases that is anyway dangerous. Mumps and diarrhea is the most of the diseases. Offy is not well of his raising [boil] yet though he is mending. Stirring Hart is in bad health and has been for a long time. He is not able to do any duty since we came here. The rest of the connections is well. You can tell brother Morgan that Jack is well but sadly disappointed in coming home as well as the rest of them. I am in hopes they will not be disappointed the next time. Honey, I know not what time to tell you to look for e though be assured that I will not let a chance pass. I have never wanted to see you worse in my life than i do at this time.
Give my respects to Mr. and Mrs. B___ and family and my love to all the connection, reserving a large portion for yourself. I remain your affectionate, – William
Henry, you must attend to my pigs and make them do their best as meat is meat and will be the next year. — W. R. Tanner
Letter 12
Camp Jackson [Alabama]
July 18, 1862
My dear wife,
I address you a short letter this morning which will inform you that my health is very good, hoping these lines may find you and the children all well. The health of our regiment is very good at this time. The connection is all well except Stirring [Hart] and Offy. Offy is not well of his risings [boils] and now has mumps.
There is considerable confusion in our regiment o account of detaining those that [are above] and under age. Archey and old man Cooper is discharged from our company and will start home today. Honey, you can’t imagine half how bad I want to see you this morning. I would give anything just to be with you. I am getting homesick but Honey, there is no use in taking but reconcile ourselves to our fate. I am in hopes we will all be able to stand it until our time is up and [we] return to our homes and to our families. Honey, the thoughts of that time buoys me up. To think of that time is a great help to the soldier—those that lives to see that day. It will be the greatest day that they will ever see and dearest one, I long to see that day roll round. On imagination, I can almost imagine the happiness that we will enjoy in that meeting.
Everything is selling very high in this county. Pants that I have seen sold for one dollar is selling for five dollars in Mobile and everything in proportion. Honey, Dr. Carn is at home at this time and if you have any clothing ready for me and can find out when he is coming back, you will have a good chance to send them to me by him. If you haven’t them ready, you will have chances occasionally as there will be passing all the time by some of our men. Isaac and Jackson has joined Pick[ens] Bird’s Company [Co. K, 10th Florida Infantry] and will return home after the 5th of August. He will send a man after them and a good many others has joined him. Then you will have a chance to send anything that you have to send me.
Honey, having nothing more, I will bring this epistle to a close. Give my love to the children and connection, reserving a large portion for yourself. I remain your loving husband, — W. R. Tanner
To Mrs. M. E. Tanner
Letter 13
Chattanooga, Tennessee
August 8th 1862
Dear wife,
I address you a few lines which will inform you that I have ben quite unwell for the last two weeks, but this morning I feel much better, hoping these lines may find you and the children all well. I received one letter from you day before yesterday and one this morning dated 26 July. I was truly glad to hear from you but was sorry to hear that Buddy was sick. I hope and trust that he is well ‘ere this time. We have lots of sickness in our regiment. Three of our men has died this week. One company had 48 men on the sick report yesterday morning. Our company had 27 on the sick list.
We are camped at the foot of the Lookout Mountain about one mile and a half from Chattanooga. I have seen nothing nor heard nothing—only camp reports since I have been here. We have limestone water to drink, nearly as cold as ice, and it don’t agree with our men. I am fearful that it will make all of us sick. I. Hartsfield and W. Sheffield is both very sick. The boys from that immediate section is all up. There has been lots of dysentery. The whole regiment has had it. Two died last night with it.
There is plenty of Yankees near here, Buell’s army is about twenty-five miles from here. We have sent a great many troops to Nashville and Shell Mound, and to other points, and we are here waiting and expecting orders to march daily. Where to, we know not. I think we must have over one hundred thousand troops up here.
Honey, I don’t want you to pay out no money whatever but keep all you have got and get all you can. Honey, I am truly sorry I can’t come home and to see you. I want to see you worse, daily, but there is no chance for me to come to see you. My dear love, you must do the best you can until I can come to see you and I do trust it may be sooner than I expect it to be.
The non conscripts is held 90 days longer which will throw their time until the 5th of November. You had better believe there is some hot men in our regiment with Dillsworth. He is the…[page missing?]
…of there being kept on. Probably some of the old men that is not able to do duty may be discharged but the rest of them will be kept until November and by that time they will fasten them for the war. So I don’t think you may look for none of them soon. Honey, I want you to send me two braids of your hair and send me in your next letter. Honey, you must bear your trials and troubles the best way you can and not give way and let your troubles overcome you. I will bring these lines to a close by saying I remain your affectionate husband, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 14
Chattanooga, Tennessee
August 13, 1862
Dear wife,
I address you a short letter this morning which will inform you that my health is much better than it was when I wrote you the other day, hoping these lines may find you and the children enjoying good health. I have nothing that is very interesting to write. I have seen but little and have heard but little since I have been here—only camp lies. We have a good many troops scattered in almost all directions from here though how many I do not know, though I think we have as many as we will need.
Honey. I am very anxious to see you but there is no use in talking, though I am in hopes the time may not be long before I will see you. The clothing you have made for me, there will be no chance for me to get them unless you can see someone coming up here. There will be no use in sending them any other way. We are here awaiting further orders. I don’t suppose we will remain here many days longer but where we will be sent to, we don’t know, though we think we will be sent to Knoxville or somewhere between here and there.
There has been several Yankees deserted and brought in by our men. I learn that several prisoners was brought down yesterday that was taken by Forrest’s Division. There is plenty of Yankees not far from here but we haven’t got the chance to see them yet. But we may see them too soon for our own good. But we are all willing to try them the first chance.
I am glad to hear you have such fine pigs. You must take good care of them. They will repay you for your trouble. Honey, I learn that they are trying to hire the poor women in that country to weave for the soldiers at 6 cents per yard. If you want to weave, buy your own thread. Make your own cloth, and you can get a good price for it by putting it in the store with Barwick. Hickory shirts is selling at five dollars a shirt up here. All clothing is very high and I don’t know what the soldiers is to do for clothing. Some is getting short of clothes at this time though we will draw our wages in a few days and then they will have to buy at those high prices.
From the way Margaret writes to Owens, there appears to be something wrong with some of them. I want you to write to me what it is about. Honey, it is no use of my telling you of the affections I have for you. I would freely give all I have in this world if I could only come and stay with you. If you can buy a sow and pigs or two cows and calves cheap, I want you to buy them. Nothing more. I remain your affectionate husband, — W. R. Tanner
You must be careful with your money and not let none go unless compelled to. I will send you stamps, &c.
Letter 15
Chattanooga, Tennessee
September 23rd 1862
My very dear wife,
I again take my seat to address a few lines to you which leaves me in tolerable good health and earnestly hope that this few lines may reach you & the children the same. I have been trying for the last three days to get Stiring to write this letter for me and could not and I have got cousin Daniel to write it for me. Stiring is a mending some little and cousin Daniel is on the mend. In fact, all of the boys that are here are on the mend. My dear wife, I have not much news to write you at present. I would be very glad to see you and the children but it looks like a very bad chance for me to get to go home anymore for the doctors will not give furloughs from this hospital until a man is so near dead till he can’t travel. There is no certainty about when we will get off to the regiment for we do not intend to start there until we all get well and able to stand the march for if we were to start from here unwell and get down on the way, we would certainly die for the want of attention as a great many have done.
I will also say that I have heard that Capt. Byrd and Capt. Str___was sent for to go to Tallahassee on a case as a witness & if he does and come through here and I can see him, I intend to do my best to get home with him & I think that maybe he will fix some way for me to go.
Mary, I want you to tell Sarah the next time she writes a letter or sells anything before writing and undertakes to tell what it was to be sure and write what it was that she sold, She wrote that she had sold two of something but did not say what it was and she said that she got ten for one and five for the other and also said that [ ] had sold one but did not say what it was.
Mary, I want you to bear in mind to write to me whether you ever received that money that i sent to you or not. It was two twenty dollar bills and I don’t remember exactly what day it was that I sent it, but it was about the very last days in August. I am very anxious to hear from you about it for I am uneasy for fear it is lost.
I will draw your attention now to something else. I have wrote to you now in the last 5 or 6 letters for you to send me a couple of braids of your hair & you have neither sent them nor made mention of them in any of your letters & I want you if you please to try and send them to me in your next letter. Mary, I have a piece of poetry here that I am going to send to you and if Old Berry is there when I get there, I am going to do just as the poet says and that is to make him root hog or die.
I will stop writing such nonsense but you may be sure that it is every word true for I am sure to do as I have said and I request of you to have nothing to do with none of them until I get there and I want you to write to me whether you are going to do as I requested of you or no. So I will close. David sends his love to you and to the children and all of the connection. Nothing more but remain your affectionate husband till death, — W. R. Tanner
Letter 16
Chattanooga, Tennessee
October 15, 1862
My very dear wife,
I again take my seat to address you a few lines which leaves me tolerable well. Stiring is also able to be on foot and I think is mending some & I hope that these few lines may find you and the children in good health. Daniel is here yet but is not well but able to be up. I also will say that there has been a good many of our boys taken prisoners since they left here. All that was left on the road which has been taken prisoners by the federals and paroled and have got back this far, though now if they [illegible]… Owen B. Cravey, he came back here though I have not seen him though I forgot to mention Samuel Hart—he also was taken prisoner.
My dear wife, I would like very much to see you all indeed and I think there is some chance for me to get to go home in the course of two or three weeks. I am a going to try my best for a furlough & I think that there is probably some chance for me to get one for the doctors are giving a great many furloughs at this time.
Mary, I want you to be sure and write to me as soon as you get this letter and write to me what time you think that I had better try to get off home to meet the necessary demands of [ ]. I want you to write a letter that you will not be afraid for the doctors to see for I shall probably have to show the letter to get a furlough or at least the letter would probably be a help to me to get off, and you must be sure and write the time as near as you can when I ought to go. And now be sure and write to me just as soon as you get this letter, but be sure to write so that I can have good time to get there in time that I can give you assistance.
Mary, I want you to write to me what Jacob is doing. Whether he is at home or not. I have wrote to you several times to write to me what he was doing and you never write to me anything about him yet. If he is there, tell him that if I am spared, I want to be there to help him make up his sugar c___.
Daniel wishes to be remembered by you all and also send his best wishes to you all. I have nothing more to write at present but remain your affectionate husband till death, — W. R. Tanner
Spared & Shared 23 