The following letters were written by August Rost (1833-1864), principal musician in the 17th Alabama Infantry. August wrote the letter to his wife, Margaret Steele (1846-1934) with whom he married in January 1863. Margaret—called “Molly” in these letters—was the daughter of German immigrant Michael Steele.
Rost led a popular brass band in Mobile before the Civil War. On June 10, 1861, there is notice that he provided music for Gov. A. B. Moore’s excursion to Fort Morgan aboard the steamer Crescent. In that same month Rost’s band led the German Fusiliers (Co. G, 8th Alabama) and their escort to the train station as the company left for Virginia to participate in the Battle of Bull Run. By the end of July the band became the official garrison band at Fort Morgan at the entrance to Mobile Bay. A member of the 2nd Alabama Regiment stated that Rost’s Band “entertained the garrison after the duties of the day were over.” By mid-September, 1861, the band was back in Mobile.
Sometime in 1863, Rost’s Band became the band of the 17th Alabama Infantry and early in 1864, the regiment joined the Army of Tennessee, serving under General Cantey, and active in the Atlanta Campaign and Hood’s expedition into Tennessee. Rost, however, died on 11 November 1864.
Several years ago I transcribed six letters by August Rost and published them on Spared & Shared 10. See—1863-64: August Rost to Mary Rost.
Letter 1
No. 1
Marietta, Georgia
June 21st 1864
Dear Wife,
I received your kind letters on the 10th and 17th the 21st of June and was very sorry to see that [ ] was sick and [ ] again. Molly, you tell me very…kind letter. I received that tobacco bag and I can [ ] think of you whenever I do smoke…you did write for me to come home but it is not possible till after this fight, if I live to get home. But I would not go. But as soon as this fight is over I do come and stay about 10 days with you.
Dear wife, when I was eating my dinner today, Peter Von Alber came to me to tell me that he was looking for me the last month. He is well and was as glad to find me as a lost child finds his Pa. He told me he never had a happy day in ten years like today.
Darling, I have to close. My time is [ ]. Give my love to Pa, Ma, and sisters and brothers and tell Pa to write soon to me and if he wants me to write in English to let me know. Darling, take care of yourself and be happy if you can. You will see me soon if I am spared. — August Rost
No. 2
Marietta, Georgia
June 21st 1864
Dear Molly,
Tell me in your next letter how you are getting [on] and if that made you sick to lay in the bed of if was only unwell. Molly, you must not work much if you ain’t well, and neither work in the house. If you keep still, you soon will get over it, and if you think you are getting better, go out to that milk woman on Government Street and stay there about 9 or 10 days. That will do more good than all. Do not eat anything than milk and rice and flour bread, and let me know how you [are] getting on.
Dear wife, I am glad you get money yet. I will not get any before this fight is over. Dear Molly, try to get well till I do come home. I never can be happy before you are well, but you must not write to me that you are well when you ain’t. Tell me always how you are getting on. Darling….be a good wife now and love me like your husband does love you. Your husband and protector, — August Rost
Capt. A. Rost, Chief Musician, 17th Alabama Regt., Cantey’s Brigade, Polk’s Corps.
Letter 2
Marietta, Georgia
June 25th 1864
Dear Wife,
I am still in Marietta yet and fighting is going on from day to day. We lost about 1,500 men on Thursday the 23rd 1 and I think the Yankees lost more. I think we will fall back about four miles and give the Yanks a general fight. If they do not fight us, we will have to fight them.
Dear Molly, I am well and I hope that you’re getting better. If not, let me know all about it. Darling, I think of you day and night. I never did know how dear you are to me before till now. [ ] only be one day with you. I have a lot of little things to tell you but I hope that day will come soon, and [I will] tell you all I know. And I know you have many things to tell me. …
[ ] wanted me to start a band for him and the 17th Brigade was bound to let me go of Gen. Polk says he wanted me. They sent a note to Col. [Virgil S.] Murphey that I should report to him the [ ] to let me go and he would have done so if he didn’t live me day…..
I will write more as soon as I receive a letter from you. Tell Pa to write to me and let me know [ ] and give my love to Ma and sisters and brothers. Darling, do not forget your true husband till dead. — August Rost
Capt. A. Rost, Chief Musician. 17th Ala. Regt., Cantey’s Brigade, Polk’s Corps.
1 August is probably referring to the Battle of Kolb’s Farm which took place on 22 June 1864. Polk was killed at Pine Mountain on June 14 and temporarily replaced by Major General William Wing Loring. Historian Albert E. Castel estimated that Hood’s attack cost his corps 1,500 killed, wounded, and missing, two-thirds of which were from Stevenson’s division.
Letter 3
Near Atlanta [Georgia]
July 7, [1864]
Dear Wife,
I write you this time to let you know that we left Marietta on Saturday and went back about 7 miles this [ ] and we left there on Monday night and went across the Chattahoochee River 6 miles from Atlanta. I think we will stay here for a while if the Yankees don’t flank again so we have to leave.
Darling, you write me you did not want me to write to Mrs. Hines. I could [not] help from doing so. I was his captain and I have to answer his wife’s letter at that, but I did write in German so she could not read it, that somebody else finds out what I did write about [Jacob] Hines. 1
Darling, my furlough did not come yet. It is in account of this move. We have no time to attend to papers. As soon as they get time again, I think they will come back. The Major says that they will come back alright. Well, if they do, I [will] come home soon, but I have no hope that I come before this fighting is over. I will come then or I come before I play again with my band. I give you my word.
Dear wife, I am in very good health and I hope that you are the same. And I think of you from hour to hour. Darling, you do not know how a true man does love his wife, yet he loves her better than himself. Oh, I did see 50 men at least wounded and nearly dead. All they pray for is, “Oh God, bless my dear wife.” They do not think about themselves. It does me good to see it. There is nothing in the world that is so dear to me than my little wife. Darling, goodbye. I have to close. Write soon and I hope we will meet soon again.
Your husband till dead, — August Rost, Capt. of Band, Chief Musician, 17th Alabama Infantry, Cantey’s Brigade, Polk’s Corps.
1 Jacob Hines was a musician in the band of the 17th Alabama. He was taken prisoner at Cassville, Georgia, on 20 May 1864 and sent to Louisville, Kentucky, and then forwarded to Rock Island, Illinois.
Letter 4
Atlanta, [Georgia]
August 26th 1864
Cantey’s Hospital
Dear Wife,
I received yours and [Edward] Bruno’s letter and was very glad to hear from you again. I do not know that I can’t get a letter from you. I got your letter on the 26th that you did write on the 14th. I did write 10 letters to you and I only got answer from one and the last letter was very short. And I did write three letters to Pa and Ma without any result. Darling, you did send $10. Do not send any money no more. I know that you have but very little. I thank you for doing so but I do not need it. You do not write to me whether your Pa wrote as he intended to do. If Mobile should be shelled from the Yankees, if you are prepared for it or not. Tell Pa not to take it so easy. It is very miserable to be in a condition like that. I see that in Atlanta. I like for you to stay in Mobile but if you all have to leave, let me know. I got a very good family near Montgomery where you can stay, but do not leave Ma as long she stay in Mobile. Go to her if they should shell and tell Pa to dig a hole in the yard and cover it with logs—what we call a bomb proof—and if the shells go in there, tell them to stay down.
Molly, tell me if you did get any money from me and if you got any, do not be without. Let me know and I [will] send you some. Darling, do not forget your true husband who thinks of you day and night and cannot help you in your present condition. If it were in my power, I would be on your side and protect you to the last but we are parted and left to ourselves so I have to call on Pa and Ma to protect you and I know they will do so until I return.
My dear wife, if Mobile should fall [illegible] come soon and take care of my darling and send me letters by Flag of Truce and I will do the same and think of the happy hours we had when met the last time. Darling, I got good times. I stay in the hospital and have nothing to do than write music and practice with my band. I went last night serenading to our Gen. [Alexander Peter] Stewart and thank for improving my band so fast and he told me to go in that way, that he would protect me, and if I want for anything to let him know.
Darling, I have to close…Give my love to Pa & Ma and to all. write soon again and tell Pa to write me. From your true husband, — August Rost
Letter 5
Cantey’s Brigade Hospital
Atlanta, [Georgia]
August 30th 1864
Dear Wife,
I received your kind letter sent by that young man on the 29th of August, and was very glad to hear that you are in good health and I thank God that I can tell you the same. Darling, I live in hopes we will be soon together again. This war must close soon. It is going to the end and if it don’t, I will try to finish it myself. I will try very hard to get my discharge on the 17th of September. If I get it, I will come home. It may be that we come back to Mobile as soon as this campaign is over, if the Yankees don’t take Atlanta.
Darling, Mr. Junger is coming to Mobile. I told him to come and see you and tell you all about how I get along. He told me he would go in Tuesday and I went to Atlanta on Monday to our Brigade General to get $200. A note was promised to me on Monday and when I came to Atlanta, our Brigade was moved from there and till I come home, Junger [Yunger?] was gone, and I could send no letter with money, after I walked about ten miles in the hot sun. He will tell you all about it.
Dear Molly, let me know if you did get them $200 paid. I do not pay the bill here until I hear from you. I will send you money as soon as I can get it to Mobile. It is very hard to send money at the present time from here. I did not get any pay yet from the regiment, neither from the government, but I did buy an instrument for $400 and I get $500 and I bought an old instrument for $10 and made a bugle from it today. I will sell that to the brigade for $100. As soon as I get that money together, I will send it to you and you will be alright again. I think I will get it together in about 10 days and I have got plenty left when I get paid off from the regiment, and the government. I will write to Montgomery again and if the sutler don’t pay you, I will write to Col. Murphey and be will tend to it. Dear Molly, you shall not suffer as long as I live and if I have to work day and night, it is all the pleasure I have got to work for you.
Darling, leave [Edward] Bruno’s trunk at Miss Fuceliting till I come home again. I don’t want you to have anything to do with it. I got clothes enough till I get clothes from the government. Molly, do not think hard of Pa because he is cross. He has a good deal of trouble, I believe, at the present time. He is a good old fellow. Let him have his way, darling.
I have to close. Write soon again and think you have a true husband far from you but he never will forget you. It never does pass an hour that he don’t think of you, I believe. — I remain your true husband, — August Rost
Molly, do not write no more with a pencil. That letter I got from you was most out. Your true Augusta
Spared & Shared 23 