The following letter was written by William Harrison Alexander (1841-1908), the son of William “Hopping Billy” Marion Alexander (1801-1885) and Anna Robertson (1804-1864) of Pickens county, South Carolina. The letter was addressed to his cousin, Martha Stewart—the widow of Abram B. Stewart (1841-1864). Abram was the son of Robert and Elizabeth (Dunham) Stewart. William and Abram served the Confederacy together as privates in Co. F, 22nd South Carolina Infantry until Abram was killed on 1 September 1864 in the trenches near Petersburg. William’s letter to Abram’s widow conveys—at her request—the details of her husband’s death. We learn that Abram recklessly exposed himself before the enemy despite warnings to take cover. His actions and his last words almost suggest that Abram had a death wish as he died quickly, expressing acceptance of his fate. The regiment, part of Elliott’s Brigade, had recently endured a period of extensive fighting from the time of the Battle of the Crater, where many of its solders were blown up, to the trench warfare that followed with constant artillery fire and skirmishing.

When he returned from the war, William married a woman named Maddie Stewart who I suspect was his cousin and the widow of his comrade. Together they had several children. William was buried at the Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Sunset, Pickens county, South Carolina.

William must have been illiterate as the letter was actually written by Jackson M. Odell who also served in Co. F, 22nd South Carolina Infantry.

[Note: This letter is from the collection of Keith Fleckner and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

In the Trenches near Petersburg, Virginia
September 14th, 1864 

Very Dear Cousin,

I seat myself this morning to write you a few lines which leave me well, truly hoping these few lines may come safe to your kind and distant hands and find you well and enjoying yourself as well as can be expected these troublesome times. 

Cousin, I received a letter from you last Saturday and was truly glad to hear you was well. Cousin, you wanted me to write all I knew about Abram getting killed. I recon I can tell you as much as anybody else for I saw him killed. You wanted to know whether he was on the breastworks or not. He was not on the front works for we had to get in some little ditches that was cut in rear and he was upon a bank of dirt that was a’most as high as the breastworks. He was in fair view of the Yankees and not over fifty yards from them and I was in the ditch and tried to get him to get down. I told him several times to get down and he wouldn’t do it. He just stayed and kept a shooting at the Yankees as hard as he could till after a while he was shot through the right arm and [the bullet] went into his side. When he was hit, he fell back right on me and said, “Boys, I am done with this troublesome war. I am killed,” and [then] said, “Write home to my folks that I am killed and am gone to rest,” and died instantly. He seemed to die mighty easily. He had but a little time to suffer.

And now cousin, I have just wrote how it was, as nye as it can be told with pen and ink. That is just what he said and I have no doubt but what he is at rest this day. I believe he is in the presence of his Blessed Savior where no wars nor troubles can come. 

Cousin, you must do the best you can. I hope the Lord will comfort you in all of your troubles and will be a husband to you and that you may meet that dear one that is gone in that happy world above.  Dear Cousin, I would be glad to see you if I could, but I don’t know when I will get to see you though I hope it won’t be very long till we will meet. So I will come to a close.  Write to me every chance.

So no more, only I remain your cousin till death. 

W. H. Alexander 

To Mrs. Martha Stewart. Wrote by the hand of J[ackson] M. Odell—a true friend of him that is gone.