I had hoped to be able to identify the author of this letter whose sad letter suggests that he rode with Gen. John Hunt Morgan—at least for a time during the Civil War. The letter is signed “your affectionate brother John” and there are initials with an annotation that appear to read, “J. P. M.” but I was unable to pinpoint his identity. There are other names mentioned in the letter that may provide clues but their relationship to the author can only be conjectured.

The letter was datelined from Dalton, Georgia, in early May 1864 where Johnston’s Confederate army had wintered and prepared for Sherman’s advance that would eventually sweep across Georgia. He writes of passing letters by way of a flag-of-truce so it’s my hunch that his family resided in Kentucky—possibly in the vicinity of Union-occupied Bardstown where he may have at an early date befriended John McGill who later became a Bishop in the Catholic Church. He suggests relaying letters through Bishop McGill in Richmond, Virginia, in 1864 and I can think of no other reason he might suggest doing so.

I searched through the names of those officers who rode with Morgan on his 1863 raid into Indiana and Ohio but I could not find anyone with those initials. Some of the raiders escaped and some who occasionally rode with Morgan were not on this raid. Whomever he was, his sentiment were undoubtedly mirrored by many comrades when he wrote: “Out of all the old friends whom I recognized when the war broke out I can hardly count ten.  All beneath the sod of the battlefield or disappeared God knows where.” 

[Editor’s note: This letter is from the collection of Greg Herr and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent. Abbie Weber Jones kindly provided me with the first draft of the letter.]

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

Dalton, Georgia
May 6, 1864

My Dear Sisters,

I embrace the present opportunity of sending a letter to you by flag-of-truce boat. The inexpressible anxiety under which I labor in regard to you and the family is worrying me almost to death. So long it has been since I heard from you that my mind is continually wandering home—awake and in my dreams. I am in total ignorance in regard to the whereabouts of Frank. My impression heretofore was that he returned home as he was terribly home sick. If so, I trust in God he arrived there safely. If so, write to me immediately and let one know that my mind may be relieved of this pressure of uncertainty. How glad I would be to hear from Annie & Charlie. In the very few lines that I have ever received from the “dearest spot on earth,” I have never received a line from them.

I raised a company of my own here and held a Captaincy but the utter impossibility of clothing and feeding myself upon the salary and the taking of the regiment from General Morgan’s command induced me to give it up. Out of all the old friends whom I recognized when the war broke out I can hardly count ten.  All beneath the sod of the battlefield or disappeared God knows where. I can only write one page or I would write more. How deeply I sympathize with you on account of your affliction in regard to your husband. I will leave to your knowledge that whatever affected you, sank deeply in the heart of your affectionate brother, — James

Write by flag-of-truce back as soon as you receive this. Send me a US postage stamp.  I send you two CS Postages. Direct to me in care of Bishop [John] McGill, Richmond, and inform him by separate letter that I will write or call for it. — JPM