This letter was written by Sylvester Churchill (1783-1862) who began his military career at the outbreak of the War of 1812. He was appointed a 1st Lieutenant in the 3rd US Artillery and served with distinction, rising progressively in rank until 1847 when he was breveted Brigadier General for his services in the Mexican-American War. At the beginning of the Civil War he had been Inspector General for over 20 years. He retired in September 1861. He was married to Lucy Hunter (1786-1862).

The letter was adressed to Capt. Henry William Griswold (1795-1834), an 1815 graduate of the US Military Academy and a career artillery officer. At the time this letter was written in December 1830, he was in garrison at Ft. Monroe (Old Point Comfort, Va,) were he was Captain of the 3rd US Artillery. Griswold wrote a letter of recommendation for Edgar Allen Poe to enter West Point where Poe was stationed in 1828-29.

Churchill drafted the letter during the Holiday Season of 1830 in Wilmington, North Carolina, as indicated by the content and postal markings. While he does not disclose the specifics of his long-term assignment, it is evident that it pertained to military service, as he included the “Private” sheet directed to Griswold amidst what was likely official correspondence. He notes that his family was safely settled at Fort Johnson—a historic Revolutionary War fort situated on the Clinch River near Wilmington. His assignment may have been connected to Fort Caswell, which was under construction during that period. He hints at some fear of being “kilt dead by nigs” which explains why he kept his family at Fort Johnson. I’m not aware of any particular slave revolt at that time but, in general, there was a constant fear among slave owners throughout this period of slave uprisings as the slaves greatly outnumbered the white inhabitants. As a Northerner, his presence among a large slave population may have heightened his anxiety.

In the previous year Churchill had been on assignment to perform an assessment of the value of the Mount Dearborn Armory situated on an island in the Catawba River in Chester County. South Carolina. This armory was intended to be comparable to the ones built at Springfield and Harper’s Ferry but it was never fully completed and it was completely abandoned by 1825. Churchill was paid $8 a day for 8 days to determine the property value when it was sold back to the State of South Carolina. The state subsequently sold it to Daniel McCullough who built a cotton factory on the site which was destroyed by Sherman in 1865. [See: Mount Dearborn Armory]

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

Private

[December 1830]
Dear Gris–

Your little note came & gave comfort. In haste I can only say now that we are all alive except the “killed and wounded” by which I mean not to say that all the young gentlemen are unhit by the eyes, cheeks, teeth, & charms of some beautiful young ladies. We have entertainment upon feast & jollification upon suppers in rapid succession, which with enough of duties, have left us very busy. Long may we enjoy these, say I, before we are kilt dead by the nigs. Give me the glory first, the fighting when I must—more especially as the latter will not come—never.

I appreciate all you said about Pat. & I have known Samp. & Trimble ¹ before. Am much pleased with Mr. [ ]. Have requested that Mr. Williamson may be appointed sutler.

Leave my family for the present at Fort Johnston, but shall go down occasionally to see them—tomorrow, for the first time. They are all well. So is the modest, worthy Dimock & family & Simonson—and so, my dear fellow, is your fellow, — S. C.

Give me all the news I pray.

I open this at 7 in the evening 31st to say that Maj. Kirby has just arrived & well. My my respects to Col Hand’s, Worth’s family & all friends.

¹ This was probably Isaac Ridgeway Trimble (1802-1888) who graduated from the US Military Academy in 1822 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. of Artillery. He was and engineer and in the 3rd US Artillery before he left the service in 1832 to pursue a career in railroads. He became a Confederate General in the Civil War.

The following letter was written by Washington J. McConnel (1810-1885) of Greensboro, Guilford county, North Carolina. Washington was married to Jane E. Lindsay in March 1840. He was married a second time to Emily S. Sperry of Baltimore, Maryland in September 1846.

From census records we know that McConnel was a “merchant” in Greensboro for most of his life though I cannot find any additional details as to the nature of his business. He was known to be on the board of directors for a local insurance company and may have also dealt in real estate. Unfortunately, we can’t tell from the letterhead what the nature of his business was either except that he clearly kept a store or office in Goldsboro. Only his name, “W. J. McConnel” appears above the door.

McConnel wrote the letter to Elwon Benjamin Mace (1807-1865) who married Susanna Staton (1809-1854), and married second, Betsey Lane (1832-1874) in May 1854.

Transcription

Greensboro, [North Carolina]
December 27, 1854

Benjamin Mace, Esq.
Dear Sir,

Mr. Jolly is in want of a Negro woman & I have told him that you had one to hire & that I should not wait here. Any contract you make with Mr. Jolly is perfectly good and I will see it paid & I have no doubt you will find him a good hand to hire too.

Very respectfully yours, — W. J. McConnel

The following letter was written by Sarah H. (Gwyn) Brown (1798-1889), the wife of Hamilton Brown (1786-1870) of Wilkesboro, Wilkes county, North Carolina. Sarah’s first husband was Nathaniel Gordon (1784-1829) who died when her son, James Byron Gordon—the recipient of this letter—was only six years old.

Some readers may recognize James Byron Gordon (1822-1864), having gained a name of distinction while serving as a Confederate Brigadier General in the Civil War. He began his service under the command of General J. E. B. Stuart as Major of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry and was promoted as its Colonel. In September 1863 he was promoted to Brigadier General an assigned command of the North Carolina Cavalry Brigade, taking over a higher command when General Stuart was killed in the Battle of Yellow Tavern. He was mortally wounded in May 1864 north of Richmond. He never married. When this letter was written, James was representing Wilkes county as a Member of the N. C. General Assembly House of Commons (HC) at Raleigh, as indicated on the cover.

Sarah mentions James’ half brother, Hamilton “Allen” Brown (1837-1917) in her letter as well. Allen also served the Confederacy as Colonel of the 1st North Carolina Regiment. She also mentions another half-brother named Hugh Thomas (“Tom”) Brown (1835-1861). After graduating at Chapel Hill and receiving his lawyer’s license, Tom had only just begun to practice law in Van Buren, Arkansas, when the Civil War began and he was elected Captain of the Van Buren Frontier Guards (3rd Arkansas). He was killed on 10 August 1861 at Wilson’s Creek.

Transcription

Oakland
December 26, 1850

Being alone today and as usual thinking about my dear son, I concluded I would commit some of my reflections to writing. I do not suppose you had any idea your Mother would send any of her scribbling to Raleigh while you. were there knowing I am so little accustomed to letter writing.

I was glad to see so much tenderness and affection breathed in your letters to Cal. Oh, how dear my children are to me and as I advance in life, I feel a deeper interest in their happiness. But where is the jewel to be found on earth. Some writer has said domestic happiness was the sole surviver of the fall. But this you have not tried yet. Neither do I see much prospect of it. If you were married and settled in life with a pious, sensible woman and a true Christian yourself, then I would say you were a happy man. We pass by the flowers and gather the thorns.

Carro [Caroline] is at [her sister] Ann’s. Mr. [Hamilton] Brown has rode off and Allen is out hunting. It has been a mild, still Christmas. We went to preaching yesterday. Heard a sermon from our circuit preacher Mr. Floyd. Had several addresses from the Sunday school children.

We have sent for Tom and look for him home tomorrow. There has been a considerable breakup in College owing to some misunderstanding between the President and some of the students. He has expelled some. Hugh Gwyn has come home and says [he] expects he will be expelled. Tom wrote to his Father [that] out of 25 from North Carolina, there was only 6 left and they were leaving every day. We thought it best to send for him forthwith. It is believed that the faculty are abolitionist. I do not know whether Tom will return or not. Hugh says he will go back if they do not expel him. ¹

Well, my dear James, the old mill is gone at last. There has been the greatest freshet I have ever recollected of seeing. [It] tore up the banks some and thrown out a great deal more white sand. You must make up your mind before you come home what is to be done. It is bad getting on without the mill, or sell out and move to some new country where you can commence life with renewed energy. John and Ann are much I the spirit of moving. I hope you will get perfectly satisfied this winter with a public life.

Oh my son, keep a watch over yourself. Be aware of temptation and of dissipation of every kind. Touch not, taste not, handle not the unclean thing. Be as wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.

James, do you recollect the last chapter you read for me from the old bible? If you do, get your noble and read it again for your Mother’s sake. It was the last chapter of Ecclesiastics. I hope, my son, you read your bible and take it as the man of your council. I know you have age and experience sufficient to direct your course without any of my council but none but a Mother knows the feeling of a Mother morning and evening upon my knees do I implore High Heaven for the welfare of my dear son that He will open his eyes, enlighten his mind, and lead him to life everlasting.

Your ever affectionate Mother, — Sarah H. Brown

¹ I believe the unnamed college involved in this incident was Emory and Henry College where James B. Gordon had previously attended but not graduated. Tom Brown may have initially begun his college courses there as well before attending Chapel Hill. Hugh Alexander Gwyn (1830-1861) of Janesville, N. C., the author’s nephew, did attend the school and was a Senior (Valedictorian) in the Class of 1851. After graduation he took at position as a teacher at Woodlawn Academy in Salisbury, Tennessee, and died there on 16 June 1861. Unfortunately I cannot find anything in the school history or period newspapers describing the incident.