Augusta County: George S. Schreckhise to James M.
Schreckhise, January 5, 1863
Summary:
George Schreckhise writes to his son James about his mother's illness, the
impressment of his slaves, and other news from home including smallpox. He also
talks about purchasing a substitute for his son Daniel.
January the 5 1863
Dear Son
I now sit down to answer your letter of the 13 and 15
which I received on Christmas eve and I was glad to hear from you and that you were
well thank god we are all well but
grandmother is not so
well as she used to be She can't
eat as hearty as when you were at home She is not to
say sick but naturally
worn out with old age She can scarcely get to the table any more I think
she will
naturally die with old age the rest of the friends are all well as far as I
know of None
down at Christmas
except
uncle Jacob [unclear: Joseph]. I had a lonesome
Christmas not like the Christmas we used to have. Nobody seem to enjoy
Christmas but the blacks they had parties all round and mine have been frolicking all the time til to today. [unclear: Lonis] is going to Richmond with 250 others from this county to
work on the fortifications
[page 2]
for two month around Richmond I hope that they
won't
need them. I think the Yankees
were
whipped too bad at Fredericksburg to try to get to Richmond
again. I suppose you
will
see
they have been
worse
whipped in Tennessee
since it is said
they have got the worst whip of
all since the war commenced
I hope they
will
soon stop this unnatural war
none of our friends or neighbors were killed at the
fight at Fredericksburg we have a mighty
dry winter so far and warm we
only had 8 or 10 days very cold weather yet it was
very cold and the snow was about two
inches
deep it just
dried up did not wet the ground any the ice was 4 or 5
inches thick then it all of a sudden got warm and
dry as sudden changes as
were you are right is a dry winter the roads are as solid
as in summer
[page 3]
and dusty the grain
fields look like fallow ground don't
look
green like last year good many
people
could not plow this fall
so
there is not as much seeded as
would
have
been. I [unclear: rode] out as you
[unclear: hel] I still have my wheat
some 350 or 400 hundred bushels
wheat is from 3 to 4 dollars per bushel
corn a bout the same and every thing in proportion the 6 I now will
close my letter we today killed our beef it commenced to rain but it has quit again we have a great deal of cloudy
weather but little rain the
boys heard
heavy
cannonading this morning
in the direction of Fredericksburg. Daniel's
arm is still not well the ball
still in he is poulticing it
it is open now on the opposite side. I think it will
come out but it may be some time yet some little of the
patching came out today and he vaccinated himself his arm is quite sore from it the
smallpox is about Staunton people are all
[page 4]
vaccinating
for the kind pox it makes Daniel right sick you wanted to know
what I had to give for Daniels substitute. I had to give a big price I gave
the [unclear: coly]
town property and three
hundred dollars cash money a person to be no object I got such a substitute that there
will be no
dispute about a great
many of the people
will have a good deal of trouble about their substitutes
some
will have to go themselves or get
another one again as
there was a great
deal of defraud practiced it
would
been better from first that
no
foreigners had been
[unclear: cakeing] for they all run off
what day you have to pay for your board now and day you get your pay if I had of knowing you needed
any money I could of sent some to you with Mr Slie. I certainly
would
come out if I could
leave grandmother for I would
like to see that country god
only knows
what may happen this year
which we just have entered in
I wish you a happy new year
great
prosperity in your case in
day good for our
fellow men give my respect to
Mr. Slie and all So I must close
your father
G Schreckhise
write soon
