Augusta: William F. Brand to Kate Armentrout, May
25, 1861
Summary:
Brand writes to Kate of picket duty, arriving troops from other states, and her
friends and family in camp. He also shares some rumors of the Union occupation
of Alexandria, and says that every member of the Augusta Grays who voted in the
recent elections voted in favor of secession.
May 25th 1861
Harpers Ferry Camp Bolive
Dear Kate
It is with pleasure to me, that I am permitted to write
you a fiew lines I recieved
your much welcomed letter a fiew days since and have
taken this highly favored opportunity of writing. My health is very good as well
as your Brothers and I hope when theese
fiew lines comes to hand that you may be enjoying the
same blessing with all other earthly enjoyments. Thare
are from fifteen to twenty thousand Soldiers hear at
present thare was
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some rumers
hear last night that the federal troops had taken posession of Alexandria thare was a secession flag thare & one
secessionist stood by it & said the first man that attempted to take it
down he would kill & one of the officers of the federal troops walked up
to it and took hold of it and was shot down in his tracks put the secessionist suffered the same fate he was shot down &
cut to pieases he well knew what would be his fate,
put his love to the new
confederacy was sweeter than death.
Thare is eleaven Hundred
Alabamians & with them two of my Oncles, John
& William
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Mosley. I see them almost every day they are poth very lively. Oncle William
& my self was on duty night before last we ware
speaking of our post I told him I had the pest post on
the round & he said he had the pest for a lady
sent his supper out to him & that he would be back thare for his breckfast. I told him
that I would relieve him put
nether one got our meals thare.
Thare is two thousand Missippians
hear
thay are keen for a fight thay
are in favor of going to Washington & give the republicans a round or
so. The north must keep thare feet of
ove Virginia soil or thare will
be blood shed. All of the Augusta Grays voted
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for secession put two & they did not vote fifteen or twenty of us
was not old enough, put our Capt told us to vote if we could & every one of us voted one of
our low life men talked like he wold oppose our votes
and the gentle man was about to get him self into business he got so bad scared
that he went and voted for secession. John is not so lively as he was when at
home. My friend James is well you will hear from him before long. Mr Apple told
me to send his love to who ever I was writing to I intend to come up to see you
before long. I ask an interrest in your prayers that
I may hold out faith full to the end.
I remain yours affectionately
Wm. F. Brand
Write soon as I am always ancious to hear from you all
