Hello again,
This is in regards to your posting last October. Did you ever post this to
the Clay Co. list? It was such an interesting letter. I glance back at it
from time to time. May I have your permission to post it (with your name as
reference, of course)? We so often deal with dates and statistics. I love
to hear the actual words and thoughts of these people we research.
Thanks again for sharing,
Brad Crabb
----- Original Message -----
From: <daviau1(a)juno.com>
To: <INOWEN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 11:45 PM
Subject: [INOWEN] Andersonville Letter
Decided this might be a great time to share the following letter, it
was
written to my Grandfather, William D. Stevens & his brother, Jesse
Stevens.
Noah Stevens/Stephens was my Great Grandfather, he died in the
Andersonville Civil War Prison along with his son, Levi Jackson
Stevens/Stephens.
Would be interested in hearing from anyone connected to any of the
individuals mentioned.
Patti Daviau
(Copied as closely as possible from original writing.)
Lewis, Ind
Sept. 11,1910
Well Boys, your letter here, all well, glad that I have found you Boys.
now Boys, from the time your Father & Levy J Stephens came to
Indianapolis Ind, to our camp, I done all of their writing for them &
Perry, as they none of them could write and after Noah & Jack, we all
called him Levy, was captured Dec 24, 1863 I wrote to your ma & told her
of the Sad occurrence. O that was a sad day for your Ma and a sad day for
us Boys, for there never was Braver Boys than your Father & Jack. Brave,
Noble, Good, Cheerful, Kind Harted, no Better Soldiers never lived than
they. they are Two Brave Boys that gave up wife, Brothers & Sisters & ma
to Fight for this Government. They willingly laid down their lives for
Their country. I can see those Two yet in my mind, as,
2
as they rode Past us on that Christmas Eve morning, going Guarding the
Wagon Train for Forage they were Chearfull, Laughing as they Rode Past
the Pickett Post that me and Perry was on. So a Bout 10 O Clock on Dec
24, 1863 they got in the fight, the 81 of our Boys that was in the fight,
Killed & wounded 50 Rebels. Noah & Jack & 18 more of our Boys after they
had shot over 200 Rounds a Piece all the amuniction gone, had to, They
Being Entirely Surrounded, they had to Surrender to the 64 Virginia
Mounted Infantry Rebels. well Boys, when I wrote for your Father & Jack,
letters to send home, they allways had me to write some to you little
Boys at home, often said if you Boys was big enough to go to war you and
them would Tear the Rebellion in too. Now boys I am the only one that has
Seen where Poor Noah & Jack lays
3
now Jack either lays with the unknown or else he has bin assigned to Some
other State, as in the 14000 Solddiers that lay there in long rows, they
are some from all the Northern States. I will write to the Superintendent
out of the Andersonville GA National Cemetery and Try to find out where
Poor Jack Lays. Boys, on Thursday, Nov the 26, 1908, I with some 300
Indiana Soldiers, with our then Governor J Frank Hanley, Stood & walked
all over the old Prison Pen, where 14000 Brave Boys lies. Govenor J Frank
Hanley Delivered the Greatest address I ever heard in all my life. O
those words he spoke, rings in my ears yet, he Told us that at any moment
your Father & Brother would have taken the Oath to the Southern
Confederacy or Rebel Government they could have walked out of the Prison
pen a free man. But Rather than do that they Starved to death.
4
if they had a done that, they might have bin living yet. But No, they
Stood By & Starved to death. Died to Save the best Government on Earth.
Some days & nights 200 of the Brave Boys would be laid at the South gate
dead. they were Throwed on an old waggon cross ways like cord wood, 20 at
a load and hauled one half mile to the country, one half of the Naked. I
seen the old Nigger that hauled all to the Burying Ground. The Dirt was
throwed off a Strip 6 feet, By 40 Rods, all those Poor Boys laid close,
Side By side, then as they dug the other ditch the dirt was throwed on
them only 2 feet deep, no coffins, no Tears & one half of them stark
Naked, Their names put on a Book. Those Poor fellows will rest there till
Gabriel the Arc Angel will Sound his Trumppet, then those Poor fellows
will come forth, not Naked & Starved as they was hauled there, but they
will
5
be Robed in Richiousness of Pure white. God Bless their memory. Say Boys,
you cain't Compreehend the Suffering that those Poor fellows Suffered,
Naked, Starved for food & watter, Stink & Vermin. Taken cold Rains
nothing to cover them night & day. Burning up by day & chilled by a
night. Just think of 35000 men on 40 acres, eat, sleep and do all their
Business on it. Just think what a Smell. O Boys, you can't imagine What
your Father & Brother did Suffer. Say Boys, I have a History of the
Prison Pen written By M Clory of 14 Ill Cavalry he was in there with your
Father. I will loan it to you to Read, 400 Pages. Boys, when I Stood by
your Fathers Grave, I never had such a feeling in my Life. I cut a cane
in that Hell Hole, where 10 to 15 Boys died every night at stool. Jest
fell over dead. I will make you a Present of it, if you will come to see
me.
6
Boys, I could Talk all day & night with you. Come and see me, I will give
you all the men in Company M 6th Indiana Cavalry or Rough Riders, That
your father & Jack be longed to. You Boys are young, I am getting old, So
come to Bowling Green Bellaire Fleeder Dam, Old Hill to Lewis, my Farm
joined the Town of Lewis on Southern Ind RR or come West to Clay City, go
Srait 10 miles To Lewis. Joe Parr lives 2 miles South of me. I will Send
you some Coppys of Nationall Tribune, allso Yellow Jacket. I am Glad I
found you. where do you live from Poland. Come And see me. I will go to
Indianapolis to State Fair next Tuesday as I want a Buck sheep. have you
heard from your uncle Perry. He was a good soldier. I can tell you a heap
of fun a Bout Perry. Now Boys, no one, Big or little can say to me that
Noah or Jack done anything wrong in the army. They were good Boys there
7
(illegible) can't Express or Tell of half the suffering in those Too with
others suffered in those Hell Holes of a Prison. O the anguish, Starving
and being eat up with lice and Scurvey. Flesh half fell off of the Bones,
nothing but living Skeletons. Say Boys, I can't read the History of
Andersonville without Taking off my Meathodist Coat and walking the Floor
and Saying a few Cuss words and you can't either, I know. Well Boys, I
got a Piece of the old Prison Pen to make me a cane, So come Down, I will
give coppy of all the names of your Fathers Company. All I can say Boys,
be good. Republicans we was from 1861 to 1865 and we are right yet. There
are a lot of them rebels ought to be hung yet. I don't know what would
interest you. Best wishes to all. Come see me. I can talk better than I
can write.
J.K. Polk Stephens
write soon
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