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A letter home (Confederate)
Near Chattahoochee
Fulton Co.
July 15th, 1864
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| Dear Sister: |
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Pickets don't fire at each other now. We go down to the edge of the river on our side and
the Yankees come down on their side and talk to each other. The men on picket opposite are
from Ohio, and seem very tired of the war. They say that their term of enlistment will be
out in three months and most of them say that when it is out they are going home. Gen.
Johnson has issued an order that there shall be no more communication between with them,
and I think it is well that he has done so because they were getting too intimate. Some
men don't know what should be concealed. The Yankees are very much in want of tobacco, and
our Government gives it to us, and we used to trade tobacco with them for knives and
canteens. There is a rock near the middle of the river to which they would swim and trade.
After a while they got so well acquainted that some of our men would swim clear across and
land among the Yankess. The Yankees were not so bold for a long time, but a few days ago
they got to coming across also. That has been broken up now and if any trading is carried
on, it is done contrary to orders.- - - - I took some tobacco down with me the other day
but I found out when I got there communication had been stopped. As I was sitting on the
banks, one of the Yankees from the other side called to me to know if I had any tobacco. I
told him I had. He said that he had a good knife to trade for it. I told him that trading
was prohibited. He said "Your officers won't see you, come over, I want a chew of
tobacco very bad." I asked some of them who they were going to vote for President.
One of them said "Old Abe" but most of them said they were for McLellan. We have a fine rain last night that was much needed. I had my oil cloth
pitched for a tent but it leaks very badly. I got rather wet but the rain was very hard
and lasted only a short time, and I got dry and went back to bed and slept very well. One
of the Yankee Lieutenants promised to mail some letters for one of our officers and I
wrote to Aunt Martha expecting to send it at the same time but Gen. Johnson stopped the
prodeeding so I did not send it. There is a force of Yankees on this side of the river and
have been there for some time. Why Gen. Johnson don't drive them back I don't know he must
have some object in view.
Write to me soon.. |
Yours truly,
(s)O.D. Chester |
This letter is special for a number of reasons.
First, it shows a side of war that most people ignore. It is not unusual for troops from
opposite sides to mingle when not fighting. Second it comes two days prior to Jefferson Davis removing Joseph E. Johnston as Commander
and replacing him with John Bell Hood.
The final sentence details much of the argument about tactics over which Davis and
Johnston fought. Finally, the letter speaks of the coming election in November. This is
very important in the South. At the time, the South viewed McLellan as a peace candidate
so support for him would have been pro-South.
A letter home (Union)
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