Letters from a Civil War Relative #14: Unknown Date and Place

This is the next-to-last entry in this series which has taken me weeks to post. 

I want you to tri to rite to me oftner than you deo for you don’t know the pleasure it is to me to receive a letter from you. Tell all of my old friend howdy for me for I don’t know when I will get to see them for I don’t see any prospect of peas at this time but I think I will get home again Christmas if not sooner.

I want you to come and see us as soon as you can for I don’t think we will leave hear shortly. The orders is for us to stay hear and hold this firrt  (fort).

I have land out $5 dollars and hav got 23 as yet and if you will come out I will give you 10 dollars for I no you worked hard to raise me and hant forgot it.

I don’t want my brothers and sisters to forget me for I hang forgot them yet so I shal close by still remain your son untell death from Richard Stamper to Joel Stamper and family.

A few lines to Jame Gun (This was probably James Gunn, a Baptist minister per the 1860 census.)  I am well and would like to see you and your old woman and also Lewis and Malin is well and I want you to rite to us and let us no how you are geting along so I shal close. Richard Stamper to James Gun     

A few lines from Lewis Reynolds to Joel Stamper. My old friend, I would like to see you and hear you talk. I think it would be pleasure to me. Tell all of the girls howdy for me. So I must close, Lewis Reynolds to Joel Stamper

Lewis and Malin referred to brothers Lewis and Malon Reynolds. Lewis wrote this letter so he probably used the third-person since the first section of the letter was to be from Richard.

Letters from a Civil War Relative #13: July 9, 1862 from Camp Cottrell

Camp Cotterl Clabern Co Tennessee July the 9 day 1862

My dear father, I seet my self once more to let you no that I am well at this time, hoping when these few lines come to hand it may find you in good health. I would like to see you all once more but I no I am deprived of that opportunity at the present. I hant received a word from you in along time and I think longe of the time of hearing from you and I want you to rite to me as soon as you receive these few lines.

We have got order to go out a-skirmishing at 7 o'clock in the morn. We will be gon 2 or 3 days. There is a talk of our redgiment being converted to cavalry and I wish it may be so for I am tirde of marching. We have marcht so mutch. We hear some good nuse from olde richomd. I hant time to tell you all of the nuse at this time for it will soon be roll call and then we will haf to blow out our lits and go to bed. All is qite in camps tonite.

 That appears to be all of this one, probably written by Lewis Reynolds.

Letters from a Civil War Relative #12: July 5, 1862, from Camp Cottrell

Camp Cotterl Claborn Co Tennnessee July the 5 day 1862

My Dear father, I seet my self this mornin to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at the present time hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you enjoying the same like blessing. I hant any thing verry strong to rite to you this time only I suppose our men has got whipt at old Richmon and I tell you if they are whipt they are whipt mity bad and that is verry bad nuse to us. I am in hope it ant the truth. It come by telegraft and I am afraid it is the truth.

I wish you could bin here yesterday so you could hearde the cannons firde. That would bin a site to you. It almost jard the ground. I don’t know when we will leave hear.

I hear that Moses Reynolds is coming out hear before long and I want you to be sure and come with him and I want you to bring me one dollars worth of stamps if you pleas and I want John to come and get his discharge for it is readdy for him and has bin readdy for a long time.

The boys wants to see him. Enny how health is verry good hear at this time. All is quite in camps to day. (rate by Lewis R)

I want to no the reason that you don’t rite more than you do. This makes the 4 letter that I have had rote sens I have received are one from you and I begin to think long of the time of you not riteing to me. I want you to rite to me as soon as you receive these few lines and rite all of the good nuse you can get and rite what the cecesh is deoing in breathet county and rite how corn crops looks in that country and how wheat crops looks and also whether it is a good  prospect of a (illegible) and I want you to try to rite ofner than you do if you pleas and tell all of the olde friends to rite to me.

So I must close but still remain your son untell death. From Richard Stamper to Joel Stamper.

A few lines from Richard Stamper to Moses Reynolds. I would like to see you and all of the family verry well at this time. I think it would be great pleasure to me to see you all and hear you talk. I want you to rite to all of us so I must close but I still remain your friend. Untell death.

Rote by Lewis Reynolds

A few lines from Lewis Reynolds to Joel Stamper and family. I am well at this time and Mailon is well. I would like to see you and your family the best in the world but I no I cant see you now girls. I would like to see you and if I cant see you I would like to hear from you. Rite to me if you pleas and I will do the same.

Lewis Reynolds to Polly Stamper

Mailon is Lewis’ younger brother, a private in the same company.

 

Letters from a Civil War Relative #11: June 30, 1862 from Camp Cottrell

Here is another one Lewis Reynolds penned for his buddy Richard Stamper.  The reference to "cain tuck" as "Kentucky" makes me smile for some reason. I can easily imagine my ancestors using that pronunciation.

 June the 30 1862

Camp Cotterl Clabern Co Tennessee

My dear father, I seet my self once more to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at this time hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all well and harty. I  hant any thing verry strange to rite to you at this time. We are yet close to the gap and don’t nowhen we will leave hear. Not soon I don’t think. I want you to come and see us as soon as you get your corn laide by if not sooner and I want John to come too for his discharge is reddy for him to get.

John I want you to rite to me whether Major Hamton paide you your meny (money) yet or not. Captain Clarke sent it by him and he sede (said) he would send it to you the first chans (chance) he got and if he hant you must go and see him about it and not (forsake?)

I want you to come as soon as you can so I can send neds close (Ned’s Clothes, referring to Edward Turner, as Ned was likely his nickname) home for I no they would be safer at home than they are hear.

Brother and sisters, I would like to see you all but I no I can’t see you now. We have a guard around us now. Wish uou could all be hear the 4 of July. Our men is a going to take a spree shooting with the canons on that day because indepenance was illegible declared on that day.

I don’t expect to rite any more tell I receive a letter and that may be a large time. It looks like you could rite oftener than you doe (do) for I hant received a letter from you sens the 6 of June and that has bin a longe time it appears to me. It may not appear that way to you, I don’t know that but I just guest that a way. I can tell you some things strange. I seen a woman drummed out of the service yesterday mornin. Father I am as fat and actif as a buck but cant jumpe qite as far but don’t lack  mutch of it. So turn over and read the rest.

Tell all of my friends howdy for me and tell them to rite to me as soon as they can and I will rite to them. So I must close but still remain your son untell death. From Richard Stamper to Joel Stamper, rote by Lewis Reynolds.

A few lines from Lewis Reynolds to Joel Stamper. My friend I am well, hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all well. I would like to see you out hear in dixey (Dixie) verry well.

A few lines to the younge sisters, I am a soldier from olde cain tuck (Kentucky) and I have hade verry good luck. Now I am in Tennessee and I let the girls be rite to me, if you pleas. Poly Stamper.  L R 

Letters from a Civil War Relative #10 June 29, 1862, from Camp Cottrell, Claiborne Co., TN

Here is the next letter to Joel Stamper, this one written by Lewis Reynolds on Richard's behalf. There is some surprising (to me) bravado and confidence expressed in this one. I wonder if the entire regiment was in such good spirits at the time.

 

 Camp Cotterl Claborn Co Tennessee June the 29 1862

My dear father. I seet my self once more to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at the present time, hopeing when these few lines come to hand they may find you all well and deoing well.

I have nothing verry strang to rite to you only the gap is open.

The rebels left it in double quick time. Our men took a flag of truce and went to the rebels camps, talked with them and staid all njte with them and they tride to swap horses with our men.

The rebels ses they (sic) that our men and them never will fite and I no the reason because they wont fite us. They hade rather run than to fite and it is good sens of them.

I think my self the rebels left 5 cannons at the gap and they are all spiked and they left all of their tents. They cut their tents all to peases with their nives before they left and they left a greate deal of their commissary stores and a good many shels and balls and a greate many other thing too (illegible) to mention at this time.

I received a letter the 6 day of June wich give great pleasure to hear from you and hear that you was all well

Here is another instance where I am inserting an undated/marked page where I think it seems suitable.

I have had many troubles and trials to encounter with sense I have been in the service and expect to see a great manny more if I live long in this troublesome world. 

I want to deo as my rite is. I can put my trust in god for I no he is the only                                                savior and I want all of my brothers and sisters to deo the same for I no life is                                            uncertain and death is sure

There is several sick her and one died today.

That will make a man come to his (illegible - sadness?) to see a soldier die in                                             the servis.

I want to deo as my rite is. I can put my trust in god for I no he is the only savior and I want all of my brothers and sisters to deo the same for I no life is uncertain and death is sure.

There is several sick her and one died today.

That will make a man come to his (illegible - sadnesd?) see a soldier die in the servis.

The uncertain final page.

Letters from a Civil War Relative #6: February 1862, from Camp Carter

One of the pleasant surprises of this collection of letters was the letterhead on this letter. I really like it and wonder where Richard or Edward got it from. Was it harder to get or more expensive than plain paper?

This is another one in the handwriting of Edward Turner.

Camp Carter February 1862

Dear Father and family, I one time more take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present, hoping that (when) these few lines comes to hand, they may find you injoying the same blessings.

I have nothing strange to write to you but I would be very glad to see you all one time more, but I am deprived of the privilege at this time and don’t know when I can get to come to see you. 

I would be glad you would come and see me.

I can inform you that we have left London and we are now stationed nine miles from London on the old state road that leads to Cumberland gap and the name of our camp is Carter. I can inform you there was a great battle fought at Somerset in which our men gained a complete victory. They killed 500 of the Rebels amongst which was found General Zollicofer and our men took 150 prisoners and 1500 small arms, 12 cannons.

I have been noculated from the small pox on the 30th of January but it has not operated yet but the small pox is not here but they say the are at Somerset.

I can inform you that we are looking for reinforcements every day. The Tennesseans and Ohioans. 

I can inform you that the health is better in this regiment than it has ever been since we come to Wild Cat. I want you to read this to all my brothers and sisters for I want to see them the worst I ever did in my life. Tell them that I have not forgotten them if they have me.

Lewis Reynolds and Edward Stapleton has come in the informed me that you had not got home before they left home and that you was sick at doctor name illegible - Lacy's?) in Clay County which made me a little (illegible.) 

Mother if he has not got home yet, I want you to write to me as soon as this   comes to hand and let me have all the news going on in the country.

So no more at present but remains your affection son until death.  From Richard Stamper to Joel Stamper and family.      

      

The battle he mentioned was the Union triumph on January 19 at Mill Springs, which cracked the eastern end of the Confederate defensive line through Kentucky. Confederate General Felix Zollicofer died in the contest. The Union commander was the same George H. Thomas who had trained men, including the 7th Kentucky Infantry,  at Camp Dick Robinson the previous September.

I find it interesting that soldiers got and so willingly shared such news. Even a previous entry showed Richard sharing information he had heard about the Battle of Wildcat Mountain. I’ve read such reports before, of course, but I guess the family connection in this series magnifies everything to me. They were, after all, just ordinary men like most soldiers were, wanting to let friends and families know of their well-being and experiences.

London was a city in Laurel County, not far from the Wildcat Mountain battlefield. This area suffered a devastating tornado in May of 2025 

Edward Stapleton was a corporal in the same company D of the 7th Kentucky as were Richard and Edward. Stapleton was born in Owsley County, so he may have been a neighbor or friend of at least Lewis Reynolds, if not the others.

Lewis Reynolds' name will appear more in future entries. Richard trusted him enough to let him write the letters that Richard wished to send home once Edward, who had penned Richard’s previous letters, passed away. That may be a sign of a close friendship between the two.

Letters from a Civil War Relative #1: "All Keen to Start"

This is the first piece of the new project I recently mentioned regarding letters from Richard Stamper, a distant relative of mine who fought in the Civil War.  

This letter, as I’m calling it, is just a single page, or at least an unsigned fragment of a page. I have checked and double checked the file but cannot find any other page that might match up with it, so these few lines are probably all that remain of this message. 

Some of Richard’s letters were written by a soldier named Lewis Reynolds, who had enlisted and mustered in to the same company on the same days and places as Richard. I suspect he wrote this one on Richard’s behalf.

The story of Lewis Reynolds, unrelated to me, is intriguing itself and may require further investigation. At one point, Lewis was in a hospital at Young's Point, Louisiana, the same place where my great-great-great grandfather Nimrod McIntosh, a member of the same company, also visited before his discharge from the army. 

One document in Lewis’ file states that he was discharged from the army due to his suffering from disease including smallpox in September of 1863, but another form claims he died due to chronic diarrhea a few weeks later in October while still in Louisiana. If this is true, that means that all three of the main soldiers whose names appear in this project perished during a period of about 18 months. I guess that’s not impossible given the huge number of casualties during the war, but it still strikes me as strange, or at least unfortunate.

The report of Lewis’ demise, however, is not accurate. A pension index card indicates that Lewis applied for a pension in 1864. Obviously, this would not happen if he were dead. The card made no mention of a date for his widow’s pension.

Additionally, public family trees on ancestry.com show that Lewis lived until 1875. Perhaps in the future I’ll get Lewis’ pension records and try to clarify what happened with him. The military records are simply mistaken in regard to his death, but further study of his life is now another topic to research. He may not have been my family, but his saga still intrigues me as he was clearly a trusted friend of my relative. 

Here is my transcription followed by the actual letter fragment. I don’t believe Richard could write. He had comrades write these letters for him. I believe his brother-in-law Edward Turner wrote this one based on the handwriting and how it looks compared to letters signed by Edward.

The measles every day.

I had to go to the hospital one time 2 days. I was not able to drill. I expect we will start to Barbourville tomorrow or next day. The boys is all keen to start but if we don't go I expect to come home about the 15th of Oct if I am well.

We was mustered in to the service of the United States today.

                        

Both Richard and Edward enlisted in company D of the 7th Kentucky on September 3, 1861, in Booneville, Ky., not far from their homes. This unit was originally called the 3rd Kentucky Infantry but officially switched its designation to the 7th in February of 1862. Some references still include a reference to the "Old 3rd" Infantry due to this change.) 

Richard and Edward mustered in the service on September 22 at Camp Dick Robinson in Garrard County, Kentucky, so it seems that the letter was written that day from that camp. (The same dates apply to Lewis Reynolds as well.)  This is the earliest note of those that still exist, written just days after Kentucky’s legislature had officially ended the state’s attempted neutrality on September 18. The men in the 7th (old 3rd) Kentucky, including these three, were among the earliest Kentucky recruits mustering in for the war. (The 1st and 2nd Kentucky Infantry both formed in Ohio due to Kentucky’s neutrality.)

At this camp, these men likely received training from then Brigadier General George H. Thomas, the future “Rock of Chickamauga.” 

Neither of their files, however, contains any mention of measles or an early trip to the hospital.

Garrard County, KY, location of Camp Dick Robinson

                                         

These movements were a continuation of the contest for control of the Cumberland Gap as the American Battlefield Trust describes. It included a skirmish at Barbourville that had occurred September 19.

Location of Barbourville, Ky

These men would soon see and write more about this period in their home state. Upcoming letters generally focus on the soldier's welfare and inquisitions about their family and friends, but the next one actually discusses the numbers of troops in a battle this regiment fought.