I have begun to read thru them, some are not in good condition. They are all addressed to his wife, Mary A. Hughston of French Camp (her brother was George W. Bird Jr. of Carrollton and the 11th Miss). I believe S. V. served with the conscript bureau under Denis during the first years of the war and then joined the reserve regiment in 1864.
Some items taken from these letters and of some general interest are:
1. Camp near Oxford, Miss - Sept 11, 1864: --- I traveled all last week in a country that has been visited by the enemy and can assure you that it is enough to chill the blood to see the wanton destruction of property. When Forrest's men entered Memphis, the yankees were at this palce and as soon as they heard our men where in Memphis, they ordered the place to be burned and all the provisions through out the entire vicinity. The order was carried out and many of the wealthiest citizens here are now at the point of sufficance, whole families, that have always been use to plenty, are destitute of anything to eat for themselves or children except bread the goverment is sending them supplies from Granada to prevent starvation. ---
2. Camp near Oxford - Sept 19, 1864: --- I enclose you a northern paper which no doubt will be interesting to you as you can see how they talk on the other side of Dixie. --- He sent two papers, one from New York and one from Missouri and asked Mary to share them with Mr. Graham and the neighbors.
3. Camp near Panola, Miss - Oct. 12, 1864: --- Since writing you last I have been on a raid into Tennessee. Our regiment did some very hard marching from this place to Senatobia a distance of 22 miles starting at dusk and reaching Senatobia at 11 o'clock, which I call quick time to be made after dark with 800 men. Two nights after that we marched until two o'colck without stopping to eat or feed. It was our intention to get into Memphis but on getting into Tennessee, we heard they were too strong for us so we had to turn back. We spent the night twelve miles from Memphis and in full hearing of their signal guns. --- I spent three hours with mother and sister while in Senatobia. They were in good health. ---
4. Camp near Holly Springs - Nov. 24, 1864: I have not written you in nearly two weeks from the fact that I have been on another raid into Tennessee, Our objective was to tear up the Memphis and Ohio railroad. Our Brigade has destroyed about 25 miles of track and burnt all the bridges. We had a very hard time as it rained on us day and night and we had to take the weather without any protection whatever for nine days. Our horses were tired down as well as ourselves. The citizens were very kind and seemed glad to see us. We are now north of the Tallahatchie river. ---
S. V. sent some letters by mail (when stamps were available) and some by hand. At one time he sent letters with Major or Col. Metts, who was on medical furlough. He also sent mail and clothing back and forth with Henry Miller, who is referred to as William Miller's boy -- I don't know if Henry was a son or a slave; however Henry made several trips back and forth.
At different points S. V. mentions war news including Wheeler taking Nashville and a telegraph to his unit when near Meridian mentioning Hood replacing Johnston in Georgia and rumors that we had defeated Sherman in Georgia, which he and others doubted - their doubt proved to be true. He later mentioned Forrest driving back the yankees at Tupelo, but that the yankees were not whipped.
I hope this is of interest. It certainly was to me, as among other things I never knew of my ggg grand mother who lived in Senatobia during the war.
Ed Rea