Camp Near Shelbyville, Tenn Mar 17th /63

Mifs,, N,, V,, Tatum

Dear Cousin— I Seat myself this Sabbath eavening to write to you oncemore, but it is not because you have been so affectionate and kinde in answering my other letter— I have recieved five letters from Cousin Henrietta McRae since I have been up here and she requested me to write to all of our connections and give them her best respects and tell them that she was well and would be glad if she could write to you all but it is out of her power to do so now— They live about thirty miles from here— They have no mails at all— The Yankeys are with in seven miles of them— My self and Sandy would go to see them but we are a fraid of the yankeys getting us— if they was to get us we would go up to Camp Chaise—

Uncle Duncan & Uncle Alexander & Cousin D have been up to see us once since we have been up here— they staide one day and knight with us— They would have staide longer but they were a fraide the Yankeys would come to there House and take evry thing they had while they wer up here—

Well Cousin Verginia Uncle Alexander is the same old Fellow yet I can’t see any change in him at all— Cousin D. is grown up out of all reason— He is a grate deale larger than I am— He dose not be long to the survice yet but says he intends joining this spring—

Well Cousin Verginia I understood that Cousin Tatum was Taken out with the Malitia— if that be so I don’t see how you get a long with out him— I was truly sorry to here of Cousin Molleys Death and Plesent Smiths and the babys death, Though I can sympathize with you all for I have experianced the same feeling—I have lost one of my brothers lately, Texas— he was killed in the Murfreesboro Fight— he was shot plume through with a Minie Ball— he was Willing to die— he lived a bout 12 hours after he was wounded— I think I have lost my bravest Brother— he seemed to have no fear a bout him at all— I am in hopes he is in Heaven with the Blefsed Ones where pain and sorrow is no more—

Well Cousin Verginia we all enjoyed ourselves here first rate considering— There is a grate many Pretty young Ladys here in this State— I exepct to stay here untill Peace is made if it should please God to let me live to see that day— Well Cousin Verginia Sandy is Lying flat on his back telling a taile on Cousins Tatums Negro Zack to the ballance of the Boys While they are eating there suppers— he says that When the other negros would ask Zack if he was going to Preaching in the morning and he would say that if my head don't ache to bad— Well Cousin Verginia We have fine fun these days playing Town Ball— We can have just as many games going on as we want— it remindes me of my School days when I use to have so much fun playing with the boys—

Well Cousin Verginia I must close— You must give Aunt Nancy mine and Sandys best Love and respects and tell her that we are as fat and saucy as little pigs— We are still Beardlefs Boys— Kiss all the girls for us if they will let you kifs them for us, and if they will not, tell them that no Boddy is hurt and give them our best respects— Give Cousin Tatum and all of the Family our best wishes and receive a double portion for your self—

your Cousin untell death

C,,T,, Hilliard,, jr

Notes:

Claiborne (or Claybern) T. Hilliard, Jr. (1836-1891), of Shelby County, Texas, together with his brothers Alexander ("Sandy") C. Hilliard and Silvaman Texas Hilliard enlisted in Co. F, 10th Regiment Texas Cavalry at Camp Flournoy, in Woods County, TX, on September 16, 1861. They were sons of Claiborne T. Hilliard, Sr. (b1802, SC), and Elizabeth McRae (b1805, TN), formerly of Maury County.

The letter’s recipient was Claiborne’s 2nd cousin, Nancy Virginia Tatum, daughter of the Rev. A.J.G. Tatum (1815-1867) and Susannah E. McAddams (1820-1894), and a granddaughter of Samuel McAddams and Nancy McRae (sister of Elizabeth McRae Hilliard) of Shelby County. Nancy Virginia Tatum was born 25 October 1843 in TN, and married April 27, 1865 to (my great-grandfather) Benjamin Milam Johnson (1838-1915) of Shelby County. The couple had three children before her death on April 1, 1871, and was buried in Tatum Cemetery, near Flat Fork Creek in Shelby County.

As Claiborne prayed, he and Sandy did live to see the war end on May 4, 1865, and were with their regiment on its surrendered at Citronelle, Alabama, and afterwards paroled at Meridian, Mississippi on May 9, 1865. Uncle Duncan and Alexander (McRae) lived in Maury County, near Hurts Crossroads in 1860, and Cousin D (or Duncan McRae) later enlisted as a private in Co. F, 1st Tennessee Cavalry.

Following the death of his first wife, Claiborne T. Jr., married Virginia's sister, Susannah Frances Tatum (1846-1901). The McAddams, Hilliards, and Tatums all came from Maury County, TN, to Shelby County in 1844, where Samuel McAddams established a mercantile business. His son-in-law, C. T. Hilliard Sr., soon acquired 250 acres from Milam’s father, Alvey R. Johnson (1803-1862), who fought in the Texas Revolution and later served in the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas. B. Milam Johnson had served with the 3rd Texas Cavalry until he was medically discharged in July 1862 just prior to the Battle of Iuka where his regiment was virtually annihilated, and was reformed after this battle.