Civil War Letters from James Lowrey Davis and Thomas C. Thompson
From Col. John H. Savage's 16th Inf. Regiment, Co. F
The following letters were published in the Putnam County Herald (Cookeville, TN) May 20, 1909, p. 6
Contributed by William E. Jaquess
301 Dry Valley Rd., Cookeville,TN 38506-5457 <wej@charter.net> 14 April 2002
Dear Wife, Children and All:
I seat myself with my pen to inform you that I am well and hoping these lines will find you all well. We left Camp Trousdale yesterday morning, took the cars, came to Nashville, then reloaded and took the Chattanooga railroad.Arrived here this morning just at day light.
While we are waiting for the cars to get off, in haste, I will write you a few lines. I am now at Dr. Philander Sims' office writing; me and Capt Dillard and H. Denton, Thomas Matheney, Thomas Thompson, M.S. Smith and H.L.C. Pearson ate our breakfast with him this morning, and a good one it was too. We will go from here to Knoxville or the Cumberland Gap, one. We will start from here about twelve o'clock today. I have not slept one hour for the last two nights and I feel as gailey as a gal now. We had a very bad time to start in we all got wet getting to cars but we are all in good spirts now. We got to Nashville, they gave us a good dinner to eat and it revived us very well.
Catherine, I wish you could have been with me to take a good ride on the cars, for it is the best riding I ever saw in my life. We have rode about l98 miles in them since we left Camp Trousdale.We saw some of the finest country I ever saw in my life. I have seen, I think, 30 acres in cotton all in one piece.it looks fine.
There are good crops growing all the way from Camp here. Nashville is a very pretty place but this place is the nicest for a town I ever saw in my life. There are more steam cars here than a few. I think the Conferederates have got all the cars: there is any amount of cars here.
Catherine, I looked for you down to see me at Camp Trousdale, but you never came and now I don't know that we will ever be permited to see each other on earth again to hear from each other; but if we don't see each other any more I am determined to try to meet you in a better world where there will be no parting of friends.
We heard very good news here.Dispatches here say that there was a big fight at Mannassas Junction and Jeff backed old Scott about l5 miles and killed a great many of his men and only lost a few.
I will write again as soon as we get settled. Read this letter and read it to all the folks. As Tom wants to write some, I will close mine by subscribing myself, your truly companion until death: farewell
James L. Davis
My Dear Wife,
I am well at this time, hoping these few lines will find you and all the children well.Martha, I have nothing much to write to you more than has been written. I got a very good ride from Camp Trousdale down here.We came to Nashville and got our dinner and came though Murfreesboro, then through Tullahoma then to Chattanooga and ate breakfast with Dr. P.D. Smis, and will start to the Cumberland Gap now directly. I am fat and sassy as any need for.
Martha I will write to you again as soon as we get settled so that I can. I am coming home some time next spring when we get the black Republicans all whipped out and all the fuss I settled. The boys are all well as far as I know. We left several of them at Camp Trousdale - they are not able to come yet but are coming just as soon as they get well.
Dr. Sims says there has been fifty thousand troups gone through here going to Virginia, and here are several left behind. As we are in a hurry we will have to come to a close shortly, but give my best respects to Stephen and all the balance of connection. Tell mother that I am fat and sassy and am getting close to my old home; so I must come to a close.
T. C. Thompson
Dear Wife,
I am well and we arrived at camp last night for the first time since l January. We have been out on Picket Guard and forced marches expecting to fight, l but have had no fighting. The enemy upon our approach take to their heels and get back on their gunboats and go across to the islands again. Whether they intend coming over here to fight us or not I can't tell, it is generally thought they will not more than give us occasionally some skirmishes. On the 1st of January they came out of Port Royal Ferry and were attacked by a part of the South Carolina Regiments. Fulton's Regiment got up just as the enemy were retreating, but did not get into the fight. We were encamped some further off and consequently did not reach the place until the fight was over. The enemy only stood a few fires until they broke and our men pursued them and run too near their gun boats. The enemy turned loose with their bombs upon our men (I mean the S. C. Regiments) and did some damage, killing 64 and wounding l2. We, that is our company, and two other companies, have been for the last five days on the coast as a picked guard at Pages Point. We saw a good many old Yankees. We were some distance from them. They would occasionally shoot at us but were not near enough to do any damage.
The health of the boys is good with the exception of mumps. Several of them are sick with mumps, but not dangerous.
I send this by Capt. Bilberry. Have nothing special to write you. Capt. Bilberry will leave soon, have not time to write much.
Lowrey Davis and H.L.C. Pearson are in good health.
Give my best wishes to your father and mother and the rest of the family. In haste I close.
Yours truly,
Thomas C. Thompson
BILBREY(BILBERRY), Capt. Josiah S.S. - Commanding officer, Co B, 25th Tenn. Inf. Regt.; native of Overton Co., TN.
DAVIS, James Lowery -Born 23 May 1838, White Co, TN to Henry and Susanna West Davis; brother of Rev. Stephen Davis, Cumberland Presbyterian Minister, and brother-in-law of Thomas C. Thompson; married Catherine Bartlett who bore him three children prior to 1861; 1Lt, Co. F., 16th Tenn. Inf.
DENTON, Holland - (6 Nov 1818-10 Dec 1896) Attorney in Cookeville since 1850s; elected to Tenn. State Assembly, 1857-1859; married with children; served on resolutions committee at 1861 secessionist rally in Cookeville; 2Lt., Co. F., 16th Tenn. Inf., 1861-1862; released as overage under Conscript Act at regimental reorganization, Corinth, MS, May 1862.
DILLARD, Capt. Harvey H. - Overton Co. native and son of founder of Alpine Institute in Overton Co; first attorney to locate in Cookeville; principal organizer of Putnam County's first Confederate company; Co F (originally Co K), 16th Tenn. Inf. Regt.; released as overage under Conscription Law at Corinth, MS reorganization, May 1862; served at request of commanding officer as Major, 16th Tenn. Inf., at battle of Chickamauga; appointed 1LT and assigned to duty as Provost Marshal of post at Dalton, GA, Mar - May 1864; commanding train guard on Georgia RR with headquarters at Greensboro, GA c Aug 1864.
JEFF - A reference to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America.
MATHENY, Thomas Rogers - (17 Dec 1830-18 Sep 1861)Pvt., Co. F, 16th Tenn Inf. Regt.; son of Samuel Davis and Scythia Grimsely Matheny; married to Nancy Emeline Sims, daughter of Martin and Nancy Smith Sims;member and church clerk of Spring Creek Baptist Church prior to the Civil war; father of four daughters; died of sickness in Huntersville, Va.
PEARSON, H.L.C. - Pvt, Co F, 16th Tenn. Inf.; probably Lawson Pearson, son of Joseph and Tempie Clark Pearson.
SCOTT, Old - A reference to General Winfield Scott (1786-1866) highest ranking federal military officer at beginning of the Civil War.
SIMS, Dr. Philander Davis - (22 Oct 1828 - 8 Nov 1920) Son of Putnam Co. farmer, Martin Sims and his wife, Nancy Smith; received early education in Jackson, TN and at Alpine Institute in Overton Co., read medicine under Dr. M. Y. Brackett, Sparta, TN, and later graduated from University of Nashville School of Medicine, 1856; Chattanooga physcian, 1859-1920; married Mary Randall of Nashville, 7 Jul 1857, who bore him six children of whom three survived: Lizzie (Mrs. Samuel R. Read), Ella and Thomas; treated sick wounded and dying during siege of Chattanooga and after the battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge; permitted by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant after battle of Missionary Ridge to tend "dying hundreds ... laid on the bare ground in the old warehouses...almost without help and anesthetics.for three dreadful days and nights, practically without sleep;" Hamilton Co, TN medical director; Mayor of Chattanooga, 1873-1874; member of Tenn. Board of Health; chairman, Tenn. Committee on Prisons; pres., Tenn. Medical Assoc., 1888; from (Chattanooga's 'Grand Old Man', The Lookout, XVIII, 19 (3 Mar 1917)
SMITH, Matthew Sims - (27 Jul 1821-28 Jul 1897), First Sergeant, Co K (later Co F), 16th Tenn Inf. Regt.; son of John and Elizabeth Sims Smith; married Mary Ann Matheny, daughter of Samuel Davis and Scythia Grimsley Matheny; brother of Nancy Smith Owen.
THOMPSON, Thomas C. - (24 Apr 1835-8 Oct 1862); son of Esquire Looney and Arena Sarah Davis Thompson; married to Martha Davis, daughter of Henry and Susanna West Davis; Pvt., Co F, 16th Tenn. Inf. Regt; one of five brothers serving in the Confederate army;memorial for Thomas C and his brother, Pvt Newton James Thompson who was killed at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., was erected at the Smyrna Cemetery, Putnam Co., Tenn in their memory.
TOM - Likely a reference to Thomas C. Thompson.
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