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Regiment: 7th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee
Camp Convelessant
Virginia Nov 4th/63
Mr. & Mrs. Snook
Since you heard from me last I have been plaised on the sacred soil again, and
looks more gloomy & forsaken, more dessolate than ever, for while at Annapolis I was favored
with the opportunity of looking out on a living cultivated world, but here all is dead or dying
except soldiering, forts, cannon, rifle pits & breastworks. Since, and while confined in the
hospital, the time has seemed long dreary & lonely, finding but few really congenial minds.
I have got so I can walk without a crutch tolerably well, but am yet suffering more or less from
chronic diarrhea, this better than I have been. It has not been as severe in my case as in a large
majority of cases, owing perhaps to my not using any kind of spirituous liquors. Intemperance
is the bane of the army, where it is indulged in, but the regulations are very rigid against it.
When well and in the field, and plenty of work to do I did not think so much
about it, but now, how I would like to be back and have an old fashioned chat, tea, warm biscuit
& butter. I have only been down to a tea table twice since I left homes, and suspect I shal be
rather green by the time I get home again; well, shal have to claim an allowance at the hands
of old friends when I do get back. As Sam Slick said, nothing aint like nothing, down here in
the army, singing aint like singing, meetings aint like meetings, & churches aint like churches; in
fact, praying and preaching aint like them either, where there is no other intelegent being present
except blue trowsers, one feels as anguard as a snapping turtle.
This encampment is on a part of the famous Arlington estate, owned prior to his
treason, by Old General Lee, but now held in perpetual trust by Uncle Sam. On this very
plantation too, in sight of the capitol of the nation, is the evidences of the deadning effects of
the slave system. The land was originally as good as could be desired, but now, nearly one half
of it worthless for farming purposes, being worn out and abandoned to pick pine & other
second growth woods. The other day as I was taking a walk to some of the fortifications, I
passed through a 100 acres or more of this pine thicket, many of the trees over 18 inches
diameter; and the rowes of the last crop of corn or tobacco as plainly to be seen as if it was the
crop of last year. The soil in these cases is as dead and as hard, almost as pavement. had
these lands any where about here been under the free labor system, 20 acres would be worth a
fortune, and would now be producing from 50 to 100 dollars worth of crops to the acre yearly.
Here, too, the slave pen and auction block at Washington & Alexandria, have effectually vetoed
the erection of a single school room for the poor mans boy and girl. As I passed through the
pinewood, over the last rowes of tobacco, planted, hoed, & cut up by the bondman of nearly
half a century ago, I said, this was the last crop by the hand of the slave man & woman, the
next will be that of the untrammeled freeman. If my voice is ever again heard in the free
north, it shall be more earnestly, more inflexibly in favor of emansipation, the Presidents
Proclamation & universal freedom.
Well, the war yet rages, rages furiously; but I think the indications are that it is
approaching a final termination. The arrival of each reffugee from the iron tyranny at
Richmond, give concurent testimony that a fearful state of destitution, suffering and discontent
exists there, also throughout the cotton states. They say the leaders are more alarmed about
our occupation of Chattanooga & Knoxville, than about any other event of the war. At the best
they are fighting themselves to death, their cotton factories are burned to the ground, and the
army and the inhabitants are shut up to live on corn bread. I conversed the other day with a
reffuggee, and he stated that more than half of the citizens were ready and anxious to clost the
war on any terms; and scores of rebel soldiers of whom I have talked, say, if they could,
would lay down their armes. Day before yesterday a squad of 15 deserted from Lees army,
and are now in this camp, a few rods from here; and have taken oath and enlisted in the
union service. They say that a suit of winter clothes for a man, which can be bot here for 40
dollars, will cost in Richmond 400 dollars, and that, prints are selling at 6 & 7 dollars per yard;
these prices are in confederate money and about the only currency the yave. Such prices seem
fabulous but it is true, I saw statements of the same kind in a Richmond paper a few days ago.
Women, who only 3 years ago, could dress in silks, I saw a short time since picking up
old corn & rot sacks around our cavalry camps, to make garments of. I do not mean to be
understood that this is universally so in Northern Virginia, but there are many families who
drive by the war to this extremity.
In 5 cases out of 6, there is not a man to work and take care of the women &
children. Be greatfull that your homes & families at the north as so happy and peaceful. No
one but the tyrants at the rebel capitol is responsible for all this suffering. I am not able to say
anything definet about most of our Orangeville men who enlisted I heard however that Daniel
Danu was taken prisoner, and saw Whiskey Allen last week. I am making an effort to get a
furlough to go home and think I shal succeede. The weather so far is the finest I ever knew
at this time of year, about like September in Mich. I am under the necessity of asking you
to attend to a small buisness matter for me. Last fall I engaged an agent of one of the marble
works to deliver a tomb stone for my little boy who died. In case I was away, he was to leave
the stone at your place. I do not remember that I said anything to you about it. If it is left
at your place, please take care of it until I can send the money to pay for it. I was to leave the
money with you, and have you pay it over to the person who should deliver the stone. I should
have sent the money long ago, had I been paid. I have not been paid off in 6 months, but will
probibly be by the 18th of this month.
Respectfully yours
James Campbell
