John R. Hurley Civil War letters

Location of collection:

Virginia Military Institute Archives

Preston Library

Virginia Military Institute

345 Letcher Ave.

Lexington, VA 24450-0304

Contact for questions and access:

POC: Jeffrey S. Kozak

Email: archives@vmi.edu

Phone: (540) 464-7516

Phone: (540) 464-7566

Fax: (540) 464-7089

Web: www.vmi.edu/archives

Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Preferred citation:

John R. Hurley Civil War letters, 1862-1863. MS 0190. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:

12 items

Creator:

Hurley, John R., 1843?-?

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

John R. Hurley Civil War letters, 1862-1863. MS 0190. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of 12 letters from Confederate soldier John R. Hurley to his sisters and father. Topics include camp life, hardships, and personal news.

Written from Tupelo, Mississippi. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health, the health of some of his fellow soldiers, and personal matters.

Written from Shelbyville, Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health and life at camp.

Written from Shelbyville, Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health, the health of some of his fellow soldiers, life at camp, and personal matters.

Written from Shelbyville, Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health and personal matters.

Written from "on Picket Six miles from Shelbyville", Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health, life at camp, and personal matters. Letter also mentions that "men [are] deserting very bad here."

Written from Shelbyville, Tennessee. Letter regards life at camp and personal matters.

Written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Letter regards march to Chattanooga, health of fellow soldiers, and life at camp.

Written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health and life at camp.

Written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Letter regards John R. Hurley's health, news that Vicksburg, Mississippi has fallen, and life at camp.

Written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Letter regards life at camp and personal matters.

Written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Letter regards life at camp and personal matters.

Written from "five miles South of Chattanooga," Tennessee. Letter regards health of fellow soldiers and an attack on Chattanooga.

Biographical / historical:

John R. Hurley (circa 1843-?) was a Confederate soldier from Montgomery, Alabama who served as a Private in Company A, 39th Alabama Infantry Regiment, Confederate States of America.

Physical location:

Manuscripts stacks

Related

Alternative form available:

The John R. Hurley Civil War letters are avaliable online.

Other descriptive data:

Tupelo Mississippi

Dear Sisters,

Shelbyville March 11th 1863

Well Puss Lize and [H] I seat my self to write you a few lines to let you no that I am well and hope to these few lines will find you injoying the same. Jess is right smart sick he has bin sick two or three days. The rest of the boys I believe is well. It is very fine weather here now it is fair and warm it looks like I ought to be at home and ploughing these prety morning but I am afraid it will be a long time before I get to plough. We are living very well here now we get plenty to eat and have plenty to do to keep us in good exercise we don't have to mutch to do though. I don't recon you said I must get a discharg and come home in april maby I will I don't know yet, but maby I will try if I keep as hearty as I am I don't want no discharg because I would have to come right back and I had as well stay while I am here but I would like to be at home these prety days. Tell Tom and Jimey I say I think they are large enough to come to the war now and I think they had beter come for they are neded here now I expect we will have to fight before long if it stays fair we have bin under marching orders about two weeks but we may stay here along time yet. this is a very prety place here while it is dry I don't care if we stay here as long as we stay in the war. I must close you must write to me. I don't intend to write any more untill you you write to me again. I have wrote three or four and have not got but one. So nothing more.

April 18 1863

Well Puss Lize and [H] I will write a little to you all again as Mr. Park is here and going to start back in the morning. I am in tolerable good health at this time I have had a very bad rizing on the back of my neck but it is getting well now. I haven't done any deauty in three or four days but I am ready for deauty again now. I can't think of any thing to write that will interest you. You said if you was me and Lieut. Roberts got married you would get maried to. I dinot no he was going to mary or had any notion of it but there is some very prety girls up here. I would not blame him mutch if her was to mary up here but I don't think he will. Well I will write about something else. It is a very prety day to day has bin prety weather for some time it has bin right cold for the last week until to day. Their has big frosts every morning they are cleaning up the camps here to day. Their so much smoke I cant hardly see. We just moved here day before yesterday we have moved back to the brigade. The Co. is in very health. Capt. Nall is not very well I believe the rest is all well. Cicero and Henry Satcher is as fat as hogs. I saw Bob Sheels last Sunday he is hearty. Well I write so often I cant think of any thing to write so I will quit you must all write to me. So nothing more.

Shelbyville Tenn April 28, 1863

Dear Sisters,

On Picket Six miles from Shelbyville

Well I will write to you all again as I have just received your letter. I am in very good health, the boys is all in very good health that is here except Dock Wolfe he is not very well abile to do deuty yet. Well this is [H_nts] old box lid I am writing on and it is right greesy and my paper is about to get greesy all over. We have very fine weather here it is getting tolerable dry now, it hant raind in about three weeks. The wheat is very good up here, the corn I cant tell mutch about it it has just cum up. I have nothing to write that will interest you. We get a plenty to eat, bacon corn meal and a little flour yes and some peas. we have bin up up here on picket two weeks I don no how long we will stay up here but I don't cear if we stay up here til the war ends for this is a very prety plae here were we are and we don't have mutch to do. we have to go on guard about evry third day but I don't mind that. You all need not make me any clothes for we can draw as many clothes as we want and I have drawn a good pair of shoes. I hant drawn but eleven dollars yet but I think I will draw again in a few days and when I do I will send you all some money to pay postage as I cant get any stamps up here and we cant pay for letters with [?] and you can pay for them yourselves. I would like to be at home to eat some of that honey and see all them young men flying around but I hope it won't be long before we all can get to go home I am sory Jo Talbot went home and told you I was getting low down I think I am as in good health as I ever was in my life. You must take care of my pig and keep it fat and it a great big hog when I get back. I think yet I will be their time enough to eat water melons and peaches. Well I cant think of anything of anything to write. The men is deserting very bad here seven left one company a few nights ago from our regiment but two of them was brought back and they keep them tide down flat on the ground four hours a day in the hot shunshine and then they get right up of the ground and side a wooden horse three hours that is continued for six days I don't think I will ever disert. I believe I will quit. I cant think of any thing to write you must write to me and for all the folks to write to me so nothing more at present.

Shelbyville Tenn. June 16th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Camp Chatanooga July 7th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Chattanooga Tenn July 8th 1863

Dear Father,

Chattanooga Tenn July 11th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Chattanooga, Tenn Aug. 9th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Chattanooga, Tenn. August 19th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Camp 39th Ala. Regt. Aug. 26th 1863

Dear Sisters,

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Confederate States of America. Army—Alabama Infantry Regiment, 39th
United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives—Confederate
United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865
Correspondence