The following are three letters written in 1863 by Pvt. Erasmus J. Borland of Dothan, Alabama during his service with Company C of the 31st Georgia Regiment. They are written to I. J. Stewart, a friend from the company who had returned back home to Alabama. These letters provide a window into the life and concerns of a typical soldier. My thanks to Larry McAllister of Chattahoochee, Florida who painstakingly transcribed these letters from the long hand originals for display.
I have posted the letters exactly as transcribed by Mr. McAllister with three exceptions. The original letters were written without punctuation and paragraph breaks, which can make the original text hard to follow. I have added paragraph breaks and punctuation [in brackets] when necessary to seperate sentences for purposes of clarity. Borland also capitalized a number of letters (e.g. the letter "s") indiscriminately; I have eliminated the capitalization when incorrectly used, again for purposes of clarity for the reader.
Note: This first letter was written while Gordon's brigade was in camps near Hamilton's Crossing defending the river line south of Fredericksburg. It precedes the brigade's valiant action in the battle of Chancellorsville fought on May 3-6th.
March the 1, 1863
Campt Near Port Royl VA
Mr. I. J. Stewart Dear Sir
after my best respects to you I can say I am well and hope when this letter gets to hand it will find you well [.] Jack I writen to you some time a go but did not get any answer and I would like to heare from you [.] Jack when we heare from you I expect to heare that you ar maried as that is a getting to be a verry coman thing with the soldiers [.] I heare hugh McCalister is maired [.] The health of the company is not so good as it has bin [.] thare is several of the boyes sick [.]
Jack I want you to bring me a hat when you come if you can have it maid size 7 and 1/2 [.] have it maid and bring it and I will pay you for it just as soon as you get it heare. Lieut Pullem ses he wants you to bring him one [.] he ses to get it the same sise of mine [.] Jack be sure to bring them if you can posible get them for we need them the worst sort [.]
we have bin hear at this Camp a bot two months but we ar going to move to morror about twenty miles [.] it is the worst time to move that you ever saw [.] the roaids is half leg to knee deep [.] it is almost imposible to travil hear at this time tho you no we have to go when theay say so no chance to get round it.
Jack I dont no that i have any thing moar to write at this time that will internest yo [.] I want you to write as soone as you get this letter and let us hear from you and be sure and not for get to bring me a hat [.] I will close for my paper is not lined on this side and I cant write good without it was so I will close up for this time boy saying I hope to hear from you soone [.] Lieut Pullem sends his respects and ses he wants you to write to him and be sure to bring him a good hat. Nothing moar [.] write soone [.]
Erasmus J. Borland to I. J. Stewart
31st Georgia Reg. Company C.
Note: This letter was written following the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville during the brief respite when Lee was reorganizing his army due to the death of Stonewall Jackson and just prior to his movement north into Pennsylvania, culminating in the battle of Gettysburg on July 1-3, 1863.
VA May 26th 1863
Campt Near Port Fredricksburg
Mr. I. J. Stewart Dear Friend
I seat my self this afternoon to write you a few lines to let you know how I am geting a long [.] I am well and dooing verry well at this time [.] I hope this letter will find you injoying the same grate blessing [.] Jack I went threw the last fight without geting a scrach and I doo thank God for it [.] Frank Jarett pooer fellow was killed with a cannon ball [.] Van Marshall and Gehugh Evans and Jack Potter was all wounded [.] it was all slight wounds though [.]
Jack I think we will have to fight here a gaine before long [.] we have just come off pickett [.] I felt a little uneasy last knight [.] I though was a going come over last knight though theay did not doo it [.] theay seamed to be stiring a bout moer than usial yesterday [.]
Jack I dont know that I have any thing to write of interrest at this time though I recon you dont expect long letters from me [.] you write such long letters to me [.] Jack the next time you write a few lines more I think you could tell me moer a bout the times in dale [.] if you would not get in too big a hurey I think you have a heap of pass time with the girls you could tell me a bout [.] I would like to know how you and the girls is geting a long [.]
Jack I would like the best in the world to see you and taulk with you [.] I can tell you a heap that has passed since you have bin gon [.] hugh McCalister ses to tell you he has got back to the company and is all write on the jous [.] Blonzo Carlile ses to gave you his respects and ses he is all wright [.] The boys all ses theay would be glad to see you [.] Jack give my respects to Benga [.] I do wish him all the good luck in the world [.]
Jack I sipapose thare is a grate meney a lying in the woods to keep from ging to the war but theay cant stay in the swamps all the time [.] they will bring them in after while [.] I guess if theay doo get them theay will put a bullet in sume of them [.] I doo wish theay could get them out from them [.]
Jack I sappose John Davidson have got home [.] I am glad to hear he is at home a gaine [.] theay say he is a criple for life [.] I am sorry to hear that for John is a good fellow.
I will have to close for theay want me ot help clean up the streets and you know how it is when theay say for afellow to go to work so nothing moar [.] I re maine your friend as ever [.] write soon [.]
Erasmus J. Borland to I. J. Stewart
31st Georgia Reg. Company C.
Note: This letter was written after the battle of Gettysburg and the withdrawal by Lee's army back to Virginia and the Rapidan River line. Gordon's brigade was posted with Early's division near Clark Mountain, not far from the rail hub at Orange Court House. Here they stayed in winter camp from August 10, 1863 until May 4, 1864, and the battle of the Wilderness.
August the 27th 1863
Campt near Orange C. H. Virginia
Mr. I. J. Stewart [.] I a gaine seat my self to write you a few lines to let you know how I am geting on [.] I am not verry well to day [.] I have got sume kind of aldment on my side and the doctor burned it with caustic yesterday evening and sir it hurts like ripe to day it has burned [.] So I cant drill any to day but I dont ceare for they ar going to have General Reverie this eavning and I dont want to go on it now how [.]
Jack I have no news to write of importance to write. I have wrote to you [.] since I got a letter from you I will write agane and hope to hear from you soon [.] Jack we heard from Edmon Roach yesterday he is geting a long verry well considering the wound he got [.] He is in Pensylvania near Harrisburg. Dr. Butts was left over thare to wate on the wounded [.] H. G. McCalister was left as a nerse [.] The yankays have got Dr. Butts confined [.] the Chaplin of our Regt stade over thare with the wounded and he wrote to Harry Wouldrige wate was the way we heard from them [.] I was fearful that Edmon would never get well but I hopes he will if he has the rite kind of treat ment [.] Jack we have been resting quietly in camps for and I doo hope that we never will have as much hard marching and fighting to doo as we have done [.]
Jack I saw sume of the prettyest kind of girls while we was in the United States [.] I saw one that I would like to take down South with me but theay have no use for the southern boyes [.] theay said we looked some better than theay thought for you might go to the finest kind of a looking house and the firls would all be bar footed and their coats tucked up to their hines going spliting [.] you know what sort of thoughts would rool a cross a fellows mind when we could see thear naked legs thoug I did not get the chance to amuse my sif with any of them [.]
well Jack I will drop that subject [.] it is getting late and I haven't got any thing moar to write this time [.] I want you to write to me just as soon as you get this and tell me all the news in Dale and tell the Girls not to forget me for I think of them often [.] Jack it has been cold wether here for two or three days [.] we war our coats and stand around the fiar [.] I want you to write me long letters and write often [.] Nothing moar only I remain your friend as ever [.]
Erasmus J. Borland to I. J. Stewart
31st Georgia Reg. Company C.
In light of Borland's encouragement to Stewart to return to the company, it is interesting to note that Borland himself had been discharged prior to the end of his initial 12 month enlistment due to illness in 1862 and subsequently returned to his unit in time to serve in the campaigns of 1863. The following is a copy of the discharge as reprinted from William R. Scaife's "The Georgia Brigade," at page 17-18:
Army of the Confederate States
May 10, 1862
Erasmus J. Borland, Private of Captain Griffith's Company (C) of the Confederate States Army was enlisted by Captain Archer Griffith of the 31st Regiment of Georgia Volunteers at Glenville, Alabama on the 5th day of October, 1861 to serve 12 months. He was born in Randolph County, Georgia, is 25 years old, 5 feet, 6 inches high, light complexion, grey eyes, light hair, and, by occupation when enlisted, a farmer. During the last two months said soldier has been unfit for duty on account of general debility caused from an attack of pneumonia followed by camp fever. He is also near sighted.
Beaulieu, near Savannah, Georgia
Archer Griffith, Captain
Company C
I certify that I have carefully examined Erasmus J. Boland and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of a long attack of pneumonia which was followed by camp fever which has broken his constitution.
William H. Whitehead
Acting Surgeon
31st Georgia Infantry Regiment
Discharged this 10th day of May, 1862 at Camp Phillips, Savannah, Georgia.
C. A. Evans, Colonel
Commanding Post
Last Updated: February 13, 1997