The Hodnett family of Troup County, Georgia sent seven sons to the war, including five who served with Evans Guards, designated Company K of the 13th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry. George Tip Hodnett died April 6, 1863 at Hamilton's Crossing. John Wesley died in hospital, no date. Samuel, Thomas Jefferson, William Henry were among the eighteen survivors of Company K who surrendered at Appomattox in 1865. James and Benjamin Franklin Hodnett served with other units.
The following letters were transcribed by Jessie Hearle, decendant of T. J. Bodnett, from originals preserved in the Hodnett Family Collection at the Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. The letters provide very revealing perspectives on the early service of the 13th Georgia in western Virginia and the coast, the battle of Gaines Mill, and especially T. J. Hodnett's solemn assessment of the war following the battle of Gettysburg. They do an even better job, however, of illustrating the difficult life and the daily concerns of the common soldier.
The letters are transcribed as written, in places unintelligible, and otherwise hard to follow due to poor spelling and lack of punctuation. They are, however, characteristic of letters from soldiers of the day who had few opportunities to write and for whom paper was an expensive luxury. They are presented in chronological order.
My appreciation to Jessie Hearle for sharing with me this labor of love.
Nov the 7th and 8th 1861
Miss Mary Hodnett
Dear Sister I now take my pen in hand to yours which I received yesterday and read them with the greatest pleasure I was truly glad to hear that you are all up Mary I am as well as you ever saw me I reckon well Mary I take a new start this morning it was so dark that I could not see the lines I would not have comminced last night but Mr Cartwright said that he should start home this morning but declined till morning. Mary I have no news of importance to rite this morning we have been fighting four or five days up here with the cannons but has not hurt any thing much I dont think the Yankeys is on one side of the river & we on the other side they are fixing up for winter there but I dont think that we can stay here provisions is so far off and they have the Oanoy? Valey to get there provisions to say the least of it I cant tell any thing about the war only as it comes the officers dont know any thing about it well to change the subject you ast me to tell you something about our cooking we are getting so we can cook finely I can cook as nice biscuits as you can I expect though we dont have any thing to cook but biscuit and beef we have got in good practice cooking of that that it is not hard to cook. well enough of that you ast me to send you something of the groth of this mountain but Mr Cartwright is leaving so much sooner than I expected I hadn't time to get any thing more than growes there well Mary I must hasten on I received my close by Mr Cartwright and I was truly glad to get them for I was nearly without I have never got the others but Lieut Curtright has gone after them now all you liked of sending me enough was a pare of shoes I am nearly bare footed but I will get a pare in a few days now. well I will pass on tell the girls and all I will not forget them for those chestnuts and chinkapins that they sent to me tell them all howdy and I want to see them and all of you. I hope that I can get to see you all between now and spring I want to get a furlo between now and Christmas if I can well I must bring these lines to a close tell father I have not drawed any wages yet but we may this evening and if he needs it I will send it to him if I cant go myself nothing more at present only I remain your brother till death
John W Hodnett
January the 16th 1862
Dear Father I imbrace the opportunity to writt you a few lines to let you know how we are getting along James and John are well except Jamses hand he burnt it with a burning iron since we moved here though it is getting well I havent see a well day since I had the Measls though I have bin able to be about our streets a little not much well I will say something about the money I draw I drew $23 I sent you $15 by __ Hapington I kep the balance not knowing when I might need it I had to borrow sum when I was first taken sick Paper is scers at this time and I have to buy sum few things yet (so I only) have have $4 1/2 dollars left well Father I have no news only we have moved up on the Macon and Savana Rail Road 4 miles above Savannah. Tip and Brother John are in the hospital John is there weighting on Tip he is very sick. We have not seen them yet though I think I well soon see them. Father tell Mother to send me a little dried frut if she pleases by Lut Hurt or Sammie?. Nothing more at presant. Direct your letter to Savana
Note by Jessie Hearle -- "Unsigned-there were seven Hodnett brothers in the Confederate Army. This was not written by James, John Wesley, or George Tip. Handwriting appears not to be Thomas Jefferson.
Camp Lee Chatham Cty, GA
Jan the 20th 1862
Mr B F Hodnett
Dear brother I take my pen in hand this evning to drop you a fue lines witch leaves me will at presant with the aception of a bad col. Jimey is well and harty. Samey is harty but not well. He has a verry bad cof. Doc. I have no nuse to write to you of importance. I wold be glad to hear from you I havent hearn from home in some time I write several times now and havent received any answer yet you must write to me soon. I wold write more but I havent the time I will write agane before long.
Note from Jessie Hearle - "No signature on the letter."
Caustons Bluff
May the 13th 62
Dear Sister I at last seat my self to write you a few lines that will inform you that I am well and hope these lines will find you enjoying the same blessing I wold have riten to you before now but we have had to work verry hard since we have been here it seems when I go to write I cant think of any thing to write that is worth writeing. We have had a few scurmishes here we taken 15 fifteen prisoners day before yesterday a captain 4 lieuts and ten privates we have taken eighteen before we have to go a scouting every other day now a bout three hundred of us though some of them thinks we will have to go to Richmond Va soon we cant tell yet whether we will or not as for my part I am satisfied of that country my self especially the mountains we had to go two or three days without any thing to eat an but little at that and wade mud from shoe mouth deep to needeep all day and sleep in it at night yes and in the snow without any tents. you may now how got along up there. I received your letter when I was up there letters never could get home it got so I never could hear from home and I quit writing at all we got in a little fight up there our company didnt get near enough to engage in it but near enough for them to shoot at us with their long range guns all the time but never hurt none of our company we only got one man killed and two wounded fighting three hours and a half when we left there we stayed long at a place till we got to Savannah well I must close excuse these lines nothing more at present I remain your affectionate Brother
John W Hodnett
PS I am looking for Brother Jef Benny an Sam here now please write soon Direct your letter to the 13th Regt Regiment Ga Volunteers Company K care of Capt Long
Near Richmond VA
July the 13th 1862
Miss Mary Hodnett
Dear Sister I seat my self this morning to drop you a few lines which will inform you that we are all a live yet Sam is quite sick. Brother Jeff is as well as common as for mu self I am better than I have been in a week I have some headache now I got over hot the other day of the Gain Mill fight. I am worn out any how I haven't slept in a tent since we left Savannah. Mary as for the fight I cant tell any thing a bout it there is no one engaged in it can tell much about it. I know there were a continual roaring of guns all the time as far as I could hear and a heavy roaring of guns all the time as far as I could hear and a heavy roaring of cannons nearly all the time but we got all of them. you cant immagine how the dead men lay on the ground all over the woods and field and dead horses a quantity of them. I have seen lots of acquaintances I have not seen Benny yet but one of our company did see him. I have never heard what Regt he is in yet and cant write to him on that account. I wish you would let me now what regt he is in. Well Mary I don't no what would interest you most this morning. I never was so lowspirited in my life I dont think I could ten miles to save my life hardly. If we stay here a while we will be able to go again they are looking for a big fight at Chattanouga soon we may go there.
I wouldn't object to it at all for we would be nearer home there than if we were at Savannah if we do go there tell father he must be sure to come and see us it wont cost more that 6 dollars to come he must bring Lummie with him too. I want to see him I imagine I can see him now. I want to see you all. I could tell a heap more that I did before I can tell you this much I am very willing for the war to close. I wanted to bee in one fight I have been there now and I am perfectly satisfied of the war. I am willing to go home and stay there now it is rumored in camp we are a going back to Savannah. I cant tell there is all ways some kind of a report in camp
Well to change the subject if you get this before Jack Wise leaves please sent us a cake and some fried Chicken if you can we have been living on crackers and baken for 3 or 4 weeks when we could get the baken we had nothing to cook in and that was the best we could do. You may imagine how we are how we want something fresh from home. I hear crops is fine there Mary I hear cotton is worth 18 cts per pound that is good news. I think father ought to sell his now. Well I must come to a close give my love to all and receive a portion your self.
B? I would send you some paper if I could tip has all of our paper or I could send some this morning by Gus lane. He lef this morning I will send it by Uncle Howel if I can get it. Tip may be gone home if he has gone you tell him to give you our paper.
Note by Jessie Hearle - "Lummie was his brother Columbus Ayres Hodnett, the youngest of 14 chn, born 1854. I think is also by John Wesley Hodnett but not signed."
I send this by Tobe Kidd
August the 13th 1862 on picket
Miss Mary Hodnett
Dear Sister I seat my self to answer your kind letter of date 26th it was gladly received and read for it was the first I had received since (...unintelligible....) up and these lines leaves me and Brother Jef well Sam we have not heard of him in a bout a week he was midling then he had the jaundice was the most that was the matter with him I think well Mary I recon you want to hear the news we have had an other fight since we left Richmond though our bridage was not ingaged the yankee cavalry came in our rear and we had to stay to (...unintelligible....) our ordnance (...unintelligible....) and the fight was over before we got there. Our loss was about 5 or 6 hundred and the yankees loss was about 15 hundred. Well Mary I will go on I don't know no other news of importance to write now we have to march very hard these times. Mary we had to wade the Rappihans? River 3 times in 3 days the last time we crossed it was in the night we left our camp a little after dark and marched all night next morning at light we stopped about 1 ½ hours then we left again and marched till a bout 3 oclock in the evening. We camped that was yesterday to day they have moved a bout a mile we are in 8 miles of (...unintelligible....)ville a gain we have been in 8 miles of Culpepper court house last Saturday now we are here and tomorrow I cant tell where we will go though the yankees are advancing on us but we will flank them if we can the most of our Richmond forces are coming up per general A P Hill and Longstreet and Johnson are all here and General Bray is at Staunton with 40,000 men to flank them over the Blue Ridge. General Longstreet has gone the other way we aim to whip them sure again if it is possible well to change the subject Mary I cant tell you much about Sam he may down below Lynchburg or just a bove Lynchburg or he may still be at Stanton I cant tell you how to write to him I espect he is at Stanton yet I would like to hear from him my self now but the chances is bad now well Mary you said mother said she was a going to send us some cake and fried chicken but if will be an accident if we get it at all for we are as aft to bee 30 or 4o miles from the railroad as not. If she has not sent it yet tell her not to send much at a time not send it in a box but just wrap it up so it wont bee (...unintelligible....) Mary and put it in a sack . Well I must come to a close you must write soon and give me all the news in the settlement generally. Tell father and mother I will write to them soon. Give my love to all the family and friends and receive a portion for your self. I remain your brother till death
John W Hodnett
Direct your letters Richmond 13th Ga Vol General Lawton's Brigade
Camp near Darksville, Va
July the 18th 1863
Mr Wm Hodnett,
Dear Father Mother Brothers and Sisters I now set my self to drop you a few lins to let you all now how I am me health is tolable at this time John and Samual is hear with me I dont hear no complant with them only Samual feet is verry sore from marching Wm Thomas is at Jordans Spring near Winchester he was left thare when we pass through going to Pennsylvania I heard from him day before yesdiddy he had bin right sick but is geting up a agane he hant bin well since the Fredericksburg fight it will be some time yet I recond before he come up at least I hope he wont come untill he gets able to stand it. I hope that these lines will reach you all in dew time and will find you all in the injoyment of good health which is so great a blessing Dear Parents my eyes has seene a heap sence I rote to you last and I have great reason to be thankful that I am yet spared while so many has fallen and are now realiseing eternity I oftain feel that I cant be thankful a nuff to allmity God for his tender merceis to me in sparing my life through so many dangers in the great battle that was fout at Gettysburg thare was ten of our Company wounded and too kill Tom Gafney and Wm Wills was kill Nat Moss Jack Edmondson Jackson Beb Sledg Seboar Phillips Rily Wise Wm Jons Wm Andrews Crum Wore (...unintelligible....) Crum Wore pow fellow he was my file leader when he was shot dow he look up in my fase and sed Jeffy I am hit take me way, you cant tell how it made me feel to leave him thare but I was a blige to do it we wasn't alowed to sop to carry of the wounded after we was holted I saw a heap of the battlefield oh what a sene to see the wounded the dead the diing oh my Goh how long shal this war last the Lord only nows I thout wonce that maby so it might scls this fall but now I haven't no hopes of it I beleave it will last untill we are umble as a nation Oh what will it take to umble us it look to me that a solger can see a nuff hear to cause him to reflect and to turn to the great I Am but it looks like the solgers are harden to evrything and thare nothing that will cose them to reflect oh that we wore all devoted the servis of God and them we woodent have nothing fear but oh how far from it To change I hear that that was a call for eight thousen more troops from Ga it semes that they will all be taken from home I dont now what the wimen and children will do if the men is all call in to the feld I was verry to hear that Vicksburg had fallen it it seme that we are geting in a criticel condishion but I hope that the lord will with us and that this war may soon sop and that we may permitted to meet on earth a gane I must close I feele sorry that we cnat hardly get any letters from thare if John wasent hear with us I dont think that we wood hardly ever hear from you all Sister Lizebeth rights to him and we can hear from you that way I hope that some of you will right oftainer for I will assure you that it is a great satisfaction to hear from you all nothing more at present. I remane your son
T. J. Hodnett
Last Updated: Feb. 22, 1998