© Copyright 2000 James David Pearce
Harrellsville
October 10, 1863
To: Isaac Pierce, Co. G, 31st Infty:
My dear brother:
Worrisome things are going on. I really don't know how to explain all this clearly, so all I know is to start. Mr. Askew, mama's husband, has quit the war and come back. I only found out a couple of days ago, because I'm not at mama's house now. I've come back with Job and Priscilla to try to get another term at the academy with Professor Sharpe.
Adolphus – I'm going to start calling him that now because I'm becoming something of a man myself, I'm almost 18 – is not living at mama's house all the time. Abigail and mama told me that he has been around for over a week now and they asked me to please keep my mouth shut about it. He has just quit the 4th Cavalry and burnt his uniform, and now he's spending most of his time in a little lean-to he put up near the upper creek in mama's front woods.
I haven't had a chance to talk to him and I don't know if he even would want to talk to me, but they say he is not too keen for some people around here to know that he is back. They say he says he may have to move on, maybe across the river if the Confeds show up around here, but that he doesn't really want to join the blue-coats that he's been riding against. They say he's got a little wooden boat he stole from somebody up the river and that he'll use it if he has to in order to get across the river. He never could get along with Jack Fairless, though, so I don't see how it would be any advantage for him to cross over there if what they say about Jack is the truth.
But I know he's got to be scared, even if he is a tough old top, and even if you and I didn't get along with him too good, I feel kind of sorry for him. From all reports, the CSA does not take kindly to deserters, which I kind of guess he is now. He sure always treated mama and Abigail OK. I guess it's just the thing with young and old menfolk that belong to the same women.
Abigail told me that Adolphus said that Jeff Davis and the CS are done for – that the main army in Virginia is on the run after trying to gobble up Pennsylvania, and that now they not only don't have boots, they don't have tents and trousers any more around Richmond, and that with winter coming on. She said he told her that Cit is still doing OK – that they were in different companies and didn't ride together, and that he didn't say anything to Cit when he decided to ride out toward home. He said he does not know how Cit is holding up about the war. He said he cut and buried his saddle and turned his horse loose up north of Winton after stealing some shirts and pants from a house near Murfreesboro. He stole the boat near Winton and oared himself down to Petty Shore, hanging close in the cypress knees.
I'm wondering if I ought to try to go and talk to him. Abigail said he was surprised as all get-out to find out that the Union boys are coming and going like they please all around our place and all along the shore, with the secessionists all backed up way on the other side of the county and half the coloreds in the world gathering at the river. She said she hasn't told him yet about Sgt. Brown and the lieutenant helping them with shoes and stuff, or about me taking a little ride down to Plymouth. Abigail said she's not about to stir up any more snakes around here than she absolutely has to.
Job's kind of mixed up about it, too. He got along with Adolphus a little better than you and me, even if he didn't like him quite as much as Cit did. But Job says it might be better if we left him alone for awhile, long enough to see what develops between the CS and the USA around this side of the river. Job says if too many of us start visiting around his lean-to, there might be some semi-secessionist ears or eyes picking up the signals, and they might pass the word too far west and get him in real trouble. Job fears Adolphus is in real danger of getting shot or hung if the CSA finds him. There's talk around that the CSA is getting ready to really march heavy back this way, and some say that there are some people over north of Edenton who have been trying to get them to come there and knock over Jack. If they do, Adolphus might be in real danger of getting caught.
Isaac, we don't know what to do. There are a lot of people around here – I can't really call them bad people – that will blow with the wind. When the blue-coats are around, they'll be just as quiet and friendly as little sparrows. When the seceshes and their sheriffs and friends move through, they'll be just the same. When you go to prayer-meeting now, not too many will hang around long and talk after the preaching like they used to when you were here. I'm believing now that is because I am not the only person in this part of the country that really don't know what to say about anything any more.
So right now Mr. Askew hangs high up the creek, with mama fixing him eats and Abigail taking the vittles most of the way to him. She doesn't go all the way to his lean-to, because she's afraid somebody might follow. He gets around some, she says, because he feels a little better moving around than he does staying in one place too long. He comes to the house for a while now and then, but he's worried about that now that he has found there are blue-coats around as well as seceshes. Nowhere to turn.
I have been writing these letters to you now for about five months – ever since the end of last term at the academy when Professor Sharpe said to start writing – and I have never heard whisper nor whistle from you since then. I know there really is not any mail, but I keep giving the letters to people heading west and hoping they'll move along.
My mind is tormented and all crossed up. If you know anything or could give me any kind of advice, I surely would like to take it. Write me even if I never get it. I want to talk to you so bad.
Your brother James
~~~~~~~~~