Description:

Confederate Williams Brothers ALS to Their Father From Camp Bacon, 1861

A letter written by Confederate soldiers, J. C. Williams of Company G of the 7th South Carolina Infantry, and his brother Henry J. Williams, to their father about the conditions in the camp. 4pp of a bifolium, measuring 7.75" x 12.5", Camp Bacon [South Carolina], dated April 27, 1861. Williams provides insightful details on the condition of the drinking water and rations, as well as expectations as to where they will be sent next. J.C. Williams has written on three pages in ink, while his brother Henry (H.J. Williams) has written on the final fourth page in pencil. Flattened mail folds with some separation at the folds, which have been repaired with tape. Toned throughout. Overall, very good.

J.C. Williams' letter reads in part:
"…Our station is a beautiful looking place. The shades of the live oak & pines cover the yard almost entirely and its elevation is about ten feet above tide water, and the house that our Company occupies is about fifty yards distant from the water at high tide which occurs at full moon. I see nothing to render our locality unhealthy except the marsh which extends out to the river, but it is covered with green grass about waist high and ebbing and rising of tide purifies it. Therefore, if our sickness originates from the water we drink which has a salty, brackish taste, though some of the wells is better than others…Our bread is chiefly baker's bread, but we can draw meal rice if we choose. We have to parch our coffee, but we have a mill to grind it. For the first few days it came in bags already ground. We cannot eat our rations. We have to throw part of it away…There have been three out of the Company sent to the hospital...At last account they were improving, and I hope will soon be into ranks again. Our Captain is also unwell today, not being able to drill his Company. William Youngblood who was carried to the city the second night after our arrival has not yet recovered. He seems to get worse. They have to keep him confined…The Governor visited us a few days ago and gave us a little speech concerning the volunteers for Virginia. He said that he had no power to send us without the limits of the state of South Carolina as we had volunteered in her service for twelve months...We have learned this evening that Virginia and North Carolina has joined us, and two Regiments from South Carolina is already gone on to their assistance. The Baltimorians has torn up all the railroads leading to Washington City to prevent the Abolitionists from concentrating their forces there. They have had several skirmishes and turned some of the cars back towards New York that had troops on them going to Washington. We will not stay at this place long…"

H.J. Williams' letter reads in part:

"We are now in camp in the neighborhood of Charleston and were in a bad locality for an Army. I think if we stay here through May, we will have a great deal of sickness, although we are all upon foot at present. So Hamilton has been disabled to muster now for three or four days with the diarrhea but nothing serious. It has passed through the whole Regiment most, but I have not had it yet…We get enough to eat but the water is so bad. It is very salty, most disgusted to use but to wash yourself in, action that is to increase your dissatisfaction, and after staying here about two weeks and apply the need we have for water…I would like to be home and hope that I will not be at the mouth of the cannon…"

The 7th Regiment South Carolina Infantry was mustered into service on April 15, 1861, just days after the Battle of Fort Sumter. Known as "the Bloody Seventh" because of the bloodshed it suffered throughout the war, the 7th Regiment fought at First Manassas, the Seven Days Battles, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. The regiment totaled 581 officers and men in April 1862, but only 222 remained when it surrendered on March 23, 1865.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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