Wayne-Lenoir County NcArchives History - Letters ....."The Vinson Confederate Letters" January 25, 1948 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert F. Delay fremill99@comcast.net March 29, 2022, 9:32 am THE VINSON CONFEDERATE LETTERS Edited by Hugh Buckner Johnston The collector of local history can make no discovery more satis- fying than a bundle of old letters, because they are likely to possess considerable social and historical significance if penned during a period of civic distress such as "the late unpleasantness" between the states. The seeming obscurity of the persons in- volved should not detract from the importance of their thoughts and observations, for it was primarily the rank and file of the Confederate Army who toiled over the earthworks, threw their lean bodies against the steel of the enemy, and suffered the count- less mental and physical agonies of war. The Vinsons were a family of moderate means who resided on a farm adjoining the Wayne County (North Carolina) Poor House at the time the federal census was taken on September 28, 1850. Thomas Robert Vinson was then thirty-nine years of age, and his wife, Martha Fletcher was forty-four. There were five children: Rachel, Mary, Uriah, Daniel, and Benjamin, whose ages ranged from four to twelve. The two girls were de- scribed as students in the neighborhood school. It may be con- jectured that T. R. Vinson was a son of Clarka Vinson who was born in 1785 and lived not far away on a little property valued at $300. Most of their near relations of the Vinson name had settled not many years earlier in Madison County, Tennessee. We are mainly concerned, however, with the three sons of T. R. and "Patty" Vinson, as the first six letters of the following series were written by Uriah, the seventh by Daniel, and the eighth by Benjamin. The ninth letter came from their first cousin, Charles Croom, whose father, John C. Croom, had married into the Vinson family of Wayne County and had moved with other Croom relations to Madison County, Tennessee, where he died on August 28, 1853. The official military record of Charles Croom shows only that he enlisted on July 27, 1863, for a period of three years, in Company F, Newsom's Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry. This company appears to have been enrolled at Jackson, the county seat of Madison County. Uriah T. Vinson enlisted at Goldsboro for the period of the war on September 12, 1862, in Company F, First North Carolina Artillery Regiment. The muster rolls of August 31 and Octo- ber 31, 1863, show him absent on detail to Fort Anderson. On June 8, 1863, Daniel J. Vinson enlisted at Goldsboro in the same company. 9 On June 26, 1864, he was detached for special duty at Smithville, being still absent on August 31. He experienced an attack of acute diarrhea, and was treated at General Military Hospital No. 4 at Wilmington on December 27 and 28. During an attack made by the Federals against Fort Fisher on January 3, 1865, he received a slight wound in the face. On January 15, 1865, the two brothers were captured at the surrender of this fort, after which they were incarcerated on January 30 at Elmira Prison. Daniel died there of chronic diarrhea on March 16, age about twenty-one years, and Uriah died there of pneumonia on March 19, age about twenty-three years. Wilmington, N. C. Jan. 27, 1863. Dear Father, I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at this time, also in hope these few lines may find you all well. To-day is very windy, and the fire is raging furiously in the lower part of Town, and all of one Company have gone down to it. There is great excitement in this Town now. They are looking for the Yankees every day now, and all the business is stopped. There is action now and then. It is very hard times here now. We do not get half enough to eat, and that is not fit to eat, but I will try to get along the best I can, in hopes that the War will soon end and we will soon meet together to stay longer than ever. I want you to do the best you can, and do not be uneasy about me, for I am just as safe here as I would be at home. I received your letter this morning and was very glad to hear that you were all well, and was very sorry to hear that Daniel had to go to Raleigh. I am afraid that they will keep him. Curtis Howell is well as common, and all the rest that left our neighborhood, as far as I know. I will write to you to-morrow and let you know how the fire is coming along. You must write as soon as you get this. You may tell Mary that I went to Church on last Sunday night and heard the Reverend Moran preach, and I would be glad to sit and hear him one whole week. I must come to a close, for I am on guard to-day. Nothing more at this time, only I remain your Urjah Wilmington, N. C. March 1, 1863. Dear Father, I again take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at this time, hoping this will find you enjoying the same good blessing. I have not had any letter from you in some time. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this and let me know how you all are, for I am anxious to hear from you all. We have not had anything to eat in one week, only what we bought, and we have to give everything for it, leave nothing. We live the hardest we ever did, and it is certain. I do not think that the War will last long, as it is getting such hard times. I have no news of importance to write this time, only there are five big steamers in here now that have run the blockade. Goods are very plentiful here now, but they are very high. Salt is selling at four dollars per bushel. Nothing more. Uriah T. Vinson. Headquarters, Garrison of Wilmington March the 22, 1863. Dear Father and Mother, I seat myself to write you a few lines to inform you that I am well as common, but I am faring bad, for I have not been off of guard in three days. We have not moved yet, nor do I think we will soon, but wish that we could leave here, for I think it is the worst place in the State. Capt. Stephens' Company that stood guard with us has gone to Charleston, and that is what makes it so much harder on us than common. I want you to write when you get this, for I have not had any letter from you since you were here. It is the longest time without hearing from you it has been since I left home in October, and I have written to you twice since you left here. I hope this will find you all enjoying the best of health and doing well. I would like to be at home this Sunday to go to meeting. You all live like we used to. The big steamer "Giraffe" ran in again one day last week. She brought a large cargo of shoes and blankets for the Government, and that one you and Capt. Andrews went aboard of when you were here was taken by the Yankees the day after they left this Port, with all of her cargo. Her cargo consisted of 600 bags of cotton and 250 boxes of tobacco. She was taken down at the mouth of Cape Fear. We have drawn a new uniform and new shoes, all of the best kind. Nothing more at this time, only I remain your loving son until death, Uriah T. Vinson "Time and tide wait for no man." Franklin. Wilmington, N. C. March the 27, 1863. Dear Father and Mother, I this evening seat myself to write you a few lines to inform you that I am well at this time, hoping these few lines may find you with the blessing of health. I received your letter this morning, of which I was glad to hear that you were all well. I have nothing of importance to write at this time, only that we have not moved yet, nor do I think we will this winter. I have written every week since you left here, and I have not had any letter from you until this morning. I hope I will get the chance to come home some time this spring, as they are giving out furloughs now. I do not need any clothing now, for I drew a new suit this week. I want you to write to me if you have begun to plant corn yet, and write all of the news that is going on in the neighbor- hood, and you all to remember me. I would love to be at home now and go to the field to work like I did last Spring. Our Company is all well at this time. Lenoir Hill is well. Nothing more at this time, only write soon. Uriah T. Vinson Wilmington, N. C. April 19, 1864 Dear Father, I take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at this time, hoping this will find you all the same. We are in Wilmington in the same quarters where Capt. Bass's Com- pany was, and they have moved out of Town about a quarter of a mile. Ben has not swapped yet. Captain Bass will not give Ben for Croom, but I think I can get him in this Company yet. We all stand guard here in Town together, and Ben is well. I wrote to Mary last Sunday was a week ago, and I have not got any answer yet. Your loving son until death, Uriah T. Vinson Fort Penn Smithville, N. C. Oct. the 30th, 1864. Dear Father and Mother, I again take my pen in hand to let you know that we are all well at this time, hoping these few lines may come safely to hand and find you all enjoying the same good blessing of health and answer to your kind letter that came to hand last week, which was the first one that we have had from you since we left Wilmington. I would like to know why you do not write, for we have written some four or five letters since we came from Wilmington. These are very exciting times in Smithville now, and everybody is looking for the Yankees, but I do not see any more sign of them than I did twelve months ago. Times are mighty hard and provisions the worst to get that I ever saw. Potatoes are thirty dollars a bushel. I have not time to write much at this time, and will write more when I get a letter from home. Uriah T. Vinson When this you see, remember me, dear sister Mary. CLARENDON COURIER SPRING 2000 A LIST OF THE WOUNDED, OR KILLED AT FORT FISHER JANUARY 15, 1865 [This series (which began in the Fall 1996 Courier) lists soldiers who were wounded, captured, or killed at the Battle of Fort Fisher. The wounded and captured were sent to Elmira Prison in New York or Point Lookout Prison in Maryland. The following abbreviations are used: Reg. For Regiment, Bat. For Battalion; N.C.T. for North Carolina Troops; N.C.S.T. For North Carolina State Troops; N.C.H. Art. For North Carolina Heavy Artillery; N.C.L. Art. For North Carolina Light Artillery; and * indicates that the soldier was killed in action. The 10''' Regiment included the 1'' NC Artillery; the 36'' NC Regiment included the 2nd NC Artillery; and the 40'' Regiment included the 3rd Artillery.] Vinson, Daniel J. Private Co. F 10th Reg. N.C.T. Captured Vinson, Samuel Private 2nd Co. C 36' Reg. N.C.T. Captured Vinson, Uriah T. Private Co. F 10th Reg. N.C.T. Captured Fort Holmes, Bald Head Island Brunswick County, North Carolina Decer. the 9, 1863. Dear Father, I this day take the pleasant opportunity of informing you that I am well, hoping these few lines will come safely to hand and find you and family well, but Uriah is in very bad health. He is very poor. I don't think he has eaten one ration of meat since we ate what he fetched from home. He doesn't do any duty at all. I wish he was well. There is not much news stirring at this time. I should love to hear from Virginia about this time. On Sunday morning before day broke the steamer "Ceres" was trying to run the blockade from Bermuda, and the Yankees chased after her very close. She ran on the sand where the water was about seven feet deep, and the crew threw out about fifty tons of pork. The Yankees came so close that Capt. set her on fire, and the crew got on their life boats and oared ashore. The Yankees went and got aboard of her and tried to put her out, but they failed. In the time they were on her, Caswell 19 opened fire on them, and Sweetman's 20 Battery fired. Our Battery opened fire, and there was a constant brawl of cannons. The Yankees had to leave there, but that night they came and carried her off. I have but little to write this time. I will close by saying I am truly your Son until death, Daniel J. Vinson Benjamin W. Vinson (1846-1909) enlisted at Goldsboro on March 18, 1864, under Captain W. R. Bass (who will be men- tioned subsequently). On September 17, he secured a transfer to Company H, First North Carolina Artillery Regiment, but his name appears regularly on the muster rolls of Company K of this regiment. He served in the Confederate Army until the end of the war, and then spent the rest of his life farming near Contentnea Creek in Wilson County. He never married. Mason Hospital No. 5 at Wilmington, N. C. Sept. 8th, 1864. Dear Father, I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know that I am not well, but I am better than I have been. I came to the hospital last Monday very sick, but I am on the mend. Dear Father, I have no news to write at the present. I will tell you about our fare at the hospital. We fare very well indeed. We get a plenty to eat, and that is good. I hope that I shall soon be well again, so I can return to my Company. Dear father, I must bring my letter to a close for this time. You must write as soon as you can, so I remain your loving son until death. From Benjamin Vinson This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 13.8 Kb