Written & transcribed by Charles E. Rich; edited by Cheri Todd Molter
On October 2, 1863, Francis Marion Poteet was conscripted into the Confederate army for “three years or the duration of the war.” At that time, he and his wife, Martha Henley Poteet, had nine children, ranging in age from one to fifteen years old, and Martha was expecting again.
It was already difficult, at times, to support his large family, even while working as a miller, a farmer, and a builder of coffins. To be forced to serve as a Private in the army, a position that paid only eleven dollars a month, meant that it would be difficult to financially support his family, plus his absence meant that his pregnant wife and their children would have to tend to the farm and the mill alone. Regardless of his preference to stay at home in McDowell County, NC, Francis was assigned to Company A of 49th Regiment, North Carolina Troops.
Editor’s note: The following letters, written by Martha (2) and Francis (1), were transcribed by Charles E. Rich and published in his book entitled “May These Lines Reach Your Kind Hands”: The Impact of the Civil War on a Western North Carolina Family as Told through Their Letters (2009). Modern transcriptions of the three letters are included under Rich’s original transcriptions.
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“Mcdowell Co. N.C. June the 16 1864
My Dear husband
I seat My self this evening to write a few lines to let you know how we are. Some of us is not well. me and Thomas, Francis Emer, Susannah, Amy Jane has the bowel complaint. I aint much sick but I do hope these few lines may Reach your kind hands and find you in good health.
My corn looks very well. Thomas will finish plowing it the second time today. we hav this side of the Creek to hoe. My neighbours says that if nothing happens I will make a heap of Corn. The sweet potatoes is very pretty and the irish potatoes is the pretyest I ever seen. I hav a mess today. I wish you was hear to eat some with me. I would be so glad I would not know how to behave.
I hav to live very hard. I haint nothing Much to eat but bread and not Much of that. if you was hear I would not hav to live so hard nor I woudent hav to work when I was not able.
my baby will be 4 weeks old Saturday Night. she was born the 21 of May. write to me what to name her. I had the best time I ever had and I have bin the stoutest ever sens. I haint lay in bed in day time in two Weeks today. I thank the Lord that he has answerd your prayers and mine beyond what I could expected but he has all power. I feel very thankfull that it is all well with you as what it is. I hope that God will bless us to be spared to rais our children.
your Mother is well. her and Jemima Come to see me yesterday. Grason Dickson run away and got to Camp Vance and had to go back.
I dont want you to vote for Vance. vote for Holden. Vance is to be in Marion next Monday to speak.
James Neal has bought 500 bushels of corn for this County but it haint come yet and he says that when they eat it they may die and go to hell. Louis Walker and Tery Walker is at home wounded. your Mother says tell you howdy for her and the children sends you howdy and tell you that they hav to work very hard and wishes you was hear to help them.
I would like to hear from you to know if you hav got hurt. I am very uneasy about you. I do hope and pray that God will shield you from all harm and danger and spar your life to come home to me and your little children. I know that you want to see your sweet little baby. I would be very glad to see you if I could but I cant not I don’t know whether I ever will or not. God knows I dont.
you dont know what a hard time I hav. I am ruined if you don’t never come home. I cant work another year as hard as I have this. if the children was not as good as they are I dont know what I would do. the lord has blessed us and I hope he will continue to bless us while we are separated and bring us together agin in this life. pray for us my Dear that we dont perish.
Thread is 1.00 dollars. Cotton is two dollars apound. I don’t know what I am to do but I will do the best I can and trust in God for help. All of our help comes from him.
Write to me soon. wen I can hear fom you and hear that you are well it dos me a heap of good. may the lord bless and save you is the prayer of your desolate Wife. farewell my dear husband.
M.A.E. Poteet to her loving husband F. M. Poteet
God bless and save you”
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“June the 16 1864
Dear husband I cant get no person to cut my wheat. The men says that they dont know what will be don with the wheat for there aint men to cut it and if I dont get Mine cut me and the children will be bound to suffer. I would like for you to show this to your Capt and tell him if he pleases to let you come home a few days the first of July to take care of it for me. I have about 8 bushels sowed and not person to cut a straw of it.
it rains so much that we cant get to work the corn scearsley and the Mare has had the distemper and scurvey but is better now. I had her bled and I want to know what to do with hink. must I killer her this fall? I hav tried swap her for a cow that gives Milk and I cant. I dont get a drop of milk and I haint got but a few pounds of meat. Times is very hard hear and I am afraid that the worst haint come if this Cruil war don’t stop. I would rather know that peace was Made than to own Mcdowell County. it would moor satisfaction.
I haint got no money. I sent 30 dollars off by Higgins to get new money and I haint got it yet and no person haint paid me that was owing you and I don’t know what I will do.
Come if they will let you.
M.A.E. Poteet to F.M. Poteet god bless you
Remember me in love and I will you. Farewell dear Francis.”
The letter was addressed to “Privit F. M. Poteet Co. A 49 Redgment NC” from “M.A.E. Poteet
Dysartsville Po McDowell County NC”
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“PetersBurg Va July 5th 1864
Dear Wife and Children I seat my Self
This evening to Rite you a few lines to let you now that I am well at this time hoping that these lines may Reach your kind hands and fine you injoying the same blessing. you Rote to me that you would like to hear from me and now whether I was killed or not. I can in form you that I am spared yet by the good will of god.
we have bin in the brest works about one Month. we are in them yet and I don’t now when we will git out soon or not. tha are fighting every day. we have lost killed and wounded in this Company 6 men. 2 killed and 4 wounded. it seems like god is on our side. the balls tha whistle by our eares.
you Rote that it Rained Somutch that you Could not git to work your corn. It haint Rained to say Rain in 6 weeks hear & gardens is Running hear. it tis mighty hot hear. if this fight comes off Soon and this Company lives and don’t get wounded nor killed tha are coming home.
you Rote to me to Come home and save the wheat. I cant Come. I would like to Come home and See you all once more in this life and See my Sweete littel baby. I doo hope and pray to god to live to git home to See it. it seems like god has blessed every thing that I have prayed for and I doo hope that he will bless me to live to git home to See that littel Rat. when I think of hit it seems like it will kill me are Brake my hart.
you Rote to me that you had a mess of potatoes the Sixteenth. I want you to tell mother houdy for me and tell her that I am well. I have to Rite so fast that I dont now whether you can Read this litter are not. I haint Slep one good night Sleepe in two months. I have to work are Stand gard are picket every night. I am very nigh broken down. It seems like god has bin with me are I could not hav stood up to hit.
I want you to pray for me and tell all of my friends to pray for me. I pray for you and my littel Children to Spare your lives and Sustain you and thim in this life. I want you to Rite as soon as this Comes to hand and Rite me all of the newse.
I have Seen Corn as high as I could Reach. you Rote that your Corn looked very well and your sweete potatoes looked very well. you dident Rite whether you had planted any tobacco are not.
Fare well Dear wife. F.M. Poteet to his loving wife M. A. E. Poteet
god bless you is my prayer.”
Modern Transcriptions:
McDowell Co. N.C. June the 16 1864
My Dear husband, I seat Myself this evening to write a few lines to let you know how we are. Some of us are not well. Me and Thomas, Francis Emer, Susannah, Amy Jane have the bowel complaint. I ain’t much sick but I do hope these few lines may Reach your kind hands and find you in good health.
My corn looks very well. Thomas will finish plowing it the second time today. We have this side of the Creek to hoe. My neighbors say that if nothing happens, I will make a heap of Corn. The sweet potatoes [are] very pretty, and the Irish potatoes is the prettiest I ever seen. I have a mess today. I wish you were here to eat some with me. I would be so glad; I would not know how to behave.
I have to live very hard. I [haven’t] anything Much to eat but bread and not Much of that. If you [were] here, I would not have to live so hard nor I wouldn’t have to work when I was not able.
My baby will be 4 weeks old Saturday Night. She was born the 21 of May. Write to me what to name her. I had the best time I ever had, and I have been the stoutest ever since. I [haven’t] lay in bed i[during the] daytime in two Weeks today. I thank the Lord that he has answered your prayers and mine beyond what I could expected, but he has all power. I feel very thankful that it is all well with you as what it is. I hope that God will bless us to be spared to raise our children.
Your Mother is well. [She] and Jemima Came to see me yesterday. Grason Dickson ran away and got to Camp Vance and had to go back.
I don’t want you to vote for Vance. Vote for Holden. Vance is to be in Marion next Monday to speak.
James Neal has bought 500 bushels of corn for this County but it [hasn’t] come yet, and he says that when they eat it, they may die and go to hell. Louis Walker and Tery Walker is at home wounded. Your Mother says tell you howdy for her, and the children sends you howdy and tell you that they have to work very hard and wishes you was here to help them.
I would like to hear from you to know if you have got hurt. I am very uneasy about you. I do hope and pray that God will shield you from all harm and danger and spare your life to come home to me and your little children. I know that you want to see your sweet little baby. I would be very glad to see you if I could, but I cannot. I don’t know whether I ever will or not. God knows I don’t.
You don’t know what a hard time I have. I am ruined if you don’t ever come home. I can’t work another year as hard as I have this. If the children were not as good as they are I don’t know what I would do. The lord has blessed us, and I hope he will continue to bless us while we are separated and bring us together again in this life. Pray for us my Dear that we don’t perish.
Thread is 1.00 dollars. Cotton is two dollars a pound. I don’t know what I am to do, but I will do the best I can and trust in God for help. All of our help comes from him.
Write to me soon. When I can hear from you and hear that you are well it does me a heap of good. May the lord bless and save you is the prayer of your desolate Wife. Farewell my dear husband.
M.A.E. Poteet to her loving husband F. M. Poteet
God bless and save you
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June the 16 1864
Dear husband, I can’t get no person to cut my wheat. The men says that they don’t know what will be done with the wheat, for there ain’t men to cut it, and if I don’t get Mine cut, me and the children will be bound to suffer. I would like for you to show this to your Capt, and tell him, if he pleases, to let you come home a few days the first of July to take care of it for me. I have about 8 bushels sowed and not person to cut a straw of it.
It rains so much that we can’t get to work the corn scarcely, and the Mare has had the distemper and scurvy but is better now. I had her bled, and I want to know what to do with Hink. Must I kill her this fall? I have tried to swap her for a cow that gives Milk and I cant. I don’t get a drop of milk, and I [haven’t] got but a few pounds of meat. Times is very hard here, and I am afraid that the worst [hasn’t] come if this Cruel war don’t stop. I would rather know that peace was Made than to own McDowell County. It would be more satisfaction.
I [haven’t] got no money. I sent 30 dollars off by Higgins to get new money, and I [haven’t] got it yet, and no person [has] paid me that was owing you, and I don’t know what I will do.
Come if they will let you.
M.A.E. Poteet to F.M. Poteet God bless you.
Remember me in love, and I will you. Farewell dear Francis.
Private F. M. Poteet Co. A 49 Regiment NC
from M.A.E. Poteet
Dysartsville PO, McDowell County, NC
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Petersburg, Va July 5th, 1864
Dear Wife and Children I seat myself this evening to write you a few lines to let you now that I am well at this time, hoping that these lines may Reach your kind hands and find you enjoying the same blessing. You wrote to me that you would like to hear from me and know whether I was killed or not. I can inform you that I am spared yet by the good will of God.
We have been in the breastworks about one Month. We are in them yet, and I don’t know when we will get out—soon or not. They are fighting every day. We have lost—killed and wounded—in this Company 6 men: 2 killed and 4 wounded. It seems like God is on our side. The balls, they whistle by our ears.
You wrote that it Rained So much that you Could not get to work your corn. It hasn’t Rained to say Rain in 6 weeks here & [the] gardens are Running here. It tis mighty hot here. if this fight comes off Soon, and this Company lives, and don’t get wounded nor killed, they are coming home.
You wrote to me to Come home and save the wheat. I can’t Come. I would like to Come home and See you all once more in this life and See my Sweete little baby. I do hope and pray to God to live to get home to See it. It seems like God has blessed everything that I have prayed for, and I do hope that he will bless me to live to get home to See that little Rat. When I think of it, it seems like it will kill me or Break my heart.
You wrote to me that you had a mess of potatoes the Sixteenth. I want you to tell mother howdy for me and tell her that I am well. I have to write so fast that I don’t know whether you can Read this letter or not. I haven’t Slept one good night’s Sleep in two months. I have to work or Stand guard or picket every night. I am very nigh broken down. It seems like God has been with me, or I could not have stood up to hit.
I want you to pray for me and tell all of my friends to pray for me. I pray for you and my little Children, to Spare your lives and sustain you and them in this life. I want you to write as soon as this Comes to hand and write me all of the news.
I have Seen Corn as high as I could Reach. You wrote that your Corn looked very well, and your sweet potatoes looked very well. You didn’t write whether you had planted any tobacco or not.
Farewell Dear wife.
F.M. Poteet to his loving wife M. A. E. Poteet
God bless you is my prayer.
Source:
Rich, Charles E. “May These Lines Reach Your Kind Hands”: The Impact of the Civil War on a Western North Carolina Family as Told through Their Letters. Self-published, 2009, (46-50). Mr. Rich gave the NCHCCWER a copy of his book and permission to include content from it in our collection.
