Submitted by Cindy Wilson
Transcribed from a letter written by James R Richards, son of John Richards, from Nashville, Washington Co. Illinois dated 14 February 1935.
This is my birthday. I am 79 years old and was born 1856 in Lawrence South Carolina left there quite small, moved to Alabama. There was 5 children 1 girl and 4 boys. Me being next to smallest. In 1861 April the 14th the War commenced my Father was a union man. But the most of the people was Rebels down there. My father had to go north and join the union army. He joined the First Alabama Cavalry. We stade there a little while my other got orders from the Rebels soldiers to leave there or they would lock us up in our house and burn us up in it and mother took them at their word, they hung several union people there in our neighborhood. He had a rite smart start of hogs and cattle. Most of the people worked ox teams there very few horses or mules. My oldest brother was about 11 years old he hitched up the team and we loaded some of out most valuable things and started north and left most of our things and our hogs and cattle in the woods. We had a Rebel friend that promest to look after them but we never got back. When we got in about 20 miles of the union lines the Rebels took our wagon and team, threw our things on the side of the road and left us there and lots of other families that was in Mississippi. At that place all the houses and barns were burned up everything was destroyed. There was 2 girls in the crewd about 20 years old they walked to the Union lines and reported to the union solders and they come with the wagons and a armey of solders and took us to Glendale, Mississippi 10 miles ferther north that was rite away after the Big Battle of Corinth. We got a room and my Father took a back set and they took him to the hospitle then my brother took sick they took him to the solders hospitle to. Finele my brother got well but Father died they bered him in the soldiers sementery at Corinth. We layed there a while the Refugees got so sick that they sent us ferther north. They sent us to Jackson Tenessee. We layed there a while my mother baked pies and my sister and older brother peddles them to the solders. Then the government sent us to Memphis Tenese there we took the boat for Caro Ill. There we layed at the solders home a while. They soon got so messey There and all about sick they loadedin stock cars and sent us to Richview, Ills. There was a good meny houses I old town yet. They put us in a old store house. The people brout us in provisions somebody gave us an old stove but it was to late. My baby brother died then Mother died I was about 6 years old by this time. I was the youngest so you can amagion a lot of the rest. We was on the charitey of the people so we drifted a round the best we could. Stayed near Pleasentgrove and Bearcoup til 1879 i went to Kansas in 1880 i came back to Ills. on the eigth day of May 1881 i was married i never got but very little schooling. Traveled some i have bin in 23 states i lived south of Nashville 20 years then moved to Nashville bin 30 years. While we was in the south my Mother carded and spun all the cotton and wool and made all of our clothes. and wove the cloth and she spun her sewingthread my Father went to the shoemaker and had his and mothers shoes cut out and he would mak them and the children dident get eny i never had a shoe til i was six years ld. i never saw a cook stove nor a mach nor a coal oyl lamp til i was very near 6 years old. People had flint rocks they would strike a spark in the cotton that was the way they got fire. This is 1935 Aug.the 5th I went to the state of Washington i saw 14 more states.
Nashville Man Tells of Civil War Days
Salt Was So Scarce They Boiled Earth in Old Smokehouse -- Sent to Richview in Cattle Cars with Other Refugees
(Editorial Notation The author of this story, Jas. R. Richards, is one of the pioneer citizens of this county, living at Nashville. The story of his life, the hardships of his childhood, are poignant examples of the sacrifice of the Civil War era. His story is given below.)
I was born in South Carolina, and left there when quite small, my folks going to Alabama. I was born in 1856 and was five years old when the war started. Most of the people here were Rebels. My father, however, was a Union man.
Feeling ran so high that it was dangerous to breathe a word. My father had to go to the Union forces. There were five of us, four boys and a girl. I was next to the youngest. Alabama was all torn up, destruction everywhere. It got so bad that you couldnt even buy salt for your food. We dug the dirt out of an old smokehouse and boiled it in kettles. Then wed skim off the crust of salt that formed on top. We used this for our food, to keep from getting scurvy.
The Rebel soldiers told us Unionites to get out of the South or they would lock us up in our homes and burn us with us with the houses. My mother took them at their word. Most of the people had oxen for teams, so my oldest brother, who was eleven, hitched up an old wagon, we loaded on what belongings we could and started north.
Our cattle and hogs were left in the woods, to care for themselves. We had a Rebel neighbor who was friendly; he said he would look after our things but we never got back to find out whether or not he kept his promise.
We got about twenty miles from the Union lines when Rebel soldiers stopped us. They threw our belongings to the side of the road and took our team of oxen. Others fleeing north were treated in the same way. There happened to be two girls in this stranded group whose father was in the Union army. They walked all the way to the Union lines and reported our plight, with the result that the Union officers sent a company of man to Glendale, Mississippi.
Glendale was about ten miles from Corinth, which had just been the scene of a big battle. We found my father there, and he was ill. He rallied in a few days, however, and got a short furlough.
Father Dies
Father took us to Corinth, and we got a room here in which to live. In a few days he took a back-set, and was sent to the soldiers hospital. One of my brothers also took ill and was sent to the hospital, too. He got well, but father died. They buried him at Corinth, in the soldiers cemetery.
So many refugees began to crowd into Corinth that we were sent to Jackson, Mississippi. Here mother baked pies and my elder brothers and sister sold them to the soldiers.
It wasnt long until they sent us to Memphis, Tenn., then put us on a boat that was bound for Cairo, Ill. We stayed at a soldiers home here for awhile. All of us were in poor health, suffering from malnutrition and exposure. Then orders were given to send the refugees to Richview. They herded us into stock cars, much like a herd of cattle.
The train rattles north to Richview, and we were unloaded, bag and baggage. At that time there were quite a few people living at Old Town. They put us in an old storehouse. Somebody gave mother an old cook stove, and other kind folks gave us provisions.
But it was too late. My baby brother died. And mother, worn and tired, soon took ill and died also. The family was broken up. We children scattered out, finding homes where we could. There were four of us, and we all got homes near Richview and Pleasant Grove. We were shifted around, and got very little schooling.
Several years passed and in 1879 I went to Kansas, but came back the next year and rented a farm. In 1881 I married Paulina Babb and moved to a farm 3 miles south of Nashville, where we lived for 20 years, and then moved to Nashville. My wife died Dec.29, 1934, after a married life of more than 50 years.
Went Barefoot as Boy
In conclusion, Mr Richards to the Times: I never saw a sock or shoe until I was six. My mother corded wool, knit sock and garments for the older folks, but us kids went barefoot. My father would go to the shoemaker and get shoes cut out for mother and himself, then make them. I never saw a cook stove or a coal oil lamp until I was a good sized boy. No matches were available. Everybody carried a flint rock in their pocket, and sparks were struck on cotton. Cooking was at fireplaces. Times have certainly changed.
Service records compiled by Glenda Todd and used with her permission. This and other information about the history of the First and the men who fought with the unit
can be found in her book, First Alabama Cavalry, USA: Homage to Patriotism.