Confederate Civil War Letter - 4th South Carolina Infantry - Greets Slaves Etc

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Civil War Letter Written by Copnfederate Soldier in Company "B" of the 4th South Carolina Infantry.
This Confederate Civil War letter was written by Thomas Benson Burriss (1833-1867), the son of Baptist Clergyman
Jacob Burriss
(1799-1879) and his wife Nancy (1803-1876) of Anderson county, South Carolina. The Burriss home “was not on the public road; it stood about half a mile back on the farm, shut from view by woods sequestered and quiet, a stately building surrounded by luxuriant vegetation, and a plantation well managed and thoroughly worked.
According to his obituary notice, T. B. Burriss first entered the Confederate army in April 1861 as a member of the “Palmetto Riflemen,” Co. B, 4th South Carolina Infantry. During the first year of his service, while in Virginia, he grew progressively ill and was eventually discharged from the army. He remained at home until the latter part of 1863 when he again joined his comrades in East Tennessee, then reconstituted as the
Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, S. C. (Jenkins’) 1st Palmetto, Co. C.
and part of Longstreet’s independent command. Longstreet’s men were in winter quarters near Morristown, Tennessee, after having failed to wrestle Knoxville away from Burnside.
By April 1864 Longstreet was back in Virginia, where he participated in the final campaigns of Lee’s army. T. B. remained with his regiment until 7 October 1864 when he received a wound in the left thigh, resulting in his being taken to Jackson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. This must have occurred during the fight on Johnson’s Farm or Four Mile Creek in what is now known as the
Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads
. Following his recuperation, he returned to the regiment but by then the war was nearly over. He died two years later, a victim of the same disease that plagued him throughout his days in the war.
T. B. was listed among the students matriculated at Furman University in 1854. The Anderson Intelligencer published a set of resolutions on 3 July 1867 that were unanimously adopted by the Hiram Lodge of the Masons, of which T. B. was a member. Among them it was stated that the Lodge had sustained an “irreparable loss” in the death of Brother Burriss and “the memory of his virtues and exalted worth, cherishing with fidelity his faithful observance of Masonic duties and his warm attachment to the principles of this ancient fraternity.”
This letter has some separation and has seen better days!.  We will ship flat.
Transcription
(Written in Mid-September 1864)
My dear sister,
Yours was kindly received yesterday evening. I must try to answer the same. I have no news at present that would interest you. I am happy to inform you that nothing of a serious nature has befallen any of us since I wrote you last. It would be a pleasure to me to be at home enjoying beans, peas and Irish potatoes but I must content myself by remaining in the “cruel line of battle.” Enjoy yourselves eating vegetables and sometimes imagine how much I would enjoy such a treat, Cousin John says that he would like very much to make a draw upon his Aunt Nancy’s garden. He wishes to be remembered to you all.
The ring in my writing desk belongs to Mattie Garland. She gave it to me but you must return it to her through Mrs. Brown. When Dave Goddard returns, if you have time after this reaches, make me 2 colored cotton shorts and 2 pair colored cotton drawers. I want 2 pair socks as I have given those you sent me away. Soldiers wear out clothing very fast. SEnd me a bunch of envelopes and a quire of paper. Such things can be bought here but at much higher rates than at home. I shall have my box of provision sent to a private house and draw out of it as I need. Our rations are very good at present. Our regiment has un_______iously given one days rations to the poor soldiers’ families of Richmond. This is very commendable, I think, and people at home I am under the impression will profit by the example. We draw flour, good [   ], onions, peas, sugar, coffee, and rice. No good soldier can complain at such treatment.
I heard a few days since that David was sick and off at the hospital. I do not know what correctness there is in the report. Say to relations and friends that I am quite well and in as good spirits as they ever saw me. Do you ever see Aunt Vashti? I thought she would write me sometime if she ever received my letters mailed in Tennessee. I also wrote Bryant. Why does not Martha Ellen and Marcus write me? The next time you see Marcus, tell him to clean my gun of rust and give it a good oiling. Give all the negroes how d’ye and encourage them to work all you can. Tell Henry to keep the mules well roached [?] and the horses curried. If the stables are filling up, thy must be cleaned before wheat thrashing and filled with straw. I and ever I am permitted to return home, I hope to find everything in better condition than when I left. You must all remember me & send me anything you thin I may need. Tell Marcus to send me a good pocket knife and I will pay him any price. I lost mine of the march from Gordonsville. I want a small knife to carry in the breast pocket. I want some sewing thread and needles. I get plenty of buttons from Yankees.
The weather is very pleasant and we are compelled to sleep under blankets for comfort. I hope you are improving at school. Be patient and persevering. You have a piano. Don’t let it take up too much of your time. Write me soon and a long letter.
Your devoted brother, — T. B. Burriss
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