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Intercepted Letter
Civil War Times
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, By Chas. A. Goddard
Among the earliest Northern set-
tiers in near-by Fayette County were
ebout a dozen families from New York
who were members of a spiritualist
colony established at Mountain Cove
(on Route 60 about 10 miles from An-
sted) in 1850-1852. The instigator of
~e movement was Thomas Lake Har-
ris who was just entering upon his in-
ternational career as Utopian seer,
Colonizer and expositor of "secrets of
the interior".
When the Civil War broke out,
most of the Mountain Cove colony
moved back north. Among them were
the families of Hopping, Dwight,
Nichols, Norton, Sheridan, Cottrell
and Piggot. One family, the George W.
Hunts, stayed on in the wilderness of
what is now Fayette Cour=ty, West Vir-
ginia. Descendents of the Hunt Family
still live on the property which was
once the site of an experiment in com-
munal living.
Nancy P. Hunt was born in 1820,
she died at Mountain Cove in 1891.
She was 43 years old when she wrote
the following transcribed letter to her
friends -- Mr and Mrs Joseph H. Hop-
ping in their New York refuge -- Sep-
tember 28, 1863.
During the Civil War, Mrs Hunt and
her husband were left in charge of the
general store which was owned by Jo-
seph H, Hopping. Goods for the store
were almost impossible to obtain due
to guerilla activities throughout the
area. Four of the Hunt's sons dodged
Confederate conscription and es-
caped to Ohio to enlist early in the
Federal Army.
Information reaching Mrs Hunt was
not always trustworthy, but she
showed rare reportorial skill in giving
the news. Her record makes an inter-
esting chapter in the annals of south-
eastern West Virginia during the Civil
War.
Mrs Hunt's letter is reproduced
here just as she wrote it 126 years
ago. Only minor spelling changes, to
conform with modern usage, have
been added. A few explanatory words
were interpolated by the transcriber.
My Dear Friends,
We received your letter last Thursday
with one from Edwin and Henry. I must
tell you what a time we had getting them.
We heard Sam Gill had brought up some
letters for us from Camp. We immedi-
ately sent Seth down to Hamiltons (Gill
has been working there all summer) he
had gone up to Frank Tyree to get back
his horse the rebels had stolen from him.
We waited a few days, then Mr Hunt
went down to Hamiltons [at Hawks Nest],
but Gill was not there• Next day he went
over to Gill's, found him, and got the let-
ters. He had had them about two weeks.
We were very happy to get they as we
always are to get letters from our North-
ern friends, particularly [in] these dark
and troublous times. Them and newspa-
pers are "Beacons of light" to us. You
have no idea the happiness they afford
US,
Mrs Smith found her lord in Elizabe-
thrown, Ky. taking Ambrotypes. She said
he had gained a wide spread reputation
in Cincinnati and vicinity as an eminent
Physician but his health was too poor to
practice: You know he had a reputation
here. I wish I could tell you all they are
doing, but it would take more than one
sheet.
Mrs S[mith] returned about two
months ago escorted by fifteen Federal
soldiers (Cavalry) with a flag of truce. No
lady with her. One horse was packed
with provision for her. She saw Gen Cox
in Cin[cinnati]. He gave her a recommen-
dation. I suppose with that she can go
where she pleases and get what she
wants. She says the Dr would not come
back to Va gain. She told down the river
he was obliged to leave as there had
been a reward of two thousand dollars
offered for his head. Very late news. She
left her horses and Precocious son in
Ohio. The latter to attend a Medical Col-
lege. He will probably graduate in course
of the year with a double M. D. They
intend leaving here just as soon as the
Blockade is removed, and it won't cost
them a cent to go. Uncle Sam loots the
bills• She makes them believe she has
lost thousands of dollars by the armies.
She has lost nothing since you left here.
You know about how much they lost be-
fore. They are trying to sell some of their
things, but rather dull sale at the prices
!hey ask. One dollar for an old smoothing
iron, $1 each for their second hand
chairs Smith Bought in Cin[cinnati] $1 for
one gallon jug, and everything else ac-
cordingly, "and they are better than new
ones because she has tried them."
Old Mrs Sheridan took the rounds
last week. Went over to Neal's, Mores,
down to Mr Ellis, up to Mrs Vaughan's. I
walked up with her from there yesterday.
She had not been away from home in
long time. Mary [Sheridan] goes around
about like she used to, all are grunting.
I have received no letters from Cot-
terels in a long time. I had heard of Dan
and Charlie's enlisting by the way of Val-
entine. Strange they should enlist. We
received a long interesting letter from
Valentine about a week ago dated Sept
5. He was then advancing on to Chat-
tanooga. He is in Palmer's Division. I see
by the Cin[cinnati] Gazettp Sept 21st that
they were badly beaten in Ala[bama]
though the fight was not over.
I am all anxiety, have many fears, but
hope for the best. You need not place
any dependance upon what Valentine
said about coming back to do business
in this store. He merely expressed a wish
to do so. If he should live to come back it
is very uncertain whether he would want
to live here or have the means to carry
on business of that kind. Our present
wishes and feelings in regard toyour
coming here are the same as we have
expressed heretofore.
These are changing times. All is dark
and uncertain before us. I see no pros-
pect of doing any business here before
the war ends and when that will be God
only knows. I suppose to those outside
of invaded territory it looks like a piece of
folly for Southerners to think of gaining
their Independence or establish a sepa-
rate confederacy. To me it looks like they
must give up. But they seem to be delu-
ded. Many of them still have strong
hopes. You probably know the Baptist
Preacher C. Cavendish of Horse Shoe
He attended lately a Baptist association
in Greenbrier. He says the Secesh there
are in good spirits, "never was a greater
prospect of their gaining their Independ-
ence". They had just heard of the repulse
of Rosecrans and say they took 30,000
prisoners from him. I suppose that en-
courages them, and perhaps they take
courage from visions that have been
seen m Greenbrier in different places
and by different individuals. I will relate it
in Fannie's words taken from a letter she
sent me.
"Four or five as reliable men as there
are in the county saw while sitting in a
porch, something moving in the air that
looked like a house door followed by
hundreds of boxes about two feet wide
four or five feet long, these followed by
millions of men marching (on the ground)
four deep in double quick time. They
were four hours passing." I have since
learned the same has been seen by oth-
ers in Lewisburg. They were unarmed
and going toward the north. Some Se-
cesh think it means Foreign aid. Some
Union people think it is the spirits of the
slain in Battle come to haunt the rebels
-- trying to bring them back to the union.
About a month ago there was a fight
near Lewisburg. The Federals came
down from Beverly. I have never yet
learned the result, at least reliable. The
Secesh say they whipped the Yankees
all to pieces. Three from this county got
killed and several wounded. Bill McGraw
killed, old Mr Halsted mortally wounded
was dying the last I heard, one of his
sons wounded. _-__ Hendrick wounded,
other I do not know. Old Crow has not
been heard from since the Gettysburg
fight. Mr Westlake lying very low in
Greenbrier, not expected to live. Old
Floyd and Yancy have passed from mor-
tal sight. Now and then the rascals drop
off.
Nothwithstanding, we are living out of
10B The Mountain Messenger, Tuesday, January 16,]I
the world in the wilderness and are this happened, a company of soldiers paper. The boys have not been ul~
blockaded in from all the rest of the from the Bridge went up to Nichols' Mill in the spring and Ed I have not~
world. Yet we are in the midst of almost and were fired on by these bushwhack- over a year. I still stay picket at
continual excitement. Not so much from ers, killing one and taking one prisoner place. My family are all well. Cell}
what we see, but what we hear transpir- who managed to escape He went past Charlie are fat and hardy, j
ing around us here with nothing on but his shirt and We have commenced making~
The Rel:)s have organized a new drawers. He said they stripped him and ses to-day, or Mrs Eagan is for~
company in this Co[unty]. Young Same left one man to guard him. He knew his planted about half an acre, IooksJ~
Tyree is Capt[ain] John Halsted gun was not loaded, so he broke and erable. We have had no rain to sp=
Leut[Lieutenant]. I believe they call ran. Since then the Yankees have been for two months which has in
themselves independent. They are in
here almost constantly and have done us
much damage. The cannot conscript be-
cause they do not hold the county, but
they get all they can to join by persuad-
ing and scaring. They take young boys
14 &15 years old, but a heap here de-
serted them. Ten went down to Gauley
[Union Headquarters] at one time. This
Company took Sam Koontz, Jim Hamil-
ton, Lanta Harrow prisoners, sent them
to Richmond where I suppose they now
are. In return, the Federals have taken
Frank Tyree, his son William, and Bob
McCutcheon to hold as hostages. They
came after my husband twice to take
prisoner for Bob McCutcheon. Once he
[Mr Hunt] was not at home. The other
time the majority of the squad were not
in favor of taking him so they let him go
after that. Abe Forsythe went to see the
Gen[eral} in Greenbrier and had a stop
put to such proceeding. Great many got
scarf [scared] and run off, some one way
and some the other way. Then they went
to stealing horses -- have taken a great
many out of here. Some people here got
theirs back. But this is not the worst of it.
They have done some bushwhacking.
Riley Ramsey is Capt[ain] of a com-
pany (I do not know what they call them-
selves). He has a commission from the
Governor of this state, perhaps Militia or
homeguards. They scout around in this
and Nicholas County. One day a part of
his company were hauling rations from
the Bridge {Gauley Bridge] when near Mr
Crist's they were fired into from the bush.
Sam Tyree himself killed Austin Edes.
Riley's son was slightly wounded, then,
both parties run. The day before Riley
killed one of Tyree's men and wounded
two or three. I never heard of Riley bush-
whacking. He gives them a chance for
their lives.
Tyree's co[mpany] have been down
to Tomkins' place [present site of the
Hawks Nest Country Club] and fired on
the pickets twice. The last time they went
up by Gills, stole his horse, then on up to
Tyree's. Just beyond Tyree's the two that
took Gills' horse encountered Riley and
company. They would not surrender but
ran and they both were shot dead. One
of them was Andy Cavendish, son to Wil-
liam Cavendish. Last summer he was
running over to Fayetteville carrying pro-
duce and whiskey to the Yankees, mak-
ing all he could out of them, took the
strongest kind of oath. This summer took
up arms against them [and] made him-
self very busy searching his neighbors'
homes, stealing horses, etc, but his swift
race was soon run. A day or two after
up and burned Nichols' and Haynes'
Mills with a good deal of wool and grain
in. We had five dollars worth of wool in,
and two bushels of wheat. The Capt[ain]
told them if these Rebels did not quit
their deprecations in here he would fire
every house between Camp Lookout and
Sewei. Some of the Secesh citizens
have been in to Greenbrier to see the
Gen[eral] about these things. Unless it is
stopped, I awfully fear another Lawrence
Massacre.
O dear! I am tired of writing. Are you
not tired of reading? I have not written all
the havoc that has been made here but
enough to give you an idea of the time
here. It is awful to live the way we do.
You ought to be thankful you are not liv-
ing here.
I sometimes feet good deal encour-
aged, think the war will soon be over and
we can feel safe and secure again.
When I cannot hear from down the river
or from the North, I feel gloomy and sad.
The Southern Confederacy looks like a
dark Pit to me. I cannot express my feel-
ings about it. "May God Speed the right."
I understand about 18 deserters from
Jenkins army who were under General
Lee came into camp at Fayetteville a
while ago. One of them was Henson --
Hannah Remley's second husband, he
said five hundred of Jenkins' men had
deserted. He said the soldiers were kept
in the dark. He did not know until the day
before he left that Vicksburg was taken.
He supposed they were gaining ground
all the time.
I saw a man from Malden a short time
ago. He says business never was more
flourishing there than now. Plenty
money. Plenty work -- pay every Satur-
day night -- many buildings going up --
plenty of everything -- People moving
over from Ohio -- think there will be one
city from Charleston to Point Pteasant. 1
expect this will be one of the greatest
states in the union. May I have patience
to endure to the end.
For a few weeks the way was open
for all Loyal citizens to go down to the
Bridge and get necessaries, that is, what
they could bring up on horseback. The
roads are blockaded so a waggon can-
not get along and very difficult for a
horse to pass. Husband went clown twice
and staid all night the first time he went.
He saw Henry & Alonzo. He came home
in good spirits. Seems to do him so
much good. Edwin has been down there,
but is now in Ohio in State business of
some ~,ind, I don't know what. Henry is
still Wagg0n Master. I hear from him ev-
ery week. He occasionally sends me a
crops• Last week were several
which has injured the corn some. i
not plant much but have a
-- People say the best in this
Our wheat was very good.
poor crop. I think we have raisede
for ourselves to live on if we
keep it. But the worst of it now
grinding done. The creeks are
they cannot grind. We have
flour for four weeks and have to
for meal. I suppose there is
this county this year than ever l
Men are so scarce and teams too.
We have never heard from
William but once The letter was
the 10th of May. He says in
unless a person has a
vost Marshall of the county o
where hey come from,
be conscripted into the army. Hei
know that and did not have a
got conscripted. After many
ments and delays, Col[onel]
succeeded in getting him out of
and he went to work for him
17 miles from Richmond. He
never passed through such
Since this letter was written, a
been made in that canal and I
T[omkins] is in Baltimore. I have
where William is. His wife and
well, but she has to work mighty
support her family. Her folk are
towa and they are very anxious
and Margaret to move out there.
she can get to Ohio, they will
from there, but she cannot go at
I saw Mrs Terry and
last Sunday week. All were
them. I have not seen your
bors for some time. I saw Mrs
Black woman to-day, all well
More has called on me several ti~
summer.
You wished for all the news.
you will get a surplus this time.
to do as I wish to be done
respect, and will ask you
for a text. Do you know an,
kinfolks the Chappetls who used~
the vicinity of Auburn? Where
Preist family? And your
Do you know anything of
ris' whereabouts?
t believe I have said my
will close. Much love to you both.
Write soon and give me all
Perhaps Husband will have
say I will ask him when he
Husband thinks I have
him to say, but sends much love.
Yours sil
t!
4 PIECE BEDROOM SUITE
January Clearance
Sale
still in Progress
Exactly As
Pictured.
Dresser trot,
Headboard, Chest
Night Stan( ...
All Freezers on Sale
mea.s peace of mi.d
5,3 CU. Ft
CHEST FREEZER WITH
FHOSM4DT
OLD FASHIONED
AM/FM RADIO
V/S4"
