24th Virginia Infantry - Died of Wounds Received During Pickett's Charge - Gettysburg

Item CON-6816

Description

Four Original Civil War Confederate soldier's letters - total of 18 pages. Griffith was wounded at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863 and died from his wounds on August 10, 1863.

Letter 1.
Camp Near Richmond
June the 7th 1862

Dear Miss,

This evening affords me an opportunity of writing you a few lines. This the third letter I have wrote to you and still have not received any answer from you. I am very anxious to hear and know what is to say if it is not your pleasure to correspond with me. However, it will be my pleasure to bring our correspondence to a close if it should be through it mistake. I am sorrowed if I have spoken too freely. I recon you have heard all about the fights we have been in, to more satisfaction than I could explain them. I will close by expecting an answer from you.

Farewell, your friend
E. B. Griffith
To Miss Melid Underwood

Letter 2.
Camp Near Orange Courthouse, Virginia

Dear Miss,

I once more avail the opportunity of dropping you a few lines to inform you I am well and hope and trust through the mercies of God these lines may find you enjoying good health. There has been a great excitement in camp. Our troops have evacuated Manassas and fell back to Orange County. There was a great deal of property burnt and destroyed. Our boys all equipped themselves in new apparel. Some of them looked like they had just come out of the chest and some seemed to look like they have had a hard time. We only dragged half rushing here at this time. I am enjoying myself much at this time. I hope it won’t be so long. I hope and trust this bloody conflict won’t continue long. Though I think the deciding battle will be fought in the course of sixty days. That is if I am spared, I will return to my home again, provided things remain as they are. Miss Melid, I know I am true to you from my heart and if you are as true to me as I am to you. Nothing but death could ever break our friendship and love. Miss Melid, I recon you think I dispose of my manner. I missed you more than you would like too. Though it is all from heart, if you think me worth of corresponding with you. I would take a great pleasure in writing your letters from from you. I would like to see you one time more if I never see you. You can mark me a true friend. You must excuse my few lines and bad spelling.

Yours truly till death
E. B. Griffith

To Miss Melid Underwood

Write soon. Direct your letter to Orange Court House, Company A, 24th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers

Private E. B. Griffith

You must excuse my few lines and I will write more the next time. you must forgive me for all my rudeness and dissatisfied habits for if I ever return, I expect to quit all such habits. I recon you think I have no ____ beg your pardon though I love but one and love thee.

Letter 3.
Camp
Fairfax County, Virginia

Dear Miss,

It is with pleasure that I seat myself to address you that I am well and hope these lines will find you enjoying the same like blessing. There is nothing new here more than the rifle mound is at sunset. The best cooks you ever seen we have some of the best biscuits you ever saw. It would make you feel strange to see how well the rifle men looked. T. T. Graham is well and pretty as ever. He wishes to return to Floyd and meet at Mienset his kind friends again. Miss Pormelid I leave that most noble hair plat which you gave me. It gives me great pleasure to look at it and think of you. I would give anything if I only could be back in Floyd now. Though I know it impossible. Miss Pormelid, I want you to tell Miss Lawson and Miss Godsey to send me a right nice hair plat so I may not forget them. I want you to hug and kiss them for me and reserve one for yourself. For if I ever return Miss Pormelid I would like to see you and talk old times over. Though I know I can’t only by the medium of the pen. Simon Dorsey is well and fat as a pig. It would surprise you to see him. I must come to a close by telling you to write to me as soon as this comes to hand. Give my love to all inquiring friends and keep a double portion for yourself. Tell them all to wright to me if they choose and if not let it along. Please give the within to Thomas Robinson. So nothing more to tell here from yours.

Yours truly till death, so far well.

E. B. Griffith.

To Miss Pormelid Underwood

If you knew my heart as I do you could not flatter yourself to think I loved you

I am sorry that I wrote that. I would be glad to see you.

Letter 4.
Fairfax County, Virginia
December the 18th

Miss Melid,

It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform you I am in common health. Hoping these lines will find you and your folks enjoying the same blessing. I will tell you that I have returned to camp again and found all the boys well. Our boys are gone out on picket today. I don’t think there is any chance for them to bring in a Yankee today. We have a fine time on picket. We have a chance to prowl around and take things that don’t belong to us. Though we won’t steal. Miss Melid, I tell you something about our winter quarters we have built. We had a fair share of shanties built. I wish you could see them. If we don’t have to leave here this winter, we will have a great or better time than we have seen. I don’t think there is much prospects of dismay here. We will try and have as much as as any. I will tell you something about three pretty girls I seen up at Culpepper. I almost was smitten with some of them. There was one that use to bring me books to read. I was glad to hear the probated meeting stopped before they killed the best sheep.

I was sorrowed to hear you were grieving about your broken ring. I will try to send you a better one the next time so you can’t break it. I was sorrowed to hear that gentlemen would not sit his behinds for if it had been my order also. I will close by telling you I would be more than happy to see you. Tell all inquiring friends to write if they choose.

Your friend as ever,


E. B. Griffith

Keep a good lookout for I respect one of their quitters will be at home in a short time. There is at least half of the company has joined the cavalry for two years longer and they will get furloughs and come home for to stay a short time. I did not join. I think it best to get through with one undertaken before I undertake another. I also think, it necessary for the second relief to turn out and let those that have served one-year rest awhile. I recon the people of Floyd is at a good place of uneasiness about their homes I understand the enemy is advancing on north western Virginia. I feel yourself more obligated to come back and fight for that pardon of the country than this sickness has abated greatly here lately. We have orders to leave here shortly. We are building our huts near Manassas. I think we will leave here in the course of a week or so. You can tell Miss Grogan that Mr. Samuel has joined the cavalry. He is a good soldier. I was very sorrowed to hear of the death of Mr. Wirtole. A good many people in Floyd is left in a pitiful condition. Well I must bring my uninteresting letter to a close by saying this leave me well and hope these lines may find you the same. So fair well for this time.

I remain your friend until death,

E. B. Griffith

To Miss Melid A. Underwood