Musgroves in War: Letters Home

Melvin Musgrove
Viet Nam 1968

Our last blog was about Joshua John Musgrove and included a letter home from a Confederate camp in Virginia during the Civil War. Joshua had five young children back at home.

Your humble family historian was an Army brat. My father, Melvin Musgrove, served two tours of duty in Viet Nam. In the days before cellphones and Skype, letters were the only communication between soldiers and their families.

Soldiers deployed in active locations were sometimes barred from writing for months at a time. These times were scary for Mom, though she didn't tell us kids at the time. The soldiers also were careful about what they wrote home. They usually spared their families the gruesome details. From this perspective, we present the entire article by Earl 'Tige' Pickle that contained the very young Joshua John Musgrove's letter home.

This Week By EARL 'TIGE' PICKLE

A faded old letter, now in the hands of Mrs. J W Jordan, who resides on Bay Street, written by her grandfather in 1862 from the battlefields of Virginia to her grandmother back in Southwest Georgia, presents some interesting sidelights on the War Between the States. 

William Jordan, the writer of the letter, was then a very young man, the father of five children. But the Confederates were direly in need of men, so nearly every able-bodied man had to serve. The letter follows:

"Camp near Franklin, Va., Dec. 21, 1862. 

Dear Wife, 

I this morning seat myself to inform you that I am well only I got my arm hurt in a row the other day. Hoping these few lines reach you safe and find you and the children all right.   

We got in a fight the other day and the Yankeys got Josh Musgrove, Little Bill Jordan and James Smith, Herman Chain, Elisha Harrison, Abi Dias, Wood Richardson, Albert Gladden all Prisoners. None killed as we know of. 

It was a terrible site to see horses running all over the boys. Ben Edwards got chopped on the head with a sword, but is not hurt much. Eligan Hair got shot across the top of his head but he ain't hurt much either. Bill Hair got his hand chopped with a sword, but not bad. 

They had a front two thousand cavalry and about five thousand infantry and they came at us with their infantry, and charged us with their cavalry. There were among us killed Lieut. White, his horse took the bushes.  

Zack's horse threw him off and he took through the swamp to the river and he swam the river about a mile to the bridge. He lost his pistol, hat, shoes, spurts and saddle but the horse came through to Franklin, he got him. 

But Nielods he got shot off, he went through the bushes and he got away from them too and several more of the boys got away by going through the bushes.We lost twenty guns and about 5 or 6 horses out of our company. I think Zack is sick now he has been with a chill since I commenced writing this letter. I am sitting by him, writing now. 

I have written two letters before this and I haven't received a line since I have been back in camp. I want you to write back to me once a week whether you get a line from me or not. So nothing more at present only write as soon as you get (this letter ed.) 

Lament after our lossage for the Baker Kepters had no showing at all, they were put in front at first and when the retreat was given they were put in the rear that is the cause of. So nothing more, only write soon.  

William Jordan to his wife at home."

From the gallant soldier's letter, it is believed his company was made up of men from this section, probably Baker and surrounding counties. Evidently, his wife is acquainted with the men mentioned in the first paragraph*. 

But William Jordan survived the war, returned home to his family, and two other children were born to him by Mrs. Jordan.

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*Refers to the first paragraph of the original article. Bloggers' transcription reformatted paragraphs for easier reading.

Joshua Musgrove survived the war, but during reconstruction, his murder became political fodder (link here)

Note: Relationships are expressed from the perspective of the grandchildren of Willis Edgar and Carrie (known as) Mae (Merritt) Musgrove. 

*Terms of relationship - grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin, etc.  - are used here generically to include relatives such as fourth great grandfathers, great grand uncles, second cousins twice removed, etc.