William Waller Carson 4th LA Cavalry writes in 1923 to Collector John E. Boos. Interesting content ‘As far as I could judge, the Confederate soldiers were more hostile to slavery than were the U.S. soldiers.”
Nov 1, 1923
William Waller Carson
1705 Clinch Ave, West
Knoxville, Tenn.
Mr. J.E. Boos
10 Lexington Ave
Albany, N.Y.
My dear Mr. Boos:
Your note of Oct. 30 came an hour
ago. I was quite astounded to see that my name had found its way so far
from home.
I have written on the sheet what you
ask about myself, the regiment I served with in the Sixties, and about my
meeting with Gen. Lee. I enclose the sheet with this.
Now you are interested in the
things of that day - whether because of Southern blood in your veins or because
you can appreciate our devotion to our flag, of course I do not know. But
the fact that you are interested makes me want to help you to an understanding
of those things, and of the way our people feel and felt. My own service
as a private, and my constant association with ex-Confederate soldiers since,
of course helps me to see things from the Confederate standpoint.
The first thing that impresses me about
these old fellows is their lack of bitterness. I have attended almost every
meeting of Fred Ault Camp, No. 5 U.C.V., since it was organized more than 30
years ago. In all that time I can recall but 2 notes of bitterness toward
the other side, upon that floor. One man felt they had done what they
could, and that they cannot afford to give way to bitterness. Are you
aware we got almost nothing for our service? We (the cavalry) were entitled to
$24 a month pay for man and horse (of which $11 was for one and $13 for the
other, but I forget which was for which). Now my own case was typical,
not exceptional. For my two years of service I got 2 months pay - $48
in Confederate money for both me and my horse. If Confederate was worth
25 or 50 for 1 my entire personal compensation for 2 years was less than 1
silver dollar. We (the cavalry) had no tents. We got no clothes. We were often
hungry, although (as we were in much smaller parties than the infantry) we
presumably fared better, as to food, than did the infantry. As to food, we (our
part of the army) got sweet potatoes and roasting ears, each in its season
generally - also corn meal and beef. About 10% of the time we got flour and
about 15 or 20 % of the time we got some form of pork. At times we would
get next to nothing in the way of food. For a full week in Sept. 1864 (our
regiment being just then almost opposite Natchez and say 1/2 doz. miles from
Miss. River) there were no rations of any kind issued to us. I never did know
how the men lived. I only know that to my own mess there came about midday,
every day, some cold corn bread and some cooked beef or pork - say a square
meal. I never had an idea where it came from. But this much was plain - that it
did not come from the government. As far as I could judge, the
Confederate soldiers were more hostile to slavery than were the U.S.
soldiers. Only 10 or 15% of the C.S. soldiers had any personal interest
in the institution while the other 85 to 90% were human enough to be intensely
envious of their richer neighbors. The prisoners and deserters from the
U.S. that I had opportunity to talk with seemed to me utterly indifferent to
the question.
I don't suppose that anyone save an
eyewitness could understand what the Carpetbag regime meant to us.
But I must not run on forever.
I enclose two things by myself - one an
inaugural address of more than a dozen years ago, which shows I think how we
old fellows felt and still feel; the other an appeal on behalf of our old men
for more liberal treatment by the State of Tenn.
I, as you evidently are, am a profound
admirer of Gen. Lee; not only of his military genius but of his character as a
man.
I feel sure that your album will prove
a thing of constant gratification and inspiration.
Excuse this long scrawl.
Very truly yours,
Wm. W. Carson