Digital Collections
Crenshaw Transcriptions: May to August 1863

C2
Rocky Hill N.C.
5th mo. 2nd 1863

Much Valued Friend
John B. Crenshaw
Being at a loss to know what to do, I appeal to thee for advice, and aid.
Thou art aware of our situation. To carry on a farm at our chance(?) looks so gloomy, I am ready to despair. There can be no man hired of any kind. We have two colored bound girls under age, and four white children; namely, George F. Kennedy, aged 12 years, Margaret J. Elliott aged 12, Isabella E. Walton, 12, and Robert C. Walton aged 10 years and myself comprise our family. Nathan B. Cox married my daughter Sarah Wilson, and has paid five hundred dollars, the sum required of Friends to exempt them from Military duty. Being anxious to join my dear husband, and not willing to leave my child, nor able to go alone, I suggest to thee, in confidence, the propriety of asking permission to go west across the lines. Can we do this and leave our property without its being subject to confiscation or sequestration? If thou thinks proper, please ascertain this fact of President Davis & Cabinet, or write me if it would be objectionable. If, in they judgment, this step should be unadvisable, or lead to confiscation, or that my personal request would be necessary, thy advice would be gratefully received.
I have not consulted any one, not even Nathan, so if there is any blame attached, it must fall upon me. My view was to go by wagon as money cannot be had that would benefit us, or if there can be any better way provided I am willing to submit it.
I have not had a line from my dear Thomas since he was sent off. The last accounts I had of him, he was sick in the Hospital at Washington City, and expected to go to his son’s as soon as able to travel. The sympathy for him seems universal, and all agree in saying “he is an honest man.”
An early attention to this would very much oblige thy helpless friend
Isabella Kennedy

 

C3
State of North Carolina
Randolph County The 7th of 5th month 1863

The undersigned clerk of the monthly meeting of the Society of Friends at Marlborough do certify that Minus Hinshaw was a member of said meeting until a few years past, that he attends our meetings and professes to believe in our principles and to be conscientious against bearing arms.
Isaac Lee clerk

Affirmed to and subscribed before me an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County.
This the 7th of May 1863 Isaac Lee
W.B. Vickory JP

 

State of North Carolina
Randolph County
I Joseph H. Brown do certify that W.B. Vickory whose signature appears to the annexed affidavit was at the date thereof an acting Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid
Witness Joseph H. Brown
Clerk of the Court of Pleas &
Quarter Sessions of Randolph
Under the seal of said County
The 7th day of May 1863
JN Brown Clk

 

C4
[skipped JB Crenshaw letter here]

C5
New Salem N.C. Randolph Co. 5th mo. 18 63

John B. Crenshaw
Dear Friend
I send a petition to thee and if thee should think it worth anything and if there is any chance to have anything done for our poor young men I want thee to do as thee may think best in this matter H.M. Hockett is a pious and very good man I am inclined to believe he will be called to the ministry some day all of the 4 set fourth in the petition is members of the society of Friends H M Hockett & Jesse D. Hockett is in prison at Kinston N.C. for refusing to Drill perhaps thee is acquainted with them they are sons of Wm Hockett I have no doubt that thee formed an acquaintance at the yearly meeting last fall at New Garden I am the man that was in Castle Thunder with T.P. Elliott I feel very great full for the basket of fine peaches thee sent to me by T.P. Elliott I was Discharged the day Elliott was Discharged I met him at General Winders and(?) would be glad to form an acquaintance with thee in person my Cusin Isham Cox is acquainted with thee I have become a member of Friends church since I left Castle thunder in Richmond please to write to me at New Salem Randolph NC
John Branson
J.B. Crenshaw

[written on a mostly blank leaf from a ledger with entries from 1836]

C7/C6
N.C. Randolph County 5th Month the 21st 1863
Esteemed Friend John B. Crenshaw
A.G. Bush requests thee to inform him as soon as thee can conveniently whether the can do anything for him or not. also how and what kind of Money to send he desires to pay in Confederate Bonds, as any other money is difficult to get at present. His place of address is Sawyers hill P.O. Randolph County N.C.
Mine is Science Hill P.O. county & state aforesaid.
David Henley, Clerk

To whom it may concern
This is to certify that Thomas A. Blair has frequently attended our meetings[,] was brought up under the influence of the society of Friends, his wife being a member he has accepted some of their principles yet he has never been a member 5th mo 18th 1863
Joash Reynolds, Clk
of Springfield monthly
meeting of Friends Guilford
CO NC
Affirmed to before me this the 19th day of May 1863
Clarkson Tomlinson JP seal

North Carolina
Guilford County
I Lyndon Swaim Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quearter Sessions of Guilford County do certify that that Clarkson Tomlinson Esq. Whose genuine signature appears to the within & foregoing certificate is an acting Justice of the Peace in & for said county& that full faith & credit are due to his official acts as such
Witness my hand & the seal of said
Court hereto affixed at Greensboro
May 19th A.D. 1863
Lyndon Swaim CCC

 

C8
New Salem May 22 1863 NC
John B. Crenshaw
Dr Friend I send a petition for a neighbor of mine who is a conscript he has a wife & 3 ______ children he is a very industrious man he has no person to work on his farm if he is taken to the army I do not know how his family is [to] live I want thee to go to the president and intercede for this man if thee thinks there is any chance to have him exempt I sent thee a letter a few days ago if it comes to hand before this gets along thee can give some Idea whether it will be worth while to offer this case or not however do as thee may think best in this case
J.B. Crenshaw John Branson

P.S. Please write to me the result at New Salem Randolph Co. N.C. I have good health since I left Richmond
JB

C9
State of North Carolina May 22nd 1863
Randolph County
Jefferson Davis
To the President of the Confederate States of America
Your petitioner W. Riley Nease respectfully request of you to Exempt him from the service in the army as he has a wife and 3 small children and no person to work on the farm but himself to support his family your petitioners pray that you will consider the premices(?) and if adjudged expedient will make the exemption as W. Riley Neas is a man of small means and it out of his power to hire labor to make a crop your petitioners in duty bound ever pray
D.S. Chamness Nathan Watkins
L.H. Piggott David Shepard
Anthony Chamness
Miles Chamness
Wm L. Wilson
Hiram Wilson
Wm Chamness
Robert Hanner

 

C10
Kinston N.C. 5th mo 25th 1863
Dear father
We have not received any account from you since we wrote you last, which we expected to have done this evening; neither have we received any acct. of the box you proposed to send us: the reason we cannot define. But would suggest that you send no such thing without a pilot which perhaps would not pay at present as you could afford us little relief in all probability by comeing. We must inform you that our sufferings have been augmented very much since we last addressed you. Gen Ransom has returned to his quarters at this place and last fifth-day we were taken out with the other prisoners and required to clean up the streets about his quarters which we refused to do and we were harassed about the streets with logs of wood tied on our shoulders for about two hours then ordered to the guard house with about 40 others in the same house Next day we were taken out and required to do some service which we declined and were treated in the same way marched round with logs on our shoulders for two hours amid the scoffs of many spectators. Then we were ordered to be parted and not allowed to be together and Jesse was taken down to the old jail house and I to the guard house which is a large old store room full of vermin and almost every offensive thing with one open door and two windows in the east end and owing to the crowded and filthy condition of the room it is a noisome and unhealthy place the weather being dry and hot it is difficult to breathe in here of an evening; the prisoners are all falling off owing to the scant fare and confinement. I have not seen Jesse since sixth day morning neither have I heard from him since 7th day morning The jail is said to be a worse room for hot weather than this an desperate for filth J.D.(?) was well as common when last heard from But I fear his health is declining as he has had an unfavor[able] cough most of the time since we left home. My health is middling good considering all things. I have suffered with the heart-burn for a few days owing to the bread we get being too salt – I suppose to prevent diarrhea among the prisoners. I do not think it is so much the Generals orders as the ambition of a few young officers under him that we are used as we are. They all insist it is our duty to pay out as we have that provision in law, and we are told that the two Gen Hill and Ransom declare their intention of keeping us till war ends at all events. And we have but little hope of getting off short of that but only can rely upon the Mercy and power of God to sustain us. Though I do not see as we can do much for the credit of society in such a place of confusion as this as there is continued rioting, fiddling, dancing, swearing and drinking frequent among officers (or so sid, I dont know) But enough of this. I shall not have much room to write any thing better. I have some companions in this house who say they are well acquainted with Mother. Dick Harris from Goldsboro 2 of Philip Jones’s boys and some others who say they knew her well. Tell Rachel and Rebecca we shall not write to them now as we got no letters and have so bad a chance to write. Tell them to be encouraged to do the best they can we often think of them and pity them. The general impression of the prisoners and most other folks thinks we do very wrong by staying in such a place when we have the chance to get away and we ought to think of the duty we owe to our families and thus it is difficult to reason with them in this time of confusion. I have written in great confusion but hope to be able to write to better satisfaction next time.
H.M. Hockett

C11
New Market N.C. 5/29/63
John B. Crenshaw
Esteemed Friend Joseph Newlin
At a stated(?) meeting for suffering in last month, it was informed that provision had been made by the Authorities of the Confederate States, to admit, or extend the privilege of paying the exemption tax to those noncombatants who are in some measure connected with the Society of friends, but are not in regular membership. The Meeting taking this subject under consideration, directed the monthly meeting to appoint judicious committees, to judge of the cases of applicants and assist the clerks of monthly meetings.
Our (Marlboro’) Monthly Meeting having appointed a committee, that committee having met, and come to the conclusion, that, from the lights(?) before them on the subject, it would not be prudent to move in the matter until we were better advised, therefore I was directed to write thee on the subject, requesting such information on the subject as thee may be able to give and concluded to await the reply, before we act in any in the promises(?).
We have quite a number of applicants, who are anxiously awaiting our action. I hope we may be able to preserve the reputation of our Society
Awaiting thy reply I am Thy Friend
Joseph [Newlin]

 

C13
Saxapahaw Alamance N.C. 2nd 6 mo 1863
Esteemed Friend
John B. Crenshaw
The 27th of 5 mo 1861 my Wife and only surviving Childe (a Daughter) left home to spend the Summer in a Limestone Country on account of my Wife’s health
Her only Brother had for some years been a resident of Illinois, a visit there was conclude on, She succeeding in getting there after resting on the way several times she was so feeble as to make it necessary to prop up with Pillows She staid until fall when finding the way to get home stoped up she went to the neighborhood of a good Scool in Indianna that our Daughter might go to school I received but two letters up to 8 mo/62 when I obtained leave of Gen Clingman to go to Nuburn to try to get to Indianna I did get there but found he[r] to feble to bare the fatigues and privations necessisaryly met with on the way We concluded it was best for them to stay another year and I come and try to keepe(?) home together and then try again as wars(?) do mostly and some time The object of this is to learn if possible what is necessisary for me to do by which to get permition to go after them and return when I can I hav had but one letter from her this year that left her suffering from lung fever and her health not so good as last year hense I say return when I can
I wish to start as soon as my Harves is safe would prefer going sooner but how harves is to be saved none can yet see there may be away where there seameth to be no way I want to see it saved before going and I am willing to go by Publick or Private conveyance as seameth best ( my impressions are she will hav to be moved by Private conveyanc) and by any rout the authorities may chuse for me to go
They friend P.S. Benbow

C12
State of North Carolina
Randolph County
To Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States of America May 18th 1863
Your petitioners respectfully request of you to Exempt your Conscripts prayer in this petition Himelais M Hockett and Jesse D Hockett Sieon Barker & Isiah Cox they are all in feeble health not able to stand a camp life the all have helpless families to support no person to work on their farms but them selves The 2 Hocketts is now in Kinston N.C. prisoners your petitioners pray you will Duly consider this petition and if adjuded Expedient will exempt they four persons above stated as we believe they can render this government more service at home on their farms your petitioners in duty bound ever pray
John White J.C. Branson
Henry Watkins Wm. Hicks
Phineas Abertson
Anthony Chamness
Elihu Cox
Wm Chamness
Wm Orsborn
Hiram Wilson

[written on a mostly blank leaf from a ledger with entry from 1842]

C14
Copied for W.H.S. Wood
Rocounce 6 mo 10 1863
Dear Friend
Isham Cox
I wrote to thee on __ business this morning, but afterwards visited the Office of Assist Sec of War who propounded to me the following questions which he wishes answered as soon as practicable. I do not know of any one whom the duty of compiling the list for your state should more properly rest, than on thyself nor any one who could be more relied on to have it correct. I think it will be proper for thee to write at once to the Clerk of each of your Monthly meetings enclosing them copies of the questions with the request that they would return answers as soon as practicable
Questions,--
1st How many members of the Society of Friends have been exempted on paying the tax