Holly Springs, Mississippi Is Overrun By "Yankee Thieves."

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/15/2018

A great war-date Southern citizen's letter, 3 1/2 pp. 4to., written by Mary G. Shields, Holly Springs, [Miss.], April 14, 1863, addressed to Confederate hospital surgeon Thomas P. Shields (1826-1912), reading, in part: "I will write a few lines to let you hear from us…the Federals came to our vicinity the 1st week in November &…stripped us of everything…except a few barrels of corn…the greater part of our cattle & negroes, viz. Albert Marshal & 4 children, Harriet & old Aunt Fanny burned a good many of our out houses on the farm & threatened to burn the dwelling…our situation at present is a very unpleasant one, but we can do no better & therefore have to submit to our fate…our struggle will be almost more than we can bear. Our neighbors generally have suffered some more & have less than we have. All of Va. Negroes left except one (Caroline). She is at our house & has been since last fall. In hope the enemy will never reach your country. We are, but those who have suffered, can form any idea of what Yankee thieves can do. They have robbed many people of money, articles & silver plate…the Yankees stripped Cousin Mary's farm of everything except a little corn & about 3000 lbs of pork…took twenty of her best negroes, 15 of them grown…with 19 bales of cotton. One of my negroes came home about 3 weeks ago, Eliza, a girl about 14 years old…I do not know whether she intends to stay or not…this is the first visit I have made to Holly Springs…I have been at home…ever since the Federals came to La Grange…I have made several visits in this neighborhood. Everybody seem sot take this [??] very well & hope for better times…I take it better than any one else…a poor horse or mule is the only beast we can keep…the Yankees will steal them. We are making no preparations to till the ground except to plant some garden seed…the lines of La Grange have been closed for several days…they are inventing the country around Vicksburg & coming up this way to take the railroad again…Lou Keyser is here…she is quite sick at this time & has not been well since the birth of her baby…I heard from Va…they are well…about business I do not know. We cannot communicate now a days like we wish. I want to go to Memphis to see Va., but are afraid to venture. I have never been to La Grange since the Feds have been there…I got a letter fro Mr. McLean dated the first of March. He sent it by private conveyance across the river…he has tried to get Charley discharged from the army without success…Charley was at the Port of Arkansas when the Yankees made the trip up there…Charley escaped safely, but lost his clothes…he said there was a good deal of sickness among the negroes at Mt. Ellen & one had died the day before; the other was getting better. He had not sold sold anything off the place…John Miller was at our house 2 weeks ago. He suffered by the Yankees, but none of his negroes left except one or two. Wm. J. Miller lost everything…so did Miss. Capandon & her brother…Miller's wife is dead by excitement from the Yankee raids…he is also a sufferer by the Yankees…Dr. N. Kearny lost a son at the battle of Perryville & two of his nieces have died…Mary G. S." Folded into stampless cover format with two original five-cent (both different) Jeff Davis stamps with a Griffin, Georgia cancel. Overall VG

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).