Isham Gerald Pitman enlisted as a private in Company E, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, on May 5, 1862. At the time of his enlistment, Pitman was 34 years old and farming in Robeson County. Private Pitman was captured on June 1, 1864, at Cold Harbor and confined at Point Lookout. He was later transferred to Elmira when that notorious prison camp opened in July 1864. He died on November 2, 1864, at Fort Monroe while being transported for exchange.
The Isham Pittman Letters, containing three letters, are part of the Confederate Papers Special Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library. Isham wrote the first two letters to his wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1854. The couple had four children before Isham went off to war. The final letter is from Isham’s older brother, Henry Flowers Pitman, to Margaret, notifying her of Isham’s death.
[NOTE: the regiment had marched about 50 miles in the three days before this letter was written]
1864
Ivor Va May the 5 day
My dear wife
I in haste rite you a shorte
note to let you her that we
are ordered to Richmon as
the yankes are advancing
there I have no other news
only my feet has bearley
got well and it is go again
and perhaps no more to
return I rec’d yours of
27 yestidy was sorrow
to her of the sickness in
the Famley but the Lord
doith all thing rite and
and it is rite that we should
submit oh my por childen
My Dear wife I hope to
see you a gain life
I Dreamed of Riding with
you Last night a cross
as I thought a Mill saw
a Lady in Deep morning
[page 2]
I am fearful it is a
bad omen tell the cilden
all Pa know all of them
are smart Pa is glad
that Sis is so smart as
to have lernt her A,
B, C. May God have mercy
on you as I go & speare
me to return safe is
the Prare of one that Loves
you I have got to Draw
Ration have no more
time to rite I wiil
rite as soon as I can
a gain if Life is speared
so good by My Love
ing wife I. P
Sept 26/64 York
Elmira Prisenors Camp New
My dear wife, yours of 24 Aug is at hand,
which gives me great satisfaction
to here that all was well and that
Crops are fine also that the children
are at schoole I am sorrow to say that
my helth is not good I am onley able
to move about a short distance I
have Drireas I am fearfull it will
turn in to Cronich Direas I spend
most of my time studing the Bibl I
find great comfort in Perusing it
Invaluable Pages God have mercy
on us and spear us to met on Earth
a gain I feele that when Life is ende
d I shall be at Peas with God oh my Poor
Children shall I ever see them again
Say to Unkle Brite Williams Giles
is here but I am sorrow to say quite
sick also to H. F Cant I get a hering
from him Pleas Direct as here to
fore Elmira New York Prisenor
Camp 16 ward B Baracks.
your Loving Husband I. Pitman
[NOTE: Bright Williams’ son Giles served in Company E; he survived the war]
Leesville, 19 Nov
Sister Margaret
It is with much
Sorrow I have to announce to you
the death of your best friend and
beloved husband, who died 3rd inst
and was buried at Fortress Munroe
A son of James Prevatt and fel
low prisoner was on with him and
brought two testaments of his & some
envelopes, he saw Griffin Hill in
Wilmington & sent them by him to
Lumberton, his disease was pneu
monia. We can only hope from
the life that he lived that he is at
rest. I can give you no fur
ther particulars
Your brother
H F Pitman
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