Gilbert Little enlisted in the “Scotch Tigers” (Company D, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops) on March 5, 1862. The Robeson County farmer was 28 years old when he joined the army. The transcriptions below are heavily edited versions of eleven letters Gilbert Little wrote to Kate McGeachy while he was in service. The original letters are part of the Catherine McGeachy Buie Papers, Rubenstein Library, Duke University. The numbers preceding each transcription indicate the folder and image in the online exhibit of the Catherine Buie Collection. For example, the first letter is contained in the 1862 folder, image number 81.
Summarized by Kirk Ward.
1862/81
May 19, 1862
Camp Davis on Mitchell’s Sound near Wilmington
There are a few cases of measles in our company. All the Lumber Bridge recruits are well with the exception of colds. We had a hard time going up to Raleigh and caught a very bad cold while we stayed at Camp Mangum. I don’t want to go to Mangum while I stay in service, but we must go wherever we are sent. I have thought a many a time about the pleasure I had staying in Robeson County.
I was on guard yesterday and last night with John D. McGeachy [Kate McGeachy’s brother] and D.[Daniel] McG. Currie.
I would be glad to hear from you often. I want you to write me when the fruit is ripe, and if I can’t go and eat peaches, you must send me a peach.
I am going to drill, so I must close. I sent you a present the day I left Fayetteville, and I would like to know how you like it. When this you see, remember me, tho many miles we be.
1862/85
May 31, 1862
Wilmington
We have moved since I last wrote to you. We have moved to the Cape Fear River about twelve miles from the regiment, about four miles below Wilmington. We expect to remain here for some time. We expected to leave today, but we got orders to remain here until we build another battery that will be made of iron. It seems we get more work than any company in the regiment, but this is better for our health than lying around the tents.
We expected a fight the other day, but we did not meet up with such good luck. We heard the booming of cannons for about two hours down at Fort Fisher, but they were only getting the range of their guns. Captain Smith worked us all day Sunday, and I don’t think it was right. There is no more danger now than when we came here.
The Yankees captured a little vessel called the Gordon. It was from some foreign port and loaded with guns and ammunition.
I don’t think I can take care of your John when the Yankees come, but I will do my best. If he doesn’t run faster than me, I will not wait for him. You ought to be where you could see the Tigers run on a retreat. We run like the wild beasts themselves.
I saw Mr. Daniel McEachern, and he looks as pleasing as ever.
1862/109
June 22, 1862
Wilmington
We are still working at those batteries. We have about completed one, and we have one that will take two or three months of hard work. It is to be built with large timbers and then covered with iron. The captain says he wants to be assigned to the iron battery, if he can. All the boys are anxious to stay here. This is a very healthy place except for the mumps. We have a few cases in the camp.
Jim Little is very bad off with the mumps. When he went to get breakfast this morning, he fainted and had to be carried back to his tent. He is better this evening. The rest of the boys with mumps are weak but fine. J. D. McGeachy is very near well.
We had marching orders last week to go to Camp Wyatt, but our company will not go. The regiment probably will go. I don’t want to leave here. If we go down the river, we will all get sick. There is a great deal of sickness at Confederate Point and Fort Caswell.
We got the box that F. S. Currie brought back. It would do you good to see us boys eating pies. We ate and talked about the Robeson girls and their kindness to their boys and their mothers’ kindness to their sons in the army. Mothers should never be forgotten by their sons when they are in the army.
1862/117
July 6, 1862
Wilmington
We remain at the same old place, building an iron battery. You should see the boys on wash day (Saturday). Washing reminds them of home. They all say they will not live as bachelors for everything in the world.
The regiment has moved to Smithville. We expect to join them when we finish here. We hope that the battle at Richmond will end the war, but I think the Yankees will try this place before they give up.
We have evermore fleas in camp. They are worse than chinches. Some of the boys call them black republicans because they are so troublesome.
I don’t think I can go home on furlough until we finish the battery, if we stay until it is finished.
1862/127
August 3, 1862 [Sunday]
Wilmington
The men in the company are all well except John Conley, William McCormick and James Evans. The company is still engaged in building a battery; they are installing the last course of timbers and should be finished in four or five weeks. They are enjoying themselves much more than when they joined the service.
Last Sunday, word spread that the regiment was ordered to Kinson, where 1,500 patriots faced 8,000 Yankee vandals. Major McKethan fetched a wagon from town to move the company from the battery to Wilmington, but the orders were countermanded and he returned the wagon. The regiment has orders to be ready at a moment’s notice.
Fruit, vegetables and all other nice things are very expensive. I would rather go home to eat peaches. They are sweeter and wouldn’t be washed all to pieces. We should be able to get furloughs once the current excitement has ended, but don’t look for us until you see us.
1862/181
October 25, 1862
Camp Campbell [near Kinston]
I received your letter about a week ago from J. D. Mc. and J. A. L. [John McGeachy and James Little] I thought I would have written you since, but I delayed it from day to day. I thought I would write today as it is an idle day in camp.
J. D. and J. A. went by Raleigh to see me in the hospital, but they did not see me. I left the hospital the evening before they got there. I am getting along very well since I returned to camp. I am slowly getting stronger. I hope I will remain in good health evermore while I am in the service.
We got orders to march to Kinston about three o’clock. We made ready and started on our way to Kinston. We reached the town about seven o’clock. We stacked arms and laid down and waited for further orders, and we got orders to march back to Camp Campbell. We marched about eighteen miles that day. The company seemed very tired the next day.
J. D. and J. A. are no worse than they were when they left home. We had all better take the itch if we can get it to go home. The chance will be bad to go home because seven of our company have the itch. I will send you the names of all the boys who have the itch in our company. R. F. Little has the itch and S. J. Cobb and F. S. Currie and D. J. Currie and D. McG. Currie and A. Mc. Currie and N. D. White and S. P. Klarpp and Ja. Hair, they have the itch in camp. Nine cases instead of seven in our company. There are a good many cases in the regiment.
You mentioned in your letter about teaching school in Lumber Bridge. I would be glad to be at home to go to school with you, if nothing only to learn how to write. If my sweetheart is going to you, teach her all you can and don’t whip her if you can avoid it.
1863/5
January 4, 1863
Camp Whiting near Wilmington
I wasn’t at the Goldsboro fight. I was sent off the night before the regiment left camp and I stayed out of that battle. That is not saying that I will escape the next battle. From the account the boys give of the fighting, I don’t know how any of them escaped.
We expected last night to be on the road today but we are not gone yet. We hold ourselves in readiness. We heard that there was about thirty thousand advancing on this place, but we can’t tell whether it is so or not. I hope they will not come to this place this winter or bother us anymore, so we can get to go home. I think if the Yankees would stay off we would get to go home, but I expect they will be plundering about just to keep us from going home. I expected to go home about Christmas, but the Yankees will not stop lurking about until we kill them or they kill all of us.
P. S. Arch M. [McDonald] and myself are going to the school break. Archie G. [Graham] wants to go but we will not let him go. Arch M. and Archie G. are quarreling about the school, but if they don’t mind, I’ll go myself.
1863/47
February 2, 1863
Camp Whiting near Wilmington
We Tigers are only in moderate health. There is some sickness in our quarters. We have four sick in the hospital: S. J. Cobb and A. McGougan and Pink Kinlaw and Augustus Musswelwhite. They are all mending. I believe sickness and death are very uncertain. The death of our friend and neighbor D. C. Evans was unexpected. He was lingering in camp for nearly a week. At length, he was moved to the hospital and died the next day.
You stated in your letter that school was out. I would have liked to have been there. I know you must have had a fine time, but this confounded war keeps me from having a heap of fun, but I am in hopes that this war will come to an end before long. I would like to spend some of my time with my friends and acquaintances.
We have a rumoring report in camp about going to Fayetteville but I expect they will take it out in talking. If we could go, they would be a proud set of Tigers.
1863/83
March 8, 1863
Camp near Savannah in Georgia
I received your letter when I was at Charleston, and I would have answered it before now, but I had no time as we were held under marching orders. I must stop and go hear Parson Shaw preach.
I have returned from hearing a splendid sermon. There were not many of the regiment at preaching. The boys would rather look about than attend church when they are in a strange place. The boys are very well satisfied here, if we had our tents. We are stationed in a field, and it is very warm weather for this time of the year, but it is only because we are so far south.
Charleston is a very pretty seaport town, but the water was very bad. The ladies of Charleston were very clever. Savannah is also a very nice town. As for the ladies, I can’t say anything about them. I saw one very pretty lady yesterday, but I didn’t know whether she was married or not. I can’t tell when I see a married lady or a single lady this far from home. I must close that subject.
When I commenced this letter everything was quiet, but we have orders to cook three days rations to start back to Charleston at seven o’clock tomorrow morning. They keep us on the road all the time since we left Wilmington.
Since we are going to start back that way and this piece of paper is almost full, I will close.
1863/283
November 15, 1863
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
The boys are enjoying very good health at present with the exception of S. J. Cobb. He is puny and has been for some time, but I am in hopes he will soon get strong for we need all the help that can be started for duty on this island.
The Yankees have been bombarding Fort Sumter pretty steady for two weeks, but they haven’t made much progress as yet. Our commanders say Sumter is stronger than ever before.
We left Long Island and were in hopes of going back to North Carolina. But North Sullivan’s Island is our North Carolina and will be as long as the Yankees lie out in the face of SC.
We have such a dull time in camp, I have nothing to write, only old stories. I went to Wagner one time and stayed there for four days and five nights, and the shells were dreadful to encounter. They were busting all around and falling like hail.
You mentioned something about it being very cold in North Carolina. The nights are very cold here on the beach. One freeze is all I’ve seen this fall, but it is remarkably cold on the beach standing picket duty.
I heard you lost one of your flock one evening. That is bad for you to be teaching little girls and lose them in that way. You must look out for yourself.
1864/207
September 3, 1864
Petersburg, VA
With pleasure I seat myself to drop you a few lines on behalf of a letter I wrote to you in answer to the last one I received, about eleven months ago.
We are enjoying our war life tolerably well. We are living in a ditch about eight feet deep and about the same in width. We have become so used to it that it almost appears like home, only when the boys start talking about furloughs, then you never heard the like of going home.
The Yankees don’t feed Old Dad’s [General Thomas Clingman] brigade many shells, but they give us a few minies for our share.
May God in his kind providence spare my life and all get home safe.
NOTE: Gilbert Little was wounded in the leg at Fort Harrison on September 30, 1864. He died from his wound a few days later.
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