Private Hugh McGougan Letter

Private Hugh McGougan enlisted in the “Scotch Tigers” (Co. D, 51^st North Carolina) on March 8, 1862 at age 24. He served with the company until September 30, 1864, when he was shot in the head at Fort Harrison. He died of his wound three weeks later.

This letter is part of the Catherine McGeachy Buie Papers, Rubenstein Library, Duke University. Images of the letter are available in the online exhibit of the Buie Papers, folder 1862, images 147-150. Transcript by Kirk Ward.

Fort French this september the 8 1862

Miss Catharine

according to promise I now avail

myself of the present opportunity

of writing you a few lines to let

you know how I am getting along

I am getting better I am in hopes

I will soon be as well as ever there

is not much knews stirring in camp

at this time the health of the company

is very good John David [McGeachy] is telling you

the knews and James Little at this

very moment and before these feu

lines will reach you you will have

it all you must keep away from

James for fear you will take the

Each [itch] you may kiss John David

[page 2]

but whatever you do keep your

distance from James for fear you

will take the Each whenever the boys

got there pass to go home although

they had to stop and scratch they

lost no time in getting on the

boat and you may depend upon it

I was not surprised at them please

tell the boys I want to hear

from them as soon as they can make

it convenient to write to me

and give me all the knews the

rain is a falling here today just

as fast as it can hard thunder

and sharp lighting we are not

doing any thing today but lying

up in our tents to day will

[page 3]

will long be remembered by all

it is all I can do to write with

noise the boys keeps but when I

think of your pretty black eyes

and what happy hours we spent

together I look over all of that

when I sit on the banks of the

river side and think over all

of the happy hours that I once

enjoyed and then turn over

a leaf and there see the situation

I am placed in is not enough

to make a Tigers heart burn

to think over it let alone having

any experience in it. Miss

Cate if you want to here the

truth about the matter we are

[page 4]

all a getting tired of this war

and as for my part I am

ready for peace at any time if

it will be and honorable peace

I would like to call around

and see you and get another

drink of that good cider but

who know when that time

will come again perhaps

never do you remember this

Miss Cate “I know not what

cours others may take but as for

me give me liberty or give me

Death” this is my motto all

the time I must come to a close

write soon Good bye To

Miss Catharine McGeachy

Hugh Mcgoogan