Private Ichabod Quinn Letters

Ichabod Quinn, a 37-year-old Duplin County farmer, enlisted in Company C, 51^st Regiment North Carolina Troops on March 6, 1862. Army life didn’t agree with Private Quinn, and he suffered various ailments until hospitalized on June 26, 1862. He was sent home on furlough and died there on July 27 of typhoid pneumonia.

The following letters and bills of sale are part of the Sally G. Quinn Papers, Rubenstein Library, Duke University. Transcripts and images by Kirk Ward.

Letters

March th5 1862

My Dear Wife I seat my self to
drop you afiew lines to in form you
that I ame well setting on my
but writing hoping this may find
you and family the same our
fair is verry heard ling on the
flore with out any thing to lie
apon or to cover with but we
shal come to our nitting soon
I want you to carry on the farm
as well as you can Tom[1] must
run one plow any how and [?]
if he can you must sell some
bacon and buy what eve you want
Tom must carry his plows to
George Best[2] and have them repaired
Sarah I am Enjoying my self
as well as I can spect you must
not greve after me for I am
deter mined to be to my post
as long as I am able and
then I must give up Bacon
is worth thirty five cents apound
you must let your hireling have
it at what the people Sels at
up their Yours truly
Ichabod Quinn

May th6 1862

Camp Homes

Dear wife It with pleasure

I seat my Selaf to write

you afiew lines which

will inform you I am

well hopoping this may

reach you and family the

same I have nothing of

importance to write to

you their has nothing occured

in camp sense I came down

all of our comppany is

here but three is has sick

there is four Regaments

[page 2]

hear I want you to

write to me whether

Ivy[3] has moved and how

much of his corn he got

up and if he has moved

tel him if he volunteers

I want him to come to

this comppany Sarah

I want you to have the

old part of the logrounds

planted as soon as you

can have your corn replan

as soon as it will do and

keep one plow running

any how Yours Truly I Quinn

NOTES:

[1] Quinn’s slave.

[2] Duplin County farmer.

[3] Ivy Andrews, Ichabod’s brother-in-law. Married Elizabeth Quinn.

March th22 1862

Wilmington N C
Dear wife I seat my
Self this morning to
drop you afiew lines
which leaves me well
enjoying my self as
well as I could escpect
hoping this may reach
you and family the same
we are quartered in
wilmington and I
Suppose we will
remain hear until
we are driled I want
you to plant my old
[page 2]
field corn as soon as
you get the land pre
paired have the Slips
beded bed all the
yams and negrabusters
and plant the rest
and get five bushel
from mrs Southerland
and more if you need
them we have good
quarters hear as we
could ask for I want
you to write as son
as you get this. I will
close my letter by subscribing name your ever sincer
and afectionate husband I Quinn
[page 3]
John is well and
well Satisfied you
must send your
respects to him and
send me all the
nuse youre truly
Ichabod Quinn

Wilmington N C
April th8 1862
Dear wife
It is with
pleasure I Seat my self
to inform you I am
well enjoying myself
verry well hoping this
my reach you and family
enjoying the same portion
of God’s blessing we have
moved from the dry pond
in camp near the railroad
we have good tents to stay
[page 2]
in I have good bunks
mates their names are
L K Mathis David Turner
Joseph Whitfield James Jones
F M Garner E Fussel[1]
I have nothing of impor
tance to write to you
this time we have a
hi old time hear they
woant give our company
only about half rashings
we detailed 20 men and
went in town and
told the quarter master
if he would not give
[page 3]
in to us we would
take it and forked it
over the Capt & Liet[2]
are trying to get us up
to raleigh I think we
will leave this place
in afiew days for raleigh
where we can have some
accommodation get our
bounty and uniform
without fiting for it
our company are all
anscious to go I received
your kind and affectionate
letter
Monday th7 which give
[page 4]
which give me much
grattification and consolation
to har form you and
haer you were all well
and to hear you were
getting along so well with
your farm I will come
home as soon as I can
Capt Alien said he
would give me afurlow
nesct week I want you
to have the corn planted
round the house as soon
as you can get the manaured
hauled out enough to cover it
your ever sincere and affecionate
husband I Quinn

April th16, 62

Wilmington N C

Dear Wife

It is with

pleasure I seat my

self to inform you

that I am well hoping

this may reach you and

family the Same I

I reach my camp the

Same day I left home

found the company all

well I am enjoying

my Self verry well

our company has increase

to eighty five we have

[page 2]

have the best company out

Sarah I have not been to

Town sene I came down

I will get some cards

if I can find them

in town I hope you

will bee Satisfied and

can sole your self about

me and bee happy for

I am Surrounded with

friends have your corn

planted as soon as you

can have those chips

raked up and burnt

by the gate Yours &ct I Quinn

April th18 62

Wilmington N C

Dear wife As with

pleasure I Seat my

Self to inform you

I am well enjoying my

my Self as any body

in camp I have nothing

of importance to write

as nothing has occured

in camp I have got

my bounty and uniform

I have Six Shirts three

pair of drawers and three

pair of pants you

nedd not make me

[page 2]

clothes I want you

to do your best on

your crop have it

planted as son as

you can have your

loland prepared

and every hill

manured I must

close my leter

your sincere

and affectionat

husband until death

Ichabod Quinn

                            April th23 1862
     Wilmington N C
Dear wife after my respects
to you and family I set
my Self to inform you I
am well enjoying my
Self verry well in
camp hoping this
my reach you and
family the Same I have
nothing to write to you
it is rumored in camp
we are going to move
in afiew days four
miles form hear we have
not got our armes it
[page 2]
has been rumored hear
that the yankees have
Sixty Steamers insight
of fourt caswell I
want you to hire Some
body to help you plant
your corn I cant tell
you when I can come
home their is so many
going home I should
bee glad to se you and
all the family I want
you to write soon and
tell me how you are
getting along with your
[page 3]
   business the yankees
are in onsalow county
plundering and taking
all the negres they can
get and every thing
els they can find they
went to Colonel
Sanders and maid his
negroes tie him and
paddle him and
carried of all of his
negroes and many others
I must close my letter
Your ever sincere and
affectionate husband
Ichabod Quinn

May th13, 62

Camp Holmes

Near Wilmington

Dear wife I avail my Self

with the liberty this evening

to drop you afiew lines which

will inform you I am

well eccept a pain in

my head or over my right

eye it pains me very

much I was on guard Sunday

nigth and I think it maid

worse of than I Should have

been I have aligth coald

also my health is verry

good other ways I have nothing

of interest to write to you

[page 2]

to day there is alots of

Sickness in camp at this

time I received your polite

note by the hand of Lieut

Branch which hive me

pleasure and satisfaction to

hear you were all well

and getting along so well

with your farm I want you

to keep one plow agoing

regular let it cost what

it may you must not sell

your bacon & lard for less than

thirty five cents per pound

Your affectionate Husband

Ichabod Quinn

Camp Holmes Near Wilmington

May th19, 62

Dear wife

I am happ to

inform you I am well

eccept my head which pains

me a little hoping this

will reach you and family

well & enjoying the blessings

of life as wel as could

bee ecspected in this crittical

affairs I hope you will

remain Satisfied so long as

I am absent trusting in

the great god above which

rules over all. I would

like to come and Sea you

[page 2]

and my beautiful children,

again but I cant get the

chance in three months. You must

tend the crop at all hazard

and not let the hogs perrish

nor the horses

I’ll suffer hardships toils and

pain for the good time sure to come

I’ll battle long that I may

gain my freedom and my

home I will return though

foes may stand disputing

every rod my own dear

home my native land

I’ll win you yet by God

I Quinn

Camp Davis May th20 62

Dear wife

It is with pleasure

I Seat my self to inform you

I am well enjoy my self

finely hoping this may find

you and family enjoying the

Same portions of Gods blessing

I received your polite letter of

the th16 which came to my

hands the th19 which give

me much pleasure to hear from

you and family and to hear

you were all well eccept

a pain in your Side I hope

[page 2]

may bee blessed with helth

and Strength and all other

blessings that God may bee

willing to bestow upon you

the yankees have been

fireing on fourt Caswell

but our me drove them

back we have whiped them

at Corrinth and near

ritchmond our boys are all

well James Jones is well

and a god young man

W B Bowden & F M Garner

is also well write how you

are getting along wiht the

crop and it looks dont hire

wht [?] at such prices

                     Camp Davis
                     May th27 1862
Dear Wife
                     I avail my self
this evening to inform
you I am well at
this time hoping this
may reach you and
family enjoying the Same
portion of Gods blessings
I have a little nuse our
men have whiped the
yankees in western verginia
and captured four thousand
[page 2]
we have aright strong
force around wilmington
if we had fifteen thousand
we could hold it against
fifty thousand their is
a heap of Sickness in
camp Simeon[3] is verry
Sick with the measles
and James Jones is Sick
with the measles but
is better I want you
to write how my crop
looks and how you are
getting along with the
plowing tell Tom to
[page 3]
plant his peas as Soon
as he can and feed the
horses what they will
eat and attend to
my hogs and Save the
pigs if any tell Miss
Elisabeth I am under
many obligations to hur
and will Speak agood
word to Mr W B Bowdon[4]
if I want fraid I
should intrude on
good fielings give my
respect to all enquire
ing friends Ichabod Quinn

Camp Davis
June th1, 1862
Dear Wife
It is with
pleasure I enclose
my pen in hand
to inform you that
I am well and
verry well hoping
this will reach
you and family
enjoying the Same
portion of gods blessing
there is a great deal
[page 2]
of Sickness in camp
but thank god I
have been blessed
with good health
and Strength and
in good spirits
enjoy my Self as
well as any man
in camp I received
a letter from your sister
Sister Betty[5] and I was
much gratified after
readend hur polite
letter
to hear father and all
the family well
[page 3]
and doing well I
wrote two letters bee
fore I received any answer
Sarah you know I was
glad when I saw the
letter for the smple
reason I think more
of your father[6] than
any man on earth
I would do more for him
Than any one on earth
I want you to write
To me and your father &
Sisters every week as
long as we live
[page 4]
brother Joseph &
brother are both in
Survice and Henry
Judge[7] his father brought
him down ten days
ago poor little fellow
is verry much dissatis
fied he come to see me
to day and I tried to
console and cheer the
broken heart boy as
much as I could and
told him he must come
to sea me as often as he
could yours &ct I Quinn

Wilmington N C
June th10 1862

Dear brother[8] I enclose my pen
in hand to inform you I am
well at present hoping this
may reach you and family
all enjoying the same portion
of Gods blessing Brother I
have no nuse to write
to you interesting more than
my health is very good and has
been ever sence I have beand
in service Brother I am well
satisfied with my company
and officers and I am on
gard to day in Wilmington &
shall remain hear until sunday
Brother I am one that dos
[page 2]
does my part in camp
I have ver missed [?]
sense I have been in Survice
Brother we are giving the yankees
fits at ritchmond but I fear
they will be to heard for in
I want you to write to me
as soon as you get this Brother
I have not paid you the five
dollars I borrowed of you but
I will do that surtain Brother
I want you to write how
my family is getting along
and how my farm looks
I must close your ever
sincer and affectionate brother
until death I Quinn

Wilmington June th11 1862
Dear wife I take pleasure
in writing to you this morning
which will inform you
that I receive your polite
note of the 6 which found
me verry well inded hoping
this will reach you and
family all well and well
Satisfied and getting along
verry well with the crop
I have no nuse to Send you
our men is still holding
their position in ritchmond
[page 2]
their has gan four thousand
Soldiers going ritchmond their
is agreate deal of sickness
in camp at this time I
am in Wilmington at this
time on guard duty and shal
remain until Sunday. I
Saw mr D Swinson
yesterday and I sent you
Some paper and an almanac
by him. I am sory to here
my little Son is porly
[page 3]
in Such bad health you
must give him Some warm
candy and pills you wrote
my hogs were about to dy
please dont let them
perish let them go in the
wry patch make agap and
let them go in and out
give them colwort leaves
and all the slops meat
is verry high bacon is 25 to 30
per pound beef 20 mutton 30
to 35 pork 20 to 25 per pound
I hope I Shal get the chance
[page 4]
to come home after awhile
but I cant tell when
their has ten or fifteen me
run away and gone home
if I have to runaway to
come it will bee sometime
be fore I come I amd all
rite and I am going to
try to keep so as long
as I am in Service
Yours truly, I Quinn

Notes:

[1] All men were privates in Company C.

[2] Captain William Allen and Lieutenant James Branch.

[3] Simeon Garner, Ichabod’s brother-in-law, married to Ester Quinn; brother of F. M. Garner.

[4] Sgt. William B. Bowden, Company C.

[5] Elizabeth “Bettie” C. Thomas, Sally Quinn’s youngest sister.

[6] Gregory Thomas; Bettie was living with him in the 1860 census.

[7] James Henry Judge, age 18, assigned to 10^th Battalion NC Heavy Artillery.

[8] Watson F. Quinn, Ichabod’s only brother.

Bills of Sale

The three images below give a snapshot of the types of supplies farmers purchased through the year.

1858

Quinn ran up a tab of $19.20 with J. B. Kelly during 1858. He paid off most of the debt with 239 pounds of pork at 7.5 cents per pound.

1857 & 1860

In 1857 and 1860, Quinn bought his supplies from James G. Branch. Branch was a successful farmer and merchant in Duplin County, and in 1860, he was elected to the General Assembly. He was appointed 1st Lieutenant of Quinn’s company (Company C). One of Branch’s clerks, William B. Bowden, served as a sergeant in the same company.