Private Milton Baxter Letter from Sugarloaf

Milton Baxter served as a private in Company D, 51st North Carolina from Dec 1863 until the end of the war. He wrote the letter below immediately after returning from his first ever furlough.

Feb the 6 1865 Shugar Loaf

Mr Baxter I seat may self this eavning to drop

you a few lines to let you know I got to the 51

Regt all wright and safe I found the boys all

well and black as negroes but they enjoy it

the yanks shell the line ever day the wer selling

when I reached the Regt and they shelled to

day right smart I got to Wilmington saturd

ay eavning Sunday eavning just at sundown I

reached the Regt I went out to camp Whiting

saturday night and staid till Sunday morning then

I started sunday morning to shugar loaf I got

to sooheel [Shoe Heel, present day Maxton] that night about 2 oclock and I

herd they would not go any train down on friday

and I went to cousin Cate Ann Curies and I staid

[page 2]

their till saturday morning and she sent me to sooheel

[?] so I faired well cousin Nelly Currie was their too

that is all I got my [?] to Wilmington and had to leave

them their but I am looking for it down this eavning

we can get them from Wilmington down her very handy

it is 16 miles from hear to Wilmington very sandy

road too [?] the fall of fort fisher was a shabby

affair they don just like I told you they did they

staid inn the bomb proof too long and the yanks

got inn before they begin to fight them one Capt

shew them the way inn the fort and they say that

Col graham got hung inn the doore of the bomb

proof and the rest of the men could not get out

that is the joke they have any how that is all the

ness I got and I will come to a close yours till death

Direct to Wilmington NC co D 51 Regt Milton Baxter

[written upside down across bottom of first page]

I was not reported absent with out leaf a tall

so I am all right a gain

Images: Duke University David M. Rubenstein Rare Books and Manuscript Collection, Confederate Staes of America collection Box 2, Officers’ and Soldiers’ miscellaneous letters, scans 27 and 28, Online exhibit at:

https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/confederatestatesofamerica_aspace_ref16_l84

Transcript by Kirk Ward.