The transcripts below are from the Private Voices website (https://altchive.org/node/281). They are part of the Sally G. Quinn Papers. The original documents are housed in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University, Section A, Box 109, Items 1-80. I hope to get images of these letters next year.
Some of the people mentioned in the letters:
| Tom | One of Quinn’s slaves |
| Leonidas | Quinn’s only son |
| Nurcy Jones | Narcissa Quinn Jones, Ichabod’s sister |
| Ivey Anders | Ivy Andrews, married to Ichabod’s sister, Elizabeth |
| Bunkmates | All privates in Company C |
| Capt & Liet | Capt. William Allen and Lt. James Branch |
| Simeon | Simeon Garner, married to Ichabod’s sister, Ester; F. M. Garner’s brother |
| W. B. Bowdon | Sgt. William B. Bowden, Company C |
| Sister Betty | Elizabeth Thomas, Sally Quinn’s sister |
| your father | Gregory Thomas |
| Henry Judge | James Henry Judge, age 18, enlisted in 10th NC Batt. Hvy Arty |
| Dear Brother | Watson Quinn |
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Sally G. Quinn Papers
Ichabod Quinn (b. ca. 1826) was a farmer from Duplin County, North Carolina. At the time of the Federal Census of 1860, Quinn and his wife, Sarah G. (Sally) Quinn (b. ca. 1827), were living in the Mount Olive section of Duplin County with their three young children. Ichabod Quinn enlisted as a private in Co. C, 51st North Carolina Infantry on March 6, 1862 and died at home on June 27, 1862. The collection includes letters written by various relatives, including soldiers serving in the 30th and 51st NC Infantry regiments.
Quinn 5
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
March th 5 1862
My Dear wife I seat my self to
drop you afew 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 soon
I want you to carry on the foram
as well as you can Tom must
run one plow any how and [furrow?]
if he can you must Sell some
bacon and buy what eve you want
Tom must carry his plows to
George Best 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 thirtyfive cents apound
you must let your hireling have
it at what the people Sels at
up their Yours truly
Ichabod Quinn
Quinn 6
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Duplin county N C April the 10th 1862
dearest husband i take the pleasure of riting
afew lies to you to inform you that iam
well and all of the rest onely leonidus
his eye it is verry bad the girls came up to
see me last weak and old and arter
i wish you cold abin hear to a seen them
I heard that amus was home and was verry
Sick but the old yankes hant tuck
Swans burrow yet my old feald corn
is acoming up vrry nise I have beded the
slipes and now tha ar cutting the loges
tha ant dun halling yet but tha
have ben vrry smart sense you have
been gaun the old mare and her little
Selum is ageting along verry well it
is a yallow horse with a black main and
black feet nurcy Jones and her fam
ely is well ihant heard from ivey
anders and his famil yet I have
nothing of eny importice to rit
to you onely yours truly and
afectinated wife un tel deth
Sarah G Quinn O tha is
sum thing else that ifor got
iwill get Mr Jones to rite
for mee I want you to
rite to mee as soon as you can
[page 2]
the girls ses that tha was very
sorra tha[t] tha was gown when you was
thear but giv thare respects to
you i want you to rite to me
when you can come home
Mr Jones ses he has paid Amos Quinn Jones
for you he paid Six dollars and Eighteen cents
he pass of your Jury Tickets for three dollars
and Three cents his ses you give him
Six dollars and Twenty five cents in money
he has give me back three dollars and The Recept
and ses he will give me the Rest soon
Sarah G Quinn
Quinn 7
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
March the 22 1862
Wilmington N C
Dear wife I seat my
Self this morning to
drop you afew lines
which leaves me well
enjoying my self as
well as I could expted
hoping this may reach
you and family the same
we are quartered in
wilmington and I
Suppose we will
remain hear until
we are drilled 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 negrobusters
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
Quinn 8
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Wilmington N C
April th 8 1862
Dear wife
It is with
pleasure I Seat my self
to inform you I am
well enjoying myself
verry well hoping this
may 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
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
are trying to get us up
to raleigh I think we
will leave this place
in afew 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 the 7 which give
[page 4]
which give me much
grattification and consolation
to har from 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 [1]
Would give me afurlow
next 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
Quinn 9
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
April th 23 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
may 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 from 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 there 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
Quinn 11
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Camp Davis
May th 27 1862
Dear Wife
I avail myself
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 for thousand
[page 2]
we have aright strong
force around wilmington
if we had fifteen thousand
we could hold it against
fifty thousand there is
a heap of sickness in
camp Simeon 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
if I want fraid I
should intrude on
good feelings give my
respect to all enquir
ing frieands Ichabod Quinn
Quinn 10
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Camp Davis
June the 1 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 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 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 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
Quinn 12
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Wilmington N C
June 10th 1862
Dear brother 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 verry good and has
been ever sense I have be
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 missed [?]
sense I have been 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
Quinn 13
Transcriber: Toni Mitchell
Transcription Date: January, 2011
Proofer: M. Ellis
Proof Date: January, 2011
Wilmington June 11th 1862 [1]
Dear wife I take pleasure
in writing to you this
which will inform you
that I receive your polite
note of the 6 which found
me verry well indeed 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 hav 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 S[???]son
yesterday and I sent you
Some paper and an almanac
by him I am sorry to hear
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
patch make agap and
let them go in and out
give them colwort leaves [2]
and all the slops meat
is verry high bacon is 25 LBs
per pound beef 20 mutton 30
to 35 pork 20 to 25 per pound
I hope I that get the chanse
[page 4]
to come home after awhile
but I cant tell when
their has ten or fifteen me[n]
run away and gone home
if I have to runaway to
come it will bee sometime
be fore I come I and all
rite and I am going to
try to keep so as long
as I am in service
Yours truly, I Quinn