While their son Thomas was in the federal army they received several letters from him, but as far as I know there is only one in existence now. A copy of it follows.

Jan. the 28th, 1862
Dear Father:
I employ the present time to write you a few fines to let you know that I am well and doing as well as could be expected. While I am writing this letter I hear fifes and many other things that go to prove that ere long, that we like many other brave sons of the American soil will have a chance to either prove a credit or a disgrace to our country. I expect to go in as a fifer for this company. They want me to and I think I will. I have not received a letter from Dolph as yet. It is thought that we will be mustered into service in a week or so and then I think we will go to camp Butler.

Tell Mother that I want her to write to me and also Bud and Luther. Oft times I think of you and when I think of you I wonder if the loved ones at home think of me, and then I think of being here and perhaps I may never meet you around the fireside to spend hours of pleasure as we once did; but that time is past and I have volunteered in the service of my country as a soldier, and a soldier I intend to be in every respect. Tell Bud I want him to stay with you whatever he does till Dolph comes. So no more Goodbyes. Write soon

T.F. Slavens

The only letter I have of Louisa H. Slavens was one mother wrote to her son Lucius Baily while he was a soldier in the 55th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. A copy of the letter is as follows:

Lucius Bailey, my Dear Son.
I seat myself to drop you a line to let you know that we are all in the land of the living, though some of us are very unwell. I have been very sick for the last three weeks tho I am a little better. I have had a bilious attack with a burning fever. I can sit up some now. I have so much trouble on my mind and oh, Bud I think so much about you, so far from us, among strangers, a poor soldier. How hard it is to give you up to go to the battlefield and shed your precious blood and perhaps die away from us so far. I want you to be a good boy, pray to your Heavenly Father, and prepare for a better world, if it is His will to take you from us. I often think of how we spent so many happy hours when we were all together. How changed it is now. Two here, two in Missouri, you away in Kentucky, poor Tommy gone from us forever in this life. Oh, may we all meet again where sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more. I had a letter from Joe. They were well. We are just waiting for you to come home and we will start as soon as your time is out, so do not go in any more under any consideration. Be sure to come right to us as soon as your time is out. We got a letter from Mr. Gourley. He says we can come home any time. There is no danger. Your father will send you a little money. Bud, be sure to save your wages. Do not be dissolute; be steady, do not swear. I have always thought you were a good boy. Be sure to write to us and do right in all things. Be kind to your comrades and especially to your officers. Kindness will make many friends for you. Luther sends his love to you. He cried very often when we speak of you. Farewell for the present.

Louisa A. Slavens.

Father added these words to Mother's letter.
Bud I will send you a little money. Take good care of your money. We will start home as soon as your time is out. Write when it is out. Do not go in any more.

Father did not sign his name, but the words were in his handwriting.

There is only one letter in existence as far as I know that father wrote to either of his children in Missouri, while he lived in Indiana. An exact copy of it follows:

Portland Mills
July 16, 1863

At home in lonesome hollow, Sunday morning, I sit down within a few feet of the Stars and Stripes to write a few lines. We received your letter dated the 5th day of this month, though it was no mailed until the 15th. We were glad to hear of you all being well. We are in common health, there is but little sickness here. I wrote several letters to you a while back. I sent to a certificate of Bud's being mustered out of the service, it was signed by Col. Mahan and countersigned by Gen. Noble. I mailed the one sent on the 7th in Greensette. I had to go myself to Indianapolis for them, my first ride on the cars. I think we can go first rate to Rolla on the cars, if I can dispose of my wagon and team for their worth. I am coming home this fall if things continue only as favorable as they are. It is not worth my while to write about this or that victory, as you see them in the papers.

The Mississippi River is open from the head to the mouth. The so-called Confederacy is cut in two, the whole south western army utterly destroyed and demoralized. The notorious guerrilla John Morgan and his men amounting to 4 or 5 thousand crossed the Ohio River into Indiana. Governor Morton called for volunteers and just such an uprising of men; they went to the scene of action by the thousand, until Morton had to stop them from coming. They chased Morgan through the state up into Ohio. They have killed or taken most of his men. He was still running with a few hundred of his men with him. Most of them will either be taken prisoners or killed. Basil Duke and Morgan's brothers are among the prisoners. On an invasion this state would raise 100,000 volunteers quickly. The old and the young would go. As I wrote you before I received a letter from G.W.Dugan that informed me of Jess being killed. Your letter bears the same news. You said you had offered to bring Sis to us, but she did not want to come. That was all right as I intend coming home this fall. Your mother wants to come. If she should think best to stay I will leave her and Luther with Charles Rountree. To Missouri I am going; sit this down as a fixed fact. My property and what is owing to me demands my return, for I am too old to make another start in the world. Tell Sis to do the best she can and if there is any person that owes me that you can get any money from get her what she need to keep her from suffering. Show her this letter. I want you all to do the best you can. I think we will all get together if we live. Write how the crops are and if we come on the railroad whether you can meet us a Rolla with a wagon. Write every week.

James H. Slavens.

Although he did not use Joes's name in the letter, it was written to him. He did not sell his wagon and team in Indiana, and we came from Indiana to Missouri in the wagon in the fall of 1863.

Father received a letter from his son Joe under date of June 27, 1862, while we were in Portland Mills, Indiana. The letter is as follows:

Dear Parents:
I received yours of the 5th and was truly glad to hear from you. I had almost come to the conclusion that you were on your way home and had commenced to look for you. There is some sickness in this country, mostly bilious fever. I am riding most of the time. There is some excitement here about the Militia being called out. If it is necessary I am willing to go but would rather wait till you come home. Be sure and some soon. In reference to your property at Buffalo I will see to it and if necessary bring it to your farm. I would like to hear from Dolph. Irene, Mother, and Luther Almus and Sarah are well. My health is not so good. Write soon. Yours in Trust.

J.W.Slavens.

Another letter dated July 1862.

My Dear Parents:
I received your letter of July 4th. I fear from reading your letter that you are uncertain in your notions about coming home. If you want to come you can safely and remain as long as the Federal troops hold the state. I would like for Dolph to write to me. Nancy Ann is still with the Hollises. She does not need or want for anything. I wish you would write to me all of you.

J.W. Slavens.

I have only one letter that father received from sister while we were in Indiana. It follows:

Webster County, MO.
August 12, 1862

Dear Father,
I received your letter of the 4th and was glad you are all well. Little Jimmy is very sick indeed. He got up from his sickness, but never goes entirely well, and I am fearful it will terminate fatally. Joe attends to him and he does no appear to think there is any danger. I was very sick for a few days, but have got up again. The people here have all had to take the oath, give bond, and form into companies. The people here are so scattered, the worst you ever saw, some in the southern army, some in the federal army and a number are dead. Oh, that this war was over and peace restored. Jimmy is better today. Yours truly,

Nancy Hollis.

Not long after we got the above letter, we received another, the last. It gave the sad account of the death of sister's dear little boy. Not a great while after, we leaned of her husband Col Jesse Hollis death. He was killed in a battle near Duvall's Bluff, Ark. In a short time she was bereaved of her dear husband and her only child, her little boy Jimmy.

The following letter is from brother "Bud" (Baily) who was a private in the 53th Indiana Inft. Vols.

Lexington Kentucky
August 26, 1862

Dear Father:
I received your letter, and was very glad to hear you were all as well as you were. It is a great pleasure to me to hear from home. Our regiment started for Richmond Monday. There were some of us who were unable to go and were sent to the hospital to stay until the regiment returns. There is a fight expected every day. The rebels have possession of the Cumberland Gap, but I don't think they will hold it long. There are about 400 in the hospital here. All of us who are not bedfast all the time have tents to stay in, six to a tent, about 16 feet square. I have sheets to lie over straw beds. I have had chills, but I think I have them broken. I have had some fever nights. I would like to see you all very much. I don's suppose we will get home before September. Be ready if you can to start home by that time. Are they drafting any in Indiana? Respects to all. Give my love to Luther. Yours,

L.B. Slavens

Brother Bud's time was out in September 1862 and he came home then, and soon after returned to Missouri, but Father and the family remained in Indiana until 1863.

Brother Dolph was in the federal army for more than a year as assistant surgeon of the 115 Ind.Vols, and was discharged because of disability. He wrote to us frequently during his term of military service, but only one letter survives. I only have one letter that he wrote before he and family returned to Missouri, date Sept 15, 1865.

Dear Father:
According to promise I write you again this morning. I will leave Green Castle on the 20th of this month and reach Sedalia on the 21st, but I shall not leave here until I get a letter from you notifying me that you got my letter and that you will meet me a Sedalia on the 20th. Yours

J.L. Slavens.

Father sent a wagon and team to Sedalia at the time requested and Dolph and family came to our home in Buffalo.

I have a letter that Grandfather Rountree wrote to father and mother while we were at Portland Mills, Indiana. It is as follows:

Greene County, MO
July 19, 1863

Dear Children:
I take the present opportunity of writing a few lines to let you know that I am still in the land of the living and enjoying excellent health; hoping these lines will find you enjoying the same blessing. We have had a remarkably wet season in so much that our corn fields are foul. The wheat crop is good. Our country is overstocked with Arkansas refugees and such a class of the out scouring of the earth you never saw; either they or the low strung part of the army are pillaging, stealing, and robbing the county here, so that it is almost insufferable. I am sometimes aggravated so when my garden, my potato patch, and my hen roost are robbed that I would almost be willing to leave here if I knew where to go. I think if the army is stationed here this coming winter that they will clear out my entire grove of timber. They have been cutting and hauling off for fuel all spring and summer and part of last winter and if you grumble about it we are called damned Secesh or we would not object to them getting anything they wanted. They have killed all my hogs and all my sheep and when I have a cow or steer that gets fat enough for beef if is soon missing and we do not often find out who eats it. It is seldom you can get a refugee to work any and I think they live fat and plenty. I think that if the war would cease we could purge our county of the trash that is in it, but until then it is impossible for they are upheld by the low class of soldiers that are in all armies. Capt. Bud has been to Webster County about two weeks ago and stayed at Joe Slavens. Nancy Ann went home with him the last time he was here. As regards to bushwhacking and house robbing I do not see any change for the better. The enlisted militia is all that appear to be doing any good in suppressing that. The volunteers are lying about camp living high and getting pay for doing nothing. Write on receipt of this letter. I have not heard from you for a long while. Nothing more but love to you all. Farewell

Joseph Rountree

Copyright ©2005 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.