Ezekiel R. Windham Letter Home

Ezekial Windham (b. 1842, Dale County Alabama) was the son of William Windham (b. 1803 Darlington District South Carolina) and Francis "Fannie" Watford of the same place. Ezekial had a sister named Sarah Ann Windham (b. 1837 Dale County Alabama) who married a James Reese. Ezekial also had a brother named Elias Windham (b. 1827 Darlington District South Carolina) Harry Windham Windhhg@aol.com

Confederate Soldiers letter, I. D.'d from Ezekiel R. Windham, Company B (Originally designated Company A) "Henry County Gray's", 6th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment, written to James H. Reese on April 18, 1862. In this correspondence, Windham discusses the illness of his fellow soldiers, the traveling Conditions he has endured, rumors about peace, and the milking of his cows back home. The letter contains four pages. The original of the first page is produced here. Click on the letter image for a full size image.

This letter was written while the 6th Alabama was working on the trenches at Yorktown Virginia preparing to meet the McClellan's Army of the Potomac to start what would become known as the Peninsula Campaign. The 6th had just arrived at Yorktown on April 7, 1862 from winter quarters at Davis Ford near Manassas Virginia where they endured the rain and snow of Northern Virginia. It had rain every day since their arrival. (Rinaldi Journal)

The letter (with phonetic spelling Corrected) was written as follows:

   Page 1

Virginia 1862
April 18th
In AM

    Dear Brother 
        It is with pleasure that I take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know how we are getting along. We are all sick. I think that I am on the mend or at least I hope so. Elias Windham is very bad off today. Joseph Smith has gone to Richmond to the hospital. So has J. M. Johnson. B. B. Barclay and I don't know how they are. They were bad off when they went off. R. A. Goodwin in on the mend.

Page 2

We have went through enough to kill a horse. We have been traveling all the time since we left home thru mud and water, rain and snow. Mud so deep that you could not pull your foot out to save your life. You never saw the like in your life. I would be more than glad to hear from you and all the rest of the family hoping that this may find you all well. Tell them all to write to me and the rest of the folks about them. Tell them not to wait for me to write to them for I want to hear from them all and tell them when to write. I can just tell you that if I were at home and know as I do not they.....

Page 3

...might. Wherefore, I would never would come until I was made to come. But Still I rest at ease and Gitsalongs as well as possible. There is right smart talk about peace here. When this fight comes off then they say that there will be peace right straight and I hope it will but yet I don't know when it will be made or not. I have nothing of any importance to write to you. Write to me as soon as you get this. 

Direct your letter to Richmond
Va. in care of J. N. Lightfoot [James Newell Lightfoot]
Co. A, 6th Regiment Ala. Vol.

E. H. Windham

        To James H. Reese

Page 4

I had like to have forgotten to tell you about my cows. Let Mary have them to milk this summer. I have forgotten whether I told you about it before I left them or not. 

Original Letter in the Private Collection of John Krotec of Sarasota, Florida ops@environeers.com 

Saturday, October 12, 2002