Confederate CIVIL WAR LETTER - 8th North Carolina Infantry - REMARKABLE CONTENT!

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
“Scotch Boys” (Co. F) of the 8th North Carolina Infantry.
This historic Confederate Civil War letter was written by John M. McLauchlin (1831-Aft1900) who served with the
“Scotch Boys” (Co. F) of the 8th North Carolina Infantry.
This regiment was the first unit to organize and train at Camp Wyatt. The regiment was redesignated as the 18th North Carolina on 14 November 1861.
John was wounded and taken prisoner on 27 May 1862. Later in the war, at the Battle of Chancellorsville, he was wounded once again. His injuries must have been more severe the second time as it does not appear he was ever able to return to duty. He was officially discharged in April 1864.
Most of the Scotch Boys came from Richmond county, North Carolina. They claimed to be the tallest company in either army. The average height of this company was six feet, one and 3/8 inches. John was identified as a 29 year-old, 6′ 2″ farmer when he enlisted.
This letter was written from Camp Wyatt which was on the peninsula just north of where Fort Fisher was eventually constructed which commanded the entrance to the Cape Fear River and the port of Wilmington—a major supply depot of the Confederacy.
Transcription
Addressed to Miss Sallie M Lauchlin, Fayetteville N. C., Care of John McLauchlin, Esq., Rockfish
Confederate Army
Camp Wyatt, North Carolina
July 20, 1861
Dear Cousin,
As I am now in the army and far away from kindred and friends save that of my younger brother Alexander, you will no doubt excuse any answer to your last letter written some few years ago and as I am away, the only company that I have is in writing to or the perusal of a letter from some dear friend. These as yet are but few and far between.
Camp Wyatt is about 17 miles below Wilmington, one and a half east of the Cape Fear river and on the west side of the broad Atlantic and about six miles north of Confederate Point. This camp is high land, dry land, drafted by every gale of wind (which is very common) to and fro. We very often throw up six or 700 yards of breastworks for entrenchments today and tomorrow they are drifting to some other place. The sand is so light, it is almost useless to attempt anything formidable. In the rear of our camp is one of the most beautiful live oak groves you ever read about—in short, the most scrubby trees I ever saw and they are not of a stature to hail rising sun or to keep the mist of heaven—about the size of collards in the fall. In truth, they would not shelter a common mud terrapin from the burning sun of this Southern Dixie.
Wyatt Grove Sound commences at this place and extends to Wrightsville 8 miles above here. It varies in width and depth—some places 100 yards and others 700. It is separated from the ocean by a very narrow shell & sand beach and abounds in all kinds of varmints that is natural in water of the saline kind—except sharks and whales—and its marshes affords some enemies of the most troublesome kind, the sand fleas. We get fish here in abundance. Oysters, clams, & of shell King, but this is the best part of it. We are as yet exposed to every danger and anyone of our greatest enemies is intemperance. But this I hope under strict military law of our colonel ([James D.] Radcliffe) will soon be at an end. On yesterday, I saw a man from Capt. Norman’s company tied for his vile purposes to a tree for three hours for bringing some whiskey to the camp. This is but a small specimen of what is to come.
But Cousin Sallie, a soldier’s life is not hard duty and the whole duty is required and it is not hard to do. The Scotch Boys (our company), I believe, excel all others that I have seen for morality and it has a good influence in other companies. I am in the 8th Regiment. The Rev. Colin Shaw is our chaplain. I am much afraid when the time comes that we have to go to the field of battle, that he will hardly occupy the place as chaplain but that of a soldier. He is liked by all denominations as far as I have heard. As a man and preacher. Although there is not many Presbyterians in this camp, yet the Presbyterian creed will be known in many camps in this same state. All this people in eastern part of this state are principally Universalist and many of them never heard any other doctrine expounded. I think the war may be a great benefit to mortal man although it is one of the greatest curses that can befall government—especially one so unjust as this. Do not look forward to the Southern Confederacy as a model for all Nations but suppose that we are overpowering. What will become of our friends at home now that the country looks like a desolation since all the soldiers have left all kindred and friends to try a new feature in the struggle of once more our Independence. But how long it looks to those at home for us to leave beds of down for that of straw & often not that itself.
But cousin Sallie, we have one consolation. We have their prayer I hope. There is no situation in life that that prayer in behalf of our success as at the present time & I am so sorry that Virginia and North Carolina stayed in the Union of the unsung states of America for verily I believe if they had seceded when that glorious Little Triangle under the name of the Palmetto did, all this would have been avoided. Then Congress was in session and some of the Northern men were not controlled by military power. Now Old Abe can compel them under his despotism to vote men and money.
Old Gen. [Winfield] Scott says to a friend of his that he cannot carry an army of his through the Old Dominion but will pour them in by thousands on the coast of North Carolina but let him try it and he will find that they will bleed at every pore. I am right anxious to get in one battle [with] the carnage such as Waterloo but understand I would like to live through the engagement if it should be the will of higher power. We are expecting a battle on this peninsula some of these days. A large war steamer hove in sight last Saturday at 10 A. M. steaming southwest for Confederate Point. All at once it come to anchor 8 miles off. We saw them with a telescope taking a view of our camp. It then steamed up to a mile & a half opposite our entrenchments & hoisted the Stars & Stripes almost in defiance of us. It stayed at anchor for two hours, took soundings, and left in a southeastern direction. It was loaded with men in regimental jackets. I know that they were soldiers and it was their intention to land them out of reach of the guns at the Point and take possession of the mouth of the river. That battery was weak. There is but one siege piece, 2 Bartlett guns, & one Columbiad, one shell mortar. This probably will not be interesting to you but I will give you the strength of the fortifications all as I started.
Confederate Point—commands New Inlet. Zeek’s Island is one mile distant in the center of New Inlet. It has two heavy Columbiads, one Dahlgren, & 2 shell mortars, 1 Bartlett gun. Garrison 100 men.
Fort Johnson on Smith’s Island & east of the Cape Fear [river[ and 3.5 miles from Zeek Island has 12 old guns & 60 men.
Fort Caswell Oak Island on the west of Cape Fear, four miles from & west of Johnson’s, has one of the best fortifications except (Sumter) now in our possession. On the battery there is 16 heavy Columbiads, 8 Barbett, 24 heavy Dahlgren guns, & ten shell mortars. This battery is ten feet above the top of the fort and all under the immense battery or parapet. It is excavating for hundreds of yards to shield the men from the rain of shells. This fort is built in an octagon shape and commands the channel in four sides. This is the only channel in which all large vessels can enter. There are several other small batteries of sand four and six miles apart on the beach below Caswell.
We are going to commence building two masked batteries in a few days to shield us from the enemy. Our Colonel is now on a visit to Jefferson Davis to get the guns and we look for them tomorrow.
The
Niagara
is now with some other large vessel lying off the bar and out of reach of the guns at Fort Caswell. These blockading vessels are very troublesome. They fired at a brig from the West Indies Thursday but the vessel had a heavy wind in favor and reached shelter under the guns at Caswell. This vessel kept the Southern Flag to the breeze all the time. It put up all sail and run the gauntlet of Old Abe’s Blockade and is now safely at the Port of Wilmington.
I must close & although I am not tired, but you are. So goodbye my dear cousin & write soon if you think worthwhile and give me all the news.
Very respectfully your cousin, — Jno. M. McLauchlin, Company Scotch Boys, Camp Wyatt, N. C, Care of M. Crowly, Wilmington, N. C.
Write soon. Give my respects to all enquiring friends.
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