Lot 515: 6 TN Confederate Civil War Related Letters Incl. POW

Group of six (6) Civil War-era letters written by or addressed to Confederate Private James Polk Blakemore (called Polk), 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry. Includes four written by Polk as Prisoner of War at Camp Butler, Illinois, plus Nashville and Middle Tennessee content. Letters discuss details of POW life (“…it is the same thing over and over every day get up [to roll?] call and eat breakfast then dinners and last supper and then go to bed, we sometimes get a paper,” “We are all getting along very well doing nothing but eat and sleep. We sometimes go to the hospital and stay a day and night and nurse the sick,” “…[W]e have an old deck and we sometimes have a game of ‘Old Sledge,'” “…I hear some guns on the guard line some fellow trying to get away,” “We are treated pretty well by the Federals…needn’t be uneasy about me if you can just send me a little money. I guess and am in hopes we will be released some time before long. I believe most of the boys are well. As our letters have to be looked over it won’t do to write too long anyway,” “…I wouldn’t live here two weeks for 500 dollars if I wasn’t obliged to. I would like to be at home to go fishing with Pa and am in hopes it won’t be long before we will be released”) and enlisted life and the war (“They have been working us like five-hundered for the last two weeks. We [commenced?] two more forts today. I chopped wood yesterday…”; “There is no chance for a fight here before next spring if then. If the yankees do come in here we will give them the worst whipping they ever have had yet. General [William J.] Hardee is in command here now instead of [Jospeh E.?] Johnston,” “You spoke of the close of the war I don’t think it will close soon unless the south is reckognized [sic] I am in hopes it won’t at least. It is a horrid thing I admit [there has?] as many a Tennessean been killed in the last 4 months.” Letters include January 9, 1861 letter from Polk’s sister Sallie Blakemore at Goodlettsville, TN, to Polk at Green Hill, near Nashville, TN, with original envelope stamped Goodlettsville; December 10, 1861 letter from Polk at Bowling Green, Kentucky to Sallie at Goodlettsville, with original envelope; March 11, 1862 letter from Polk at Camp Butler to his father, Andrew J. Blakemore at Nashville (signed “Polk Blakemore / Prisoner of War,” with original embossed envelope; and three letters from Polk to Sallie at Nashville and dated April 1, April 23, and June 5, 1862, all written while Polk was interred at Camp Butler and two with original envelopes. Folded dimensions range from 2 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in to 3 1/4 in x 5 1/2 in. 

CONDITION: Letters in overall very good condition, with fold lines and creasing plus handling wear and minor losses and tears especially to edges. Envelopes with handling wear, tears, creasing, soiling, and losses.