Nelson was born in Whitley County, Kentucky in 1828, the second of five children of Abner and Malinda (Mahan) Adkins. Very little information is available about Nelson's early life. By 1850 he is married with a two year old daughter and living in Daviess County, Indiana. Several years later he moved his family to Texas. But they were there only two years. In 1860 they were in Martin County, Indiana. Nelson is a farmer with real estate valued at $700 and has five children. And then the Civil War began.
This is a copy of the four page letter that Nelson Adkins wrote to his wife from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, Feb 7, 1864. The transcription is below it. The spelling and punctuation are as he wrote it.
Cumberland Gap Tenn Sunday February 7th 1864
Most dear and affectionate wife and children it is with grate pleasure that I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines in order to let you know that my health is only tolerable I left the hoespidle in a day or too after I rote you the other leter and has been with the Company ever since but I haven’t gained my strength sufficient to be able for duty yet but think that I will before long I hopethat thee lines will reach you in due time and find you blest with the best of health I havnt got any leters from you since about the twentyieth of of December last and the time passes by very slo on that account but I hope that you are all doing well and that I will hear from you before long.
Page 2 I understand that you have or had a heap of very cold weather in your country and I have some news that you have suffered on that account we are stationed on the south side of the Cumberland Gap but don’t know how long we will stay here. Some of the boys thinks that we will stay here for sometime but I cannot say for my part how long we will stay here but there is one thing that I do know and that is this we have been seeing very hard times ever since we left Point isabell in the way of something to eat but we hope that we will have beter times before long they will be beter or worse one before long for the boys has had some little money all the time but they have spent nearly all they had we did not get our pay for the last too month and they think we wont git our money till March [see note] then we will joke around pay difficulties but some of the boys would like to be
Page 3 the pay maybe to day but for me my part I can make out for a little while yet as I have got some paper and stamps and nearly one dolar in money but this thing called tobacco I recon I will have to do without I don’t see anyother chance at the present any how and it will be a very hard task but a [man] don’t know what he can stand till he has a tried at least I have found it so at least and when you write I want you to tell me how you have got a long thrue the hard cold weather in the way of getting would and your miling and whether you have got corn enough to do you or not. Tell me all a bout your ups and downs in this hard world of trials and difficultys I have wrote to Mary a time or too buthavnt got any leter from them since she was at your house in the fall whether they have got my leters or not I canot tell you can tell Grason that I got a leter from John the other day and he
Page 4 was well and they were on the Texas Cost and were talking of re enlisting for three years longer the most of the boys has tolerable good health as had a few days ago they were sent out about thirty five mules on a forage scrape and that is about all the way that we have to git any thing to eat at this time we are looking for them every day The general and the Colonel are trying to make some other arangements for something to eat and it is to mie hope that they sack seed and I think maby they will My paper is a bout o fill and I will hve to close for this time in conclusion I will say if I canot hear from you it don’t keep me from thinking of you for I think of you both by day and knite and hope that the time will soon come when I can enjoy your pleasnt company once more in time.
So no more but ever remains your loving husband until death Nelson AdkinsNelson had been serving in the Union Army for a year and four months, having mustered in at Evansville, Indiana on October 1, 1962 in Company G of the 91st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. At the time he was 34 years old,
Life certainly hasn't been easy for him of late. He has just gotten out of the hospital but still doesn't feel well. Most like due to the fact that they are not getting much food or pay.
In October of 1862 the company had marched to Henderson, Kentucky. They did primarily guard duty in Henderson, Smithland and Madisonville, Kentucky until June of 1863. President Lincoln was determined to keep the Confederacy out of Kentucky. In the meantime, on April 1, 1863, Nelson had been promoted to Corporal.
In September they were ordered to Nashville, Tennessee and in January of 1964 they were in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee where they stayed until May. Cumberland Gap had been occupied by the South from mid 1861 to June 1862. Then the Union took control until September of 1862. The Confederacy regained control and held it for a year. Then in September of 1863 advances by the Unoin from both the north and south forced the Confederates to surrender and the Union held the area until the end of the war.
After Cumberland Gap they moved to Knoxville and then joined Sherman's march to Atlanta. I don't really know the path that Nelson took, but the next information I have is from Nashville, Tennessee on July 9, 1864.
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| Discharge of Nelson Adkins due to Death |
I visited this cemetery last year and took the following pictures.
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| Burial site of Nelson Adkins - Nashville National Cemetery from Sargent Family Collection |
Today I remember and pay tribute to my 2nd great grandfather for his sacrifice in the name of his country and all the other men and women who have done the same.
Lynda, thank you for sharing the story about Nelson. How heartbreaking to read of the soldier's conditions in his own words and then to learn that he had died of illness. I also had an ancestor in the Civil War whose diarrhea and piles could be said to have eventually killed him too - although he lived through the war, he was in constant agony for the rest of his life and ended up shooting himself in despair in the end. Until learning about these specific cases in the Civil War, one doesn't necessarily know that disease, lack of good food and hygiene were all probably more dangerous than enemy fire. Again, thanks for sharing this very interesting story.
ReplyDeleteLynda, thank you for sharing the story about Nelson. How heartbreaking to read of the soldier's conditions in his own words and then to learn that he had died of illness. I also had an ancestor in the Civil War whose diarrhea and piles could be said to have eventually killed him too - although he lived through the war, he was in constant agony for the rest of his life and ended up shooting himself in despair in the end. Until learning about these specific cases in the Civil War, one doesn't necessarily know that disease, lack of good food and hygiene were all probably more dangerous than enemy fire. Again, thanks for sharing this very interesting story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I usually think of war casualties being a result of fighting. It's sad to think how many are due to other causes.
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