Civil War Diary of A. L. Peel  
Dr. Robert Peel

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Dr. Robert H. Peel's Letters


Peel Family

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Dr. Robert Hunter Peel
Civil War Letter
Surgeon, 19th. Mississippi Regiment

Letter From Robert to Alice



Field Hospital, Harris’s Brigd.
Petersburg  Va  Sept. 7th 1864

My dear Alice,

Hunter reached Richmond a week ago but in consequience of a demonstration made on that city at the time, Lt. Bowen, who accompanied him, was pressed into service for the time and did not come on to the Army as we anticipated he would.  Hunter and his companion – Ron Austin, were left at the Miss Depot in Richmond, where Ron was taken with Measles, and they are still there.  Hunter sent the letters &c to us for distribution on yesterday, and I have just sent up an application for a leave of absence, in order that I may go with him and Ron to Col Austins in Cumberland, Co, where I expect to put them at school untill Hunter is old enough o be put into the Army.  I am greatly relieved by your dear letter, for in it you tell me to be happy, and aprise me of your constant devotion to your unhappy brother.  There is but one [?] in your letter at all ambiguous.  You say that you will unburden your heart when I come to see you and hope to make all right, when certain obsticles are removed.  I had hoped dear Alice, that there was no longer any impediments to the consumation of our happiness, and that your ? and resolutions were irrevocably fixed.  You say also, that you will make no other arrangements untill I come; what these other arrangements are I am at a loss to concieve, since I cannot believe you capable of acting in bad faith with any one, but of all, myself.  I regret that all of my letters have not reach you before Hunter left home, as I had written freely and fully to you, and had, I hoped, made sufficient explanations and appologies for my past course.  Please do not mention that unfortunate letter of mine any more, as I have suffered enough from it already.  You know the motive which actuated me, and must confess, twas a just and pure one.  But, enough of that!  You have forgiven me, and have promised to love me always;  This is enough for my happiness in this world and I shall be content untill I can come to Mississippi & claim you for my own. Oh! Alice, you can never know how entirely my life, my hopes, my destiny, my all are in your hands, to be cherished and encouraged, or blighted forever.  You will say tis undignified and childish in me, to write this, but tis true, and to you, I may speak plainly and comfidentially, well knowing, that if you cannot appreciate you will at least respect my feelings.  I have seen all the woes of men – pain, death, remorse and worldly ruin; they are little, weighed with the woe of man, forsaken by one he has loved and trusted.  May kind Heaven protect us, My Alice, from every thought or action which may bring regret in after years.  With your love to inspire and encourage me, I feel that I can make music from the common strings with which this world is strung, and from life, clear and sweet, and harmless as spring water welling its way through flowers.  This feeling is involuntary; we do not make our thoughts dear Alice; the grow in us like grain in wood: the growth is of the skies, which are of nature, nature is of God.

But stop! I did not wander away off here in the pine woods to write a sermon, save will I bore you with my vagaires.  Let me tell you something of my everyday life in the Army  My Hospital for sick and wounded is about one mile from the City of Petersburg, on the opposite bank of the river (Appomattox).  I have but few sick at this time, and have had no wounded for several days.  There is a constant skirmish on our front, and Grant is doing every thing that his yankee ingenuity can suggest, to take this place.  I do not think he will be indulged in his earnest desire to come to town, as Genl”. Lee requires all the room just now for the use of his own boys.  We expect Genl”. Forrest to cut the communications in Shermans rear, and believe it will be done soon, when that army will be ruined if not destroyed entirely.  But! come back, I commenced telling you of my own little affairs, and now I’ll go on – I am sitting with my black book for a desk, and my knee for a table.  The ground is my chair and a fine tree is the back to it.  The Autumn sun shines warm through the open boughs above me, and far below, amongst the huge rocks the angry river dashes its broken stream along.  All is still save the occassional sound of canon in the distance, where our batteries on James River are shelling the enemy at their work in Dutch gap.  I have tied little Nellie to a bush close by, and lefr her to amuse herself with the leaves, of which she seems quite fond.  I sent little Alice-Maud down town last eavening to a friend of mine, Mss Maggie Russell Who has fallen in love with the little beauty and wished to have a ride to day.  Miss Maggie has promised to send me some chincupins when she returns, and says she will take good care of dear little Alice-Maud.  She is very curious to know why I named the pony Alice-Maud – and declares tis the sweetest name in the world.  I told her I had given the pony to a lady friend of that name, and intended to take it home with me this winter or when the war is over, and deliver it to its propper owner.  I have but three lady acquaintances in the City, and see but little of them since I moved to this side of the river,  We will have musical concerts, given by the musicians of the army, every week, for the benefit of the poor of this city,  and I anticipate a good time, as I have an engagement to go with Maggie Russell to the next one which is given.  How I wish you were with me dear Alice, instead of being shut-out from the world in the dear old town of H. S. where you can neither see nor hear what is going on.  I should be so proud of my dear pretty litle wife, and so happy in making you so.  I expect to be in Mississippi in January or Febury at least, and I look forward with the deepest interest & anxiety to that important moment.  I cannot tell if I will be able to get a longer furlough than 30 days, but will go to Jeff-Davis in person, and try to have it extended to 60, as my business in Miss” is of so much importance to myself and my country.  Adjt” McKie was with me on yesterday & he is looking well and was of course delighted to receive a letter from Miss”. M. which came with your letter to me.  I hope we may return together next winter, and, and, well never mind;  I’ll tell you when we come.  Dr. Sharpe is as well as usual, and has just sent in for his good cloths to go and visit some fair one he has found on the front line, somewhere.  Sam, Pryor & Lou Alexander are well and jolly.  We expect to have a rough time this winter, unless we get sufficient reinforcements to drive Grant away, and we fear furloughs will be few and far between.  I really do sympathise with you dear Alice, now that you have been forcibly promoted, but I am sure you become that long, white apron very much, and no badge of honour a southern girl could wear, would make her so pleasing in my sight.  I have read the picture you have given me of yourself after the days work was over, when with flushed cheeks and that sweet new dress, you sat down to write to your far-off brother Robert.  I feel flattered, to be this remembered, and hope you will not let the irregularities of the mails prevent you from writing often.  McKie often gets letters from H. S. by mail, while I as often look and hope in vain for me from you.  Continue to write me, and trust to lucks for the safe arrival of your letters.  A letter from Sis Olivia informs me of Add, The only news I have had from him since July,  She says he was well on the 14th of August.  I have written him by flag of truce, and have sent him money, but do not know that my letters ever reached him.  I received a letter from Volney about ten days ago; he was in Montgomery Ala”, and had just recovered from a wound he had received in the head, at the battle near Atlanta.  I have heard nothing from Jimmie or Billie, and would write them if I knew where to direct my letters,  I will endeavor to find out their address.  I will send this as far as Brook-Haven by a furloughed soldier, and hope it will reach you from that place by mail.  Give my love to all and believe me, my dear Alice

        Ever Yours
          devotedly
         Robt Peel
[Robert was courting Alice Maud Matthews after the death of his first wife, Virginia.  Alice was Virginia's sister.]
 This information is provided courtesy of Peel family descendant, Kevin Hudson
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