View single post by Hellcat
 Posted: Tue Jan 5th, 2010 09:25 am
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Hellcat
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Joined: Tue Nov 15th, 2005
Location: USA
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Mana: 
 Ok, I'm not out to make fun of anyone from the war, so please don't think that's what I'm doing here. I have Burke Davis's The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts and thought it would be nice to share this with folks who don't have the book or have never seen the letter. Davis presented this letter from Nathan Bedford Forrest from May 23, 1862 to a D.C. Trader of Memphis. This is how it appears in the book, complete with what I assume is Davis's explination of a word.

 

Sir Your note of the 21 is to hand I did not fully understand the contents and ask for information---this amount you ask for---is it a publick contrabution or is it my dues due the log [lodge] I wish you would give me the amt due the log from me as you did not state it in your notice or the amount asked for.

I had a small brush with the enemy on yesterday I succeeded in gaining their rear and got in their entrinchments 8 miles from hamburg and 5 behind farmington and burned a portion of their camp at that place they was not looking for me and I taken them by surprise they run like Suns of Biches I captured the Rev. Dr Warren from Illanoise and one fine sorel stud this army is at this time in front of our entrinchments I look for a fite soon and a big one when it comes off cant you come up and take a hand this fite will do to hand down to your childrens children I feel confidant of our success.

Yours respect

NB Forrest


 


Well, as bad as it looks, I begin to think that he may have had better grammar than kids may have in the very near future. Though some of the spelling in the letter looks a little like phonetic spelling to me.