Sixteenth
South Carolina
C.S.A.
"Some talk of us going to Verginia..."
Sixteenth
South Carolina
C.S.A.

Private Young Hitch
Company I
Sixteenth South Carolina

"Conquer or Die"
Music by Dayle K.



Camp near Dalton, Ga. March 27, 1864

Mrs. Mary A. Hitch,

Well mary to day one year ago left home. My health at present is something better than it was at that time. I have seen and felt a heap since I left home more than I ever tough of living to see.

Wee rec. out trunk yesterday but not much in it. I will tell you what I got. I got the cap gloves socks and scarf all good. I got a sack of flour & a piece of meat & some coffe I suppose it to be I han’t opened it yet. The fruit was loose that I took to be mine in the trunk. The fruit smartly hurt but will do to use by sunning a while. The cakes you sent was not hardly fit to eat. There was some of a big cake that was burnt a little that had not soured much.

I am glad the trunk did come although there was not near what was started in it.

Wee start the trunk back to Greenville C.H. by mr. Bozeman to day. Please tell E. ?. Edwards for Berry that he starts the trunk to Greenville C.H. by Bozeman and that the trunk is marked in his name.

Mary I sent you my old shoes you can have them worked on a little & you or Joseph can wear or trade them they are rather small & light for mee, the leather straps are for Joseph to use as he see proper, the big strap will make a harm string by trimin, the buttons and little buckle is for Hucrane they are in the toe of the shoe. I just lacked from to day of earing them twelve months without washing. I wish now that I had not of told you to send socks & suspenders by Vaughn. I must close my letter as there is going to be preaching in our street soon.

I send this letter by Bozeman, this leaves the mejr all on foot. I hope this may find you and the boys well.

Let me hear form you when convenient. So here comes the preacher for preaching.

Good by Mary.

Young H.E. Hitch

Some talk of us going to Verginia. A beautiful day this March 27th, 1863 H.



This is the last known letter of Young Hitch, as related earlier, he will die at the foot of Kennesaw Mountain in the up coming campaign. It seems so strange that he should close this letter in this way, as though he knows his fate and the fate of his nation. The Bozeman family was a very prominent family in lower Greenville and Laurens County. The Bozeman Guard of the Hampton Legion was named for them. The other men mentioned in this letter have not been identified at this time, although it seems very likely that Berry is Private Berry Edwards of Company I. Berry would make it to the surrender and return to lower Greenville County. C.H. is courthouse, as county seats were often referred to at this time. The Sixteenth would never go to Virginia and many of her men would die in the next nine months in the red clay between Atlanta and the Tennessee state line. All of this is made worthwhile because they were willing to make this sacrifice and because like Young, they were devout men, often to be found at preaching and they were hardly the villains many writers and politicians make them out to be today. As they would well have told us, it matters little what is said today, for God knew our hearts and our families knew us... they will remember us well... and so we do.

Furnished by John Bigham
Confederate Relic Room
Columbia South Carolina
Donated to the Relic Room by the Givens Family



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