Finding Aid to the Letters of Henry G. Compton and William J. Jeter
Text
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
LETTERS OF HENRY G. COMPTON & WILLIAM J. JETER, 1861-62
The collection includes two letters from Henry G. Compton to William ("Billie") J.
Jeter of Stewartsville, Bedford Co., VA written from Camp McCullock, in Highland Co.
on 16 Nov. 1861 and 27 Dec. 1861. They are about his recent illness and life in winter
camp. At that time, "Billie" Jeter is at home, in Bedford, on furlough. The additional
letter is from Jeter to "Dear Wife & Brother," written from New Market, 3 June 1862,
anticipating an attack. On the back is a note to "Nannie," Jeter's wife. The "Brother"
referred to was Thomas ("Pomp") A. Jeter.
WILLIAM JACOB JETER (1837-1862)
William Jacob Jeter, son of Fielden and Virginia Ann White Jeter, was born on 27
October 1837, in Bedford County, Virginia. He married Nancy (Nannie) Jane Compton
on 28 December 1859, in Bedford County, VA. They had one child who died in infancy.
Jeter joined the 58th VA Infantry on 23 July 1861 and served as 2nd Lieutenant in Co.
K. He was killed in action on 9 August 1862 at the Battle of Cedar Run, in Culpeper
County, VA.
SOURCES: Ackerly, Mary D. & Lula E.J. Parker. Our Kin. Harrisonburg, VA: C.J. Carrier Co., 1976.
Driver, Robert J., Jr. 58th Virginia Infantry. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1990. "Marriage of
William J. Jeter to Nancy Jane Compton", 28 December 1859, Bedford Co., Va Marriage Register #1, p.
69, Jones Memorial Library microfilm, Lynchburg, VA
HENRY GILBERT COMPTON (c.1841-1862)
Henry Gilbert Compton was born c. 1841. He enlisted in Co. K of the 58th VA
Infantry and served as 5th Sergeant. He was killed in action at the 2nd Battle of
Manassas (Bull Run) on 29 August 1862.
SOURCE: Driver, Robert J., Jr. 58TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, Inc.,
1990.
MS1462
Camp McCullock, Straitcreak PO Highland Cty, Va.
Nov 26th 61
Dear Brother,
I received your highly appreciated favor a few days since on last night, and I now
hasten to reply to yours of most recent date. Proud was I to hear that you had got to your
peaceful home which affords pleasure to the por soldier. God grant that you may soon be
bestowed to purfect health. Glad am I to learn that you are mending so fast meny
unhappy hours have I spent about you not knowing wheather you were ded or a live.
You stated in your letter that you thought hard of me for not writing to you. I hope when
you receive this you will excuse me. I can assure you it was my hearts dezire to write to
you and also to heare from you, but when I got heare I was broken down and sick, and
dident feel like writen or eny thing else so I cept putting it off untill I could get rested, by
that time they told me that you had gotten a furlow to go home so I commensed writing
home about you and could never receive an answer. I have written 4 or 5 letters home to
find out wheather you had reached home or not, but they wer never answered. I dont
know wheather they received them or not or wheather they just dident care about
answering them. I written several letters to old Bedford that I know dident go and that
might have been the way with them. Some seam to think that the post master put the
money in there pockets and the letter in the fire so I will not pay on this letter and mabe it
will go. I have been very sick myself and staid at Monterey several days but have got
back to camp again. The day after I returned to camp they put me on duty and I was up
all night and it was raining all the time as hard as it could pour down an I was in every bit
of it for there is so meny living crepers in the guard tent that nobody will go in it so I had
to take all the rain, so it came very near laying me up again. Billie I would advise you to
stay at home as long s you can for I tell you this is a hard place out heare though I would
like to see you heare if you was well for I would like to have you with me. Our Company
is at this time 13 strong all the balance sick. I cant undertake to tell who all is sick and
who aint for it would take all the paper I have. You must write me word when you
expect to return to Camp, and give me all the knews of the neighborhood and home you
dident write wheather they were all well or ded. Tell Pomp that I think very hard of him
MS1462
for not writing to me tell him that I have writing him several letters and received no
answer. I reckond we are stationed heare for the winter for we have commenced putting
up winter quarters. There is 4 regiments at Montery our General is also there he is falling
back heare to winter. We got news yesterday that the enemy is advansing on us very fast
I wouldent be surprised if we dont have to do some hard fiting before meny days. Billie
we are just getting into hard times it snows and rains out heare all the time and I tell you
it is cold in our tents of a night. Sometimes I almost freze of a night it keeps me with
sutch a cold that I can hardly live the fact of the buisness is it killing all of us as fast as
sheep diing with the rats they is no end to my cofing. I will have to close as it is so cold
and I coff so much that I can hardly write at all. Tell Nannie to send me a pair of socks
the first chance and I will make it all rite. Give my love to all of the family, and tell them
to write to me.
Direct your letter to
H. G. Compton
Straitcreak PO
Highland Co. Va
Company B 58 Va Vol
From your affectionate Brother H. G. Compton
MS1462
Camp
Cullock Highland Co Dec 27th 61
Dear Brother,
I avail myself of an oppitunity to drop you a few lines to inform you of my health &c I
am once more restored to usual health & hope when these few lines may come to hand
they may find you likewise. I was very sick for a while with high fevers attended with a
very severe headache. Well it is Christmas times I reckon where you are but no
Christmas hear. I was on guard duty on Christmas day. I was mad all day because I
couldent be in Bedford with my duxey. This leaves me as usual destertute of news it is
very dull times here. You ought to make hast back and get your money for they say we
are to be paid off to morrow. The old Quartermaster got back from Staunton on
yesterday with the money so I reckon we will get it to morrow if it be true. We are all
getting along here very well the longer I stay the better I like. I would be very glad to
visit you all if it was so that I could but there is no chance. I have been looking for a
letter from you for some time but have been disapointed as yet. You must excuse this
note as I am in about out of paper. I wish when you come through Lynchburg you would
get me some nice paper & fancy envalopse if you please. Give my love to Nannie &
Pomp Gran pa & Aunt Millie and receive a due potion for your self.
Henry G. Compton
We expected to leave here untill a few days back. I think now we will have to stay here
all the winter.
William J. Jeter Esq.
Stewartsville
Bedford
Virginia
MS1462
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
LETTERS OF HENRY G. COMPTON & WILLIAM J. JETER, 1861-62
The collection includes two letters from Henry G. Compton to William ("Billie") J.
Jeter of Stewartsville, Bedford Co., VA written from Camp McCullock, in Highland Co.
on 16 Nov. 1861 and 27 Dec. 1861. They are about his recent illness and life in winter
camp. At that time, "Billie" Jeter is at home, in Bedford, on furlough. The additional
letter is from Jeter to "Dear Wife & Brother," written from New Market, 3 June 1862,
anticipating an attack. On the back is a note to "Nannie," Jeter's wife. The "Brother"
referred to was Thomas ("Pomp") A. Jeter.
WILLIAM JACOB JETER (1837-1862)
William Jacob Jeter, son of Fielden and Virginia Ann White Jeter, was born on 27
October 1837, in Bedford County, Virginia. He married Nancy (Nannie) Jane Compton
on 28 December 1859, in Bedford County, VA. They had one child who died in infancy.
Jeter joined the 58th VA Infantry on 23 July 1861 and served as 2nd Lieutenant in Co.
K. He was killed in action on 9 August 1862 at the Battle of Cedar Run, in Culpeper
County, VA.
SOURCES: Ackerly, Mary D. & Lula E.J. Parker. Our Kin. Harrisonburg, VA: C.J. Carrier Co., 1976.
Driver, Robert J., Jr. 58th Virginia Infantry. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1990. "Marriage of
William J. Jeter to Nancy Jane Compton", 28 December 1859, Bedford Co., Va Marriage Register #1, p.
69, Jones Memorial Library microfilm, Lynchburg, VA
HENRY GILBERT COMPTON (c.1841-1862)
Henry Gilbert Compton was born c. 1841. He enlisted in Co. K of the 58th VA
Infantry and served as 5th Sergeant. He was killed in action at the 2nd Battle of
Manassas (Bull Run) on 29 August 1862.
SOURCE: Driver, Robert J., Jr. 58TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, Inc.,
1990.
MS1462
Camp McCullock, Straitcreak PO Highland Cty, Va.
Nov 26th 61
Dear Brother,
I received your highly appreciated favor a few days since on last night, and I now
hasten to reply to yours of most recent date. Proud was I to hear that you had got to your
peaceful home which affords pleasure to the por soldier. God grant that you may soon be
bestowed to purfect health. Glad am I to learn that you are mending so fast meny
unhappy hours have I spent about you not knowing wheather you were ded or a live.
You stated in your letter that you thought hard of me for not writing to you. I hope when
you receive this you will excuse me. I can assure you it was my hearts dezire to write to
you and also to heare from you, but when I got heare I was broken down and sick, and
dident feel like writen or eny thing else so I cept putting it off untill I could get rested, by
that time they told me that you had gotten a furlow to go home so I commensed writing
home about you and could never receive an answer. I have written 4 or 5 letters home to
find out wheather you had reached home or not, but they wer never answered. I dont
know wheather they received them or not or wheather they just dident care about
answering them. I written several letters to old Bedford that I know dident go and that
might have been the way with them. Some seam to think that the post master put the
money in there pockets and the letter in the fire so I will not pay on this letter and mabe it
will go. I have been very sick myself and staid at Monterey several days but have got
back to camp again. The day after I returned to camp they put me on duty and I was up
all night and it was raining all the time as hard as it could pour down an I was in every bit
of it for there is so meny living crepers in the guard tent that nobody will go in it so I had
to take all the rain, so it came very near laying me up again. Billie I would advise you to
stay at home as long s you can for I tell you this is a hard place out heare though I would
like to see you heare if you was well for I would like to have you with me. Our Company
is at this time 13 strong all the balance sick. I cant undertake to tell who all is sick and
who aint for it would take all the paper I have. You must write me word when you
expect to return to Camp, and give me all the knews of the neighborhood and home you
dident write wheather they were all well or ded. Tell Pomp that I think very hard of him
MS1462
for not writing to me tell him that I have writing him several letters and received no
answer. I reckond we are stationed heare for the winter for we have commenced putting
up winter quarters. There is 4 regiments at Montery our General is also there he is falling
back heare to winter. We got news yesterday that the enemy is advansing on us very fast
I wouldent be surprised if we dont have to do some hard fiting before meny days. Billie
we are just getting into hard times it snows and rains out heare all the time and I tell you
it is cold in our tents of a night. Sometimes I almost freze of a night it keeps me with
sutch a cold that I can hardly live the fact of the buisness is it killing all of us as fast as
sheep diing with the rats they is no end to my cofing. I will have to close as it is so cold
and I coff so much that I can hardly write at all. Tell Nannie to send me a pair of socks
the first chance and I will make it all rite. Give my love to all of the family, and tell them
to write to me.
Direct your letter to
H. G. Compton
Straitcreak PO
Highland Co. Va
Company B 58 Va Vol
From your affectionate Brother H. G. Compton
MS1462
Camp
Cullock Highland Co Dec 27th 61
Dear Brother,
I avail myself of an oppitunity to drop you a few lines to inform you of my health &c I
am once more restored to usual health & hope when these few lines may come to hand
they may find you likewise. I was very sick for a while with high fevers attended with a
very severe headache. Well it is Christmas times I reckon where you are but no
Christmas hear. I was on guard duty on Christmas day. I was mad all day because I
couldent be in Bedford with my duxey. This leaves me as usual destertute of news it is
very dull times here. You ought to make hast back and get your money for they say we
are to be paid off to morrow. The old Quartermaster got back from Staunton on
yesterday with the money so I reckon we will get it to morrow if it be true. We are all
getting along here very well the longer I stay the better I like. I would be very glad to
visit you all if it was so that I could but there is no chance. I have been looking for a
letter from you for some time but have been disapointed as yet. You must excuse this
note as I am in about out of paper. I wish when you come through Lynchburg you would
get me some nice paper & fancy envalopse if you please. Give my love to Nannie &
Pomp Gran pa & Aunt Millie and receive a due potion for your self.
Henry G. Compton
We expected to leave here untill a few days back. I think now we will have to stay here
all the winter.
William J. Jeter Esq.
Stewartsville
Bedford
Virginia
MS1462
Dublin Core
Title
Finding Aid to the Letters of Henry G. Compton and William J. Jeter
Subject
Finding aids
Compton, Henry Gilbert, 1841-1862
Camp McCullock (Highland County, Va.)
confederate soldiers -- correspondence
Description
Finding aid to the Letters of Henry G. Compton and William J. Jeter held at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia. The letters are from 1861 and 1862 detailing conditions at Camp McCullock in Highland County, Vigrinia during the American Civil War.
Creator
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Publisher
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Date
2023
Rights
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Format
pdf
Language
English
Identifier
MS1462FA
Collection
Citation
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.), “Finding Aid to the Letters of Henry G. Compton and William J. Jeter,” Digital Collections, accessed April 27, 2024, https://digitaljones.omeka.net/items/show/533.