Dennis F Robinson on February 06, 1999 at 17:03:43:

The following is a copy of a letter I have of James R Dyke to his mother and father, Marry A. and Hyronimous Dyke.

This letter as well as the next one posted from John Dyke were handed down
to me on my mothers side.
THIS LETTER IS IN CURSIVE. I HAVE NOT CORRECTED HIS SPELLING ERRORS - THIS IS AS IS. SOME WORDS WHICH WERE HARD TO MAKE OUT HAVE A (?) PLACED BEHIND THEM.

#1
James R Dyke
Co F Ponton Batt
Gl Caves Division

Little Rock Ark
March the 7th 1864

Dear Mother and Father
I seat my self to let you now that I am well and hope this may come to hand and find you enjoying the saim like blessing. I have not much news to write to you at this time. I concluded to write you a letter today as the mail come in this morning and I did not git any letters all though I am looking for a letter from you every mail. I can say to you that we are still at Little Rock and have no thought of leaving heare till our time is out. James H is well and W K  Berry is well. Father do the best you can till my time is out and that will be a bout 5 months and I think we will stay at the Rock till our time is out and if we do I expect that me and James will stop about two weeks in Tennessee. It will not be very far out of our weigh to go by uncle Joseph Dykes. James wants to git Toma aweigh from that country and I would like to see some of my relatives that I never saw and see how good my southern uncle would treat a union relative. We have no notion of going any further than Clevlan and we cna go there in one day after we git to Memphis and Memphis is just lays on the Mississippi River just on our weigh home and I expect we will go by. Father I would like to be at home but I cant git home this summer in time to make a crop but I will be there in time to help gather corn. Father I want you to make a crop if you have got any horse to tend it with. Try to git a long the best you can this summer by your self but next year I can help you. Write soon as this comes to hand and not fail. I believe I have rote all I can think of at this tiem yours most truly

Jame R Dyke
to Hyronimous Dyke and Mary A Dyke

#2

March 14th, 1862
Benton County Arkansas

Dear Wife and Children,

I avail myself of the privilege of adressing you a few lines to see you no that I am alive and well and hope that when these few lines comes to hand they will find you all enjoying good health. I can let you no that we have had a very  hard battle here in Arkansas. We gained the victory, we fought fierce.... (this rest of this line is illegible).....and in fact all them southwestern forces I suppose they numbered about 39 thousand or upwards our forces numbered about 14 thousand our loss is about one thousand killed wounded and missing. They rekout(?) their loss at three thousand killed wounded and missing. There was an awful soctininy among the secesh in every direction. We have taken over five hundred prisoners and catching them every day still. Now my dear wife and children I can tell you that I was in the battle and come out by the help of God safe and sound but the bullets whistled awful. There was 8 killed and 13 wounded in our regiment. Now my dear companion I want to see you and the children very bad but cannot till when I will come home. You must rest assured that I will come home as soon as I can git me chance. The talk is that we will go back to Springfield in a few days but I cannot tell when. You must take care of yourself and the children as well as you can. It hurts me to think of the condition I left you and the children in but you no that I could not help myself. But I will give you help as soon as I can. If we go back to  Springfield and are stationed there, I will get a house some where close for you to stay in and move you to it where I can provide for you and be with some of the time. It Renders me very unhappy to be so far from you where I cannot see or hear from you but I feel in hopes that the time is not far of when we can see each other. Children you must obey your dear mother and help her until father come home to see you. Now my dear wife you must keep me in your rememberence and I will keep you in mine. You are never out of my mind at all. It hurts me to think that you are in the place you are where you are liable to have every think taken from you and you left to starve but I trust that God will give you help and comfort. I no you are lonesome and long to see me come home and if I live I will come home before long. I have heard that your brother Robert was killed at benton(?) siding(?) by George Canse(?) tag(?) and sent we a letter some how for I have not heard from yo usince I left home. I remain your dear husband.

John (C or L?) Dyke
To Susanna Dyke

We would like to give our sincere thanks to Dennis F Robinson for sharing these Civil War letters with us.
Edward G. Gerdes, Bryan Howerton and Jeri Helms Fultz

Back to the War Stories and Letters Page

Back to the Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page