Civil War Letters
The Maximillian Mabry Family
Maximillian5 Mabry, son of Revolutionary soldier, Braxton4 Mabry (Joel3, Hinchia2, Francis1), was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia about 1794. Shortly after 1810 Braxton Mabry moved his family to Overton County, Tennessee and later to Cumberland County, Kentucky. By 1830 they were all in Macoupin County, Illinois. One of Braxton's sons, Robert Smith Mabry remained in Illinois but, about 1833, Braxton with sons, James, Joel, and Maximillian, moved to Greene (now Taney) County, Missouri where Braxton died after 1840.
Shortly before the beginning of the Civil War Maximillian moved a short distance to Benton County, Arkansas, where on March 6-8, 1862 he witnessed the Battle of Pea Ridge, the first major Union victory west of the Mississippi. 1349 Union and 4600 Confederate soldiers were killed at Pea Ridge. Sixteen days later Maximillian, with two sons, a daughter and son-in-law, left Arkansas on a circuitous thousand mile journey that would take some of them well over a year to complete. That journey ended in Franklin County, Kansas, less than 200 miles away from where it started.
We are grateful to J. D. McKee of Fresno, California, a great, great, great granddaughter of Maximillian Mabry, for sharing the following letters, all written between 1864 and 1869. They reveal the personal tragedy experienced by so many families during and as a result of the Civil War. We have maintained the spelling of the original letters, adding only a few interpretive comments and a minimum of badly needed punctuation.
The first letter was written in September 1864 by William T. Lewis, the husband of Maximillian's daughter Jane. It was written to Jane's brother Reubin Mabry and his wife, Polly.
State of Arkansas Washington County
September the 5th 1864
Dear brother and sister - I one time more take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you to inform you that we are still in the land of the living and that threw the grace and goodness of god we are all in reasonable health and I hope these lines may find you all injoying the same portion of gods blessings of health and also of life for I will inform you that we are not injoying life hhere nor we haven't for some time owing to the condition of the country is in. I have still thought all the time that I could still live here until lately I have come to the conclution that this country will finally be destroyed and the people will all have to leave and go some whare of ______ or starve to death and I want you to write to me Reubin and let me know how times is where you are and whether I can get something to live on there or not for I am bound to move from here and I want to here from you before I start. write in haste. we heard where you was some months ago one of the Jones boys told us where you was and I wrote a letter to you and have got no answer yet and William Hembree or Eemry told me that he staid all night with you when he was up there so I want you to write and let me know all about the times in every respect live me know whether you can live without being scard and in dread and fear of being kild robed or burnt up for that is my condition here an now Reubin. If you think that I can live there where you are I want you to make some preparations for me that is try to procure a house and land to tend and also procure corn and wheat for bread and I want to bring what cattle I have got and I will want something to winter them on if you can save anything that will do fodder - corn oats, hay or straw. I have 4 cows and calves and I exepect to bring two yoke of stears I have got one good yoke now and I calculate to get another yoke and now anything that will do to feed cattle on be sure to save it for if life lasts I will be there if the trains still passes from Fayettvill to spring tho I may not attempt to start til the leaves falls the trains is so badly lines _whacked it is vary dangerous to go there now and I can't tel you but little about the times here in this letter - I will say no more about it. Jane Lewis your sister der brother I wish to inform you that I have not forgot the many happy hours that we have passt away in conversation upon religious subjects when we was all together at our fathers house injoying life in the world and the hope of eternal life in the world to come but o dear brother this can never be again in this world for we received a letter from Joseph Mabry stateing that James and Nancy Potter was both dead and gone to try the realitys of another world but o dear brother I still hope and pray god the father of all righteousness that we may all meet again in farer worlds on high whare wars and confution will be no more and the wicked will ____ to trouble Joseph Mabry was at Rolla in Mo and he stated that the old man (Maximillian) was some whare in Kansas but he knew not whare about direct your letters to Fayettevill so I will ad no more but remain your affectionate Brother and sister til death.
William Lewis ---- to ---- Reubin Mabry
Jane Lewis --------------- Polly Mabry
A few weeks after the above letter was written, a neighbor by the name of Matthews became enraged because William Lewis' son, Amos, had recently enlisted in the Union Army. Matthews came to the Lewis home where he found William Lewis holding his baby daughter, Jerrita. Matthews demanded that Lewis put down the baby, then shot and killed him in front of his family.
One of the Lewis granddaughters later wrote that Jane Mabry Lewis had survived the Civil War but that the family had been robbed and all their livestock stolen. All Jane had left was, "an oxcart and ten children to raise". They had very little food and survived on cornmeal. Whenever Jane heard anyone approaching on horseback she would quickly lift up a loose floorboard and hide the cornmeal under the floor, replace the board, put down a pallet on the floor and place
the baby on it.
The second letter was written in July 1866 by Maximillian Mabry to his widowed daughter, Jane Lewis. The letter describes his leaving Arkansas in 1862 and his long journey to Kansas, a non-slave state which had been admitted to the Union the previous year.
The 26th July 1866
Franklin County Kansas
Dear Daughter I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all enjoying reasonable portion of health at present except to my leg and foot which is mutch better tho not well yet. I recieved your letter dated the 8th on the 19th which give us mutch satisfaction to hear from you and to hear you had so mutch of a start left to live on as you have for I did not suppose you could have kept the clothing on your backs and lived in Ark. let alone any stock of any kind for the rebels took the last horse I had. I will say to you that I left for other parts swoon after that ever memorable battle of Pea Ridge. We left Ark on the 24 march 62. Myself, James, and Joseph and potter (David Potter, husband of Maximillian's daughter, Nancy) all together we went on near Rolla where James and Joseph stopt. I and David kept on we crossed the river at St. Louis thence up threw Illinois to Keokuk into Iowa, thence threw to Nebraska on the 8th of August we stopt and wintered thence to Kansas in spring of 63. Potter and Nancy staid with me all the route to donaphan Co. Kansas 18 miles wst of st. Joseph where Nancy died July 11th 63. David is keeping house with the children best he can he has give them rite smart schooling and clothed and fed them best he could. he just went over the river into Mo. last fall he has 4 with him now and 1 ded in ark. jim and jo both enlisted in the U.S. Army. joseph got his discharge from the service he is now in Iowa Burlington. Demoinse County Iowa is his post office address. He has James children with him he is where he can see the boats run the Mississippi River. I got a letter from him dated july first they were all well then James M. Richmand and Maximillian are both ded. Matison in the fall of 61 and maxmillian enlisted in the U.S. service and died in the fall of 62 at kansas city. Patcy is here now they are all well at present her son james sends his best respects to you all. I would like to know what has become of brother James Mabry and hill and becky and now Amos pevehouse my best respects to you as a returned soldier from the U.S. Service to the more peaceful shades of private life I am in hopes ____ Mariecede will give all the children howdy for me and so I come to a close so I remain your affectionate father until death.
MM Mabry and family
to Jane Lewis and family
The third letter was written by Maximillian's son, Robert B. Mabry, to his sister, Jane Mabry Lewis -in June 1869.
State of Cansas
June 20th 1869
Dear sister I seat myself this rainy sabath to drop you a few lines which will inform you that we are all well at present hoping they may find you all well. I received your kind letter of March the 6 wich gives us much satisfaction to hear from you and to read that you were all well. I rented about 25 acres of land and has a verry fare prospect for a corn crop so fare the grass hopers is perty thick and have don some damage. The(y) lay their eggs in the ground in the fall and hatch out in the spring and stay til they get big enough to fly off then come back in the fall. Thes are not our common native hoppers I have not heard from any of the connection since I wrote you I dont know what has become of Potter. You will still direct your letters to walnut grove Postoffice. James Richmond maried last fall they are in Iowa. I saw uncle Isaac Sidwel in iowa and heard him preach. He is what we call the soft shell baptist. I still hold my letter granted by turkey creek church yet. So nothing more at present so farwell for the present.
R. B. Mabry
Winney Mabry to Jane Lewis and family
Don Collins
August 2014