1862 January 25 Beaver Creek

Dear Sister

I have sit down to drop you
A few lines, not in answer to any thing we
have received lately. In the last letter we got
you spoke of not hearing from us for three
months, we answer that letter some time since.
We are all well, and hope these few lines
may find you all well, for time and eternity.
there is a greateal[sic] of sickness, typhoid fever diptheria
mumps and measleas still remain in this County
their has been A great manny deaeths deaths and
still continue to be. Mrs Gay died since we wrote last
this is the third of that family and tenth of this
neighbourhood, some families have lost eight out of nine some
seven some five, some three, and so on. Death seams
to be abroad in out land. John Smith had it
wife and seven children he lost all. John Hellison
seven out of eight. the Rev James More says he
has counted over one hundred & fifty deaths of our sitizens
this last year. There is somethin more distressing
occuring here than death from sickness. that is
taking men out of their hoses[sic] from their own firesides
in the dark hours of the night and murdering them
either on their farms or on the public highway

[page 2]
on the night of the 22inst. Mr Timothy Alderman
was taken. Soon after dark, their was four
men called at his house and wanted him to come
out. they wanted Aword with him, he told them
he had been Sick and did not like to go out, for
them to come in. With that one of the men came
to the door and presented his pistol at him and
said he would shoot him if he did not come out.
that he only wanted A word with him, he went
out and asked their names one said his name was
Wood. Alderman's wife went to the door with the candle
in her hand one of the men said shoot it out another
said take it back and shut the door. and Alderman
has never been seen since. nor heard of since he
was an old man with A large family of small children
he was A consistent member of the Old Side Methodist chur
ch, but was said to hold Union principarls[sic].

In the same week that Alderman was taken
Eli Buzzard & Henry Arbigast was taken also. The robbers
or Garillows told Buzzard to gather up his money
and clothes that he had to go to Huntersvil
he was found about one mile from his house
with more than one bullet hole in his boddy and
robed of about two thousand dollars worth of money
and bonds. Abigast was also found dead with A hole blowed
threw his head and his face poweder burnt he was
A local preacher and all of them said to be of the
same principal

[page 3]
It is said that Col Jackson has offered $200 reward for
the murderers or their names. and it is said also that
General Johnston has come down from Aleghany camp
to see if he can find out ho[sic] is the offenders.
Some think it is to be the Tennessee Cavalry Some
say that their air forty of A Garillon[sic] company in
this County. From those Back Countyes and threatning
There has been A great many murders comited
in Braxton and Webster Countyes between the
unionists Unionists and secessionests. There are refuges
coming in almost daily telling things harable
to lisen to. of stealing and burning of property
leaving orphan children in truly destitute [hole in paper]
out Shelter for their heads.

[letter will continue on February 2]

[MSS 13371]