Jerry & Joanne's  Letters From Fannie Transcriptions by Michael Gardebled |
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Robert Rowland of Botetourt County,
Virginia enlisted twice during the
Civil War; first with Co. A, 28th VA Infantry on August
1861. Wounded at Frazier's Farm 30 June 1862, he
was discharged
on 24
July 1862 because of physical disabilities resulting from his
wound.1
He
reenlisted at the end of October 1864, riding to Luray, VA to join Co. C.,
14th VA Calvary of the Valley Rangers, which had been organized by his
brother-in-law, Captain William A. Lackey. Less than 12
days later, during the battle of Cedarville on November 12, 1864, Rob was captured when the
Confederate troops were surprised mid-stream in the
Shenandoah River. Rob was taken to the Union
military
prison at Point Lookout,Md -Prisoner ID #05851.2
Before his
reenlistment, Rob moved his wife Fannie and their five young
children to the
Fancy Hill District
of Rockbridge County,
not
far from Natural Bridge and close to Fannie's Lackey
relatives. Word of Rob's capture reached Fannie in
a short
time, but the first letter from Rob, written on Dec. 1, 1864,
didn't
reach her
until Jan. 25th. Two letters Fannie wrote to Rob were found in military
records in the National Archives.2 Fannie often referred to her children and siblings by their middle names, e.g. she refers to "Poage", who is her brother Jonathan Poage Lackey. For more information about her family and others she mentions in her letters, please contact me. |
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| Fannie's
letter was written on
one
side
of
the paper and the address on the other. It was then folded
and put into a "cover" envelope along with money for
a
3 cent federal stamp. From Richmond, it was
sent to Fort Monroe where a clerk
removed it from the cover and applied the U.S. 3 cent stamp
then post marked it "Old Point Comfort." From
there, it went by boat with other mail--"Via Flag of Truce"--
across enemy lines to Point Lookout Prison in Maryland. Fannie addressed her letter in
care
of Major
Brady
--Provost Marshall (Major) A.G. Brady-- who was in charge of
the prisoners and hospital.
General James Barns was in charge of the Point.
Since neither of Fannie's letters shows the stamp of approval from
Major Brady's office that was required
for it to be delivered to the prisoner, Robert may
never have seen her letters. Charges have been made that Major Brady amassed a small fortune as a result of having access to all valuables --including mail and packages addressed to the prisoners-- handled through his office during the year he was at Point Lookout. Father John Tabb, who had been a prisoner at Point Lookout, described him as, "an unprincipled, infamous character."3  |
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Write often
as you can January 27th 1865 My Dear Husband, I received yours of the 1st December day before yesterday. I was so Thankful to hear from you & hear you are well. It's the first news we have heard from you since you were captured. we are all well except little Warren has had the croup a little for 3 days I think he is better. we would like to see you so much. the children often talk about you. Lackey knows nearly all his letters Vicy is spelling in 4 letters. Anna is studying some every day at school. Alla will go to miss Hay in the spring & board at her aunt Ibby's. Mr. Mccampbell died more than a month since. he walked about to the last. I got a letter from Susan yesterday. They are all well willie will have to go to the army it seems to distress Susan he's so young. Doctor S & the widow S were married the 5th of this month. You improve some time the best yu can & think about us. Your horse came home & if you can send me word who you got it from he might take it back we hve nothing to feed it on. Poage sent it up to the old place. we are liveing like we were last year. The child ren all send their love. Your affectionate wife, Fannie. |
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This envelope is postmarked DC, has a 3 cent U.S. stamp with what looks like a picture of George Washington on it. Stamp is on upside down. Under Fannie's name is "Hospital." It must have been put on first, looks like pencil. If Fannie wrote that, she must have known Rob was in the hospital at the time. Looks like some initials on the front too, and the word "and" is circled. --Mike Gardebled |
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May 7th 1865 My Dear Husband, I will write a few lines hoping that they may reach you. I have been very well this spring (&?) my brother has furnished us with plenty of the neccessaries of life we are liveing where you left us no change at all. I heard from Susan a few weeks since all well. our garden looks very well I set out some cabbage and have some young chickens you must try & get them to let you come home. I have not heard from you since Howard Wilson came home I seen him & asked all about you. I was sorry to hear you had been sick & had your feet frosted, if you would tell them how much you are needed at home maybe they would let you off. Alla did not get to school miss Hay has been sick all spring. Annie & Vicy learn some at home. Lacky & Warren is not very well but I hope they will soon be well again. Tom Gilmore & Miss Watson are married Harriet Templeton has been paralized entirely (ink blot) I am sewing a cotton dress for myself did you get a letter I sent some time since you must write to let us know how you are. The children all join me in love to you. Your affectionate wife Fannie |
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One must
consider Fannie's mental state at the time of the May letter.
About a month
earlier Lee surrendered, Robt was still a POW, food was scarce, her future was totally uncertain. Her January letter was written with more authority to her penmanship than the May letter, words were sharp & clear in spite of what paper she might have been using. When I get into someone's writing, like the letter of May 7, I end up standing over their shoulder watching them write. I could see her hand writing Husband. I could feel her anguish begging Robt to get the Yankees to free him. Then I extrapolated his being sick and having feet frosted as to why he wasn't able to be released. --Mike Gardebled |
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The war ended on
April
18, 1865 with the surrender of the Confederate army.
There were still 22,000 prisoners being held in April 1865. They were eventually released in a combination of alphabetical order and reverse order of states that seceded from the Union. Sadly, according to prison records, Rob died 29 May 1865. By June 30, all prisoners had been transferred out of the camp. In the Rockbridge Co.
VA
Census of 1870, Fannie and her sister Martha, are
found visiting their brother Samuel R. Lackey. HH# 66
Natural Bridge Twn.
Lackey, Martha 42 On visit Rowland, Mrs. R. F. 40 On visit A few years later,
Fannie died and was buried at High Bridge
Presbyterian
Cemetery. Her tombstone is found amongst those of her parents and siblings. From the Rowland-Lackey family bible.
Fannie
& Rob's oldest
daughter, "Allie," was married to James Humes
in
October 1872, and in December of 1873, when Fannie died, the newly-weds became the guardians of Allie's four siblings. Within months, the enlarged family had moved to the Humes' farm in Missouri, where Allie's first baby, Francis Stuart Humes, was born on 16 March 1874. They called her "Fannie". Sources and Notes 1. U.S.
National Archives; Records of Point Lookout
Prison
U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs Database 2. Records Division, Rebel Archives, U.S. War Dept. available at Footnote.com.& Library of Virginia 3. Francis A. Litz, Father Tabb : A Study of his Life and Works, with Uncollected and Unpublished Poems, pp. 23, 278. Baltimore 1923. 4. Lackey-Rowland Family Bible, copies of Marriages, Births, Deaths, Misc. family records, letters & photos on file. It was Martha who discovered the facinating history of mail delivery during the Civil War. For more information on how the Confederate mail service worked, see http://www.csalliance.org/Kimbrough.htm , one of the many links Martha sent me. Transcription of both letters and the envelopes was done by Michael Gardebled of New Orleans and Slidell, La., using a microscope with a digital eyepiece and a digital camera. Mike's most important tools, however, were his attention to detail and sensitivity to both Fannie and the times in which she lived. He is also responsible for the beautifully restored Tintype of Fannie taken in 1864. I can't thank him enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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