During the war, the civilian population on both
sides suffered and sacrificed, but in the South, where resources were scarce
and supply lines often cut, the people struggled to survive. While Union troops had to remain on guard
against possible sabotage or violence from those whose homeland they invaded,
many civilians were too poor or had lost everything, and were certainly in no
shape to pose a threat. In those
instances, contact sometimes brought about mutual benefit: food for protection
. . . supplies in exchange for information.
Sometimes, if only briefly, war was put on hold as human beings in need
helped one another during awful circumstances:
July 17, 1863 “. . . The folks are
very hard up around here they want to
trade any thing they have for coffee or salt
I traded about ¼ xx coffee today
for 12 qts Blackberies the sutler of the
27th came up today and sold
most everything out already especially Tobacca
I could get nothing but a little smoking Tobacca & Tea”
July 18, 1863
“. . . we had some of the natives here
today they came into camp to sell some corn bread
and Steve Reynolds [Second Lieut.] asked them to eat dinner with us and they
all did so one of the Girls was not bad looking Our sutler came up this afternoon brought pleanty of paper and tobacca but sold
most of it out before . . .”
July
21, 1863 “Went down in the Valley today
it is a very pretty place down there
took diner at Squire Henleys they are very nice people. . .”
Later in the
year, after battles at Lookout Mountain, TN, and on into Knoxville:
December 8, 1863 “. . .Did
not move to day McC & myself went
out a mile to the Widow Bakers and spent the afternoon and took tea She has three daughters very pretty girls had
a very pleasant time. . .”
December 11, 1863 “. . .
Mack & I got our dinner and went out on the Cumberland seep road Good many citizens coming in bought some butter
Foraging resulted in discoveries of
local wheat and corn, but nothing in the way of farming equipment. We can only imagine how local farmers must
have felt watching their much-needed stores of grain being carted off by Union
soldiers.
December
30, 1863 “Went
out to Nances to day Jeffersons
[presumably local farmers], and got 62 Bu [bushels] wheat took two loads of flour to Div head Qrt about
4500 hun lbs in the afternoon got a load
of corn and 33 Bu wheat up Nances found
out to day where there is some more wheat
will go and see tomorrow. . .”
December
31, 1863 “Went
in the morning after wheat over to Nances
got some apples . . . very nice folks
got some milk”
January
13, 1864 “Went
to Hawkins ferry and got thirty Bushels wheat . . . then went over to Nances to
look for thrashing machine but could not find one they are all worn out around here. . .”
Despite the harsh winter conditions
and meager rations, Townsend (like many soldiers) always appreciated the
company of pretty girls:
January 26, 1864 “Went out foraging with 27 teams & our
men got corn & oats . . . there is a
family three miles from here the most
lady like girls I have seen in Tenn
their name as Andersons”
January 29, 1864 “. . . I did not get to camp until 1 Oclock
in the night got acquainted with some
young ladies from Philadelphia, Ark . . .”
