Letter from Captain James E. Love
8th Kansas Infantry

ST. LOUIS, MO.,
March 30th, 1865

MY DEAR FRIEND.
I arrived here from Dixie some three day's since. I met the regiment near Knoxville, E. T., enroute to Virginia last week, and remained part of three days with them; we had a jolly time, "Austin" in command. I had a grand reception and some "Commissary." There I heard of Conover in Kansas, and you in Washington, D. C., otherwise I would have written you. I owe you more thanks than I can convey now, for your efforts in my behalf. I shall remember them at least as long as if you had been successful; many others have I to thank too. My friend Wilson here was agitating in season and out of season, and got the endorsement of half the prominent men and officers in the country. It was simply impossible to procure a special for me. I was with 1200 others too far from Richmond. When a few such did reach our camp, the rebels sent those who had flattered them most, those who played spy on us, or traitors to us, or those who could pay most money, quite irrespective of the name of those called for by our commissioner; so that a special has been of little use to the parties that they were intended for, for six or nine months past. This no one at the North could know of course, and even we did not know until lately. I have escaped three times before, and been recaptured sooner or later. I bought a pair of miserable English shoes, specially for that business, at $100 confederate. When in camp I went bare-foot, or wore cloth slippers of my own manufacture. When out a week in November last, our party of five reached the Savannah river in an attempt to reach Sherman in Georgia, but were pursued and re-captured. When we returned to camp a week after, my shoes required to be half soled and sewed. This cost $50 again, rebel scrip--but I forgive it all for with the aid of numerous patches and repairs built on them by niggers, on our route, they finally brought me foot-sore and weary to Knoxville, where I procured a pair of Uncle Sam's largest mud scow's.

On the 14th of February last we noticed a strange commotion in Columbia, S. C. The hills and fields around for some days had looked like a fair, cattle, horses, wagon, furniture and bedding, "niggers" and picanninnies, ladies and children, were scattered around, camping out in terrible confusion, fleeing to the supposed security of the city to escape the clutches of the victorious Sherman or the gallant Kilpatrick. The crowds on the 14th seemed galvanised into new life, in such commotion, we could see over our Stockade, as you've seen an ant hill when meddled with. Soon we had orders for a move, then we knew Sherman was near. We cheered lustily, were as extravagant in our demonstrations as crazy men could be--we knew that a movement was increased misery, and even death to some of us, but we knew that Sherman would take Columbia and that the boys, with or without orders would burn and destroy the places of our tormentor, and oh! how we played that S. C. The birth place of all our troubles should be torn up by the root, and leave neither man nor boy, house nor fence, to tell of what had been, save our trusty and true friends the "Niggers." Yes, we wished it to be in future a colored State, where no white man could exercise the right of suffrage. Some were willing too, I recellect if any of the chivalry survived suffocation in the mud and blood of the last ditch, to subscribe to pay their passage to Africa, where they could live with their dear colored friends for ever, and raise fellow slaves for a market, as they so dearly love to do. But in the evening of the 14th and 15th we were packed on two trains, in filthy horse boxes as usual for Charlotte. We had several tunnels about to open, and other preparations for an early escape, but we could not get much chance to use them, perhaps 40 or 50 hid themselves away and so waited for our army which entered and released them next day--as soon as we started and night closed in, we commenced escaping, before we reached Charlotte about 80 more were gone. On the 16th and 17th we were encamped at that place in an open field with only a strong line of camp guard around us of militia, green boys of 15 and 16, and old men of 60, some of them tinctured with Unionism. During those two days, by numerous cute yankee dodges which we had learnt, some 300 more escaped. Among these was I with seven tried friends, well furnished with rations (purchased) with masses and blankets. We gave an old Union man a present of a few dollars, and at 11 P. M. walked over his beat and were free. It did not require the bribe, but we pressed it on him to encourage him to continue so doing. Just after we left we heard some shot fired which hurried our pace. We feared it was on our account, but I afterwards learnt that a friend of mine Capt. Evans, 4th Ohio, was shot in the knee cap, his leg amputated, and that he afterwards died,--but I hope not. He had been a prisoner nearly two years, was a true gentleman, a talented officer, and a warm friend. We made a rapid march along the railraod towards East Tenn., and before 4 A. M., we reached a long bridge over the Catawba river, some 14 miles from camp. We had been informed that these bridges were not guarded. There were several wide rivers and creeks to cross, and we wished to do so ere, an alarm could be given and a guard put on. We crossed two safely--and flanked some sleeping pickets, but at the Catawba we were halted; we pressed on however and got all around the sentinel on post, ere he was aware of our intention. In the dim moonlight, fooled by our confident approach, he supposed us confederate soldiers with proper papers. We encouraged this idea, and claimed we were in too much haste to show them passed on, telling him he must take our word for it. He was too bewildered to do what he ought to, so he left his post, went to the guard house, called out the guard, and started in pursuit.

We had, at a rapid walk, gained a start of over two hundred yards--but when we both began to run, they being fresh, rapidly gained on us, tired and overloaded--so we soon took the woods at a favorable point, scattered, and they fired at us repeatedly, one, whose heart failed him, stopped and surrendered--the others got safe, for the present. Five of us soon re-united, we found we were in a bend of the river, and that a large branch we could not cross, emptied into it a mile below. We had to return or be trapped there, and that at once; we did return to the railroad with safety and crossed the bridge over the creek ere an alarm was raised; and we intercepted. The guard had probably went back with their prisoner. We shortly after sought the shelter of a hazel thicket and laid over for the day. Our two friends who were separated from us, we afterwards learned passed up the railroad, but were captured three days after some forty miles above. We came through safe. While in our hiding place we were discovered by some boys with their dogs, hunting rabbits.--These boys proved to belong to Union people, their fathers, however, conscripted into the rebel army, were from home, but their mothers came out at once to out hiding place, over a mile from their home, told us of the search being made for us, insisted that we should go with them, be hidden and fed in a vacant house, that they would stand picket for our safety day and night, and procure us an old nigger to guide us on a new and better route when we left, if we remained over a day or two until the search and pursuit ceased where we were, and progressed up the road. We did so, and from thence we passed by a well defined underground track with nigger guides each night from one Union man or woman's house to another along the Southern Confederacy line to King's mountain--thence to Shelby--thence to Rutherford, and thence up the Blue Ridge nearly one hundred miles until we passed Asheville, thence across a valley and over the Big Black mountain top through the snow, on a trail that none but our trusty guides, now stalwart white mountaineers could see--then across another valley and over a range called "Sampson," again down and over the Big Bald or Smoky Range--down the valley of Nolichucky from a point north of Greenville, we flanked Bull's Gap, crossed the "Chucky" at its mouth on the French Broad--at Leeper's Mills in a crazy canoe and on this side found a brigade of our troops. Rested a day: were clothed and fed by the boys, officers and men vieing who could do us most kindness, or who would be allowed to put shoes and stockings on our worn and torn and swollen feet.--We next passed on through Dandridge, where we heard of the Eighth, and so to Strawberry Plains and Knoxville. I kept a copious diary of our route and of our adventures, which I may show you if I see you, after I have it rewritten in a legible form, or otherwise as soon as I have an hour to spare I will write you again, when I can settle to write a more coherent letter. We lived well on the route, found friends every where, both white and colored, "Tories," so called by the rebs--in the level country every man fit or unfit is in the army. The doctors there do not discover the numerous diseases that get you an exemption here, but many flee to the mountains and few of the mountaineers have volunteered or allowed themselves to be caught by the conscripting officers and guards. They are and have been for a year or two living in caves and cunningly constructed hiding places, where the manhunters cannot find them, or if they come that way they can be seen and escaped from in time. Of these gallant bushwhackers the mountains are full, and wo to the rebel who comes within reach of their unerring rifle or deadly shot gun, loaded with eight or nine small bullets. The shoot down their persecutors at sight, and NOW hold the mountains wherever they want to. We had very bad and muddy weather on the trip, reaching our lines on the 16th inst. We marched steadily through rain and snow night after night, but had to lay up once or twice, yet within one month of twenty-eight days we had made nearly three hundred and fifty miles on foot in the dark--in the mountains. At times we used pine torches to aid us in crossing the numerous trees, rocks and creeks we encountered--we only saw one white man on our whole course except those in the mountains whom we went to see, and the numerous guards whom we flanked at or near their camp or picket fires on the roads or gaps, but we saw numerous niggers who flocked to see and help their friends the Yankees, who they knew were fighting for their freedom. They seemed well posted as to the causes and results of the war, were terribly alarmed about the news that their masters were going to compel them to fight for them--assured us one and all that they would run away as soon as they got their guns and "shoot backwards." "De good God Lord, massa bress you--never shoot a Yankee--massa Sherman's company shot old massa and young massa and only give us guns, and we will gladly help to shoot all the rest." Evidently they will prove a bad investment to their owners and the confederacy for all future time. The fever is in their veins as never before--they expect freedom, their homes--a farm or garden spot, where they now live, from their friends, the Yanks, and terrible will be their disappointment and their revenge on their owners and white neighbors if they do not get their land and pickaninnies to have and to hold. Could you see what I and others have seen you would wish to give them all that and suffrage too. Those officers and men who have escaped, even if McClellanites or coppery when they started, all agree when recaptured or landed safe in God's country, that the negroes are after all though ignorant a better and safer population that the poor white trash of the south or than thousands of our dangerous classes in northern cities--are they not Americans?

I am, sincerely yours,

JAMES E. LOVE,

Capt. Eighth Kansas Vet. Vol. Inf'ty.

Reprinted from the Atchison, Kansas Daily Champion, April 4, 1865.

Source:
Bryce Benedict
Topeka, KS
He is working on an annotated collection of letters by Kansas' civil war soldiers and wish to some day get his collection of letters published. Got one? Please E-mail him at

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