Stephen Alpheatus Corker was born May 7th, 1830 in Burke County Georgia which is near Augusta. He died in Waynesboro, Georgia on October 18, 1879. He was a lawyer, soldier and US Congressman. These letters were written mostly to his wife before the War between the States, during the War and after when he served in the 41st US Congress. These letters tell the span American history from 1859 to 1872. "Copyright, 2012, John C. Hall, Jr."

Friday, May 18, 2012

September 2, 1863


13

Portsmouth  September 2, 1863

Dear Friend,

I cannot adequately express the happiness I feel in having an opportunity of writing to you my dear friend, and relieve you of the great anxiety under which you have lived for the last few weeks.  I have glad tiding for you from Captain Corker, and I rejoice with you and his mother in knowing that he is well, and not wounded or killed, as you all supposed him to be.  He is a prisoner on Johnson’s Island, near Sandusky City, Ohio.  I have received from him two letters in which he says he is very anxious for you and his mother to know his whereabouts.  He says that he is treated as well as a prisoner can expect to be, and has some pleasure with a few prisoners from his own regiment.  I sent to him last week some clothing by express, and shall send tomorrow some Federal money, it being the only kind he can use there.  I have not heard from him since I sent the clothing, but if he were allowed to have them, which I think he was, we will send more for him.  I have two cousins at the same prison.  I shall write to them and ask them to look out for Captain Corker.  You must not see anymore trouble than you can possibly help, abut the Captain, rest assured we will do all in our power for his comfort and if he has to remain there this winter, he shall not suffer for clothing if the good for nothing Yankees will permit us to send to him.  I am writing to the Captain this morning and shall tell him I have sent a letter off to you because I know it will relieve his mind so much.  I sencerely trust he will not have to remain there much longer, for I know how anxious he  must be to get back to his regiment.  I wish when they exchange him, he will pass by this way.  I should use every exertion to see him, perhaps he will be brought through Norfolk, as sometimes they have to stop at Fort Norfolk. 

I wish I had time to write you a long letter.  I have so much I would like to say to you, but I have four letters to write by twelve o’clock, as the mail carrier will be off about that time, and I knew nothing of it until last night.  Sometimes we have but a few minutes to srite in, but we are glad to send a letter to our friend anyway.  I assure you Pa sends a great deal of love to you and messages but I have not the time to write them.  I sincerely trust we shall soon see each other, how delighted I would be, but sometimes I think it will be a long, long time before I will see any of my dear friends.  Give my kind regards to your father’s family, for I feel as if I knew them all.  Let me hear from you if you have an opportunity of sending a letter.  We have to be very particular now about receiving, or sending letters if it is known that we send or receive one, we are to be imprisoned for it.  What do you think of that?  It is certainly hard to be placed in our condition.  I trust you may never suffer what we Portsmouth people have.  I must stop now.  May God watch over and soon return your dear husband to his loved ones, it the prayer of your Affectionate friend, Emma.

[written in left margin of page 2]
Kiss dear little Palmer for me.  How I would like to see him.  I know he is a perfect fellow.

[written across top of page 2]
Kit this is for dear Mrs. Corker.
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