For a sampling, the letters highlighted in gray are recommended.
Date |
Location |
From |
To |
Synopsis |
1845 Jan 30 |
Pike County, GA |
John R. Jenkins |
George W. Cannon |
legal warrant reused for LC letter |
|
Pike County, GA |
Let Clayton |
Nancy Jane Harden |
cure chicken cholera |
1859 Jan 9 |
|
John T. Cook |
William Harmon Harden |
John’s mules ran away |
1859 Feb 24 |
|
Margret A. Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
sisters invited to big party |
1859 Feb 26 |
|
Susan Randall Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
James Cook’s little finger cut off |
1860 Feb 14 |
Haw Ridge |
J. G. Stead |
William Harmon Harden |
bill of $9 to WHH for books |
1861 Apr 7 |
Magnolia, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Emily F. Jones |
poem “To A Lady On Her Marriage” |
1861 Oct 6 |
Fayette County, WV |
T. W. Key |
William Harmon Harden |
the hardships of soldiering in West Virginia |
1862 Mar 1 |
Pike County, GA |
A, M. Gillispie |
William Harmon Harden |
WHH tax assessment |
1862 Aug 18 |
Savannah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
company march to Savannah |
1862 Aug 21-22 |
Savannah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden Hilliard Judge Harden |
need shirts and salt kettle |
1862 Aug 24 |
Ruby, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
expects to see boisterous Atlantic |
1862 Sep 2 |
Beulah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
conscripts have not got me yet, send me a laugh |
1862 Sep 14 |
Tallulah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Mollie predicts war in WHH dream |
Undated1 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
heavy cannonading yesterday |
1862 Sep 19 |
Moss Cabins, GA |
William Harmon Harden Margret A. Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden William Harmon Harden |
write if you want my money (fragment of return letter) |
1862 Sep 21 |
Pike County, GA |
Nancy Jane Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
nothing that will interest a suckling pig |
Undated2 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
his lips tooted out long as my finger |
1862 Sep 23 |
Beulah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the ague gives me scissors - poem |
1862 Sep 24 |
Moss Cabin, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am so confused I can hardly write |
Undated3 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Mr. Benson can beat me a-jumping |
1862 Nov 3 |
|
Peter Lamar |
William Harmon Harden |
WHH receipt for $3.30 |
1863 Feb 2 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
a pusillanimous falsehood |
1863 Feb 10 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
this may be the last letter I ever write |
1863 Feb 13-14 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
ready for battle at a minute’s warning |
Undated4 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we are certain the fight has commenced |
1863 Feb 21 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
description of Review by Gen. Beauregard |
1863 Feb 23 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
broke out with measles |
1863 Jan-Feb |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1863 Mar 6 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I was the happiest man in Pike |
1863 Mar 11-13 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
secret expedition to take Ft. Pulaski |
1863 Mar 20 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am Third Corporal |
Undated5 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
send me butter and syrup for oysters and crabs |
Undated5 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Seaborn Jones |
I am anti-war now |
1863 Mar 26-28 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
all point to early attack in city |
1863 Mar 30-31 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden Cynthia Carolina Harden Susan Randall Harden Bettie Jones |
50,000 Yankees have landed near Charleston there are some nice men here and some hogs |
Undated7 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
mumps and vulgarity in camp |
1863 Apr 5-6 |
Fort Mercer, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
great deal of sickness here |
1863 Apr 10-11 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
execution of deserter |
1863 Apr 18-20 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
no chance for furlough |
1863 Apr 22-23 |
Camp Gordon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am going to fall off the train |
1863 Mar-Apr |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1863 May 3 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I think of home, become confused and cannot write |
1863 May 6-8 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
remark on Stonewall Jackson’s death |
1863 May 9-12 |
Thunderbolt Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
coded message: I think I can fool the doctors |
1863 May 16-17 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
picket duty and Town Ball |
1863 May 21 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
my first place of danger |
1863 May 23 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
found a letter I thought I sent you |
1863 May 24-27 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
poem “The Soldier” |
1863 May 28 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
If I don’t get a letter I shall shit all over Thunderbolt |
Undated8 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the fault is in the post office |
1863 May 29 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I seal my letters with rice |
1863 May 30 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
lost my small blanket |
1863 Jun 1-2 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
great satisfaction to hear from you |
1863 Jun 8 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we had two alarms by night |
1863 Jun 11 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
five men taken prisoner |
1863 Jun 13 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
If I do not get better, I may come home |
1863 Jun 15-16 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
fleas and lice as common as flies and gnats in Pike |
1863 Jun 18 |
Thunderbolt Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am sick and not able to sit up |
1863 Jun 19 |
Thunderbolt Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am better though my bowels are running off |
1863 Jun 24-25 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
The Yanks are getting very saucy |
1863 Jun 30-Jul 1 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I do not fear the Yankees like I do sickness |
1863 May-Jun |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1863 Jul 2 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we go to fight in Charleston - I may never get home |
1863 Jul 7 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we have a heap of sickness |
1863 Jul 15 |
Savannah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I have got the measles |
1863 Jul 18 |
Savannah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I don’t think it advisable for you to come here |
1863 Jul |
Savannah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
you said you were coming - had better stay away |
1863 Jul 26 |
Savannah, GA |
Samuel J. Bankston Nancy Jane Harden |
Sarah Virginia Bankston Susan Randall Harden |
we found Harmon doing tolerable well I am sitting by Harmon writing |
1863 Aug 3 |
Macon, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
egg with a chicken in it |
1863 Aug 4 |
Macon Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am some heartier than when you was here |
1863 Aug 8 |
Macon General Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am not well and cannot come home - enclosed clipping |
1863 Apr 6 |
|
Thomas J. Steverson |
|
newspaper clipping “Letter From A Dying Soldier to His Wife” |
1863 Aug 10 |
Macon General Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I have a notion to run away and come home (religious feelings) |
1863 Aug 12 |
Macon General Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I don’t do nothing but lay here and read |
1863 Jul-Aug |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1863 Sep 14 |
|
R. J. Jones |
W. A. Jones |
the Company has gone off with Gen. Lee |
1863 Sep 17 |
Macon General Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the doctors commenced giving me physic |
1863 Sep 23 |
|
C. M. Rowe |
National Archives |
Register of Floyd House and Ocmulgee Hospitals, Macon, Ga. |
1863 Sep 24 |
Macon City Hall Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
about 1,000 sick and wounded sent here today |
1863 Oct 2 |
Macon City Hall Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I do not like to dress wounds because they are so easy hurt |
1863 Oct 6 |
Pike County, GA |
Nancy Jane Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
I was proud to get the needles - the sort I love to sew with |
1863 Oct 10 |
Macon City Hall Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Bob Bonhart has lost his child - said he was glad it was dead |
1863 Sep-Oct |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1863 Nov 3 |
Macon City Hall Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I can sit up, but not do much |
1863 Dec 6-7 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the wind and sand are very severe at the batteries |
1863 Dec 17-18 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I want you to speculate on salt |
1863 Nov-Dec |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1864 Jan 6 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Uncle Riley joke |
1864 Jan 14 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Hell’s darkest cavern is too good |
1864 Jan 20-21 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we are guarding the 54th GA who won’t fight |
1864 Jan 23 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
dream of bees |
1864 Jan 28 |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
never seen a better prospect for a fight |
1864 Jan 31 |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I don’t think the Yanks will ever take this place |
1864 Feb 8-9 |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
joke about Mr. Long |
1864 Feb 14 |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I captured and imprisoned four biscuits |
1864 Feb 15 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I will make rags of my shirt to clean my gun |
1864 Feb 26 |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I am sorry to hear you are without shoes - coded message |
1864 Jan-Feb |
|
George Graves |
National Archives |
Company Muster Roll |
1864 Mar 2 |
|
Miller |
National Archives |
Receipt Roll for Clothing |
1864 Mar 2a |
Fort McAllister, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
a storm blew our guard tent down |
1864 Mar 10-11 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
troop movement from Ft. McAllister to Thunderbolt Battery |
1864 Mar 19-21 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we will have to go to Mississippi this spring |
1864 Mar 26 |
Savannah, GA |
E. M. McIntyre |
Nancy Jane Harden |
authorization for railroad pass |
1864 Mar 31 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I will get mad if you don’t do better about writing |
1864 Apr 1-2 |
Thunderbolt Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the Yankees have all gone |
1864 Apr 10 |
Beulah, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
march from Thunderbolt Battery to Hanleiter’s Battery |
1864 Apr 12 |
Hanleiter's Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
William says his mess has all turned to ossipher - coded message |
1864 Apr 17 |
Beaulieu Battery, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we eat sturgeon - it is as good as dead horse |
1864 Apr 19 |
|
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
no chance for us to see each other unless you come |
Undated9 |
Milner, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
I will not desert my colors |
1864 Apr 30-May 1 |
Dalton General Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
we have no shelter in hospital |
1864 Aug 16 |
|
T. Cary |
National Archives |
Register of Patients in Ocmulgee Hospital, Macon, Ga. |
1864 Aug 24 |
Americus Floyd Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
arrived in Americus yesterday from Macon |
1864 Aug 28 |
Pike County, GA |
Nancy Jane Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
they say Nancy Ann’s son is a mighty ugly fellow |
1865 Jan 29 |
Americus Ophthalmic Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
the doctor put caustic in my ears to burn them out |
1865 Feb 19 |
Americus Ophthalmic Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
Tom Head conscripting Negroes and white men |
1865 Feb 22-23 |
Americus Ophthalmic Hospital |
William Harmon Harden |
Nancy Jane Harden |
you said I must name our new baby - poem |
1865 Apr 8 |
Macon, GA |
F. Wood |
William Harmon Harden |
Provost Marshal Pass |
1865 Apr 30 |
Macon, GA |
W. W. Potter |
National Archives |
Report of Prisoners Captured |
1865 Oct 10 |
Zebulon, GA |
C. F. Redding |
Nancy Jane Harden |
oath to obey law on emancipation of slaves |
1874 Feb 12 |
Pike County, GA |
Washington Poe Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
enough of foolishness, I reckon |
1874 May 10-14 |
Pike County, GA |
Washington Poe Harden Sarah Virginia Bankston |
William Harmon Harden William Harmon Harden Nancy Jane Harden |
report of crops growing Ma churns two pounds of butter a day |
1874 May 12-13 |
Pike County, GA |
I. A. F. Clayton Let Clayton |
William Harmon Harden Nancy Jane Harden |
about crops and sermons don’t let the children out in the rain |
1874 Aug 2 |
Pike County, GA |
Washington Poe Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
about crops and deaths |
1874 Aug 12 |
Pike County, GA |
Washington Poe Harden |
William Harmon Harden |
daughter has a fine boy, a week old |
1874 Aug 13 |
At home |
Let Clayton I. A. F. Clayton |
Nancy Jane Harden William Harmon Harden |
tell the children to come get some apples I think we will come see you |
1875 May 27 |
Jasper County, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Hilliard Judge Harden |
Jane had a duck fit today |
1875 Jun 21 |
Pike County, GA |
C. C. and E. A. Cooper |
William Harmon Harden Nancy Jane Harden |
my baby has not been well |
1880 Sep 10 |
Winfred, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Washington Poe Harden |
we are all well |
1881 Nov 13 |
At home |
J. Mullins |
William Harmon Harden |
I am sorry I said anything about the matter |
1882 Aug 18 |
Winfred, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Washington Poe Harden |
children have sore eyes |
1884 Feb 17 |
Winfred, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
James B. Bebil Washington Poe Harden and others of Flat Rock |
the hind wheel of his bone cart broke down |
1884 Aug 13 |
Winfred, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Washington Poe Harden |
the vile tongue of slander is assiduously at work |
1887 Oct 14 |
Minnie, GA |
William Harmon Harden |
Washington Poe Harden |
I believe the present church position is fully right |
1890 Jan 25 |
AL |
S. J. Goff |
Washington Poe Harden |
we lost all of our hams |
1895 Aug 28 |
Hope, GA |
Saidie Harris |
Seaborn Judge Harden |
a boy was thrown from a buggy and almost killed |