Noah Reeve Letter (8/13/1862)
Submitted by: Kelly Abner
Noah Van Reeve, letter to wife Frances, August 13, 1862
Noah was a Confederate soldier during the War Between the States in the 28th Alabama Infantry Regiment, Company E. He was killed August 23, 1864. His son Noah Smith Reeve was born December 23, 1864.
Hambleton [Hamilton] Co. Tenn
Aug the 13th 1862
Dear companion I take my pen in hand to let you no that I am well at present. Hopeing that these few lines may arive safe at hand and find you and the children and all the friends enjoying the ____ gods blesings I received your kind and affectionate leter that you sent by Lieutenant McJenkins monday night last which gave me great joy to hear from you all and to hear that you all was well you rote that george and Wm Smith was at tupelo I want you to rite to me what Regment they are in if you no for I don’t know what rigment they are in I knowed I might find them sometim I would be glad to see the boys our rigment draud their comutation money twenty five dollars before we left Saltilow? And I sent ten dollars by Wm York he got a discharge our rigment draud another uniform a coat and pants and hat.
I sent my old uniform coat and hat to Jasper by wagons that was pasing from hear thare I had more clothes than I wanted to toat for we do not no what day we will be ordered to march I have no notion that we will stay hear long but whare we will go I dont no Thare is some talk of us going to Knoxville from hear but I pray god that we will not have to go many more places untill we will get to go home and that for good to stay for I long to come home one time more to see you and the blesed little children and put your trust in god who is able to save to the utmost all that come unto him rite to me how you are giting along and if you need any more money for if you need any money I will try and send you some when I draw any more I recon we will draw our wages before long georg F. Ballew has not drawn his comutation money for he was at the hospitle when
we drawn our money and I will have to divide with him untill he draws his we need more money than I had any notion that we would need in the army to buy one little thing and another and they cost so ____ ____ and then all cost money but I have made out with as litle as posible and will make out without buying as litle as posible I want you to have the negroes moved down home as soon as convenient if you can for I want them thare to help you for I no that you see a hard time of it for I dont no when I can git to come and attend to it so rite to me as soon as you can and let me hear all the news in that country so I will bring my leter to a close I pray god to bless you and the little children I remain yours truly,, N.V. Reeve to F.C. Reeve.
__ Direct your leter to Tyners Station
Hambleton, Co, Tenn
Notes from Robin Sterling:
George France Ballew married Catherine Moon. Ballew and Reeve served together in the 28th Alabama Infantry from Walker County. Ballew was wounded at the Battle of Chicamauga. After the war they moved to Blount County. George died in 1886, Catherine died in 1890. They were both buried in the Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Blount County.
Reeve, Noah V., Microfilmed Confederate Service Records reported Reeves enlisted in Captain Henderson’s Company E of the 28th Alabama Infantry at Jasper in Walker County at the age of 30 on 18 Feb 1862; regimental return for Oct 1862 reported he was left in the hospital in Tennessee; captured at Murphreesboro (Stone River), Tennessee on 25 Jan 1863; sent to Nashville 22 Apr 1863; forwarded to Military Prison at Louisville, Kentucky on 26 Apr 1863; paroled at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland on 10 May 1863; transferred to City Point, Virginia for release; on muster roll for Jan and Feb 1864; no further record.
Reeve was reported as a Confederate from Winston County in Annals of Northwest Alabama, Volume IV.
Noah V. Reeve married Frances Smith on 26 Jan 1852 in DeKalb County, Alabama.
Wiley N. Pearson was a comrade of Noah Reeve in the 28th Alabama Infantry. He and his wife Sallie were buried at Pine Torch Church Cemetery.
Isaiah Hopson was in Company K of the 56th Alabama. He and Kisie were buried in the Ingle-Wakefield Cemetery.
Dick Manasco was Archibald Richard Manasco. He was also in Company K of the 56th. He was buried at Enon Missionary Baptist.
Dan York might be John York who was in Company F of the 28th from Walker. He was buried at Bethel Church Cemetery.
William York was in Company F of the 28th Alabama Infantry. I have no more information on him.
Henry H. Bibb was captain of Company K of the 56th. He and his wife moved to Texas after the war.