Millie [Savilla] Miller, letter
May 1862
"[Letter from Millie [Savilla?] with the last page written upside down in the top margin of the first
page and over the first page text at a 90 degree angle. Also there is a large faded patch on each
page at a fold where the letter got wet. This is the hardest letter to read in the whole collection.
Since we now have the collection in hand at the park, perhaps other eyes could make out more of
this letter than Jan Wetterer & I. Paul Chiles 2/20/95]
[May 1862?]
...of all things and dear sister not because I am prejudiced in favor of the South but because it is
really so, the southern do humble themselves more than the federal people do. They have prayer
meetings almost daily and do have prayer meetings in their camps every evening and morning
and the ______ make out to have preaching on Sunday sometimes ______ then it was most
always universal and might ______ have none as that.
...I suppose they have a right to their opinion but dear sister how a professor of religion can
wage ____ the war when they could certainly see so that it is against the commandments that our
Lord as set down in his holy work and says blessed are the peace makers how they after reading
the Book can ask the Lord to prosper this cause is mor than I can tell. Indeed I can hardly bare to
sit and look at Startzman up on the pulpit but I know it was not right and tried to stifle my
feelings. Oh my I did not know I had so much gall in my nature until this war question was
brought up and when one of these Union shirkers murdered our dear cousin. Dear sister I
shudder now at my feelings then I hated my most intimate friends because they were in favor of
the Union right or wrong. We got news yesterday that Banks had retreated to Strasburg and
Jackson was following on only eleven miles behind him. I do hope wh_____ ___ do bring ___
have again they will not let them stop in ___________ I do not care about having our land
enriched with _______ if it is brought here in animated form. Now dear sister do not think that
expression is my own. It is borrowed. I ________ the last battle they had the Confederates took
nine hundred prisoners and general Shields had his head shot off with a cannon ball besides a
great many others that was killed and perhaps you heard that Col Sahby [?] had his arm shot off
and that they had blowed up the ______ It has all been contradicted and I hope it is ______ I
would feel so sorry if it were so ___ we can learn nothing that we would like to, though the press
the ____ are not allowed to print any thing that is favorable to the south. It is as hard to read the
Yankee lies and some are so plain that we can not even see any likeness to the truth...
...there are a great many negroes running off from Jefferson county and the countys adjoining in
fact ware ever the yankees are the were about one _____ ran off last week in the vicinity of
Winchester and Sunday night ______ old black Sam walked off. He went to Martinsburg after
him. We have not heard whether he got him or not. [They go] to Martinsburg yet ____ get on the
cars and go to Washington City, then they are free. Jackson has driven the men as far as
Winchester and I do hope he will take them on through Maryland. I do hope he will flay [?] them
so well that they will never forget it and always remember hereafter to stay at home and mind
their own business and let the negroes alone.
...
your ever fond sister
Millie"
Author
Name: Millie [Savilla] Miller
Unit: N/A
Document Information
Type: Letter
Subject(s):
- Civilian Support for the Confederacy
Event Location: Sharpsburg, Washington Co., MD
Document Origin: Sharpsburg, Washington Co., MD
Source
Miller, Millie. "Jacob Miller Letters." Paul Chiles and Jan Wetterer, eds. Sharpsburg, MD: Antietam National Battlefield, 1995.
Transcripts
document-161.pdf 
