December 1863

Another winter draws upon us here in Putnam County. They somehow seem 
colder now, unforgiving as I once did not think them so. Maybe it is 
because of this War that still rages on.  My son, the 7th born to us, 
Stephen (he was named after my brother Stephen Decatur who fights still 
for the Confederacy) plays at my feet as I try to calculate the chores 
that must be attended to today.  He is so young, lucky enough probably 
to never remember the hardships that we have gone through these past two 
years with War.  He is but a year and one half old having been born the 
April before in 62.  Enoch youngest brother Isaac Newton, also fights for 
the Confederacy as well as a great nephew, Jesse Hickman, son of  Uncle 
Isaac brother, Jonathan.  I think that Grandfather Jonathan who passed 
from this life in 1831 were to see the sad state of affairs that this 
country was now in, would rise up from the dead to say how foolish we 
all are.  He having served in the Revolutionary War, to win our 
independence from England.  He would not think the same of this War, I 
am sure.  

Poor Abraham still takes to hiding in the woods, from his family.  It 
is rumored that he has put all the money he has into Gold and Silver 
and not the currency of the Confederacy.  This I am sure is enough to 
make anyone search him out.  

We have had a few more major engagements here in Tennessee.  After the 
Battle of Chicamauga (in September of this year),  which was a victory 
for the Confederacy, Lt. General James Longstreet Corps was detached 
from that of General Braxton Bragg on November 11th and sent in the 
operations around Knoxville, TN.  Partly, we are told, because of his 
inability to get along with General Bragg.  I guess one can not blame him.
I have heard it tell that not many of Bragg’s subordinates can get along 
with him, they think him incompetent in the first place, most are 
unwilling to carry out the simplest of commands.  On the 12th Longstreet 
arrived along with Major General Joseph Wheeler’s Calvary in Loudon, TN 
for a combined assault against that of Major General Ambrose E. Burnside 
of the Union Army.  The Siege of Knoxville had begun and was to last till 
Dec 4th.  

At the same time this Siege of Knoxville was going on, General Bragg had 
begun the Battle of Lookout Mountain or some called it the Battle above 
the Clouds.  There is a General there, who fights for the Union, by the 
name of Sherman, who is as tenacious as a tiger.  I fear he will be one 
to reckon with along with General Grant.  On December 2nd, Lt. General 
William J. Hardee is given command of the Army of Tennessee, after 
General Bragg as President Davis to be relieved of command following the 
Confederate setbacks here in Tennessee.  Even General Longstreet is 
forced to leave Knoxville to Union forces and withdraws, eventually 
settling into winter quarters near Russellville, TN.   General Forrest 
was promoted to Major General this month, on the 4th and is given command 
of West Tennessee.  There are still many skirmishes almost daily around 
Knoxville, but these do little good.  There was even one fairly close to 
home here, in Sparta, where the Union troops captured many horses, arms 
and ammunitions that were sorely needed by our troops.   I often wonder 
how close Stephen is when these skirmishes occur or any of our other 
family members that are out there fighting this War.  

It looks like this will be another Christmas without the presence of 
those that we love dearly.  We can only pray that they will once again 
return to us safely and this will all soon be over.