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In 1861 General Simon Bolivar Buckner, while in charge of Central Kentucky, began the fortrification of Munfordville. On February 16, 1862 he surrendered to Grant under terms that led to 'Unconditional Surrender' Grant. Later, exchanged, he turns up in East Tennessee under Longstreet.
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Nov 11th/177[?] [1862]
Dear father I received your letter of the 6th and
was happy to hear that you was well I am getting so fleshy
that you would hardly know me I weigh almost 160 pounds
that is rather more than I used to weigh I think thare
is some hopes of our coming home sometime the Col. says
that we will go home between this and spring the boys
has some of them got friends in florida...
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Simon B. Buckner
In 1864 while charge of E. Tenn, he is known as "Simon the Poet"
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...and they say that they ar within 2 miles of the rebles and they
ar not allowed to fire a gun at them and the rebles the same way
that looks as if thare was a going to be some thing doing
we ar camped where the first reble flag was raised on general Buckners
plantation he had over 600 niggers and they they hav
all left for the north I believe I want you to write
oftner then I do for I do not hav...
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...time to write much there is not agoing to be much
grain around here for the ground is as hard as a stone
and they ar not agoing to sow eny wheat this fall it
has not rained here since last june I wish that you would
send me some Detroit papers if they ar old ones no more
at present
W O Wells
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Dear brother John
I am well at present Charley is Drum magjor no longer
he has been reduced to the ranks by the Col. the boys
do not like him[the Col.] at all he is so cross
he put two of the fifers in the guard house the other day
ar you agoing to school this winter who teaches the school
this winter Bugbee had some nice vituals sent to him
the other day it looked nice to me
hav you got them traps off George Dainides yet your brother
William write soon
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Simon Bolivar Buckner(1823-1914) rose to the rank of lt gen during the war. From Oct 28/61 through May 2/64, he commanded 2nd Div, Central Army of Ky; Fort Donelson; div, Hardee's Corps, corps, Army of Tenn; Dept of East Tenn; div, Cheatham's Corps, Army of Tenn; div, Dept of East Tenn (Nov 26 - Dec/63); and again commanded the Dept (April 12 - May 2/64). At the end he was commanding the Dist of Arkansas and W. Louisiana, Trans-Mississippi Dept.
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