Letters from Annie Sehon to her sister (Union Invasion and Flight from Nashville)

Nashville Feb 16th/62

My own precious sister, I have but a few moments to write, and as this may be the last opportunity I will ever have to write to you I will tell you of our wretched situation. You need not expect to hear again from me as I suppose in a few hours we will be entirely cut off from all communication with our beloved, oppressed & almost crushed South. We are in hourly expectation of hearing the approach of the Northern Army. Mr Sehon, Capt Wright and all our Government officers fly to night for their lives with Gen Johnston's immense army which is here from Bowling Green and is retreating as fast as possible Southward. O my sister I cannot tell you how my heart is almost breaking to part from my precious Husband who is far more than life to me. Without him I would pray, pray for death, pray that God would take me from this prison world to my husband in Heaven for I know he will be there if he falls, he is so good so pure so noble. But oh God defend us spare us and avert the calamities we so much dread. Mr Sehon will take this with him & mail it. I dare not say where they are going to, but it is where I can follow him and no power on earth could keep me from going to night with my darling husband but the fact that he must fly for his life on horseback and I being with him would retard his progress. I might be the means of his being taken. We received the news this morning and I expected to be able to go with him until a few hours ago when Mr Sehon told me he would have to go on horseback. My dear sister I hope that I am not asking too much of you when I make this request. Keep posted as to the whereabouts of Gen Johnston's Army and if anything should happen to Mr Sehon and you can hear of it, do all in your power for him. I will be cut off from all communication from him and I dread that I may be allowed to pass to him. If you will do this my dear sister I can never repay you for your kindness, will thank you Bettie to my dying hour and bless you for any kindness to my precious darling. O God to think of our situation! But I still hope for & trust in God and I believe he will animate our brave defenders with a superhuman power and we will yet drive from our soil the hated invaders whose tread [unclear] profanation, but this is an hour to try men's souls--Fort Donelson has been taken by the enemy. Frank was there and covered himself with honor but his bravery cost him a wound; he was wounded in the leg slightly--a flesh wound only, you must not be uneasy. We can hear nothing from our forces there but I suppose he is a prisoner. You must not be unhappy about him. His wound is slight, only a flesh wound. I wish I had time to tell you of his noble conduct but I can not now. I pray I may soon be able to follow my husband when I can write you fully. Will is at Cumberland Gap, was not with Gen Zollicoffer. I will try dear Bettie to take care of all the little things we value so much, the portraits your bonnet box with its contents and those things for which no money could repay us. Goodbye my darling sister, probably the last goodbye but may God protect us and if we never meet on earth may we meet at last in Heaven where all is happiness, strife & turmoil never come, no breaking bleeding hearts are there. May God bless you. Your husband and your precious little children is the prayers of your loving sister

Annie M. Sehon

Atlanta March 10th/62

My dear Sister

You are a little surprised are you not to hear from me at Atlanta? But I am really here and here I expect to remain until we can drive back the hated enemy and return victorious to our dear old home. You have before this learned of the taking of Nashville. It is a sad fact and woeful, woeful are its consequences. I do not know what to think of Gen Johnston to have failed to reinforce Donelson, to have given up Nashville and cowardly retreated as he has done, a general in whom we have heretofore reposed such confidence! On his shoulders rests the awful responsibility of our great disaster and probably the subjugation and ruin of the whole South. He has behaved cowardly, and will I hope meet his reward in having his command taken from him. Of course all our officers had to flee from Nashville, Mr Sehon and Capt Wright have been ordered to open their offices here. They left Nashville on the 19th of Feb at night and on horseback. I did not leave until the 23rd. Mr Sehon was ordered first to Murfreesboro to which place the whole army retreated, next to Chattanooga, then to Atlanta where he is stationed permanently. In Nashville he was complimented by being placed on Gen Johnston's staff and offered a high position but it was one that carried him on the field, to that I was and will ever be bitterly opposed. I am willing to make any personal sacrifice for the good of my bleeding, almost crushed country, my own life I would cheerfully give if that could save her from the impending ruin, but I am not willing to risk my Husband's life, for that is to me far far dearer than my own, without him life itself would be a burden, and daily, hourly I thank Heaven that I have in all our other trials & sorrows the sweetest comfort left me, that of being with my Husband under all circumstances. Let Fate lead us where it may. It was on Sunday the 16th Feb, the mournful surrender of Fort Donelson took place. We received the news just at Church time when the whole town became perfectly paralyzed, perfectly panic stricken, I believe there was not a Southern heart in Nashville that was not in complete despair. All the government officers were ordered to be in readiness to leave at any moment that Johnston should issue their orders, as gunboats from Donelson were expected every hour. This was Sunday and it was not until Wednesday night that Mr Sehon received his orders to leave. To think of such suspense! For four days & nights I was nearly frantic, not knowing what moment the Federal troops might arrive, Mr Sehon still kept in Nashville and in danger of being taken a prisoner. I never saw any human being work as he did those four days & nights. I don't know how human nature endured it. He had but one of the nights to sleep, and not only did he work day after day, night after night, but for a whole day & night & until the next morning that he would not stop to take any refreshment, not even a mouthful. As heart broken as I was when I had to give him up, as desolate as I felt after he left, it was yet a relief to see him go, for I know a week of such intense excitement and work day and night would have prostrated him. All this time Mr Stevenson was safe out of Nashville, had fled with his wife, household furniture, wines &c. to some safe place at the first warning of danger. The night Mr Sehon left, the suspension bridge was torn up, the rail road bridge was burned and oh how frightful was the burning, the whole town was illuminated by the flames, not a bell was rung, not a sound heard, all Nashville was stricken with a stony despair. As soon as Mr Sehon reached Murfreesboro & could get boarding he sent for me which was four days after he left. Never while I live shall I forget, can I forget the morning when I bade my old home Good-bye; as I turned the last lingering look upon it I felt that I was leaving it forever, but I pray God will be with us in this dark trying hour and give us strength to drive from our Soil our hated oppressors, when we can return in happiness to our dear homes. When I left Nashville it was Sunday, and the calmest brightest Spring morning I ever saw, so warm that we had been sitting out on McLemore porch. At half past ten, Mother came running in & told me I had not a moment to lose, that the Federal troops had reached Edgefield (Buell's Army) and were crossing on some Steamboats which by the miserable policy of Gen Johnston were not ordered to be burned when the bridge was. When I heard this I was in despair, for one of the railroad bridges had been swept away by the heavy rains between Nashville & Murfreesboro, someone had stolen one of Pa's carriage horses (the young one) and not a hackman in Nashville could be induced to drive me out even six miles, out of the range of the pickets, for one hundred dollars which was offered them. They refused to go out for any sum of money, so intense was their fright. As a last resort I had to ask sister for her carriage in which I drove to Murfreesboro & sent it back the next day. Just as I was leaving, two of the Federal officers rode by home, down McLemore St. I could scarcely control my indignation but felt what would not I give to send a dagger to the heart of each! When I saw them my heart sickened and I closed my eyes to shut out the sight, realizing at last that our home was desecrated by their tread upon its soil. Their policy in Nashville is different from what every one expected. They are trying to reconcile the people to their subjugation, are very mild and have spoken publicly in which they promised their rights &slaves should be protected. I cannot get a letter from Nashville, but Mr Sehon saw Mr Gleaves, who married Miss Clark, just from there who gave us the news. The Federal force there is estimated at 40.000, Gen Buell, Gen Ormsby Mitchell and Gen Nelson all there, al three old acquaintances of Fathers. Mr Gleaves told Mr Sehon a joke they had in Nashville upon Father. It was really true. One night the door bell rang and Father answered it himself. When he opened the door, he saw three Federal officers, Gen Mitchell one of them who immediately stepped up to Father & said you are my prisoner Sir. You know Father's innocent unsuspecting disposition, in terror he replied can I see my wife & children Sir. Gen Mitchell assented when all four walked in, & Father went back to tell the family. On hearing it Mother & the girls rushed in the parlor to plead for him and in a few moments Father recognized for the first time Gen Mitchell. Gen M then laughed & told him he had not come to arrest him but to invite him to breakfast next morning at Headquarters to meet some of his old friends. The invitation Father cooly declined. I think it was presumption in Mitchell to have called. If they had come amongst us a conquered instead of a victorious people I could treat them kindly, but now I would spurn their acquaintance & request them never again enter my door. But the greatest piece of presumption was that of a young Federal officer who called on Sallie & Fannie. He being an old acquaintance called & expressed his pleasure at meeting them. They received him distantly and told him they were once glad when they would meet, but now they regretted to see him. He laughed & told them they would soon get over that feeling and asked them to visit some of the young ladies of Nashville with him. They refused telling him that those ladies would dislike as much as they did to see him. He left and we did not learn whether or not he repeated the visit. Did you ever hear of such impudence? It made me indignant when I heard of it. Sister and the children with Mrs Crutcher are staying with Pa & Ma. I have no doubt every thing is perfectly safe there. I was anxious to send away the portraits, your little bonnet box, my trunk of silver &c, but the road was so loaded with Government goods I thought they would be lost on the way and now I am glad I left them as I consider our homes & property in no danger. None of the private citizens have been arrested, their object is to be as mild and conciliatory as possible. My greatest anxiety is to hear of the fate of poor dear Frank. He was taken a prisoner at Fort Donelson. I have heard nothing of him since. His wound was very slight, merely a scratch. I have heard from persons who were with him at Donelson & made their escape. They left him perfectly well. He may also have made his escape, as I cannot hear from Nashville. I can hear nothing of him. Ma can now hear from him as communication is opened with all the North. His fate seems a hard one, imprisonment, but I felt so relieved to hear he had passed through that terrific battle with his life saved & he not a cripple that I can feel reconciled to his being a prisoner, and being a prisoner he is safe, in no danger of his life being again imperiled in battle. The battle of Fort Donelson was the bloodiest, the most terrific struggle that has yet taken place and oh if Johnston had only reinforced then we would have been saved. Our men fought with a courage and desperation almost superhuman and bravest among the brave was dear Frank. In the thickest of the battle, he took off his cap, waved his sword above, rallied his men around him and told them he would fight and die there and like lions they all fought. He lost every one of his officers and many of his men and oh with a heart full of fervent gratitude I thank the Good God who protected him in his imminent peril while his men fell thick and fast around him. I have a dispatch from Gen Pillow which I shall always preserve. While the battle was raging my anxiety was so intense Mr Sehon telegraphed to know how he was. Gen Pillow took the time to answer which he did in these words, "Capt Maney wounded slightly in the leg, fought as bravely as any boy I ever saw." The Editor of the Gazette was present when the dispatch was received and asked permission to publish it, which he did the next morning. I received three letters from you while at Chattanooga, the Nashville mail is now stopped and distributed there. I received also while there a letter from Will. He is still at Cumberland Gap and perfectly well. George's regiment is at Knoxville. But it is so dark I cannot see what I write. Direct your letters to me to this place. Give my best love to Mr K and a kiss to the little darlings. Mr S tells me always to give his best love.

Your affectionate Sister

Annie M. Sehon