Robert M. Magill—Personal Reminiscences of a Confederate Soldier Boy.

During the next month there was no specially heavy fighting, but the continual grind of marching, counter-marching, skirmishing round and about Lost Mountain and Pine Log Mountain, in rain and mud and mud and rain. On 10th of June report of death of Captain D. U. Fox and Lieutenant J. T. Brown. Just here a sad duty fell to my lot. A letter came to Lieutenant Brown after his death, and, as Lieutenant Brown was a special friend and neighbor of mine, I was requested to open and answer the letter. It was from his affianced, and opened with the despairing words: “Dear Tom, why do you not answer my letters?” and almost knowing he would never answer again, she added, “I trust no critic’s eye will fall on this letter,” and with endearing words, she closed. How could I answer that letter? I could assure her that no critic had seen nor would see it, and could only add what would bring such unutterable anguish, “The noble young man is dead. He was a true Christin and a noble boy.” Letter sealed, addressed and sent. I never kept the name, and to this day I can’t remember it.