Submitted by MICHAEL ELLIOTT; transcribed by LINDA FLUHARTY. ****************************************************** LETTER WRITTEN BY FREEMAN SCOTT TO HIS FATHER (page 1) Jan 19th 1864 Charleston West Va Dear Father I received your letter to day and was glad to her from you all but I was sorry to learn that you had such a hard time to get wood to burn this cold weather I wish you had some of the nice coal that we have to burn we have nice Shantys to live in while we stay in camp about four of us stays in one Shanty Some of the Shantys have fire places and some of them coal stoves we have a coal stove in our Shanty. We have the best Shanty of any of them it is the one the Captain stayed in before he build his new one our Shanty is middling open but it is all the healther for that. We keep up a big fire all the time it has been very cold here ever since about newyears, (page 2) but to day is the most disagreeable we have had this winter. the wind is blowing and it is snowing like thunder. I wrote you a letter awhile ago and told you ab out the scout I was on newyears I suppose you have got it by this time, the boys have to be payed off to day I don't know whether any of them will get payed this time or not except the vetterens the vetterens are those who have reinlisted I know I wont get any thing this time for I have not been mustred yet. I don't know when I will be payed if you can I wish you would buy 50cts or a dollar worth of postage stamps and send them to me I have the hardest kind of a time to get any here at all here and have to give five cts a stamp and I expect we will have to give more than that before long you must excuse this writing (page 3) for the boys are all the time running out and in at the door and when the door is opened the snow comes in to my face and on to the paper like a thousand of brick the paper is getting quite wet all ready. You asked how Joel used me I will tell you he used me first rate he had just received Sarah's letter that told him I was going to war so it did not surprise him for me to come on to him so sudden. he took me all over town showed me the court house where our men got in to when old jinkens was in there, and the bullet holes that the rebbs had ( ---pes) fired at them, and showed me where his gall lived &c he gave me a deck of cards and I fetched them up to camp and sold them for 15 cts you did not fear of me getting in to bad habbits for I have seen but one quart of whiskey since I come in to the service and the way I come to see that there was a situation come in to the bull pen (the bull pen is the place we keep prisoners) with a pint bottle full and the guards took it away form him and drank it themselves they offered me some but I refused as for using tobacco and there is no danger of that for the boys had rather beg than buy. The longer I stay in the service the better I like it I am not sorry I came in to the army yet we have plenty to eat, and it is good enough we won't starve as long as we have plenty of it, so no more at present write soon this is the worst letter I have ever wrote I believe but it must be excused when circumstances are considered, the boys the snow the wind the ink the pen cold hands &c are all that bothers me now You son Freeman Scott ------------------------------------------------------------- PENSION APPLICATION of Elizabeth Scott, mother of Freman T. Scott Note: Some information cut off on photocopies. -------------------------------------------------------------- Mother's claim for pension -- State of Ohio -- County of Washington On this 24 day of August 1871 personally appeared ELIZABETH SCOTT aged 58 years a resident of WATERFORD township.... ELIZABETH SCOTT, aged FIFTY-EIGHT years, a resident of --- Township, in the County of WASHINGTON, and State of OHIO, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the act of Congress approved July 14, 1862. That she is the wife of THOMAS A. SCOTT, deceased (error; see below), and mother of FREMAN T. SCOTT, deceased, who was a PRIVATE, in Company F, commanded by Captain MILLARD, in the 2d Regiment of VIRGINIA CAVALRY, commanded by Colonel POWELL in the war of 1861, who WAS DROWNED IN COAL RIVER WEST VIRGINIA FEBRUARY 3 AD 1864 while in the line of duty in the said service of the United States. She further declares, that her said son, upon whom she was PARTIALLY AS HER HUSBAND IS FEEBLE AND INFIRM AND WE HAVE NO LAND OF OUR OWN NOR PROPERTY TO (illegible). P.O Beverly, Ohio Signed by Elizabeth Scott ---------------------------------------------------------------- AFFIDAVIT State of Ohio, Lawrence County, ss: On this 5th day of JUNE 1872 and the undersigned authority within and for the said County and State, personally appeared JEREMIAH DAVIDSON who being duly sworn on oath, that FREEMAN T. SCOTT, a private of CO F 2d WEST VA CAV VOLS, WAS DROWNED IN COAL RIVER WVA ON OR ABOUT FEB 3, 1865, WHILE IN THE LINE OF HIS DUTY ON A SCOUT, IN ATTEMPTING TO SWIM THE RIVER UNDER (last word illegible) Signed by J. DAVIDSON Capt Co E, 2d West Va. Cav. ------------------------------------------------------------------ AFFIDAVIT State of Ohio, Washington County, ss: On the 20th day of SEPT. 1871 before the undersigned authority within and for the said County and State, personally appeared SIM HALL of HARMAR, OHIO, who being duly sworn states on oath, that FREMAN T. SCOTT WHO WAS A PRIVATE OF CO F 2ND WVA CAV VOLS WAS DROWNED IN COAL RIVER WVA ON OR ABOUT FEB 3rd 1864 WHILE IN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE LINE OF DUTY, HE BEING WITH HIS COMMAND ON A SCOUT TRYING TO CUT OFF A REBEL FORCE AND WAS DROWNED IN CROSSING THE RIVER. THAT HE THE DEPONENT KNOWS THESE FACTS FROM BEING WITH SAID SCOTT ON THE SCOUT AND BEING THE FIRST MAN THAT FOUND HIM AFTER HE WAS DROWNED. Signed SIM HALL late of Co F 2nd WVa Cav --------------------------------------------------------------------