Rufus Coggins McCrary was born January 16, 1839 in Meriwether Co., Georgia and died May 2, 1922. He is buried in the Alvaton Baptist Cemetery in Alvaton, Meriwether Co., Georgia. He was the son of Robert McCrary and Nancy Coggins McCrary. They both died while he was away at war. He had a brother John M. McCrary who was a private in the 33rd GA Vol Inf, Army of Tennessee. I find it interesting that he was able to correspond with his brother during the war and I wish to indulge you further with two letters.

This first letter is archived with the Atlanta History Center, Archives MSS 152:

Excerpt from a letter from Pvt J. M. McCrary, 33rd Ga Vol Inf, Army of Tennessee, to his wife Mollie dated August 10, 1863 referring to a letter from his brother Cpl. R. C. McCrary, 8th Ga Vol Inf, Army of Northern Virginia, dated July 18, 1863:

"I got a letter from Rufus a few days ago that was wrote the 18th of July. He was in good health and fine spirits. He was then near a little place called Darkesville (now part of West Virginia) 14 miles N of Winchester. He was in the battle of Gettysburg of Pa and two other skirmishes with the enemy. He said it was the hardest contested battle the Army of the Potomac was ever engaged in. The 8th Ga fought in close quarters for two hours and a half. He wrote that the Reg went in fight with 223 men and come out with 38 untouched. Henry Pope, Clint Edge, James Herndon was among wounded and Glen Allen is missing, supposed to be wounded and in the hands of the yanks. Henry and Jimmy wounded slight but Glen pretty badly wounded. He did not say whist Glen was wounded, Henry in the head and James Herndon in the side. There was 4 killed in his Co and 17 wounded."

The second letter is in the handwriting of Rufus McCrary and is a copy of a copy and is difficult to read. The letter is addressed to his mother. He spells "enjoying" as "injoying." He also writes "today" as "to day." I use parentheses to explain "gill" (4 fluid ounces). The letter is dated January 25, 1862. Camp near Fredericksburg.

"Dear Mother,

I take the present opportunity of writing to you in answer to yours of the 18th in which it reached me today and found me in good health. I hope this may find you and family in like enjoyment. I have no news of interest to write. We are still encamped near Fredericksburg. We have not built winter quarters, but are comfortable quartered in our tents having built chimneys to them. My mess finished ours to day, and I am now injoying the fruits of my labor. I don't know how long the yanks will permit the injoyment. They are still lying on the opposite side of the river and I don't know what time they may attack us. Their pickets and ours are in speaking distance of each other. The river only separates us. I don't know whether they will attack us again at this point or not, but I don't think they will. We have got the best position we ever had and can whip them with ease........ Things are selling very high. Such things as apples, cakes are outrageous high. Apples are worth $2.00 per dozen, Cakes 25 cents a piece, brandy $2.00 a gill (4 fluid ounces). It takes about $5.00 to get tight on. You must not think that I have been getting tight though (last sentence underlined).... I got a letter from John about a week ago. He was well. All the boys of our Settlement in our company are well and injoying themselves very well. We can sit in our tents by our fire as comfortable as if we were in a house. If the yankees will let us alone we will spend the winter well enough. It is getting late and I will close. Write soon. Nothing more. I remain yours forever, R.C. McCrary."

Rufus C. McCrary is my great grandfather. His daughter Pearl McCrary is the mother of my father, John Render Turner M.D. of Lagrange, Troup Co, Georgia. I have always had a great interest and curiousity about the old South and the Civil War. However, it has only been in the last few years that facts have become available to me about my heritage and the tumultuous Southern history of my ancestors. I can remember when I was about 8 years old asking grandmother about her daddy's involvement in the Civil War. I can still feel her cold fingers embracing my face, her eyes piercing mine and whispering: "...he never talked about it."