Letters from the
Justice Collection
at Emory University
(click
on the highlighted text for external links to more information)
Benjamin Wesley Justice, born June 10, 1827, in Wake County, North
Carolina, was married to Ann Gorman of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on December
16, 1852. An honors graduate of Wake Forest College, Benjamin went on to
teach at an academy for boys in Tuscaloosa and was cited by the president
of the University of Alabama as one of the best teachers in the state.
Justice’s education and
occupation do much to explain the erudition of his letters. Those
errors that do exist may be the result of faulty transcription or merely
indicative of his haste in sending word to his loved ones.
Upon the death of
Benjamin's brother, Benjamin, Ann, and their sons took over the task of
looking after the family’s farm on the banks of the Neuse River near
Raleigh, North Carolina.
When war broke out,
Benjamin cast his lot with the fledgling Confederacy, and he was mustered
in as first lieutenant of Company E, 47th Regiment North
Carolina. He was almost immediately made commissary of the regiment,
carrying the rank of captain. He later became commissary of Pettigrew’s
Brigade.
Benjamin
survived the war and resumed his teaching career. He then
embarked on a business association with the firm of A.G. Lee & Company,
where he remained until his death on September 22, 1871.
A one-time corresponding
secretary of the Baptist Sunday School Association of North Carolina, he
was active in the Baptist Church throughout his life.
A
locket-held image of Captain Benjamin Wesley Justice.
Courtesy Special Collections, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory
University.
The first entry is from
a letter dated November 22, 1863, from Capt. Justice to his wife. This is
re-transcribed from a faded transcription; original spelling and
punctuation have been retained as accurately as possible. The
webmaster/editor has inserted paragraph breaks for readability, and they
do not reflect spacing on the original transcription.
This morning
I went with a friend up to Orange to attend Church, the Episcopal. The
motive that induced me particularly was the hope of seeing no less a
personage than Pres. Davis, having learned that he came up on the train
from Richmond yesterday. We were at the Church early to secure seats …
General Pendleton was seated near in his black robe. You may remember
that I gave you an account of a fast day sermon he preached in the same
house last summer. He is in command of all the artillery in Gen. Lee’s
army, & it is related of him that when he gets a good chance at a lot of
Yankees & aims his well charged guns with deadly precision, he always
piously ejaculates, "Lord, have mercy on their poor souls," before
touching the match.
Pres. Davis and Gen. Lee
entered while the young clergyman was reading a prayer & the comgregation
[sic]
had bowed their heads. On looking up, I dsicovered [sic] very near me the well
known form and face of Gen. Lee, & on his left the thin bony face that
reminds one so forcibly of a postage stamp as to excite a smile. He was
dressed in plain dark citizen dress with a worn brown coat thrown loosely
over his shoulders of which he divested himself on rising to take part in
the service. His hair is slightly gray & his hair cut short his face
tapers to a point at the chin. If he were a plain common man he would be
called “lanternjawed." His cheeks are prominent. A very thin beard hangs
under his chin … He is evidently careworn & pale from the burden of
responsibility & the mental anxiety consequent on his office.
By his side sat Gen. Lee,
the very opposite of the President in form, features and general
appearances. He is burly & ‘beefy’ & fat. His form is large & bull &
round. His face is massive in its proportions, his nose slightly aqualine,
his hair & beard are in the transition state from gray to snowy, his crown
almost utterly bald, the back of his neck full & set, indicating more of
the animal in his nature than the lean intellect of President. He holds a
high head & is the very impersonation of dignity & manly power. It makes
one feel better to look at him … He wears a very plain uniform & three
stars on his collar are the plainest order.
The ruddy, “manly” appearance of Lee at
that time was not a sign of good health. In March 1863, Lee suffered
what is believed to have been a heart attack, and it is likely that he
suffered from acute angina both before and after the event. He
steadfastly returned to duty in May, but did not return to wellness for
the rest of the conflict.
The
Rev. Pendleton (above), who was ordained
as an Episcopal rector in 1838, was one of the South’s many “fighting
parsons.” As a battery commander early in the war, he named his cannon
“Matthew,” “Mark,” “Luke,” and “John.” He served as the minister of
Grace Church in Lexington, Virginia, from 1853 until his death in 1883.
He is buried in Lexington beside his son, Alexander “Sandie” Pendleton,
himself a minister and also one of the South’s great generals.
August 21, 1863, found
Benjamin Justice once again in the Orange Court House area, and he wrote
to his wife (once again, spelling and punctuation are faithful to the
original transcription, but paragraph breaks have been inserted for
readability):
My Sweet
Darling Wife,
Today is the day set
apart by our worthy authorities for a day of fasting, humiliation, and
prayer. The regular exercises of the drill and camp duty generally, are
suspended; the offices of the army for the transaction of business are
closed; the stillness and quiet reign through the entire encampment. The
gen. commanding issued general orders exhorting us all to observe the day
and send up fervent blessing on our afflicted country. Divine services
were held in the forenoon in all the different regiments, battlions [sic], and
corps that were provided with chaplains or could procure a clergyman.
In company with a couple
of nice friends I went up to the village to attend services. One of my
friends conducted me to the Episcopal Church. Arriving we found the
building crowded to its utmost capacity below. Ascending the stairway
that led to the organ and choir, we barely found standing room in the rear
of the instrument and singers. We found the pulpit already occupied by
no[ne other in] ability than [our] Gen. Pendleton, the commander-in-chief
of all Lee’s artillery. He is as large and tall as old Mr. Jordan, with
rough, shaggy irongray beard, dark complexion, rich, full, sonorous voice,
fertile imagination, rapid utterance, easy flow of language. He read the
service and the eloquent, solemn phrases with fine effect.
My situation near the
choir, the rolling music of the organ, the sweet voices of the
congregation, the serious, attentive throng of worshipers reminded me
forcibly of the old well known church in Tuscaloosa and the friends I was
once accustomed to meet in that dear place. My soul was melted into
softness and contrition by these memories and by the solemn influences of
the scene around me and the eloquent, fervent words of the speaker. His
text was the familiar passage from James: “The effectual fervent prayer of
the righteous availeth much.” He in pointing out of national and
individual sins was searching, eloquent, and just. At the close of the
sermon the choir sung a sweet, soft, melting, subduing, soul-elevating
hymn.
While the services were
going on, I noticed a squad of soldiers enter and stand near me. One of
them attracted my attention by the familiarity of his countenance. A
second look told me unmistakably that it was another Woodruff. I beconed
[sic]
him to come over nearer where was a better position, and made myself known
to him. He seemed pleased at meeting me and gave me a pressing invitation
to call on him at Gen. Rhodes’s quarters. He is a clerk in Gen. Rhodes’s
staff. ...
Early this morning commenced reading
my Bible in Deuteronomy. I read the parts of that containing the
repetition of the law by Moses and his affectional admonitions and Solomon
warnings to the children of Israel. I read quite a number of chapters and
shall resume my reading as soon as I shall have laid aside my writing.
Justice then describes the emotion that
was at the core of so many soldiers' thoughts: a longing for home.
I do not know anything that
would afford me more real pleasure now than to spend a week or two at home
in the pure enjoyment of domestic happiness. I think of you all day and
night. I love you all very dearly and long for the time when I can be
with you again. My chief thought is in reading your letters, praying for
your happiness and welfare, thinking of the pure joys I have tasted since
you were mine, and looking forward to the day that will unite us again
when war and all its horrows [sic] are overpast. My imagination loves to dwell
on your bright, sunny smiles, the sweet tones of your voice, the words of
endearment and affection which you occasionally bestow on your “Cousin
Ben,” on the words and looks and gestures and childish sports of my sweet
children, and on the subdued yet pleasant expression of face of Mother.
O, when shall I see you
all again. How my heart yearns for home and its sweet association. How
my weary spirit longs for rest at home. How my soul pants for communion
with that loved little circle. I think of your frugal vegetable dinners,
your delicious dishes of tomatoes, onions, okra, snaps, etc. O how I wish
I could eat one of them with you all in peace and quiet and not hear the
sound of drums and fifes and the dim and bustle of camp. Well, home will
be the sweeter and the loved ones there be dearer for this long, weary,
painful absence. Time flies rapidly, and I care not how swiftly it flies
until it brings the “better time coming,” when peace shall spread her
reign over this distracted country.
I hope I shall not weary
you by writing so often. I am planning a visit to Montpelier, the
residence and last resting place of Madison. When I return I will write
an account of what I may see there. Much love and many kisses to parents,
children, sisters, etc. Write soon. A heart full of love to you, my
sweet darling.
B.W. Justice
The Gen. “Rhodes” to whom Benjamin refers
is in all likelihood
Gen.
Robert Emmett Rodes
(above).
The letters transcribed above reside in the
Special Collections Department, Robert W. Woodruff
Library, Emory University.
The collection contains numerous letters that passed between Benjamin and
Ann throughout the war years, and was graciously donated to the
university by Capt. Justice’s grandson.
