Individual Details

Marriage

NOTE:
Bondsman P. S. Fry. Witness P. S. Fry. Married by Joseph S. Jackson. Groom son of James R. Tinder and Elizabeth Shadrack.
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Military

NOTE:
My great great Grandfather Arthur R. Tinder, son of James R. Tinder, enlisted August 1, 1864 in Company C of the 13th Virginia Infantry.  He was captured by General Sheridan’s forces at the battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley on October 19, 1864. He was sent to the Prisoner Of War Camp at Point Lookout Maryland, were he died of pneumonia May 14, 1865.  He is buried there in a common grave with his fellow soldiers. His name can be found on the monument erected on the site.
        Just before the battle of Cedar Creek Arthur R. Tinder wrote a letter home to his wife Mag it goes as follows:

Browns Gap Sept. 27, 1864

 Dear Mag
      I once more seat myself with the pleasure to drop you a few lines to let you no how i am  i am resting at this time and not very well i am broke down  Dear Mag you don’t no how i felt when i received your letter i had been wishing and praying that i could get one from you and when i got it i had rather see that letter and hear from you and the children and hear that you were all well there than to have received fifty thousand dollars and i still hope and trust to my God that these few lines may find you all enjoying the same Gods blessing   We have been Marching ever since i left Richmond resting very little at a place  Dear Mag i still trust and pray to God that it won't be long before we shall meet again to part no more until Death parts us and i think it will be a bleson to us for we had bin parted from each other  less than the most of people and that is the reason that it goes so hard with me Mag you wanted to no if i saw any friends hear yet you needn't be uneasy about  that   Dick and Charles most every day i have not seen Al for several Days but they are all well i saw ben Herndon To Day he is well also and i have friends in my regiment in fact i am treated as well as i could expect but still that don't stop me from wishing for this war to stop for i Don't believe there is any man in the army that  i more anxious to get    i am but i still trust in my precious god for my protection and to stop this Dreadful war Dear Mag i want you to still join me in prays to him that can Do all things for without him there can be nothing Dear  and if we are in earnest he will hear our prays for he has said so  Mag tell John and all the children to do whatever you tell them and they will be good children  Tell Arthur that i think of him as much as he does of me and all the balance of them Dear Mag you don't no how glad i was to see that lock of hair i wouldn't take the world for it  you may think i am joking about it but trust it is the truth we are about to move at this time but i don't no where yet so i must come to a close  give my love to all inquiring friends and write soon as you can i start one just before i received yours  nothing more at present and only remaining your loving Husband until Death  you must excuse handwriting and short letter  I Drawed a new suit of Clothes this morning and have a plenty just now they still think of camping near home yet   Charles and Dick  sends their love to you all and give our love to your Mother's family and all my old friends  So farewell my Dearest Wife until we meet 
                                   Arthur R. Tinder
                                 To Margaret Tinder
 
        Image my surprise to find a letter written home from the Civil War by my great great Grandfather.  It gave me a greater insight into who he was, not only that he was literate, but that he was a caring family man who loved his wife and children dearly, and was suffering greatly through one of the bloodiest time of this nation's history.   The thing in I add to make it more readable, but it shows how broken done he was, and how hard it was for him to gather his thoughts.  I hope all of you who are descended from Arthur enjoy this letter as much as I did.
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