November the 15, 1863 camp nere Kenansville, N. C.

Deare and loving companion I seate my Self this morning to Drop you a fue lines to let you noe how I am. I am not well at this time nor havent bin for two or three Days  Bin puten Some Blood thru me for a Day or twoe thoe I feal thankful to God that hit is as well with me at this time as what hit is.  Deare loving companion I hope these fue lines mae goe Safe to yo kind loving hands and find you and all the childrons well and harty and Doing well.  Deare wife I have Bin Locken for a leter frome you all this weak thoe I have received nare letter frome you since the one that I got when Capt.

I begin to want to here frome you. I dreame of seaen you twist last nite and being with you and Bothe times you Seamed to Be mad which makes me feal uneasy a Bout you. I am a friad Sompthing is the mater with you or some of the family. Deare loving wife I want to sea you and the childrons the wrest that I ever did thoe I cant sae when I will be permited to Sea you. Thoe if we are not permited to sea each other in this life let us trie to live soe as to doe the will of our havonal fathers will soe that we mae meat in heaven where wares and trobles never comes and whare husbands and wives and parients and childrons can meat to part noe more Soe turne over and Read

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Deare loving companion I want you to Send me Some to Bucoe and make me a pare of legens and Send them by Mr. John D. Taylor if you plse and you will oblige me by Soe Doing.  I think that we will Draw our money Be for J. D. Taylor Starte home and if I doe I will Send you Som by Mr. Taylor.  I have noe nuse of eney importance to write to you at this time. Brother Jonah A. Love is well at this time and my mes is as well as thae are for comon the company is in tolerable helth at this time weare faren tolerable well at this time for sompthing to eat thoe I think that _______ Rashens will Sune give out.  Deare wife I wish that this civil ware wod stope soe that we all cold come home to live with our famles a gain as we Did Be for this ware tuck plase and I am in hopes that we all will be at home til Spring – hit is thought that N. C. will go back in the Union and I hope that she will and that Be fore Spring for I cant help but think that we are on the rong side. Deare wife I will send you a fue punken sead in this letter my Mr. Taylor.  Plant them in a gwod spot – thae come out of a fine punken.  I want you to write to me forth with and let me noe how you are and give me all the nuse you can soe I will bring my fue lines to a close By saing I ever Remain your true and loving husban as long as life shall last. Soe kis my Sweat babe for me – tel the childrons all that I send them all loving and that I want them all to trie ad Doe rite.  Soe noe more at the presnt Soe fare you well until I here frome you

frome Mr. M. G. Love to Mrs. P. F. Love and family

_________________

Phebe Love

Born 23 February 1823, Michael Garmon Love is the son of Jonah and Mary Garmon Love. Michael married 10 Aug 1843 Phebe Love. Thomas P. Reed is listed as bondsman with the marriage bond being witnessed by Kiah P. Harris. Being his first cousin, Phebe Love was born 11 Oct 1827, the daughter of Thomas and Susannah Love. In 1849, Michael’s father donated the land for Love’s Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. In the deed (2-255, Stanly NC), Phebe’s father was named as a member of the Board of Trustees who received the donated land.

Michael G. Love enlisted in Stanly County at rank of Corporal in CSA Co. H, 42nd Reg. In the summer of 1862, he wrote a letter to his wife from Lynchburg VA. Michael was promoted to rank of Sergeant on 20 Mar 1863. Dated 15 Nov 1863, he wrote the above letter to his wife and family. Physically sick or wounded and uneasy about his life, he now questioned the war and dreamed only of seeing home and family.

The writing of letters like that of Michael’s was repeated many times during the civil war. Soldiers often questioned the morality of war as the certainty of the truths they fought for wavered. Learning that life was short and precious, they wrote more clearly and clung tighter to those things that mattered. For Michael, stains on his letter indicate his pumpkin seeds likely made the journey home.

Michael Garmon Love was accounted for until wounded in an unspecified action on 15 Jul 1864. On 14 Dec 1864, he was furloughed from the Richmond VA hospital for sixty days. Returning home, he died on 29 Dec 1864. Michael Garmon Love is buried beside his father at Love’s Chapel United Methodist Church.

Dated 24 Nov 1869, Phebe F. Love donated five and a quarter acres (8-270, Stanly NC) for “the use of the Methodist Protestant Church at Love’s Grove.” She applied for a civil war pension in 1901 and died on 29 Oct 1901. She’s buried near her husband at Love’s Chapel United Methodist Church.

Love’s Grove United Methodist Church – built on land donated by Phebe Love