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THE COUNTRYMAN. By J. A. TURNER. “ INDEPENDENT IN EVERYTHING—NEUTRAL IN NOTHING ’ $5 lor Three Mouths. YOL. XX. TURNWOLD (NEAR EATONTON) GA„ TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1865. NO. 9. THE LIFE OF AX AMERICAN CITIZEN: S1EING THE BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM TURNER, i.ATE or PUTNAM COUNTY, GA. BY ms SON, J. A. TURNER. CHAPTER XV. A. D. 1813—26th Year —War with Great Britain —Military Aflairs on the Mississippi—Letters from Tilman Turner—Letter from Francis Hardaway—Letter from Joseph Sturdivant— Journey from Georgia to Virginia—Castes in Virginia—Causes of their Destruction—Let ter Irom Tilman Turner—Letter from Hon. BoilingJIalt—Course of his Enemies—Estab lishing the Methodist Faith, by a Law of Congress—Movements of U. S. Army—Gens. Hampton, Williams, and Harrison—Battle between the French and Russians, at Leipsic —French Official Bulletin—Behavior of the “ Feds”—Letter from William Turner, to his Father—Indian Murders in Morgan county— Lack of Money for the Army—Worthless Quarter-Master—Loan and Alleviating Acts —Letter from Hon. Bolling Hall—Matters in Congress. During the year 1813, war was going on be tween the United States, and Great Britain. In 1798, the present states of Alabama, and Mis sissippi, embraced in the scope of country ceded to the English, by the French, upon the peace of 1763, were organized into one territory, call ed Mississippi Territory. The Mississippi riv- <er was the scene of active hostilities, or of pre parations for active hostilities,between the two belligerents, which culminated in Jackson’s victory over Pakenham, on the 8th day of Jan uary, 1815. Everything connected with the movement of the U. S. troops, at that period, »nd in connection with the concentration of causes, and events, that finally gave Jackson his signal victory, will be perused with inter est. In this view. 1 present my readers with a letter from Tilman Turner, which will give them some idea of military life upon the Mis sissippi, at the time of the letter’s date: The letter is postmarked “Creek Agency, 29th March.” and is directed to “ Mr. Wm, Turner, Putnam County, Georgia, 1 ' and was sent by the band of “Lieut. Triptell.” It reads as fol lows: " English Turn, 5th March, 1813. Deab William : Your letter, of the 9th January, ( received several days ago, and ( am extremely sorry to hear of the death of our relations, but console myself with the reflection that they are gone to a better world. I am also sorry to learn that your father’s black family is so much afflicted. The utmost confidence is placed, by me, in itbose who gia-y have to settle the affairs of my father’s estate, believing that they will “ do as they would be done by.” Our camp is eighteen miles below New Or leans, on the banks of the Mississippi, and three miles from that noted place, Terre au Boeuf, where the great mortality among the troops was, in 1809. The ground, on which we are, is lower than the water in the river, which is kept from overflowing us by a levee thrown up on the banks : consequently a very little rain makes the cantonment very muddy. We have now, the winter is past, grit into good quarters, after having remained, since August, jn tents. } occupy two good rooms, and am o:x- tremeiy healthy. I expect to go up to Natchez, in a boat, in a fortnight, from which place I will write you, ou tny arrival. My best respects to relatives, and friends. Yours, sincerely, Tilman Turner. To Mr. Wm. Turner.” In further illustration of the above points, a second letter from Tilman Turner is given. It is directed to “ Mr. William Turner, near Ea ton ton, Georgia,” and is postmarked, “ Wash ington, M. T., Apr. 20.” The postage was 25c. One evidence of the civilization of which Til- man Turner speaks is, that the letter is post marked in printed letters, by means of the stamp now used, while the one mailed at “ Creek Agency ” is postmarked with the pen. Here is the letter “ Washington, M. T., 20th April, 1813. Dear William : I feel glad in being enabled to inform you that I have, once more, got to a civilized part of the country, composed of Virginians, Caro linians, and Georgians—a neat little village, in the Mississippi Territory, about six miles from Natchez, and three hundred from New Orleans. I left the English Turn, about the 8th of last month, with four other officers of our regiment, with orders to report at New Orleans, to Gen. Wilkinson. We remained at that place six days, and were then ordered to proceed here with the least possible delay, and report to Col. Covington, who would furnish us with recruiting instructions. The next day, just as we were about starting, we received an ■ other order, saying we must wait the arrival of the steam-boat, and ascend the river in her, to sit on a court-martial, for the trial of Capt. Holmes, which was to convene on the 1st inst. Arrived just in time, and Capt. H. had received orders to repair immediately to the City of Washington, and the court was dissolved, on the day of its .commencement—since which, I have remained here, with five or six others, waiting the arrival of Major Arbuckle, whose presence is necessary, before we can open our rendezvous. By the 1st of May, I expect to be at Libertyville, Amite county, oo the Amite river, the place which has been selected for me to recruit at, with which I am well pleased. On thursday last was ths day appointed, by Gen. Wilkinson, lor taking possession ot Mo bile; and from the number of troops ordered from New Orleans to that coast, says Col. Rus sell, in a letter just received, Pensacola will be occupied, by American troops, in a short time. It was on the day I left New Orleans that I received the letter of my dear mother. My last letter, to you, is, in part, a reply to it. I can safely say that nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be enabled to make a visit to Georgia, to whieh purpose I have made several applications, and have only received promises. 1 have also asked leave to resign, which was also denied. These applications were not made because I was dissatisfied, but from a wish to re turn to my friends. Having got into this good country, I am better pleassd than I hare been since I joined the army. As soon as I have done recruiting, I shall be necessarily compell ed to go to Washington City, to make a settle ment at the war department, which 1 expect to be this winter, or in the spring, at which time I will be sure fco call, and see you all. Please write to me on receipt of this, and di rect your letter to Washington, M. T., from which place it will be forwarded to me, by a friend. Sincerely, yours, Tilman Turner. P. S.—You will excuse haste, as I waited the arrival of the mall, expecting to get a letter from you, and had but a few momenta to write the above, before it closed. I will write you again, from Libertyville. „ T. T.” The following letter, dated May 29th, is from Francis Hardaway, a relation, 1 suppose, of the first husband of Mary Turner, the mother of Mrs. Frances Gatewood, late of Putnam county; Dear William : I have, for the first time, taken my pen in hand to inform you that 1 and family are well, at present, and hope these lines may find you, and yours, enjoying the same heavenly bless ing. I have also to inform you that my brother, Grisf Hardaway, and your cousio, Turner Man- ley, and Jesse Goodwyn, and their families, from Virginia, left my house, about the last day of March, intending to go to the frontiers of this state. I have heard that your cousin Turner was in Henry—the other two I have heard nothing of, definitely. I was informed though, that brother was at Gen. Mitchell’s. If he is, I thought you might probably know, and make it convenient to see him, or contrive this to him, so as he may hear from me. In my route over the purchase, I was absent, from home, eight days. I was within nine miles of Flint river. I promised, at the start, to.keep with Virden, to his, a corner lot in the 3th district. Mine is in the 6th district, Mon roe county, no. 199. It is on Rum Creek, as the ? entleman informed us who went with us to it. ou will be so good as to send me a rough plat, naming the creek, and all other streams, that run through my tract. I will be along, sometime in August, to get the plat and grant, and put up some cabins, so as 1 can move this fall, and will pay you wbat you charge. Direct your letter, enclosing the plat, to me, at Warrenton. You will please inform me whether you have heard anything of the boys, mentioned above. 1 have nothing more to relate, at present, only that we have fine growing weather with us—thanks be to God for it. Yours, with respect, Francis Hardaway. May 29th.” The loregoing letter is dated May 29th, but the year of its date is not put down. I find it among papers of the year 1813, and therefore assign it its present locality, though it may possibly be misplaced. It is presented here, on account of its being a link in the family re-* cord. , The spelling of tho above letter, before being corrected by the printer, was bad, though the penmanship is good enough. I will give one instance of the spelling: The writer of the letter, in attempting to write “General Mitch* ell,” wrote “ Janerol Mitchell,” from which I conclude that the Hardaways were Irish. Rob ert A. Hardaway—(whom all Oxonians will re cognize as Bob Hardaway)—civil engineer-in- chief. for some time, of the Mobile Girard railroad—now a Major of Artillery in the con federate service, and said to be an excellent, and brave soldier—is one ot their descend ants. Since Sherman has passed through our coun try, and torn up the railroads, we imagine that we have desperate times, in the way of loco motion, and trave). But let us refer to obsta cles as they had to be encountered by our an-' cestors, forty years ago, beiore there was such a thing as a railroad in the country. The fol lowing letter from Joseph Sturdivant, to my father, will give an account of tho difficulties