The following letters were sent to me by Robert Moore.  They are the letters written by Walter Raleigh Moore who was born at Monticello, FL, but was living at Quitman, GA, when he ran off to join the army at sixteen.  Walter R. Moore owned a farm in Columbia County not far from the banks of the Suwannee River.  He served as a colonel in the Second Florida Regiment in General Lee's Army.   According to records at the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, the Second Florida Regiment fought in the following battles:  Seven Pines, Coal Harbor, Mechanicsville, Gaines Farm, Manassas, Sharpsburg (Antietam), Gettysburg, Shiloh, Chickahominy, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg and Petersburg. At Chickahominy on June 2, 1862, Walter Raleigh Moore, serving in the Ninth Company, was wounded when the Second Florida Regiment led an assault against General McClellan's forces.  On the first day at Gettysburg (July 1, 1863) he was then a Major and led the charge of his Regiment.  He was wounded that day and was left on the field of battle but managed to survive not only that day but also, by some miracle, the remainder of the war.  By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of Colonel.  Probably without the adulation that his war record deserved,  he returned a hero to his farm in Florida.  Walter Raleigh Moore was Robert Moore's great-great grandfather's brother.  Both he and his son (Robert Moore's great grandfather) served in the Confederate Army.

From Walter Raleigh Moore written at Fredericksburg, VA, December 26th, 1862, to his fiancée, Elizabeth Peeples of Tallahassee, FL:

My dear Bettie,

      It would be in vain, that I would attempt to give you an idea of the pleasure it gave me to receive a letter from you.  Yours of the 24th November and 10th December have both been rec'd.  They came so quickly the one after the other that I had not time to answer the first before the other came, and I will answer them both at once.  I hope you will forgive me for any thing that may be construed into an intimation that you have neglected to write.  My anxiety caused me to be impatient, and the time seemed to drag heavily by when I could not hear from you. The imagination was active, and conjured up many causes, but all is explained now.  Your excuse for not writing promptly in the first place is entirely sufficient.

      I was truly sorry to hear that you have been ill, and also to hear of the accident by which you came near being killed.  Hope you have entirely recovered ere this, from both and that you have had a Merry and Happy Christmas.  In camps we have had a more joyous time than could have been anticipated.  The brilliant campaign which we have passed through, crowned by the recent victory of this place of our Army is enough to make every Southern heart rejoice.  The enemy has been routed and vanquished, almost they seem to cry out for terms of peace.  Tho' while we rejoice we cannot help feeling sad that so many of our friends have gone forever from us.  These victories have been bought with the lives of many noble sons of our oppressed country and tho' the signs of the times indicate that a glorious peace will soon loom up and spread itself over our country, and disperse the clouds of war, which now engulf us, yet I fear that many others will yet be sacrificed to the god of war before he is satisfied to let peace reign.

    Bettie you seem to be very low spirited.  I am sorry to find you so and wish that I could do something to render you cheerful.  I know you have sustained irreparable loss, but grieving will not restore your brothers to you.  You should be proud that you had such brothers, and that when the storms of Battle came, they were found foremost in the contest, staking for the independence of their country.  I lost a brother in the Battle of Sharpsburg in Maryland on 17th September.  I had not seen him in thirteen years.  He had a wife and three small children in Texas when I last heard from him.

    Our Regt did not get in the fight at this place.  We were held in reserve just to the rear, of where the battle was going on.  We were not needed consequently were not carried into it.  For two days we remained in line of battle where the shells were bursting over our heads nearly all the time and the rifle balls whistling thick and fast.  None of us got hurt.  When the battle was raging fiercest and the shelling was most terrific we were called to attention, and a beautiful Flag was presented  to our Regiment from the Governor of Florida made by the ladies of Tallahassee.  We were commanded to receive the Flag without any demonstration whatever, to receive it in silence.  The letter of the Governor attending the Flag was a beautiful one.  It was read to the Reg. while the thunder of Artillery was so incessant that frequently the reading would have to be stopped for a short time.  It was the most imposing scene I have ever witnessed or heard of.  It seemed that every heart would burst with the pent up feelings which, but for the order forbidding it, would have made Fredericksburg heights sing with their shouts & hurrahs.

    I was sorry to hear that Sallie May cut her hand so badly & wish I had been there to peel that cane for her.  Mr. Rogerson says if he was there he would "break the knife that cut Sallie's hand."  I hope you will not be disturbed when you write again so that you can draw your letter out a little longer.

                    Truly yours - Walter
 

From Walter Raleigh Moore  written during the siege of  Petersburg a month before the end of the Civil War from an encampment midway between Petersburg and Richmond and dated March 8, 1865, to his wife Elizabeth Peeples Moore

 Dear Bettie:

     I commence this letter to you this morning not knowing when it will be finished (as we have no mails from our Brigade now having recently moved our camp) and not knowing either whether you will ever receive it.  Since I wrote last, in fact as I had finished and sealed the letter, I received an order to have my command in light marching order and be ready to move at once.  I had a mind to add a postscript telling you what was on hand, but I did not know what the move was for and from the tone
of the order I thought that a fight was expected and I would not tell you for fear it would cause you some uneasiness until you should hear from me again.  We are now at a very comfortable camp between the Appomattox and James Rivers, almost equidistant from Petersburg and Richmond, occupying quarters in the trenches which have been occupied all the winter by Pickett's Division.  Our Division has been heretofore held in reserve, near the line and every moment that the enemy attempted we had to march to the point to intercept it, consequently we have had no rest but had to be on the alert all the time.  All the running about and fighting on the flanks had to be done by Mahon's Division.  Now we are in a quiet place.  No pickett or artillery firing and if allowed to remain in this position will have little to do, until the campaign opens along the whole line.  We are immediately in front of some very strong, ugly works of the enemy, heavy guns, mortars and everything else that can throw deadly missiles mount their works in grim and frowning grandeur.  When I look at them it makes my blood boil to think that thus the cruel brutal vandals seek to disperse our Armies, that they may with a savage, brutal soldiering get to our homes to lay waste our country, desecrate and destroy our homes, and _______ the picture's too horrible, I can not dwell upon.  My hand refuses to pen the outrages that would be perpetrated.  Oh I wish that every man could see this subject as I do and could realize the fate that awaits us if the enemy gets possession of our country with no Army anywhere to oppose them.  If they could thus see the true state of what our condition would be (and I believe no man is so blind that he cannot see it) there certainly would not be so much skulking, and shirking of duty, and seeking easy places, being detailed to work on railroads and etc. -- That they may screen their precious carcasses from the enemy bullets, and bask in the sweet smiles of their loving wives, they stay away from the post of duty where they could render service to their country, and thus they sit quietly, and see the cruel enemies of humanity overrunning the country plundering and doing every thing else that a brutal band can do.  I can't see how such men can command respect in the country, especially among the females, who are so defenseless, and who will certainly be the greatest sufferers, if the fortunes of war should turn against us.  If we are unsuccessful it will be the fault of those who have not taken their places with the brave defenders of their country, and done their duty as men should.  Florida,
(I blush to say it) is over run with such men.  May they reap as they sow.  I have no fears for the final result of our struggle, we will yet be a free and happy people.  The cause does not look as dark as it did two months ago.  The silver lining to the cloud begins to show itself plainer.  I will dismiss the subject of war and talk about something else  -- When we were marched to this place, we were not allowed to bring any thing but blankets, and we have not got our baggage yet, and you never saw such living as we have.  I have just through breakfast.  I have an old tin plate that was picked up in the camp in that we cook meat, and bread, some times boil meal in it that is the best and easiest way to cook it.

    I am making a set of Chess men to amuse myself.  I have proved to be the champion, as far as I have played since I came to the Army.  Have beat every one that I played with.

    I received a letter a few days ago from my friend Lieutenant Burtschaell, who has just returned from Johnsons Island, -- He wrote from Richmond and was just about starting home.  I hope he will go to see you before he returns to the Brigade, -- It will afford you an opportunity of writing to me, and I want to see some friend who has seen you.  I do hope that our Rail Roads and mail lines will soon be all right again and that we can hear from our homes.  I give up all hope, nearly, some times of hearing again, but then I know that is wrong and I rally my feelings and wish the mail boy would hurry along.

      I got a letter some time since from my father.  He is not going to Florida soon as he expected -- One of his brothers died in January and requested that father would take charge of his family business, until some of his sons returned who were all with the Army.  His family consists of a number of girls and little children (whose mother is also dead) and a lot of Negroes.  I have requested my father if any thing happens to me while in the Army to come to take charge of my affairs and let you know immediately and convey my effects to you as soon as it can be done.

     If at any time you can not hear from me after these big battles in Virginia, write to him at once.  His address is Joseph Moore, Smithfield, N.C.  I would be glad Bettie if you would write to him anyhow, some time at your leisure.  I was always his boy -- and the old man would be proudest in the world to get a letter from you.  Jimmy O'Brien sends his respects to you and all the family.  Says when we go home, he wants to come and live with us, and I would not be without him for any thing.  I have him take care of my (your) pony, Sallie.  I told you that I had changed her name.  I don't like Kate. Please give my love to all and dear Bettie, take care of yourself and think often of

                Your devoted Husband

                     Walter

 P.S.  Excuse my writing a pencil, I have no pen in camp.