"I HAVE SEEN THE MONKEY SHOW"
The Civil War Letters of Thomas Warrick of
the 34TH Alabama Volunteer Infantry
Including a history of the Regiment as it related to my Family History
by Elaine Hendricks
205 North Holiday Drive
Dadeville, AL 36853
256 825-0870
to order a copy of this book send payment of $24 to the above address
Following are excerpts from the first few pages of the book:
"The State of Ten
January 11th /63
Deare louving wife
I set my self down in orde to let you know that I am well and I hope that this may come saft to
your hands and find you and the Childern all Well and in Good helth. Martha I have Got a
Grate Deal to say to you at presant and I Recand that you are Gitting anxious to here from
me. I can inform you that I have seen the Monkey Show at last and I dont Waunt to see it no
more. I am satisfide with Ware. Martha I Cant tell you how many ded men I did see. Men
was shot Evey poshinton that you mit Call for. Thay ware piled up on one another all over the
Battel feel. The Battle Was a Six days Battel and I was in all off it."
FOREWORD
The 34th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 34th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment played a very important part in my family history. The 34th was made up of volunteers from Montgomery, Coosa, Tallapoosa and Russell Counties in Alabama.
Thomas M. Warrick's family preserved both the original letters he wrote home and the
letters he received from home during the war and donated them to the Alabama Archives,
Manuscript Section in Montgomery, Alabama
The quotations throughout this history, printed in italics, are portions of the letters written
by and to Thomas Warrick. Missing punctuation was added to make the letters easier to
read. Spelling was not an exact science in those days and the letters contain very creative
spelling which has been left intact. Anything enclosed in square brackets [ ] was added by
me for clarification. Hint: They spelled exactly as the words sounded to them, southern
accent and all.
These letters are the basis for this history of the 34th Infantry along with the other sparse
records I have been able to locate for the unit. I make no claim to expertise in Civil War
History, but merely wish to relate the history of this unit as it affected my family.
The families mentioned most often in the letters are Warrick, Thornton, Brown, and
Wideman.
Thomas Warrick enlisted on Friday, March 7, 1862 and his first letter back home to his
wife Martha after leaving home, written on Sunday, March 9, 1862, was from the training
grounds at Camp Shorter:
"March 9 1862
Ala Macon Co Loachapoka -
Dear and a beloved companion I take the opportunity of informing you that I am well, and well satisfied so far. We arrived here lasts Friday night about one o'clock, Lieutenant [John E.] Hannan and five men have gone back after some of our men who backed out. We lack 16 men of having our company complete. We have not drawn our Bounty yet, nor weill not untill our company is compleeted. The Colonel [Julius Caesar Bonaparte Mitchell] let some of our men have five dollars a piece to buy their necessaries until we draw our money as we can not draw until our company is compleeted. So far I like all the officers very well and the men generally like them very well.
The Captain [James Willis] has promised me a furlough to come home and as soon as I draw my bounty I will come home and finish the house unless it is finished when I come. Wesley Brown is in Capt Mitchell's Company. So nothing more at present. I remain your affectionate Husband
Thomas Warrick to Martha A. Warick
N. B. All the boys from our neighborhood are well
write soon
T. W. To M. A. W. [Thomas Warrick to Martha Ann Warrick]
I will send you some postage stamps so you can write to me-
Direct your letter to Loachapoka Macon County in care of Captain Willis"
Thomas reported that Wes Brown was in Captain Thomas Mitchell's A Company and he was in Captain James Willis' C Company. During the volunteer months of the civil war, men joining the war effort were given a bounty, a fifty dollar bonus, for volunteering for service. Each company was made up of 100 men and 10 companies made a regiment. Companies were named A thru K with no company given the letter J, to avoid confusion with the letter I. This made a regiment consisting of approximately 1,000 volunteers. At Camp Shorter the soldiers were taught how to march and drill in formation in preparation for war. They had not yet been issued weapons, so they drilled without them.