Manassas Junction, Virginia
November 24th, 1861

Miss Sallie Hunt
Dear Miss

Pardon the liberty that I presume to take (if such you see fit to deem it) in addressing you this 'note,' and believe me when I say it springs from the purest motives of friendship.

As you may well imagine - a soldiers lief is a hard one, and the only joy we have is when we receive a letter from the 'dear' folks at home. If you could only see 'the Boys' crowd around the P. M. (as every Regiment has its Post Master) when he brings in the mail repeating the eager inquiry - is there any thing for me: I know that all the folks at home would think oftener of the Soldier Boy - and would write him a few lines if only to let him know that all were well at home. It has been a long time since I have heard from Mother or Sister (that is about two weeks which seems a long time to me) and I feel perfectly miserable at night. I believe I have the blues.

It is very cold (and sleeting at this moment). I am sitting in my tent writing this (hoping that you may find something in its contents to interest you) while my messmate Lieut' Ransone is sleeping soundly near me. I know that his mind is at rest for he has finished his duties for the day. Would that I was as contented as he; But such is not the case (at least to night). He too must have his troubles, for he has a dear wife and little children at home, that I know must occupy his thought in his waking hours. It is true that I have a dear Mother and little brothers and sisters that think very often of me, but I know of no one else that seems to care very much about my welfare. I have come to this conclusion from the fact that I have written a great many letters to my old friends in Calhoun and vicinity and have received no reply what-ever. I hope this may not be the case with this letter - and I do not believe that it will. If you do not see propper to correspond with me - I know that you will be generous enough to write and tell me so.

We are encamped four miles from the battle-ground of the 21st of July. I returned from there this evening, it is the 'awfulest' sight I ever beheld. You can see hundredes of skeletons lying upon the ground. It is only twenty seven miles from here to Washington City. So you see we are nearly out of 'Dixies land.' We are within twelve miles of a force of two hundred thousand Yankees, and are expecting a general engagement every day. We have a force of two hundred and fifty thousand in this vicinity - and are sure to whip them if they attempt to reach this place. Our forces bring in prisoners every day and some horses - arms & C. We captured six 'Free' negroes from there on yesterday. As I have already written a great deal more than I expected to have written I will close for fear that this is already to long to be interesting.

Very respectfully

John B. Higdon

P.S. Please to tell Mother if you see here that I am well - and getting along as well as a soldier could expect. If you choose - I would like you to show this letter to 'Sis' Sallie. Please write soon and direct to Lieut John B. Higdon, Care of Col. Worthing, 28th Geo. Regt. Manassas Junction, Virginia.

J.B.H.

N.B. Be sure to show this to sister so that they may hear from me, as it is too cold to write any more this evening. Don't show it to any one else and dont fail to write to your friend and well wisher.
Lieut J. B. Higdon
Care of Col. Worthing
38th Geo. Regt.
Manassas Junction,
Virginia

28th Georgia Roster

Higdon, John B. -- 2nd Lieutenant - Enlisted as a private in Company F, 4th Regiment Georgia Infantry April 29, 1861. Elected Jr. 2nd Lieutenant of Company G, 28th Regiment Georgia Infantry August 12, 1861. Resigned February 12, 1862. Enlisted as a private in Company C, 38th Regiment Georgia Infantry April 16, 1862. Elected 2nd Lieutenant November 1, 1862; Captain July 1863. Wounded and disabled at Winchester, Virginia, September 19, 1864. Paroled at Albany, Georgia, May 15, 1865.


Plight of Black POWs

If not executed, captured black soldiers often found themselves treated very differently from white prisoners. Instead of being confined to camps, many African-American prisoners were put to forced labor. As Robert Jones, a black soldier captured at Milliken’s Bend, La., recalled, “They took me to … Rust, Tex., where they … had me at work doing every kind of work, loading steamboats, rebuilding breastworks, while I was in captivity.” Near Fort Gilmer, Va., captured black troops were forced to work under enemy fire in the trenches. In retaliation, the Union general Benjamin F. Butler placed an equal number of Confederate P.O.W.’s on forward trenches. Within a week, the black prisoners were removed from the front lines.

Slave owners were also encouraged to retrieve their former slaves or receive restitution for those in service to the Confederacy. In October 1864, The Mobile Advertiser and Register listed the names of 575 black prisoners who “are employed by engineer corps at Mobile, Ala. The owners are notified in order to receive the pay due them.”

First Battle of Manassas

The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the First Battle of Manassas[1] (the name used by Confederate forces), was fought on July 21, 1861 in Prince William County, Virginia, just north of the city of Manassas and about 25 miles west-southwest of Washington, D.C. It was the first major battle of the American Civil War. The Union's forces were slow in positioning themselves, allowing Confederate reinforcements time to arrive by rail. Each side had about 18,000 poorly trained and poorly led troops in their first battle. It was a Confederate victory, followed by a disorganized retreat of the Union forces.

Union casualties were 460 killed, 1,124 wounded, and 1,312 missing or captured; Confederate casualties were 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, and 13 missing.