Young Walter (Y. W.) Boggan, age 21, enlisted in Company G, 8th Reg't MS. Volunteers (Tolson Guards), on July 17, 1861, at Buckley's Store/Jasper County, MS. by Capt. George W. Ryan. Y W's younger brother, Pleasant May Boggan enlisted at the same time, but he was left at home sick when ordered to Pensacola. They were the sons of Mattie Colen Massingale and Anderson Boggan of the Fellowship Community, Jasper County, Mississippi.

Y. W. Boggan died July 15, 1862, from sickness.

P. M. Boggan reentered service with the 9th MS. Volunteers Sept 18, 1862, transferred back to the 8th in April 1864, was wounded at the Battle of Franklin, and was paroled with his company when it surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, 1865.

The exact location of Y. W. Boggan's grave is not known as the family was not allowed to bring the body home because he had died of "sickness."

[Burial Records, Mobile County Alabama, 1857-1870-Vol.II. has an entry for July 16, 1862, for Young W. Baggan, Male, 21 years, C. S. Army, born in Ala. Quentin Boggan believes this is Young Walter Boggan.

To learn more about Civil War activities in the area of Pensacola, FL, please check out Florida in the Civil War]

Dear Brother I embrace the present opportunity of letting you know how I am getting along I am well at this time and all the rest of our company I think we have a very healthy situation we are a going to move about a half mile we are going to build some houses for winter quarters Part of the Battalion has got there arms they are the oald fashioned muscuet our company hasent received any of them they made a requisition

for the minia muscuits I donot know whether they will get them or not we have prtty tight times here we had a splended time at Camp Barksdale so far as liberties are conscerned I havent bin out on picket guard yet but I reckon I will pretty soon I was up at fort Barrancas yesterdy and fort Mc Cray is in site and also fort Pickins and I can tell you it was the bigest show I ever saw I had no idea we had a fort so well arranged to look at the fort it doesent look like there was any chance for them to whip us

I saw them drilling with there canons Barrancas is made of Brick I saw the yankees walking about over at fort Pickins as big as life Pickins isent but little over a mile from Barrancas there has bin several deserters from our side they went over with a flag of truce after them but the yankees would not give them any satisfacion about them it is reported that Lincns fleet is coming around on the coast of Florida and I sapose it is so I think we will have some very hard fighting here or none at all but hardly think we will fight

Ples it would take me a week to write all I have seen and heard so I must close my trip has bin worth more to me than twelve monts scooling tel Nof I would like to have him here to show me how the steam Boats runs tell mother she must not be uneasy about me becuse I am fairing very well I must close tell Mary Jane she must write to me some and not to wite to Bill all and allso Yong and I want you to write soon tell the girls I will write to them in a few days direct your leters two Warrington Fla care of Capt Ryan of 8th Regiment Miss Vol

Warrington

Dec 1st 1861

Dear Brother I received your letter of Nov 22 which made me glad to hear from you and to hear that you were all a getting on prety well Ples I am well and the company with the exceptions of colds it is the worst place for colds I ever saw the weather is so changeable it is warm one day and the next pretty cold I had rather be in Virginia where it is cold all the time we have a great deal of excitement here about one thing and another

our field officers lost there positions when we were transfered at Camp Barksdale into the Confederate Service so Gen Brag says but I think they have got it all f____ [unreadable] up so as we will retain them there was a talk of us being put under some of the La officers and I tell you there was some mad men here they are the regulars from La and are very tite they have been trying to get us in for the war but I daunt think that will come it the most of our men had rather se there box than to go for the war look at the other paper and I will tell you something about our fight

Ples I suppose you have heard of the fight we had at this place the fireing commenced on Friday they fired from Fort Pickins on the Navy yard about ten o clock our side fireed on them immediately and it was kept up untill six they stoped then until next morning about half after ten they opened upon us again and kept it up until three Sunday morning and I tell you times looked pretty s_nally [?] but we were out of danger our camps is a mile and a half from the Navy

they did us but very little damage they burnt up Warington and we lost eight or ten men and one of our sand Batteries fell in and killed four or five of them we daaunt no there losses but suppose they are greater than ours I think Gen Bragg aims to try it again he is a making all preperations Ples I must close I will tell you a little more there was six canons fired from our side the other day on Lincon provision Boat and they and they will not say a word I think they are a getting frighten L.M. Clark says he wants you to come soon but I tell you you had better not come if you can help it this paper I picked up at the Navy yard paper is very costly here write to me soon Adieu

Dear Brother I received your letter several days ago and have not had a chance of ansswering it untill now I was very glad to hear from you and the rest of the family and that your health was improveing Ples I have nothing of much interest to write I have been sick a day or too with a cold and a breaking out very much the measels but I am very near well now and also Curt with the same disease and very near all the Company but I consider it not dangerous I am pretty well satisfyed with our move we have plenty of wood and water we have dug wells though to get it there is plenty of game here such as Deer Bear and Panther but the worst of it is we have no time for

hunting we are not allowed to fire a gun off oanly at the evening or when we come off of picket guard at sun rise we have plenty of fish here and oisters at boats [?] for _______[unreadable]

I dont no when we will have another fight it is hard to tell we are reddy for them at any hour if oald Abe ever sends his ships over went to our Forts they will be sunk direcly and that is all the chance for them I heard that Frank Cross wrote to his mother that him and L.M. Clark was all the men that stood there gound in the time of the fight there was several of orur boys at the Navy yard on guard and they all got away from there and I think it a very wise tr_k [?] of them in doing so the Bums was falling all around them and they had no way of defending themselves and so Frank wrote a little lie

he run untill he could not run any longer he was frightened so he could not tell which end was up I will drop this and say something else I will say he is very sick of it now Ples I would advise you never to come here if you can help it I no you cant stand it one trip out on the beach on picket would lay you up and I think you had better not come I must close for this time tell father I will let him no something more a bout my horse in a day or to write soon give respects to all the family

Remaining yours

direct your letter to Pensacola Fla care of Capt Ryan at Deer Point

Pleas, I received your letter on Friday last and was very glad to hear from you I began to think that you was not going to write to me amy more this leaves me well and I have had pretty good health all the while we have a great deal of sickness here all most every body is sick and a good many diing we have lost one man out of our company Albert Hill I suppose you had heard of his death he had something simular to pneumonia that is generaly the disease they all have Curt has been very sick but he is minding now pretty fast Ples I suppose you have heard of our new years Bombardment one of our little Boats went to the Navy Yard and they fired upon it but did not hit it our side returned the fire instantly our side threw the first ball in to ther camps and there

there was a pretty smart getting about with _____[?] the firing commensed at three oclock in the eavning and continued untill three or four next morning they did us nodamage at all we havent heard form the Linconites yet but when we do we will hear a tale that is not true we have all got used to the fireing of a canon it is nothing very strange to heare one I will say no more abot the fight I was very glad to hear that you had such good luck with the oald Black sow I think there will be a chance for me to get some meat to eat when I come home B M Buckley says you must save some Breeders out of that gang of pigs if we had a few more of them kind of sows the soldiers nead not be uneasy about meat

Jan 13 th Ples I will try to finnis my letter this morning Ples S. E. Gandy dyed last night I supppose you recollect him he has been sick about a week there is a good many of our boys sick I am a fraid will not get well Ples you sed something to me in relation to my horse say to Father he need not take any further pains with him because Meaf [? very difficult to read] Peak has not got the chance to some after him now nor doant no when he will have the chance tell him if he wants to trade him to pick in or work him you said you wanted me to send you a name for my puppy I am at a loss for a name to send you can call it Barancas if you want to Ples I must close this time You must excuse this badly aranged letter because I am allways in a hurry Adieu

Write soon

Camp Davis Deer Point Near Pensa[writing trails off page]

Ples I received your letter of January 27th several days ago and have been flusterated some what since that time and have neglected writing to you our detachment has been ordered back to Warrenton and is gone and some of us was left at the Hospittal I and Curt, Lieut White, James Buckley, Wm Pruitt, R [?] Green, Ed Wall, S Wall, Hiram Williams, and two of the Yankees Yarers[?] I and Bill Pruitt Hiram Williams were left for nurses and I do not no how long we will remain here the boys are mending slow Curt is in a very lingering condition but I dont think he is dangerously sick he has knight sweats and that is as bad as chills and fever health is improving here and a great many enlisting for the war and getting there fifty daleurs bounty

Ples I would like to be at home a few days to ride Cuff for you but [____]? I dont no when that will be there is no chance for a well man to go home from this place and I would like to fli round in Marys Buggy some I dont want you to break it down before I get home and then I will put Cuffy through you can work him but dont let your neighibor have him there is some talk of an attact here when they do we will give them down the country you sed something about medicine in your letter we have plenty of medicines Ples I can immagine how Yong looks I suppose he would meat me with a big torch if I were to come home to get advice where he should move Ples I will close it is getting late and I have got to cook supper gave my love to all the family and write soon adieu

Warrenton Fla

March 29 [unreadable]

Dear Brother your letter came to hand yesterday you sent to me by Wm. Carr I was gla to hear from you it has been some time since I heard from you or home either I have nothing new to write you more than the evacuation of this place no doubt you have heard of that I do not no whether it will be the case or not all the big guns is moved very near and muitions there is a good many Ala troops coming in here I suppose they aim to hold it if they can I think our Regiment will move as soon as they get arms I think we will go North we have had orders to leave three seaks ago but they were countermanded we are very anxious to move there is the most fleas here oh , God they have reinforced every day since we have been here and are still reinforceing the Yankees sent over a flag of truce today but I have not learned what for

I suppose Gen Jones says our regiment will leave here by next Thursday I am very much in hopes it is the case you said something a bout some clothes in your letter I do not nead any clothing yet I have got more now than I can wag with of my own and Curts you can keep them a few day and if I come up the R.R. I will get them and leave Curts I was very glad to hear that Curt had got home I have not heard from him in some time before so nothing more this leaves me well and my self give uncle George and Aunt Mat my respects your Brother

you nead not answer this letter untill you hear from me again

Warrenton Fla

May 4th/62

Mr P.M. Boggan

Dear Brother

I have writen to you some time ago and have never got any answer from you yet but I suppose from waht you said in R.J.W. Therells letter you had never got it I wrote it while you was staying at Shubuta I reckon that is the cause of you not getting it I am very well at this time I feel a little drowsy to day from standing Picket guard last night there is some sickness in our Regiment Dr Moore says it is camp fever Frank Cross and Pendy is both very sick you can send Wm Cross word that they are moved from here to Montgomery and all the rest of auru sick that was the orders from head quarters to move them our bagage is ordered to Pollard again and I think we will move in a few days some where but I have know idea where it will be I hope we will get to go to Mississippi or some other country to get out of theese fleas they bite me now so that I hardly can write we are having a good deal of excitement here a bout the conscription law and election very near every man in [very small writing at the bottom of the page] write to me it makes no odds where we go the leter will come

the Regiment is runing for an office allthough I can not tel you who the candidates are in our company yet I suppose they have got us in for the war under the conscription act the oanly objection I have to it is that they did not take them up to forty five years of age they say they will give us a furlough and fifty dollars bounty but I am like oald Murfey I had a heap rather see it than to hear tell of it they say since I have commensed writing this letter that we have got orders to be ready to leave at a minuets warning I reckon you have heard of the fall of New Orleans they say the stars and stripes are floating over the city that is a pretty bad lick upon us but we are not whiped yet I would like for you to write to me who them union men is that you wrote to Therell abot being at preaching I did not think we had any union men in our country sothing more tel mother and Mary if they had better not send my coat to me until they heare where we move to give my respects to all the family and to your self . Your affectionate Brother

Camp Near Mobile

May the 18th/62

Dear Brother

I have come to the conclusion that you are never a going to write to me any more I suppose though you are so much engaged with that celebrated school of yours that you have no time to write to me I am very well to day and all of my mess there is a case or too of the mumps in our company the health of the Regiment is very good with the exceptions of some few cases I have no news to write to you more than I wrote to Father I suppose you have read that letter and there hasent any thing new transpired since I wrote to hime I suppose you have heard that we have had an Election John White is our Captain, Buckley first Lieu, Frank Keough second Lieut, Lewis Clark third Lieut, Chandler is Col, Capt Mc Neil, Liet Col John Smith, a private of the Jones County Company Major, I recon you have seen some of the oald officers before this time

and they can tel you all about it Ples I sent twenty five dollars to Father by Lieut Kenedy tel Father to write to me whether he has got it or not Ples I reckon as you are a school teacher you want a watch and perhaps nead one I want you to have my watch mended and use it I think it would do better in use than it would handing up stile Ples I would like to see you very much and talk with you a while I could tel you some sick jokes but I do not no when I will have an opportunity of doing so there is no presspects of ever geting a furlogh I dont suppose I will get to come home untill the war ends and that is some time off tel Father to come to see us if he can leave home I will pay his expenses it will not take him long to make the trip and get to see the City of Mobile I think he had just as well as to stay at home allways and never see nothing you come if you can get off from your School to a close write to me when you are comeing Write soon Your Brother

Ples I received your letter day before yesterday which gave me great satisfation to hear from you I have been very uneasy about you ever since I heard you had relapsed I was very glad to hear you was some better I am in very good health the health in the company is pretty good with the exseptions of some few cases but there is no dangerous cases I think G. W. Killam is sick and has been for several days but I think he will be up in a few days Ples I have nothing new to write to you more than we have moved again we had a very tedious March from Pollard to this place the cars was crowded so we could not get trasportation and we had to foot it we are stationed about eight or ten miles from the R.R. we have a beautiful camp ground and I think a healthy one we have got good water and plenty of it it is the poorest country you ever saw there is but very few farms in this country what little corn there is looks very well we have had some rain here it has been raining for the last two or three days off and on I hope you have some rain by this time Ples it is the thinest settled country counry you ever saw there is nothing but Loafers lives here

[page two]

Ples you do not know how well I could enjoy that hunt you spoke of in your letter and you ought to see me make your vegettables lie further if I oanly had a chance at them. I suffer a great deal for vegettables we do not get any coffee now and I dont suppose we will get any more and I can tel you it goes pretty hard with us to do without it I reckon you want to know how the Yankees are getting on down here they are all at Pensacola yet and I think they will stay there they had better if they know what is best for them Ples tel Mother to send me a pr cotten socks if she has got any on hand by some person passing down this way I cant tel you when I will have an oppotunity of comeing home we get some more money before long we will get as much as a hundred dollars with my bounty and our commutation money Ples write to me soon and tel Father to write to me I like to get letters from you often any thing you can write is interesting for me to read give my respects to the family I remain your Brother

P.S. direct your letter to Warrenton Fla

I certify that Y. W. Boggan a Private of Captain A. W. White's Company "G" of the 8th Regiment Mis Vols born in Butler County in the State of Alabama aged 22 years, 5 feet 6 inches high, light complexion, blue eyes, and by occupation a Farmer was enlisted by Capt. G. W. Ryan at Enterprise Mis on the 17 day of July 1862 to serve for twelve months and died on 15 day of July 1862 from sickness.

The said Y. W. Boggan was last paid by Capt McLaurin aqm[?] to include the 30th day of April 1862 and has pay due him from that time to the date of his death.

There is due him fifty dollars bounty.

There is due him no commutation for clothing from_____________.

He is indebted to the Confederate States_________________dollars on account of____________.

Given at Bridgeport Al this 2 day June 1863.

I verify the above signature J. A. Shannon