March 3, 1863

There is a dead yankee in our well tonite.

I am looking out the window at the well rite now and it is giving me the jitters to no what I must do. The moon is round and I suppose that is good for light, but Janey sez ghosts come out with the moon and she has seen plenty. She is thirtene and I am eleven (but twelv this month) and have seen not one yet but I supose I havent looked for them so much as her.

Mother sez the yankee is dead becauze someone shot him when he stopped for water here, but she said he'd a died anyways falling such a long ways down. Leroy and I have thrown stones down it and I guess she is right, for it takes a long time to hear them plop.

So he is dead for certen.

He got kilt this afternoon and mother heard the bang and come out and looked and saw his nice horse standing by the well and she started screeming. I have never heard her screem before and dont never want to again.

But I come out with Leroy and mother stops and says we have got a dead yankee in the well and that was that.

Then she sent Leroy off with the man's horse to find the nearest camp of yankees so they can come and fetch him 'cause there are no men abouts who can do it. I have tol you - I think - Mr. Mabry has the angina and Matt is young but a half-wit. The rest is too old. I used to think Daddy was the only one gone to war but since then I have found all mens in Virginia went.

An I supose they said the same thing my daddy did before he left, but I am the only one who seems to remember xactly wat he said, so I supose it is up to me.

And I have to go out and do this thing, but I know in my heart I am skeared to living deth just thinking on it.

I can hear Cissy crying from our room downstares. She didnt think I heard her but I heard her tell Molly she thought Tommy Paine kilt him because she had spoken to the yankee before now. If this one has been here before may be he was the one give me a ginger snap one day las month, but I won t no til they take him out I guess. Anyway, Cissy says Tommy is jellis and shot him from the woods, but she don t know nothing. And I wish she wud stop blubbering. Tommy Paine aint brave enuff, I don t think, to do such a thing, but I supose it is a common way to die, to be drinking cause your hot and tired and be shot in the back.

May be Tommy did it.

And now I must be brave and go out in the dark, becase mother said not to go near the well and I know I coudnt make her understan. Everything has to be ready when Leroy comes back and I dont no when that will be sos I must hurry.

Goodnite.

Lucy Ann Smithers

March 4, 1863

It was all for not and I have a great disapointement tonite. I went to the well ever so quiet last nite and no one herd me and that was good.

I got shivers thinking about the man in the bottom, but I did not see a ghost that I no of. Took the bucket and lowerd it with the rope like I do ten times a day and I coud tell it hit something at the bottom that wasn t water and it made me sick, but wat did I xpect? And hes dead so he don't care. I even said it allowed in case the ghosts were lissening. He was dead and so I clonked the rope aroun until it hit water and made it full.

I brunged it up and I was very keerful not to spill a drap when I brunged it to the grass. I thot then that spilling it might ruin everything becaze I had never done this before and was not perfekly sure wat I was about, but I no now it wount have mattered. Then I hid the bucket in the boxwood and went back to bed but didn't sleep of course in case the yankees came back.

Leroy and lots of yankees came to the well aroun noon o-clock and I had been shaking on and off lots that morning so I was glad they were finally here. Mother went out to meet them and I staid behind her cause I just knew she wount like it, even though she cries a lot since Daddy left, still I dont think she could understan what I was about.

When they were figuring out how to get him out and Leroy was going to let a candle down in the bucket to see if there were poison gas, and it was time for me to do it cause I knew they werent going to find no bucket there.

I walked and took the bucket very keerfully again and came around to where the older men were on their fine horses. I new they were important cause they had gold on their coats I am not stupid. And I let them see me and they did watch me as I pored it out on the road in front of them. And it did run as it shud.

Mother cried out agin wich was a pity because it upset the horses and there were many curses becauze of it.

When the old man got his horse in order he sez to me 'Little missy, just wat do you think yer doing?' I had been told that yankees were stupid so I knew I was going to have to xplain everything to him. I smiled at Leroy tho becase he knew what I was doing.

First I made certin wat I was about and asked if he did not think it was his yankee wat was in our well. He sez Yes, it was my skout and then I new it was all right and tol him wat mother said - that we were not to drink the well water from yesteday because it was full of yankee blood now, and right away mother tells me hush, but I new better and went rite on. Then I tole him what daddy said (an I memberd it xactly, becase I knew it was very emportant at the time) - that when the yankees saw their own blood runnin in the street, they woud stop coming here and the war woud be over.

I was not happy to hear that old man laff at me then.

I think I most wanted to lose my brekfast but he sez, Little missy, you are rite, but there is not enough blood in your well to do the job. I asked him just how much I woud need and he woud not tell me, wich I did not think was fair. An he kept laffing.

So I am misrable tonite, but they did get the yankee up. I was sorry to see it was the ginger snap man an Cissy has been crying all nite long, but I am tired and want to go to sleep now.

When daddy comes home tho I am going to ask him xactly how much blood it will take.

Goodnite.

Lucy Ann Smithers