Collection Details:
Creator/Collector: Elijah M. Odom and others.
Date(s): 1854-1855; 1857; 1862-1863
Size: 3.5 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: MDAH staff; Biographical sketch and inventory by Will Pickering, 2023.
Provenance: Loaned for photocopying by Mrs. Harold White, in September 1977; Z/U/1977.089.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

Rights and Access:
Access restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Publication rights: Copyright assigned to the MDAH. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Reference Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the MDAH as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.

Copyright Notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Preferred citation: Elijah M. Odom Civil War Letters, Z/1760.000/S, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

Biography/History:

Elijah Madison Odom born October 2, 1835 to Mary Hussey (1801-) and William H. Odom (1801-) of Alabama, one of their eleven children. On March 28, 1855 in Limestone County, Alabama, Elijah married Sarah F. Johnston (1833-1914) of Town Creek, Alabama. During his service as a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War, he wrote many letters to his wife Sarah F. Odom, and their two children, Elijah Odom, Jr. (1857-1924) and Molly R. Odom (1861-1951) from March 25, 1862 to March 27, 1863.

Elijah enlisted on June 15, 1862 as a private in Company A, Hilliard Legion, Alabama Infantry Volunteers. Later he was in Company D of the 35th Regiment of the Alabama Infantry Volunteers, Breckenridge Division, Rust Brigade. Still a private in the Confederate Army, Elijah was mortally wounded and captured at the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, on December 16, 1864. He was sent to a northern prisoners-of-war camp but died of his wounds while a P.O.W. at Louisville, Kentucky on January 2, 1865. Elijah is buried in the Confederate soldiers section in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. His wife Sarah F. Johnston Odom was living with their son Elijah Odom in Decatur, Alabama, when she died at the age of 80 on December 28, 1914 after a short illness. She is buried in Decatur City Cemetery, Morgan County, Alabama. Both of their children, Elijah and Molly, are also buried in Decatur City Cemetery.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of thirty-three letters written by Elijah M. Odom from 1854 to 1863, including five undated letters. The majority of the letters are between Odom and his wife Sarah in 1862 and 1863. This correspondence was sent primarily from Civil War Confederate camps in Mississippi including those near Canton, Grenada, Jackson, Meridian, and Vicksburg. Letters also originated from camps near Marion, Alabama, and Port Hudson, Louisiana. Also included is an agreement of indenture from 1855 that was arranged between Odom and James C. Baker of Limestone County, Alabama.

Series Identification:

1. Series 1: Correspondence. 1862-1863; n.d.

   In his first letter to his wife Sarah, Elijah Madison Odom informed her that he and his company had not left the depot but expected they would leave in the evening when the train arrived. He expressed to her how much he missed her and their children, and that if they did not meet again in this life, they would in Heaven. He also mentions he sold the cow to Sister Mary, believing it was for the best. Two days later, March 27th, Odom wrote her again, from Whitesburg, south of Huntsville, Alabama.

   Sarah Odom received a letter from her husband on Sunday, March 1, 1863. By then, Elijah Odom and his company were stationed in Clinton, Louisiana, some twenty-five miles from Port Hudson. By April 11, 1863, Elijah Odom was back in Jackson, Mississippi, from where he wrote a two page letter to his wife and children. Elijah asked his family to write long letters to him to let him know all about how his wife was doing and he asked about the children’s education. He asked if they talk about him.

   In his April 25, 1863 letter, Elijah would write them from Meridian on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to let them know that he and his company arrived there two days earlier. He wrote that his company was ordered to go to Columbus, however they learned that the Union Army was near and that Meridian needed to be protected. He also wrote the Union Army had burned some bridges and made roads impassable. He wrote he did not expect his company to stay in Meridian for long.

   Still encamped in Meridian on May 1, 1863, Elijah wrote to his wife that he had a persistent cough. In his May 3, 1863 letter, he inquires if his wife has heard about the fight at the Mississippi River at Grand Gulf near where he was stationed and he believed they would be involved in a battle soon. Five months later, this time from Marion, Alabama, Elijah wrote in a October 11, 1863 letter that he heard the 9th Alabama Regiment battled with the Union Army and that he had not heard from his brother Alexander or her brother Robert.

   When Elijah Odom was encamped near Canton, Madison County, Mississippi, he wrote to Sarah and their children in a letter dated November 5, 1863. In his letter he tells his family he was faring well, subsisting on cornbread with flour, potatoes, salt, and molasses. He mentioned his company had prayer meetings every night, and requested his wife send some religious tracts or papers for himself and his fellow soldiers. In a letter dated November 25, 1863, he wrote again to Sarah and their children to express his condolences concerning her two nieces, daughters of her sister Eliza, who died recently.

   Box 1, Folders 1-4

2. Series 2: Business Records. 1854-1855; 1858; 1862; n.d.

   Included in this series are several receipts recording purchases made by Elijah Madison Odom, instructions and recipes for washing liquid and a cure for bolls, and a letter of recommendation from the Commissioners of Free Public Schools for Limestone County, Alabama, regarding Elijah Madison Odom's competency to teach school. Also included is an agreement of indenture from 1855 between Elijah Odom and James C. Baker, both of Limestone County, Alabama.

   Box 1, Folder 5

Inventory

1. Series 1: Correspondence. 1854; 1857; 1862-1863.

   Folder	Letter Date	Letter Author	Author Location	Letter Recipient	Recipient Location
   1	March 25, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	March 27, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	Whitesburg, Madison County, Alabama, near Huntsville	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	July 15, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	July 19, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	July 22, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, near Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	August 14, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	Greenwell Springs, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   1	December 25, 1862	Elijah Madison Odom	City Hall Hospital, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	January 1, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	City Hall Hospital, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	January 11, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	City Hall Hospital, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	January 16, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	City Hall Hospital, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	January 26, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, near Grenada, Grenada County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and their children	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	February 2, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, south of Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	February 10, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom and James Goodwin	Camp, near Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and Nancy A. Goodwin	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	February 19, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom and James Goodwin	Camp, near Edwards Station, Hinds County, and Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and Nancy A. Goodwin	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	February 23, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Edwards Station, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and their children	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	March 1, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom and James Goodwin	Clinton, East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana	Sarah F. Odom and Nancy A. Goodwin	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	March 19, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana	Sarah F. Odom and their children	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	March 26, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   2	March 27, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	April 11, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and their children	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	April 25, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	May 1, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	May 3, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	May 7, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, near Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	October 11, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Marion, Perry County, Alabama	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	November 5, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, near Canton, Madison County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	November 25, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	Camp, near Canton, Madison County, Mississippi	Sarah F. Odom and their children	Limestone County, Alabama
   3	November 27, 1863	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   4	n.d.	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   4	n.d.	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   4	n.d.	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   4	n.d.	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama
   4	n.d.	Elijah Madison Odom	[unknown]	Sarah F. Odom	Limestone County, Alabama

2. Series 2: Business Records. 1854-1855; 1858; 1862; n.d.

   Folder	Date	Description
   5	n.d.	Recipe and instructions for Washing Fluid.
   5	March 8, 1862; n.d.	Receipt for cedar posts bought from James B. Davis and paid for by Elijah Madison Odom. Recipe and instructions for Cure for Bolls.
   5	July 31, 1854	Receipt for 900 bushels of coal bought by Elijah Madison Odom from Q.W. Person; sale witnessed by John Starling.
   5	August 7, 1854; August 1, 1854.	Recommendation from Commissioners of Free Public Schools for Limestone County, Alabama, regarding Elijah Madison Odom's competency to teach school. Receipt of payment for a buggy that Elijah Madison Odom purchased for forty dollars.
   5	October 5, 1855	Agreement of Indenture between Elijah M. Odom and James C. Baker and his wife Elizabeth D. C. Baker of Limestone County, Alabama, for the sum of $300.
   5	January 28, 1858; March 15, 1862.	State and county tax receipt for Elijah M. Odom. Receipt for purchase of shingles by Elijah Madison Odom from Lewis Kay.