Confederate Letters

Courtesy of Jean Herrin Clinkscales

submitted by Gloria B. Mayfield, Rusk Co. Coordinator

September 1861

(NOTE: The first page of this letter has been lost, but evidently it is the first letter Henry wrote after he joined the

Confederate Army on Sept. 16, 1861 at Camp Flournoy, Quitman  TX.)

Seven days a coming we found the cleanest People on the way that I ever saw when we got up in the upper edge of Smith County we Stoped and Stayed two days and went a driving and killed two deer Mr Hoods Horse died as we come up and he come with us to Uncle Newells and he taken uncle Tom Benedicks horse and Hood and the balance of us Boys obligated ourselves to pay him whatever was right for the horse he was here a foot among Strangers and that was all the chance for him to get a horse he said he would write back to Panola and get him a horse to plow next Spring I and uncle Newel told him if he could do that it would be allright we thought he wrote an obligation and we all Signed it with him and if he never Returned and we do we will pay him for the horse the first Camp we went to was near Quitman the name of the Camp was Camp Locke we got there on Friday and left there on Monday to come to goose Lake which is about thirty five miles we got here on Tuesday night and I hope we will Start to move from this Camp on Saturday next. If you want to wright to me direct your letters in this way Henry Watson Plano Collin County Texas Lockes Regiment in care of Capt Craig direct your letters in this way and it makes no difference where we go it will come to me Write to me as Soon as you get this letter and perhaps it will come to me before we leave there by it does not get there before it will come to me any wheres You must excuse my bad writing for I have writ on my nee I have nothing more to writ I forgotten to tell you about our fair we have plenty of Bacon meal beef Rice peaches we have no coffee but we have plenty of tea I will quit

H. Watson