Confederate Letters

Courtesy of Jean Herrin Clinkscales

submitted by Gloria B. Mayfield

Jacksonport

Jackson Co Arkansas

January 1863

Dear Father & Mother I received your letters that you and Catherine wrote I take my seat to write you a few lines to inform you that I am enjoying tolerable good health at present I have not been well for the last three weeks I have had the

Meesles but I have got well I had a very tight time of it I taken them a day or too after we left little Rock and it was four days before I new what was the matter with me I rode four days before the Meesles broke out on me and then I had to ride

two days after they broke out on me before I got to Jackson port and it had like to have killed me there was no boddy that wanted to take a person in there house with the Meesles after we got here there was eight of our Company that had them and

we had to go to the hospittal and I and James Forsyth Stayed in thare Sixteen days that we never Saw out Side of the House Mr Bert was left behind with a young Man that belonged to our Company that was Sick and the young Man Died and Mr Bert come on to the regiment he overtaken us at Jacksonport and he did use to live here and as Soon as he got to the Regiment and found that we was in the Hospittal he got permition to come to town where we was at and he come to me and asked me if I had not rather go to a private house and I told him yes I would go anywhere to get out of that place and he went and got a buggy and taken I and James Forsyth to a house about two miles from town and we have been a mending ever since to day is Seven days we have been here and we are a going to Camp to morrow we have been well enough for two or three days to go to Camp but I thought it best to stay here untill we got Stout the folks we are a Staying with is the cleverest People that I every saw It Seems like they cant do enought for us if it had not been for the Ladies we would have died while we were in the Hospittal they would come every day and bring Some thing to eat if it had not been for them we would have Starved we had

nothing to eat but some soup made out of Strong dried beef and a little coffee and bread which was not fit for a Sick person to eat there is two things I can give Arkansas praise for and that is the Ladies and the Water there is the kindest Ladies

and the best Water that I ever saw in Arkansas Mr Hood had the Meesles at the same time I did and they did not hurt him a bit he didn't lay up but two days with them when me and Hood taken them there was not ary one of our Mess in Camp we all had them and have got well they have about all got in Camps but me at one time there was about half of the Regiment down with the Meesles the Regiment was ordered to Salem the other day and there was only about five hundred that was able to go and they went and left the sick and them that had been Sick here the report said that thare was fifteen hundred of the yankies close by thare and they had not force enough to whip them as soon as they hered that our men is coming they will

run I wish I had have been well enough to have went with them Price and McCullough had a big fight with the yankies about five thousand men and McCullough was killed and so was Gen Mcintosh Price was Slightly wounded but we gained the victory I have told all the war news that I no I believe we have lost four men out of our Company but you do not no but two of them Lee Gary and William King that lived in Shelby Co tell Mrs Wall that I have not Saw Conrad and Jack for nearly a month they taken the Meesles while we was at little Rock and we left them thare but I herd from them a few days a go and they was about well and I guess they have come on to Camps I have not herd from Camp in Several days there was a man told me that he saw Augustus Coats in town the other day and I guess they come with him James Herrin and Thomas Sparkman has come in to Camps but have not Saw them yet when the Regiment comes back I expect we will be Stationed here at this place for Some time if you write to me direct your letters to Jackson port Jackson port is headquarters of this division I believe I have written all the news or at least all that I no I want to see you all very mutch give me respects to all of my connections and friends you must excuse my bad writing for I am rather weak yet and my hand is not Studdy I hardly no whether you can read it or not and also excuse the mistakes that is in this letter you must write to me every opportunity I never was as glad to get a letter in my life as I was to get them letters from you and Catherine I was weak and low in Spirit and it revived me up

the most in the world I bring my letter to close by Subscribing my name yours as ever

Henry Watson