University of Virginia Library

May 25th 1861

It is with pleasure to me, that I am permitted to write you a fiew lines I recieved your much welcomed letter a fiew days since and have taken this highly favored opportunity of writing. My health is very good as well as your Brothers and I hope when theese fiew lines comes to hand that you may be enjoying the same blessing with all other earthly enjoyments. Thare are from fifteen to twenty thousand Soldiers hear at present thare was

some rumers hear last night that the federal troops had taken posession of Alexandria thare was a secession flag thare & one secessionist stood by it & said the first man that attempted to take it down he would kill & one of the officers of the federal troops walked up to it and took hold of it and was shot down in his tracks put the secessionist suffered the same fate he was shot down & cut to pieases he well knew what would be his fate, put his love to the new confederacy was sweeter than death.

Thare is eleaven Hundred Alabamians & with them two of my Oncles, John & William

Mosley. I see them almost every day they are poth very lively. Oncle William & my self was on duty night before last we ware speaking of our post I told him I had the pest post on the round & he said he had the pest for a lady sent his supper out to him & that he would be back thare for his breckfast. I told him that I would relieve him put nether one got our meals thare.

Thare is two thousand Missippians hear thay are keen for a fight thay are in favor of going to Washington & give the republicans a round or so. The north must keep thare feet of ove Virginia soil or thare will be blood shed. All of the Augusta Grays voted

for secession put two & they did not vote fifteen or twenty of us was not old enough, put our Capt told us to vote if we could & every one of us voted one of our low life men talked like he wold oppose our votes and the gentle man was about to get him self into business he got so bad scared that he went and voted for secession. John is not so lively as he was when at home. My friend James is well you will hear from him before long. Mr Apple told me to send his love to who ever I was writing to I intend to come up to see you before long. I ask an interrest in your prayers that I may hold out faith full to the end.