1861 July 9 Old Church [Hanover County, Va.]

My Dear Sir [General John Hartwell Cocke],

I received your letter
some days ago, but delayed ans-
wering in the hope of being able
to speak definitely. I am very
much obliged to Miss Nannie
& yourself for your kind response
to my request, but am afraid
I shall not have use for your
contribution. I at one time
gave up the hope of raising a
company, but have been induced
to allow the effort to go on for a
while longer. If it succeeds any
time now, I will avail myself
of you liberality. Out of about 100
men fit for service in this neigh-
borhood, not more than 20 are
willing to enlist. I hear that the

[page 2]
Coal Harbor Militia Company mustered
on Friday last, to the number of 70
& on an appeal being made to them
resolved unanimously that they
would not fight until they were
drafted. So that little is to be
expected from the patriotism of
this part of Hanover.

I hope you are all well at Bremo.
Your intelligence of Miss Nannie's
improvement is very gratifying
& gives us room to hope for her
speedy recovery.

My family are well--& the community
generally. I am just recovering from
a sllight illness.

Kind regards to Mrs Cocke, Miss
Nannie, & yourself, from Mrs
Harrison & myself.

Yrs sincerely
Dabney Carr Harrison

Albemarle County, Va., native and University of Virginia alumnus, Dabney Carr Harrison was both a lawyer and a Presbyterian minister before the outbreak of the war. Despite the inauspicious beginning recorded here he eventually became a captain in the 56th Virginia Regiment. He was mortally wounded at Fort Donelson February 16, 1862.
MSS 640