1861 October 6

Sunday
My dear little Nannie:
I always look anxiously & confidently for
letters from you and have now to acknowledge the receipt of
those of the 1st & 3rd insts. for which I thank you most heartily.
I am satisfied with the change of tenants for our
little house because you seem to be pleased with it. I hope
that you have not suffered from the labor in moving the furniture
and imagine that you are now comfortably situated in a nicely
arranged room “down at home” – I’ll be there some ‘o these days to see
how nicely you are fixed and then hurrah for US!!!
I am very glad to hear of the improvements in your
Ma’s (My Mothers) health & hope that by this time she is entirely well
again – Another winter approaches and she ought to care as much
for herself as she does for others; and cease to labor & expose herself
so much – Clark & I are much obliged to her for the letters received
to day – Clark wrote to her a day or two since & I will try to reply
to –morrow –
I thank your Father for his kind attention to my business
and his offer to make an investment for me in Tobacco when he
shall have finished for himself – If the war should come to an
early termination he will do well –

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I am not surprised by the announcement of the marriage of Maddie
Shelton – She is kind hearted and uneducated – More to be pitied
than blamed –
I sympathise with Fannie Chalmers from the very
bottom of my heart – When she shrieks Lynchburg ought to mourn
for there are few men in the world as poor Jim Chalmers
He had the esteem and confidence of all – Was consulted by
every member of his company here and I shall never forget the
feeling with which he parted with me in Richmond when
with one hand on my shoulder and ^ ‘with’ tears in his eyes he said
“My good friend you are ^ ‘now’ about to enter the field of strife in
which there are many temptations to vice – Take good care of
your morals! God bless you! Good bye! – Would that every
man in the Army could have had, and been as much influenced
as I by such an injunction –
My little Nannie must never feel uneasy a-
-bout the comfort or safety of Choctaw – My His clothes are
all clean and in good order – He is comfortably quartered
in his shrub-house and will not recklessly expose his person
to the enemy; although he will not shrink from the performance
of his whole duty to his wife, his County and himself –
Lieut Folkes succeeded in quieting the clamor of the
company against him although there is still a strong disposition
to get rid of him –
Grey Latham has at last awakened to the con-

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dition of his Company and avows that he is going to cor-
-rect the evils that have existed in it – How long he will
persist in carrying out his new plans, time will develop –
Clark seems bent on making an effort to raise a new
company about Lynchburg and Mr Dillards – He went this
morning to visit some friends in the 7th Louisiana Regiment –
Three neighbors of Mr. Dillard (the Snows) were disappointed this
morning in not finding him here to encourage him ^ ‘to make’ in making
the effort – they proposed but I declined to take the first
Lieutenancy – I cannot commit myself now to serve for
longer than April next at which time I can be governed
by circumstances –
The Yankees have advanced their picket lines
in every direction about two miles – Our troops still hold
Falls Church and other points within two or three & a half
miles of the Yankee ground shown by the imperfect pencil
map sent you – I do not think we are like to have a
fight here soon but would not be surprised to hear of
an effort by our troops to cross the Potomac by means of
boats now lying in Ocoquan River and Acquia Creek
at both of which points we command the river and pre-
-vent the passage of Lincoln craft –
All the Navy Officers have been ordered to the
Potomac from the Junction except Capt Sterritt and
Lieutenant Lyne –

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If Mr. Cheatwood declines to take Mat & Alfred
would it not be well to dispose of them to some
of the Hotels at Lynchburg – Anything in the world to
free my Nannie from the trouble of their management –
Has “old Choctaw” an old pair of Boots
that can be mended with good heavy leather & sent
to him by somebody that will certainly hand them to
him? –
I saw Tom Claiborne a day or two since
in a bran-new Confederate uniform – He is employed
down about Genl Johnstons Head Quarters and is
rather too ostentatious to suit me –
I love my little Nannie
Choctaw

Captain William A. King of the Saltville Light Artillery
MSS 6682