1862 March 7 Centreville, Va.

In Camp at Centreville Va
7 March 1862
My dear Little Nannie –
It is just growing dark & because
we are under orders to cook rations & leave here in the
morning to go I don’t know where[,] I have determined
to write in reply to your sweet letter of the 5th inst
which came to hand two hours ago –
As before said I do not know when we will
go in the morning but suppose it is a men falling back
to or beyond Manassas to meet a possible flank move-
-ment of the enemy either by way of Winchester in
the Valley or Ocoquan on the Potomac or it may be
that we may go as far back as the Rappahanock River
to be in striking distance of Richmond in the event
of a movement by the enemy at or from Norfolk –
I do not think an early engagement will be the
result & I only regret that we have to yield the
ground & give up our comfortable winter quarters –
But all that we may suffer will not be compare-
-able to the privations of our Revolutionary ancestry –
I will take along with me my six blankets, my
Camp Cot & my well filled bed-tick – So you see I
will be pretty comfortable – Grey Latham says that
he has not time to write & asks that you send
over & apprise his wife of the order – You may
continue to address me at Manassas where I will
send for my mail until I propose a change to you

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I will be tendered the Captaincy of this company
but much prefer to raise the Heavy Artillery
Company at Lynchburg – The Boys expect me
to fail in that & will withhold the Office for me
which is more than I could reasonably ask –
Were I in the places of our friends (the
Murrells) I would disdain the employment of sub-
-stitutes –
Give my love to Cousin Eliza & Mary Ro-
-sanna & tender my congratulations for their safe
arrival at home again –
I am delighted to hear that our little
boy has at last learned to laugh – When I get
home I shall expect him to indulge the dispose-
-tion extensively –
I meant to write to your Aunty &
Lizzie to day but have been prevented from doing
so and now I shall have to defer it until some-
other time –
Give my love to all at home –
I am now & forever
Nannie’s Own
Choctaw

William King, of the Saltville Light Artillery

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6682