1862 December 11 Camp near Van Buren, Arkansas

         Camp near Van Buren Arkansas
                            December 11th  1862
Dear Father, Mother, & Sister
                              Having an opportunity
of sending you a letter, I will write a few
lines.  I am well and in good health at
this time.  How are you getting along up
there?  I hope you are all well and that
the Federals have not interrupted you.
We are living a pretty hard life here in
army  We have nothing to eat but corn bread
&  beef    the
^ and ^ beef is not first rate, as a general thing
and some times we have a little sugar, issued
to us.  We used to think we saw hard
times; but I never saw hard times untill
since I joined the army.  We have just
had another hard fight, it came off
last Sunday.  The fight commenced early
in the morning and ended about dark,
The Federals loss was pretty heavy.  I don't
know how many they had killed & wound
ed.  We took 450 prisoners or more.   Our
loss was not so heavy as the Federals
by considerable.  I was not in the fight
                  re
myself.  The^ was about twenty men inclu
ding Jas. Dyer, John Douglass, and myself
put out as flankers Saturday night to
protect our camp and the army was moved

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out about midnight and we flanked
were not released until about sun up took
        Sunday
next Saturday morning we then undertook
to overtake the army (it being sent 15 miles
from camp to where the battle was fought)
but were cut off by a squad of the Feds
and did not get to the army until
after night sunday night.  We captured
a considerable quantity of property, 36 wagons
besides armes and other things.  After the
battle was over the Feds sent in a flag of
truce to Gen. Hindsman asking for an ar-
mistice of 12 ours which was arranged
granted and Sunday night our army
retreated (I don't know what for, for we
whipped the Feds) and we are now here
on the Arkansas River (I must hurry for
I will have to go on guard duty directly)
  I would love to see you all again
and eat some more good old home cooking
Jarrett, Mr Waddell, Austin, John and
Henry Doulass are all well and so
are the rest of the boys of my acquain-
tance, none of them were hurt in the
fight-  I must come to a close.  In By Sending my love
to all of my friendes, and Reserve a portion for
your Selfes.  I will not spend my christmas at
home with the girls this winter. Your Son & brother Charles

[letter of an unidentified Confederate soldier]

MSS 8474-aa