1862 January 13 Centreville, Virginia

Centreville
My dear Little Nannie:
Yours of the 10th inst. came from the
Junction to day –
I am not privy to Gray’s purposes or plans for
raising a battalion & rather guess that he either does not know
how or will not take the time to mature a set – He would
rather be favored by companies raised by the labor & expense of
others & if he cannot secure the help of better men than
Davidson I incline to the opinion that he will not attain the
insignia of Major –
When Clark determines to ask for a definite
something of course I will do what I can in his aid ac-
-cording to my promise before he left here –
I thought yesterday that I was threatened with
the Jaundice but to day I felt quite well after taking a long
stroll through the different camps with Judge Taliaferro – He
calls to see me very often and while we enter into no collusions
we discuss pretty freely the quiet procedure of our Captain from whom
we have not learned that Davidson is recruiting at Lynchburg nor
has he ever mentioned the efforts by himself when at home – He
may be able to retain the Captaincy of this battery but he will find
some impediments in the way of its transfer to another –
The weather is not less variable here than at Lynchburg
we went to bed last night in Italy & woke up this morning in
Iceland – Little Brown & I do little else than eat & keep warm –
Woodie Latham & Maurice Langhorne are partners in
the 40 gallon barrel of Whiskey at the Captains quarters – The former
is slumbering lazily there now & the latter has just left our house
after taking a drink of unadulterated water –
I can think of nothing else except that I want
to see my little wife & my little boy to both whom a kiss is herein
sent by Their own
Choctaw
William A. King, Captain of the Saltville Light Artillery

MSS 6682