Camp near Centreville Nov 18^th/61.

 

My dear Cousin Jimy

                                    Your last letter was received nearly 3 weeks ago & I would have written to you sooner but the truth is I have been too busy to do anything. Every other week we have to go on Picket & as soon as I get back I have to work on our breastworks. Saturday I had to go to split rails & cut wood & sunday I rested. Monday I went again to work on breastworks & to day Tuesday is my rest day. Tomorrow I will have to go out again to work somewhere. We are camped about 1½ miles from Centreville & ever since we have been here we have been at work on fortifications. There are around the vilage 7 or 8 of the strongest & best fortifications in the south. On one of the fortifications there will be 12 cannon & besides that there is room for 6 or 8000 riflemen to stand behind the works to support the artilery. Gen Toombs thinks 10000 Confederate soldiers behind the fortifications can whip all the men Lincoln can send against us. I tell you Cousin Jimy I believe if Lincoln were to attack us at Centreville with 300000 men we could whip / and kill so many of them that they would never show their heads again in Virginia. We will give the Hessians a warm reception if they attempt to invade us again. It will be no Bull run or Manassas fight but the bloodiest battle ever fought on this continent. If they will only give us a chance at them we will give them a peacemaker that will last as long as time lasts so far as Virginia is concerned. I feel like going back to Ga this winter if the Yankees invade her soil this winter & I dont know how Ill get back unless you and some one else will get up a company and give me a commission in it as a Lieut. What do you say to it. If any one raises a Company I wish you would get me a commission by your influence. Capt Smith can recomend me as a pretty good soldier so can Lieuts Bird & Culver. I am as competent as a great many that I know of if I do say it myself. I believe I could fight harder on Georgia soil than any where else. To tell you the truth Cousin Jimy I want to make a little more than my expenses if I can during the war. The loss of my gin house & 12 bales of cotton comes at a bad time when you think I am working at $11 per month. From what I can learn I am making a short crop of cotton in Baker & I want to help it out some / if possible. We are having cold weather up here now. Evry morning for five days the ground has been frozen hard and the wind in the N.E. coming fresh from the mountains. I assure you I find the blankets you & Cousin Lizie sent me are fully appreciated Samy & I sleep under 6 evry night & find them very comfortable Remember me to Thos Alexander & thank him for the blankets that he sent Sam & I use them evry night & think if him. Tell Cousin Lizie I thank her very much for the nice socks & gloves she sent me I will wear them this winter & think of her with heart felt gratitude every time I put them on. I believe the best women in the world live in Hancock Co & I might add the best men. I am almost persuaded to move back to Hancock to live if this wicked war ever ends & if the lands are not too high. When you see Capt Smith give my love to him & tell him I am very anxious to see him but not to come till he gets strong & well. We have not more than 20 men in our camp are liable to detail service. Billy Martin is sick & Frank Little  and John Stafford has been in Richmond for a month sick & at last account no better. H Culver has been unwell for some time / but is now on duty. I have been in first rate health for the last two months & weigh 145 lbs. If I can keep up as well for the next 12 months as well as for the last 3 or 4 I will be a respectable man at the end of the war. Samy sends his love & says he has so many messages to send that he will write in a few days & tell as much as he can on paper We both thank you & Cousin Lizie for the nice hams & good whiskey you sent us. We have not gone to the bottom of the box yet & dont know how much we have to thank you for Give my love to all at home & to all who inquire after me I know of nothing that would interest you that is not seen in the papers If you can get me a commission of any kind to take me back to Ga please do so for I am sick of Va

 

Please excuse all errors & write soon to your aff Cous. Give my love to Cousin Lizie & tell her to write to me.

 

I am as ever your aff Cousin

                                    Saml P Harris

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