Little Rock Ark

June 22^nd 1864

 

Respected friend G.

                        I am happy to have the privilege of answering your very interesting letter, but I was sorry to hear of your sickness. I think yourself and family have your full share of sickness but I hope that you are all in the enjoyment of good health now. I know how to sympathize with the afflicted whether they are at home or in the army. To be sure at home you can have friends to care for you and attend to your many and various wants yet after all they cannot alleviate or remove your suffering or misery. The health of the troops is very good at this place. Duty is very heavy the work of strengthening the defenses of the place still moves briskly forward. then we have in addition to our regular details for daily duty one detail of 100 men from our regt that have gone as guards on some boats that have started / to go up to Ft Smith with provisions for the troops at that place. Then this morning there was another detail of about the same number of men to go with another fleet to Pine Bluffs, so you can readily perceive that we are by no means idle

 

The rebs are doing all the injury that lay in their path by way of laying waste every farm that they come to where the citizens are making any effort at all toward trying to raise a crop either of corn or cotton They say that if they cannot do anything at any other time they will do it while the leaves and underbrush are so thick that our men cannot find them without encountering considerable difficulty.

 

Marmaduke, one of our worst pests that we have to deal with is down below here between the Ark and white rivers tearing things up generally but the last we heard from him Gen A. J. Smith was in hot pursuit of him and pressing him closely. Then Shelby a fit companion for Marmaduke in cruelty and wickedness / is between here and Duvals Bluffs and day before yesterday our Cav. had engaged him and four regts of Infty were sent out on the cars from this place to reenforce our Cav. At last accounts they were still fighting. how they have made it I dont know but the prevailing opinion is that our men will come out victorious and probably capture a goodly number of his men.

 

It was rumored around here a few days ago that one division of troops would be sent from here to join Sherman but it is now thought it was only rumor. If however any of the troops do leave here to go over there I hope it will be our division for I am getting tired of staying here and yet I dont want to go out into the interior of Ark. for I was out there once and of all the most desolate deserted barren God forsaken country that I ever saw in my life it takes the lead. The man that is killed / out here in battle sells his life very cheap for I would not give one mans life for all the country that I have seen on this side of the Ark river If it was not for the saving of the union this country would not be worth contending for but as it is I suppose it must be fought for the same as other and better portions of the country.

 

Well friend you must excuse my poor writing for I am out on Picket and it is raining and I am sitting under a shelter with no other desk than my knee to write upon Tell our old friend Ambrose that a letter from him would be very acceptably received and promptly answered. And by the way friend if you would like to have my photograph I will tell you on what terms you can have it. I would be highly pleased to have yours also and therefore would gladly exchange the one for the other. If the proposal meets your approbation please inform me and we can then proceed to make the exchange

 

Well I presume I have written enough for I have written all that I know therefore I will close my letter by requesting you to write whenever you can make it convenient to do so.

 

Good by for the present

        George Campbell

 

To his esteemed friend                                                               

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