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Smith Family Letters

Transcript:

Letter from
James McCalment
to a cousin

July 26, 1862

Page 1 (part 1)

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Arkansas Helinea and
? it is ? ??
out           
               July 26th 1862

 dear Frend it is with
ples ure that I can drop
you a few lines   yours of
the fifteen com to hand
wich give me good news
of all.  Also Received a letter
from J.C. Hammiss (sp?) the same
day and al so a new paper 
it was the Sentinal and I
was glad to here from you
al wel.  Ben  I will have
to acknowleg that I am one
of the dames hardes sun
of Biches that god Ever
put Breth in and your men
bet your ? one that I think
no more of goring to a man barn
lot killen a calf or a cow or a
hog or steeling al of his chickens
or robin his bees or taking
any thing that we want to
you would killen a snaake
I will tel you  what I dun last
night  see I am on detach servis
at the Hospitial at night if al
 the rest I git yeserday I’m ?
of some god darn Runay Nigers as
in a way some god dam coled fooles country
bands I found out whare thar was
a large peach or orchard and a
big p[scratchout] of water mile back

  

Page 1 (part 2)

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  and a bargen with two of them
to go with me that I would furnish
horses for them to ride and Eaight
of us and two Nigers started a bout
eaight a clock in the night us
Eaight in the avlance.  and the
two Nigers on Horses way we
went till we com to the pickett
                                    
line and tha did not want to let us or it
                                                  and I		  

 

Page 2 (part 1)

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  Told them that I was a goring out
of a sick rebel that thoes two county
Bands was a goring a long to show
me where he was we went out a
bout five miles before we com
in the place and not ? ? ?
out that the fence was thrown
down and not vary  Easy at
that we drove in and thru
the god dam nigers went to a
cotin gin and got three Big Cotton
    Baskets and Brout them
  Back and then went to hutts
and waken the Nigers and
Brout them down and be fore
I ? as many as I wanted
tha had as maney as we could
take in in the avlance or at least
tha had put in a bout fifteen
bushels in  I asked them if
tha aney chickens  tha told
me that tha had  I told them
to go and cach me a duzen  tha
hesitated  I asked them what
was the matter and tha told
me that tha was a fraid and wen
on to tel me that when thire
masster found it out that he
would kill them al   I told them
that tha was dam fools why
in hell tha did not kil the dam sun
of Bich and set the House afires.
and Run of But I maid go and
Bring me two dozen tha roled out
and I went and got me two Big
? water   ? went to the house		  

Page 2 (part 2)

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  got me a chaire and Eaight them
my water ? and bout the
time we started a way the driver
what I mean by driver I mean
over seer he shoot at us hit
one of his own nigers and
Broke his lagg  we went Back
broke the dore down and went
in  as we went in his bed Room.....

                  (the remainder of the letter is missing)

  

 

  *Note to researcher:  This letter has been transcribed by Archives staff verbatim
as the words appear on the original written page.  The spacing, punctuation, and
capitalization are identical.  Words that are unclear have been enclosed in brackets.