Civil War Letter
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This is a letter from Zachariah Higgs to his Brother Thomas McDuffa Higgs in reply to the notification of their sister Adeline Higgs death in Feb. 1862. Zachariah used X for periods… and not much other punctuation, in transcribing I have used a period for clarity, but changed very little else. Transcribed by: Betty Lamberson, Deceased State of Arkansas Dallas County Dear Brother, I received your letter yesterday which give me much pain to hear of your situation an the death of my dear sister through our sister is the best of famly of us I rekon I expect we will soon follow her. Poor Mother and father they see so much trouble in there ole age. Duffa I was glad to hear from you let your situation be what it may I want to hear from you often Duff I don’t want you an Ell to do anything to dissatisfy father but if father is willing I would run them negras to lousanna before I would give them up to the yankeys if you can not (bring) them where you are bring them here an if you cannot stay here with them go on to louessanna perhaps by so doing you will save them corn an meat is scarce here but if you come you will not perish but if you can have correspondence with father do what he instrucs to do I think you and the negras would be safer here than where you are though we may be run over soon. If you would come here I will divide with to the last crumb corn is worth one dollar per bushel bacon 20 cts. I an about had done planting corn we will not try to make a cotton crop this year we can not sell hour last years crop of cotton Duffa Phillip Harrison volunteered for three years or during the war he left Monday for little rock with seventy five others this state has raised fifteen thousan troop of the last two or three weeks we could rais a good many more if we could arm them. We the mustering men are all summons to meet at princton Saturday to drill. Dufa I want you and El to write me often an if you can hear from the rest of the family write me more how they are getting along the last letter I had from father was written last October I have been ancious to hear from you all – all the time though could not I wish you all had broke up and moved down here when you could an let us all ben together I could not think of moveing to you all if I had should carried my family wright in the war. I am very low spirited at this time I desire to see you all verry much at this time here it will do all that I can for you. You will find a brother if you find me. I live six miles south of Princton an seventy miles south of little rock I have nothing more say Betsy sends her love to you both I remain brother until death. This the 30th of march Zachariah Higgs Identification of people mentioned in the letter: Letter to McDuffa Higgs from his brother Zachariah Higgs Sister is Adeline Higgs Father and Mother are John K. Higgs and Martha Harrison Higgs Ell and EL is Alexander Higgs another brother who fought in the Civil War Phillip Harrison is a brother in law he is brother to Zach’s wife Betsy. Betsy is Betsy Harrison Higgs wife of Zachariah Higgs All of these men fought as confederates during the Civil war. Their youngest brother Seth Rederick Higgs also fought with the confederates They had another brother James Kelly Higgs who fought with the Union forces. |