This is the first of the letters written at the beginning of the War.
Poem at beginning of letter
Up! Drive the ruthless Northman back -
The proud usurping foe!
And like the hunter on the track
Of wild beast at each rifle crack,
Be sure a life doth flow!
Be deadly sure-take steady aim-
And steel your heart with the exclaim,
"For country's honor, weal and fame!
We strike each foeman low!"
And thus we'll free our Dixie Land.
At God's, and Liberty's command,
and conquer peace for Dixie!
So heart and hand we take our stand
To live or die for Dixie!
Camp Bradford, Huntsville, Ala
Oct. the 8th 1861
Thomas Hendricks,
Dear Brother,
I received a letter from you last night I was glad to here that you was all well & I am allso glad to tell you that Wm. and I are both well. I am sorrow to here of the time being so hard in old Blount but I think they will be better in 12 months & I have a a good reason for thinking so. Because we are going to kill the last yankey before that time if there is any fight in them atall. I believe that J. D. WALKER's Bridgade can whip 25,000 Yankeys. I think that I can whip 25 myself. You said that you heard that there was a great deal of sickness in camps. There is a great many cases of the meezles & mumps & some few cases of the fever. There is 3 of our mess that is sick. Irae, Henry & John FOWLER has got the meezles and Clark HINES is right bad off with his breast and back. Thomas I would like to see you all & be with you for a while. I would like to see home & home folks very well. I want to see Bud and Mary the worst kind but I dont no when I can come. We are bound up pretty tite here if we leave the camps one mile without a permit from the Colonel we are subject to a Court Martial & there is but little chance for a furlow here now expecially the young men. If a married man's family is sick & dangerously bad he can get a furlow by hard beggin. I will close by saying you ort to come to see us.
Give my best respects to all inquiring friends & tell the girls that I love them as well as ever.
Write soon & tell all of the ballance to write.
Your brother and friend,
T. B. Deaver
Back all your letters in the care of Capt. McKensy.
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